13 Methods for inferring meaning:#21 of 32
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# June 20th, 2001 #
# Rashis 802-807 Of 7800 (10.4%) #
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This posting is twice the usual length
and has twice the usual # of Rashis.
So it will hold for 2 days. I am therefore
posting it 2 days. It is however one
unit and therefore I am not posting it
in halves. TODAY I AM BRINGING IN SOME
COMMENTS THAT I RECEIVED FROM YESTERDAY
My Shomrey Emunah Rashi class suggested
that a proper translation of DBH might be
* MURMUR
* CHATTER
* CONVERSATIONAL
* INFORMAL
* GRUMBLING
* IMPULSIVE TALK
I also bring some further support from
acharonim for my views on Rashis
translation.
---------------------------------------
GOALS:
------
I decided its time for a longer unit.
This unit will focus on a major Rashi task--explaining
the MEANINGS OF WORDS.
Explaining the MEANINGS of WORDS is more than looking
something up in a dictionary. There are METHODS to
explaining WORDS.
Thus in this module we will explore HOW Rashi determines
the meanings of words -- that is, we will explore WHAT
RASHIS METHODS ARE
TODAYS UNIT
-----------
Today we review a fascinating example showing how Rashi
derived a dictionary meaning in all detail from only a
few verses. We also see Rashis method for extracting
nuances of words. Rashi uses the powerful method of
CONTEXT & SYNONYMS. We will also review controversies
of the Rishonim on these matters.
REFERENCE:
----------
This module comes from the following reference in the
Rashi-is-Simple series.
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h10n15.htm
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#
EXAMPLE 53: Gn37-02e DBH means MURMUR
EXAMPLE 54: Gn37-02f DBH means MURMUR
EXMAPLE 55: Nu14-36a DBH means MURMUR
EXAMPLE 56: Nu14-36b DBH means MURMUR
EXAMPLE 57: Dt33-25b DBA means AGE OF MURMURING (Old age)
EXAMPLE 58: Dt01-27a RGN means PARANOIC TALK
BACKGROUND: THE METHOD OF CONTEXT & SYNONYMS
--------------------------------------------
CONTEXT AND SYNONYMS is a powerful technique by which to
ascertain the precise meanings of words that occur only
a few times. The general technique consists of
-1st identifying a GENERAL IDEA from the context or dictionary
-then use context & similar words to identify SPECIFIC NUANCES
The Hebrew roots DBH, DBA, RGN is a classic example. DBH occurs
in 9 verses and only 6 distinct contexts. RGN also occurs only
6 distinct times in the Bible. Let us see how Rashi analyzes
their meaning.
STEP 1: GET THE GENERAL IDEA -- IN THIS CASE IT IS speech
---------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH dbh TRANSLATED AS talk
======= ======================================================
Gn37-02 Joseph brought bad TALK about them to his father
Nu13-32 The spies released TALK ABOUT ISRAEL that it was bad
Jr20-10 For I have heard the TALK of the multitudes
Song7-10 Your palate like good wine to a lover, TALK in sleep
Prv25-10 Dont slander lest you make up & cant retract your TALK
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH rgn TRANSLATED AS bad talk
======== ======================================================
Prv18-8 The words of a BAD TALKER are like swords
Dt01-27 You SPOKE BADLY ..you said God hated you
Prv16-28 BAD TALK separates the teacher
Prv26-20 with no BAD TALK the fight will subside
Isa29-24 Fools will learn understanding and BAD TALKERS, ethics
STEP 2: FIND APPROPRIATE NUANCES FOR EACH TYPE OF SPEECH
--------------------------------------------------------
HEBREW ROOT MEANING TALK NUANCE OF THIS ROOT
======================== ===================
AMR Speak
DVR Cite
DVV Chatter
RGN Paranoia
LOTz Mockery
LShN Slander
RChL Gossip
The ultimate test of these nuances is CONTEXT. Does it FIT
just right? Does it RING properly? Judge for yourself. Here
are the exact same verses as above. Feel the flow and
punchiness of the translations
-------------------------
DVH=CHATTER (vs just talk)
-------------------------
and
-------------------------
RGN=Paranoia
-------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH dbh TRANSLATED AS murmur
======== ======================================================
