>IF< can sometimes mean >WHEN<:#3 of 4
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OVERVIEW:
========
The following module will focus on the fact that the word
>IF< can sometimes mean >WHEN<. >IF< makes the sentence
sound OPTIONAL while >WHEN< makes it sound OBLIGATORY
Examples are brought below
REFERENCES:
==========
The following references contain the material covered
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h7n24.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ex21-30a.htm
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EXAMPLE 6 Dt21-14a
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BACKGROUND
----------
The verse is speaking about a foreign woman captured
in war. The Bible allows you to initially take her
under certain circumstances. The Bible then continues:
Dt21-14a says But >IF< you then hate her let her go*2
But as Rashi points out the >CONTEXT< of the Parshah shows a
climatic development
--if you go to war
--and see an attractive woman
--and you have an affair with her
--
--then you should bring her to your house
-------and let her shave her head
-------and let her nails grow long
-------and remove her attractive captive garments
-------and mourn 30 days the lost of her religion
--and then you may marry her
--but >IF< you dont want her you must let her go...
Rashi wryly points out that after seeing her shaven head and
her long nails and her unattractive garments it would be
inevitable that >you do not want her<
Hence Rashi would translate ..& >WHEN< you dont want her then
let her go.
EXAMPLE 7: Ex21-30a
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BACKGROUND
----------
The Bible is talking about an OX that Gored someone and killed
them. The law is that the OX is executed. The Bible says
that the owner should really be executed also (for not watching
his OX) but is allowed to >ATONE< for his sin by paying ransom
The Bible says this as follows
Ex21-30a says >IF< ransom is placed on him then he shall pay it
However as just indicated the >LAW< is that the courts >MUST<
take ransom from him (whether he wants to give it or not).The
courts never have the right to execute the owner (even if he
feels guilty and allows it). Hence--the proper translation
of the verse is
Ex21-30a >WHEN< ransom is placed on him then he shall pay it
This completes our analysis of this topic. The Grand Summary
will be presented tomorrow. We close with a comment.
COMMENT:
=======
A question remains: Why did Rashi in the name of the
Mechilta only cite 3 of the 7 examples that we have
reviewed.
We discussed this at my Shomrey Emunah Rashi class:
It would appear that only in the first 3 verses that we
covered that you can >PROVE<, by CITING OTHER VERSES,
that the word >if< >MUST< be translated as >when<.
However there is no >PROOF< in the other 4 verses that >if<
means >when> Let us examine them
In the last two verses, the ones
in this posting, there is no proof tat >IF< means >WHEN<
We rather derive it by considerations of style.
Similarly in In Nu36-04a, the word >IF< is
used because it is part of a >COMPOUND HYPOTHETICAL< statement:
--------------------------------------------------------------
>IF<
--(a) the girls marry out of their tribe and
--(b) the Jubilee comes
>THEN< such and such may happen.
--------------------------------------------------------------
So even though the Jubilee >MUST< come, since it
is part of a compound hypothetical the word >IF< is used.
Similarly in Gn28-20a,>IFIF God will be with me< instead of >WHEN God will be
with me< in order not to sound arrogant. In summary, there are 7,
possibly more, verses where >IF< means >WHEN<. In 3 of those 7 we
can prove, by citing other verses, that >IF< must mean >WHEN< and
therefore the Mechiltah only cited these 3.
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