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KPR means a JAGGED STICKY COVERINGS |
BACKGROUND
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The Hebrew root Kaph-Pay-resh has about 12 meanings: These
include atone, tar, lion, perfume...etc
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
---------------
Harry Rashbaum of my (former) Shomrey Emunah Rashi class brought
this puzzle in. He indicated he was inspired to study this root
by his Grandsons homework.
REFERENCES
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Both Radack in his book ROOTS and Rashi discuss the multiple
meanings of this root.
SHOULD WE UNIFY
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The search for a unified meaning is not
just an academic exercise -- the unification of meaning
- sheds light on the EXACT NUANCES of each individual meaning;
- prevents using/extending individual meanings incorrectly
For example KOFER does not refer to ANY coverning but
rather to a COVERING OF A TAR LIKE JAGGED SUBSTANCE. You
would not use KOFER to refer to PLACING A COVER ON A BOTTLE
Thus the unified meaning sheds light on nuances.
THE LISTS
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The list below brings the two major meanings of KOFER--TAR LIKE
COVERING and CLEANSING OF A TAR LIKE SUBSTANCE. The footnotes
add similar meanings not commented on directly by Rashi
|
| VERSE |
MEANING |
TEXT OF VERSE |
| Gn06-14d |
Tar |
COVER the ark with TAR*1 *2 *3 |
| Gn32-21a |
Appease*4 |
I-ll send presents to Esauv;APPEASE him |
| dt32-43e |
Appease*4 |
God will APPEASE the Jews from their suffering |
| Ex32-30a |
atone*4 |
Vigorously REMOVE SINS sticking like tar |
| Lv16-10b |
Atone*5*6 |
Atone by CONFESSION |
| Nu35-31a |
Ransom*5 |
Atone by MONEY |
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS |
*1 Gn06-14d also includes the verb form:
----------------------------
TAR (verb) the ark with TAR
----------------------------
*2 The idea of JAGGED COVERING also appears in the
following meanings of KOFER
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Gn06-14d TAR
Ex16-14 FROST The MANNA looked like a FROST COVERING
Song1-14 PERFUME You (my lover) are like PERFUME
Ex25-17 ARKCOVER Make an Ark-COVER for the ark
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We dont exactly know what The KOFER PERFUME in Song1-14
refers to. Radack brings 4 opinions.
(a) Perfume (b) Henna (c) Nard (d) Palms
I would suggest that it refers to a plant covered up with
white flowers the same way frost covers up the ground.
Thus we have the idea of a JAGGED NON SMOOTH COVERING
The ARK COVER was not an ordinary covering but had a
JAGGED GOLD PROTUSION surrounding it
*3 Some commentators prefer a translation of pitch
*4 First let us clarify how TAR can mean to CLEAN
It will then follow that CLEAN can also means
--TO ATONE---CLEAN SIN
--TO APPEASE-TO CLEAN THE HATRED
In other words e.g. Esauvs hatred towards Jacob stuck like
tar in his mind. Jacob tried to APPEASE the HATRED--he
tried to CLEAN the tar like emotional stain (Gn32-21a)
To show that TAR can mean CLEAN think of a word like
DUST. The verb form TO DUST means TO REMOVE THE DUST
In a similar manner TO TAR can mean TO CLEAN THE TAR.
Here is a list of verbs which come from nouns which
can mean either CREATION, REMOVAL or USAGE
------------------------------------------------------
NOUN VERB ACTIVITY RELATION
------------- --------------- -----------------
Plant To plant Create the plant
Wave To wave Create a wave
Tar To Tar Place the Tar
Hammer To hammer Use the hammer
Dust To dust Remove the dust
Tar To TAR To remove the Tar
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*5 We just explained that KOFER means to ATONE. Rashi
presents two methods of atonement (by CONFESSION or
by MONEY)
*6 We now sketch other meanings related to KOFER=CLEAN
-------------------------------------------------------------
1Ch28-17 BASINS used for vigorous CLEANING of stained knives
Isa28-18 You treaty with death will be REMOVED
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In Isa28-18 the emphasis is not on any REMOVAL but rather
removal of a STICKY SITUATION (a treaty with death--something
hard to get out of)
We have left two deal with two other meanings of KOFER
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Ps114-21 Young Fighter wild animal
Song7-12 Village
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I would suggest that the villages surrounding a city
were like the young fighter animals surrounding the
senior animals. In fact such an anology is confirmed
by Nu32-41 which refers to villages as the WILD ANIMALS
(of the city).
As to the meaning FIGHTER ANIMAL I would suggest that
the movements of a fighter animal LOOK LIKE
vigorous cleaning actions
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
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