*1 Some commentators prefer a translation of pitch

*2 This could mean PERFUME, HENNA, NARD, PALM. It apparently
   refers to some flower that is pretty or smells nice

*3 Actually KFIR refers to a young adult lion: Not a cub
   and not the elder leader of a pack. Radack explains that
   KFIR can refer to any young-adult-wild-animal whether it
   is a lion or not.

*1 In other words even though this word is translated as TO
   COVER nevertheless it cannot be used for any covering.
   It rather specifically refers to COVERING WITH TAR --
   that is, to TARRING.*10

*2 The root Kaph-Pay-Resh does not refer to any covering but
   a sticky jagged covering like FROST and TAR. The ark-cover
   in fact had a jagged golden protrusions butting up from it

*3 The Bible compares the white flaky manna to Frost (Ex16-14)
   Hence I would suggest that KOFER refers to a plant covered
   with many white petals, thus giving a frost like appearance*11

*4 In English the verb TO DUST,from the noun DUST, means
   the removal of the DUST. We would suggest that TO TAR
   in Hebrew similarly means THE REMOVAL OF THE TAR and
   refers to the VIGOROUS CLEANING of stained objects.
   (Note that in English TO TAR means to place the TAR.
   In general activities and objects can relate in several
   ways) *12

*5 See footnote #4. Kaph-Pay-Resh does not refer to any
   removal but a vigorous removal of something sticky or
   jagged like tar or frost. We can apply this VIGOROUS
   CLEANING idea to several meanings of Kaph-Pay-Resh

-  REMOVE: Isa28-18 They had a treaty with death. The treaty
   stuck to them like tar. VIGOROUS CLEANING removed it

-  APPEASE: Esauv hated Jacob for 20 years for stealing his
   birthright. The hatred stuck to him like tar.
   Jacob sought to VIGOROUSLY CLEAN AWAY the HATRED

-  ATONE: A person commites adultery. The sin sticks with him
   like tar. To ATONE the sin is to VIGOROUSLY CLEAN IT
   (Note: That ATONE therefore refors to HEAVY SINS)

-  RANSOM: A person is captured by a terrorist. He is stuck with
   the terrorist like tar. This connection must be
   VIGOROUSLY CLEANED

*6 Recall (From the Radack) that KFIR doesnt mean any lion
   but rather refers to a YOUNG-ADULT-FIGHTER-WILD-ANIMAL

   I would suggest that the FIGHTING activities resemble
   VIGOROUS CLEANING activities. In other words the fighting
   wild animal looks like someone CLEANING UP THE PLACE.
   The idea of naming something by its activity form is
   common (eg SURF WEB comes from SURF WATER) *13

*7 The Bible explicitly calls the villages the BEASTS OF
    THE CITY (Nu32-41). It would appear that the villages
    functioned to protect the cities (the same way fighter
    animals protected the den).

*10 In this case TO TAR would be the verb/activity arising
   from the noun/object TAR.Other examples of VERB-NOUN pairs are
   ------------------------------------------------------
   NOUN            VERB-ACTIVITY
   --------        --------------------------
   WATER           TO WATER (flowers)
   HAMMER          TO HAMMER (nail)
   BUILDING        TO BUILD (the building)
   TAR             TO TAR (the tar)
   COLOR           TO COLOR an object
   ------------------------------------------------------

   We see here the point of finding a unified meaning: The
   root Kaph-Pay-Resh cannot be used for any COVERING but
   only for coverings like tar

*11 Recall that Radack brought about 4 opinions on what this
   word meant:
   - Perfume
   - Henna
   - Nard
   - Palms
   Based on this list I would suggest that it refers to a plant
   covered up with white flowers the same way frost covers up
   the ground. The idea of comparing white flaky substances to
   frost is in fact Biblical -- The manna white flakes on the
   ground resembled frost (Ex16-14)


*12 The following list shows that when a verb/activity comes from
   a noun/object then the activity may refer to either the
   CREATION, DESTRUCTION or USAGE of the noun.
   ------------------------------------------------------
   NOUN           VERB ACTIVITY         RELATION
   -------------  ---------------       -----------------
   Plant          To plant              Create the plant
   Dust           To dust               Remove the dust
   Hammer         To hammer             Use the hammer
   Tar            To Tar                Place the Tar
   Wave           To wave               Create a wave
   ------------------------------------------------------

   Hence, if we grant that Kaph-Pay-Resh refers to a FROST
   LIKE or TAR LIKE covering, then the verb form TO FROST
   or TO TAR could mean(in Hebrew) the CLEANING/REMOVAL
   of the FROST TAR. In this way the two basic meanings of
   CLEAN and FROST are connected.

