*1 (Rav Hirsch) The FUNCTION of the knee is to FACILITATE
motion. (THe function of the feet is to move--you can
move without knees but it is harder---the KNEES
facilitate movement). Hence the BLESSING is LENDING
A KNEE to the person -- that is, FACILITATING his
motion on his chosen path in life.

*1 Hence the verses
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Gn08-02b Rain was WITHELD from the heavens
Gn23-06a No person will WITHOLD their land from you
Ex36-06a The nation WITHELD further bringing
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*2 Hence the meanings of KNEELING and LIEING DOWN

*1 See LIST854e below for Biblical examples

*2 See LIST854c below for further Biblical examples

*3 Probably when people had a sexual fight (who did what)
they could SPREAD THE GARMENT to clearly prove their
point*10

*4 Many idioms in this list are examples of SYNECDOCHE,
the use of the (distinguished) PART to indicate the
WHOLE. Thus honey is a GOOD EXAMPLE of something
sweet, bread is a GOOD EXAMPLE of food, day(12
hours) is a GOOD EXAMPLE of the 24 hour period. Hence
almost all languages develop idioms: HONEY=SWEET,
BREAD=FOOD, DAY(12 HOURS)=DAY(24 HOURS).

Similarly in the above live SPEADING THE GARMENT
is a GOOD example of PROVING MATTERS (In sexual
disputes), the SUN SHINING is a good example of
CLARITY, GIFT OF HIS HAND is a good example of
a HIGH INCOME LEVEL.

*5 Cf However Lv15-08a Spit ON Him = Actually spit on him
The rule seems to be that SPIT ON HIM is literal
whereas SPIT ON FACE (use of FACE vs FULL PERSON) means
SPIT TOWARDS HIM

*6 eg If I am angry and mentally curse or if I
am angry and start ranting and raving without
however fully articulating everything on my mind
-- in these two cases I may have sworn IN MY MIND
but I have not sworn WITH MY LIPS (Explicitly)

*7 Contrast Ex20-03a OTHER GODS=GODS OF OTHER PEOPLE
vs Ex21-02a JEWISH SLAVE = SLAVE AND JEWISH

Technically the possessive --OF-- can mean
- OWNED BY (eg OTHER GODS = gODS of OTHERS)
- PROPERTY (eg JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE who is JEWISH)
- ASSOCIATED WITH (eg BELT OF GARMENT=Belt USED
with Garment)

Note Rashi proves the JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE WHO
IS JEWISH by citing an other verse Dt15-12 *11

*8 For the relationship between TIME and DESIGNATION
cf the English APPOINT-APPOINTMENT

*9 Cf Gn31-35 for the sister phrase PATH OF WOMEN
which also refers to HAVING PERIODS

*10 (The following comes from my article PSHAT & DRASH
TRADITION Winter 1980)

We must distinguish between
- HOW we know what the idiom means
- WHY the idiom means this

HOW we know what the idiom means comes from USAGE
It can usually be inferred from context. Thus
the Biblical verses here state
when a person slanders his newly married
wife...then the womens parents shall sue
him and SPREAD THE GARMENT before the judges
-------------------------------------

Hence SPREAD the GARMENT is simply an idiom
for PROVING ONES POINT.

By contrast the question of WHY the idiom
means what it does is something more
speculative--maybe I am right that frequently
in sexual fights a SPREAD GARMENT proved a
point. But maybe I am wrong...in such a case
I am still sure about WHAT the idiom means.
I am just not sure about WHY it means this.

Another example occurs at Lv23-40a and Lv23-40b.
I am certain that the ETHROG was called the
GORGEOUS FRUIT but I am not quite sure why. Rashi
offers two explanations

EXPLANATION 1:
The ethrog is an EVERGREEN and DWELLS YEARLY
(This uses a pun on EVERGREEN=HADAR vs
HODOR=GORGEOUS)

EXPLANATION 2
-------------
The TREE and FRUIT taste the same; Hence
the tree is Gorgeous.

EXPLANATION 3
-------------
Rav Hirsch offers a 3rd explanation. Rav
Hirsch reviews botanical classifications and infers
that the Ethrog is one of the more advanced
fruits in the tree Kingdom.

I am still not sure WHY the phrase GORGEOUS
FRUIT means ETHROG but I am sure that this
phrase was used to denote the ETHROG


*11
Here is another example:
GARMENT OF CAPTIVITY does NOT mean
- the GARMENT she wore WHEN captured
(That is the GARMENT with the PROPERTY that
it was worn at the time of capture) but rather means

- the GARMENT she put on in case she is captured
(That is the garment ASSOCIATED with the
possibility of CAPTURE)

Rashi explains that non-jewish women would have
special garments they wore in case they were
captured during a war in order to seduce their
captors and prevent themselves from being murdered.

*12 The Hebrew word A-Chu-Zah by itself can refer to
a plot of land (without any additional words):
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Cf Gn47-11 Gave them a PLOT
Cf Lv25-46 These slaves shall be a PLOT for inheritance
Cf Nu27-04 Give us please a PLOT among our brothers
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