Gn37-02 Joseph CHATTERED badly about them to his father
Nu13-32 The spies released a CHATTER that Israel was bad
Jr20-10 For I have heard the CHATTER of the multitudes
Song7-10 Your palate like good wine to a lover,MURMERS in sleep
Prv25-10 Dont slander lest you cant retract your CHATTERINGS
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH rgn TRANSLATED AS paranoia
======= ===================================================
Prv18-8 The words of a PARANOIC person are like swords
Dt01-27 You SPOKE PARANOICALLY ..you said God hated you
Prv16-28 PARANOIA separates the teacher
Prv26-20 with no PARANOIA the fight will subside
Isa29-24 Fools will learn understanding;the PARANOID,ethics
Again the ultimate test of these nuances are how they
FIT the verses. The footnotes below, *1, *2, *3 document
how Rashi actually made these translations (DBH=Murmur etc)
A small comment on other approaches to DBH by other
Rishonim is mentioned in footnote *4
-------------------------- NOTES ----------------------------
*1 Here is my evidence that Rashi translated DBH as CHATTER:
--On Gn37-02e and Gn37-02f Rashi states that DBH is
saying EVERYTHING you can (A CHATTER)
--On Nu14-36a Rashi states that DBH denotes any type of
HABITUAL TALK (=CHATTER!) whether for good or bad
I was supported in this by the Silverstein Chumash which
translates Rashi on Nu14-36a based on the identical
phrase in Jer23-31. As the Metzudath Tzion says on Jer21-31
the Rashi phrase MALKICHIM LESHONAM means MAKE A SPEECH HABIT
--Rashi on Gn37-02e and Nu14-36a brings Song7-11 THE MURMURS
OF THE LIPS OF SLEEPING PEOPLE to prove that MURMUR
need not be bad.
In summary Rashi defines DBH as a
-----------------------------------------------------
HABITUAL TALK of EVERYTHING whether for GOOD OR BAD
-----------------------------------------------------
In other words DBH, according to Rashi, means CHATTER.
For the Rashis on Dt33-25b see footnote #3
*2 I have no internal evidence that Rashi believes that
RGN means PARANOIA -- all he says on Dt01-27a is that
it is slanderous. However PARANOIA does fit the verses
nicely (the argument of CONTEXT). Furthermore Rashi
believed in the 2-letter theories and as the
list below shows RGN means a DEFENSIVE (GNN) SPIRIT(RUACH)
or paranoia
------------------------------------------------------------
RGN (Paranoia) means a GNN(Defensive) RUACH (Spirit)
RGZ (Anger) means a GZZ(Cutting) RUACH (Spirit)
RMS (Stomping) means a MSS(Despising) RUACH (Spirit)
RZM (Flirting eyes) means a ZMM(Lewd) RUACH (Spirit)
RDM (Sleepy) means a RDM(Quiet) RUACH (Spirit)
------------------------------------------------------------
*3 We have left to Explain Dt33-25b. This is the only time
in the Bible that DVA occurs with an ALEPH vs a HEY.
Such ALEPH appendages to words do happen. Rashi suggests
2 possible explanations
EXPLANATION 1
-------------
DVA = OLD AGE = The age when you CHATTER (You ooze out speech)
So Dt33-25 would be translated MAY YOUR AGE OF CHATTERING (OLD
AGE) BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS YOUR GOOD YEARS (MIDDLE AGE)
EXPLANATION 2
-------------
DVA = The MURMURINGS of nations to place COMMERCE
in Israel. So Dt33-25 would mean MAY THE CHATTERINGS OF
YOUR SURROUNDING COUNTRIES BE AS GOOD AS YOUR GOOD YEARS
Note that according to Explanation 2, DVA would not
mean CHATTERING per se but rather it would refer to
the CHATTERINGS THAT OTHERS MAKE ABOUT YOU (i.e. your
personal CHATTERS --- thus this would be consistent
with the Rashi-Hirsch view that ALEPH as a root letter
denotes something personal)
*4 RDACK and RAMBAN seem only to use STEP 1 of our
analysis. They both hold that DBH is speech WITHOUT
further nuances. They suggest (With no list to back
them up) that BRINGING DBH is SAYING TRUTH while
LETTING OUT DBH is SAYING FALSEHOOD.
Thus the controversy between Rashi and Radack-Ramban
might be one of method. Rashi might hold that we
are justified in seeking nuances of words EVEN when
they only occur rarely in half a dozen verses. By
contrast the RDACK and RAMBAN may be more conservative
holding that all we can infer from context is the
GENERAL IDEA without nuances.
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#