   The English analogy of TO DUST=the removal of the dust,
   fits in nicely with the verb form of Kaph-Pay-Resh
   which means the removal of the TAR like stains.

   Again note the emphasis on nuance. Kaph-Pay-resh doesnt
   refer to any cleaning but rather the vigorous cleaning
   of tough stains

*13   The idea of naming ideas by their activity form occurs
   frequently in language. Here are some other examples
   -----------------------------------------------------------
   ORiginal meaning         Derived meaning(similar activity)
   -------------------      ----------------------------------
   Surf (water)             Surf Web
   Storm (water)            Brain Storm
   Vigorously clean         To Lion-Fight the enemy
   The spark (of fire)      To sparkle (A gem)
   Vigorous cleaning        FIGHTER WILD ANIMAL
   -----------------------------------------------------------

*1 First note how Rashi commented on this verse twice:
   -- in Gn32-21a Rashi says I WILL CLEAN HIS ANGER AWAY
   -- in Dt32-43e Rashi says I WILL APPEASE HIS ANGER

   But recall from the 2nd list in this posting
   that Kaph-Pay-Resh refers
   to the removal of a jagged sticky substance like Tar
   or Frost. It refers to a vigorous cleaning activity
   like the fighting of lions.

   So the real meaning here is that Esauv hated Jacob for
   20 years for stealing his birthright. The hate stuck
   like tar and Jacob was CLEANING IT UP, APPEASING HIM
   REMOVING THE HATRED.*10

*2 In a previous list we gave the example of adultery.
   Such a sin sticks in ones mind like tar. The atonement
   process must vigorously clean the soul and remove the
   sticky sin. See footnote *11 for more details.

*3 We have noted that ATONE means to VIGOROUSLY CLEAN
   a SIN whose effects stick like TAR.

   So it remains to explain HOW to clean VIGOROUSLY
   Rashi leaves us with two methods
   -- vigorously atone by verbal confession(The embarassment
      cleanses the soul from its tar like tie to the sin)

   -- vigorously atone by ransom (ala King Solomon who
      said that MONEY ANSWERS ALL (Ecclesiastes)

*10 On Dt32-43d Rashi explains that there is an ellipsis
    The bracketed capped word is missing in Dt32-43d & Ex32-30a
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    God will vigorously remove like tar[THE ANGER FROM]his nation
    Perhaps Ill vigorously remove like tar[THE ANGER]of your sin
    -------------------------------------------------------------

    The suggestion of the ellipsis of Anger in Ex32-30 is due
    to Radack (whom I guess is troubled by the explicit statement
    that God will not totally forgive the people(Ex32-34)-- so
    at least Moses removed the anger)

*11 Rashi definitely uses the analogy of CLEANING when describing
    atonement.

    See footnote #10 where I cite Radack as follows

    There is an ellipsis or missing word in the verse
    The bracketed capped word is missing in Dt32-43d & Ex32-30a
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    God will vigorously remove like tar[THE ANGER FROM]his nation
    Perhaps Ill vigorously remove like tar[THE ANGER]of your sin
    -------------------------------------------------------------

    The suggestion of the ellipsis of Anger in Ex32-30 is due
    to Radack (whom I guess is troubled by the explicit statement
    that God will not totally forgive the people(Ex32-34 -- so
    at least Moses removed the anger)

    However Harry Rashbaum of my Shomrey Emunah Rashi class
    suggested that the focal point of Rashi was the preposition
    BEAD which can mean FOR THE SAKE OF. I would still translate
    the verse
    -------------------------------------------------------
    I will appease Gods anger that came BECAUSE of your sins
    -------------------------------------------------------
    Harrys point is that perhaps BEAD has an unusual usage here
    (In fairness to Harry, BEAD besides meaning FOR THE SAKE OF
    and BECAUSE can eg also mean THRU (As THRU a window)). So
    maybe that is Rashis point.

    We will have occasion to comment on BEAD at a later date.
    For the moment however we simply clarified the usage of
    Kaph-Pay-Resh