#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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| (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President |
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VERSE: Nu21-02a
RASHIS COVERED: Nu21-02a Nu21-03a Nu21-03b Nu14-45b
Ex22-19b Lv21-18b
==================== Chet-Resh-Mem means NET ====================
VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
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The Hebrew root Chet-Resh-Mem has 4 meanings. Its fundamental
meaning is a NET (The etymology of this is that a NET is an
object with ALOT (MEM) of WHOLES (Chet-Resh)*10). From this
fundamental meaning of NET we derive the following other meanings
(b) A person with a SUNKEN NOSE (The 2 nostril holes look like
a net); (c) To CONQUER (To NET the enemy)--the emphasis in CH-R-M
means to render the enemy totally helpless (like Fish in a net);
(d) to DEDICATE SOMETHING TO GOD (that is to NET for God)--the
emphasis here is that the dedicated object is TRAPPED(like a fish
in a net) and CAN ONLY be used for sacred purposes
REFERENCE
---------
http://www.RashiYomi.com/lv21-18b.htm
We show there that 2 of the 4 meanings of Chet-Resh-Mem
emphasize FORM while the other 2 meanings emphasize FUNCTION.
Thus NET and SUNKEN NOSE emphasize a FORM of many holes.
By contrast, CONQUERING and DEDICATING emphasize TOTALLY
TRAPPING SOMETHING FROM ITS NATURAL HABITAT and rendering
it helpless.
The above reference also gives many examples of items named
by FORM or FUNCTION.
TODAYS LIST
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We present below several verses where Rashi comments on
the meaning of Chet-Resh-Mem. The footnotes point out
that Rashi made his comments in Nu21 because 2 distinct
meanings of Chet-Resh-Mem were used in the same verse!
=================================================================
VERSE Text of verse with meaning of Chet-Resh-Mem Capped
======== ========================================================
Lv21-18b ....a person with a SUNKEN NOSE*2
Nu14-45b And they called that place CONQUERED*3
Nu21-02a If God helps me win the war I will DEDICATE BOOTY TO GOD
Nu21-03a And the Jews CONQUERED the nation*4
Nu21-03b and the Jews DEDICATED their cities to God*4
Ex22-19b Those who offer to a god SHALL RECEIVE A DEATH PENALTY*1
Ez32-03 I will put my trap over you and RAISE YOU WITH MY NET
NOTES
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*1 The emphasis or nuances of Chet-Resh-Mem is TOTALLY TRAPPED
like a fish in a net. Thus it makes sense to use it in a war
situation. When used on an individual (Death penalty) the
emphasis is TOTALLY CONVICTING HIM (Without the usual mercy
that Jewish Trials have). This reflects the seriousness of
the idolatry sin
*2 The 2 NOSTRIL HOLES make the persons face look like a NET
Thus this usage reflects the FORM of NET
*3 Recall that in a war situation Chet-Resh-Mem denotes TOTAL
TRAPPING AND CONQUEST--TOTAL HELPLESSNESS (like fish in a
net). The alignment of the 2 verse halves further confirms
this. Nu14-45b states
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And the Amalekites came down from the mountain...
and they SMOTE the Jews
and they PULVERIZED them
until the city CONQUERED (CHet-Resh-Mem)
-------------------------------------------------------
Note the term PULVERIZED denoting an intense battle.
It would therefore be consistent to name the place
Chet-Resh-Mem to indicate that the Jews had been NETTED
LIKE FISH there (totally conquered)
*4 There are two points to emphasize here. The actual verse
states that
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The Jews Chet-Resh-Mem BOTH THEM & THEIR CITIES
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There is sort of a pun here....Chet-Resh-Mem means
CONQUER when it refers to the PEOPLE but it means
DEDICATED TO GOD when it refers to the BOOTY IN THE
CITIES. In each case the items (People/booty) was
TOTALLY TRAPPED like fish in a net.
--------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------------
*10 Recall that in this list we defend the point of view
that 3-letter-root conjugations indicate FORM while
2-letter-root conjugations indicate MEANING.
According to the 2-letter root theory the letter
MEM can mean PLACE, SOURCE or ALOT. (Indeed
the one letter word MAH means HOW MUCH). As a simple
example the letter MEM at the end of a word denotes
PLURAL(that is ALOT or many)
For a several dozen examples of roots where MEM means
SOURCE or PLACE see
http://www.RashiYomi.com/means-32.htm
NOTE THIS ETYMOLOGY is not critical to this posting
Indeed all that is critical to understanding this
posting is that the fundamental meaning of Chet-Resh-Mem
means NET.
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RASHI RULE USED: WORD MEANINGS
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WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
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Volume 14 Number 11
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 14 Number 11