Difference between revisions of "Chronological and Thematic Order/2"
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<p>When an action occurs in the middle of a conversation, or an extended conversation occurs in the midst of a list of several actions, Tanakh might distinguish between the two.</p> | <p>When an action occurs in the middle of a conversation, or an extended conversation occurs in the midst of a list of several actions, Tanakh might distinguish between the two.</p> | ||
<point><b>Giving of jewelry (<a href="Bereshit24-22-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 24:22-25</a>)</b> – <multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit24-22" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit24-22" data-aht="source">Bereshit 24:22</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink> suggests that in reality the giving of the jewelry to Rivka took place in the middle of the servant's conversation with her (after asking her who she was but before she invited him to stay). The narrator, however, places it beforehand so as not to interrupt the conversation. For elaboration and how this understanding of the verse relates to the disagreement regarding what qualities the servant was looking for when searching for Yitzchak's wife, see <a href="Wanted: A Wife for Yitzchak" data-aht="page"> A Wife for Yitzchak</a>.</point> | <point><b>Giving of jewelry (<a href="Bereshit24-22-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 24:22-25</a>)</b> – <multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit24-22" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit24-22" data-aht="source">Bereshit 24:22</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink> suggests that in reality the giving of the jewelry to Rivka took place in the middle of the servant's conversation with her (after asking her who she was but before she invited him to stay). The narrator, however, places it beforehand so as not to interrupt the conversation. For elaboration and how this understanding of the verse relates to the disagreement regarding what qualities the servant was looking for when searching for Yitzchak's wife, see <a href="Wanted: A Wife for Yitzchak" data-aht="page"> A Wife for Yitzchak</a>.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>Entry into Rachel's tent (<a href="Bereshit31-33-35" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33-35</a>)</b> – Though the opening of <a href="Bereshit31-33-35" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a> implies that Lavan went straight from Leah's tent into that of the maidservants, several commentators<fn>See <multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">R"Y Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink> and <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>.</fn> claim that really he went from Leah into Rachel's tent and only then into the tent of Bilhah and Zilpah.<fn>This is alluded to in the verse when it states, "וַיֵּצֵא מֵאֹהֶל לֵאָה וַיָּבֹא בְּאֹהֶל רָחֵל". Cf.<multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshitSecondCommentary9-29" data-aht="source"> Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitSecondCommentary9-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit Second Commentary 9:29</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary12-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 12:1</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitAdditionalCommentary11-32" data-aht="source">Bereshit Second Commentary 11:32</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary30-21" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 30:21</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary30-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 30:23</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary38-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 38:1</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary11-1" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 11:1</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary11-9" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 11:9</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary12-50" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 12:50</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotShortCommentary17-14" data-aht="source">Shemot First Commentary 17:14</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotFirstCommentary18-1" data-aht="source">Shemot First Commentary 18:1</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary18-1" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 18:1</a><a href="IbnEzraBemidbar21-1" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 21:1</a><a href="IbnEzraDevarim31-1" data-aht="source">Devarim 31:1</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>'s first explanation who instead claims that Lavan went into Leah's tent twice.</fn>  However, due to the lengthy exchange between Lavan and Rachel, Tanakh preferred not to interrupt the initial list and left the description of the interaction for the end.</point> | + | <point><b>Entry into Rachel's tent (<a href="Bereshit31-33-35" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33-35</a>)</b> – Though the opening of <a href="Bereshit31-33-35" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a> implies that Lavan went straight from Leah's tent into that of the maidservants, several commentators<fn>See <multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">R"Y Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink> and <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBereshit31-33" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:33</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>.</fn> claim that really he went from Leah's tent into Rachel's tent and only then into the tent of Bilhah and Zilpah.<fn>This is alluded to in the verse when it states, "וַיֵּצֵא מֵאֹהֶל לֵאָה וַיָּבֹא בְּאֹהֶל רָחֵל". Cf.<multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshitSecondCommentary9-29" data-aht="source"> Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitSecondCommentary9-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit Second Commentary 9:29</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary12-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 12:1</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitAdditionalCommentary11-32" data-aht="source">Bereshit Second Commentary 11:32</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary30-21" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 30:21</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary30-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 30:23</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary38-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 38:1</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary11-1" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 11:1</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary11-9" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 11:9</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary12-50" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 12:50</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotShortCommentary17-14" data-aht="source">Shemot First Commentary 17:14</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotFirstCommentary18-1" data-aht="source">Shemot First Commentary 18:1</a><a href="IbnEzraShemotSecondCommentary18-1" data-aht="source">Shemot Second Commentary 18:1</a><a href="IbnEzraBemidbar21-1" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 21:1</a><a href="IbnEzraDevarim31-1" data-aht="source">Devarim 31:1</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>'s first explanation who instead claims that Lavan went into Leah's tent twice.</fn>  However, due to the lengthy exchange between Lavan and Rachel, Tanakh preferred not to interrupt the initial list and left the description of the interaction for the end.</point> |
</subopinion> | </subopinion> | ||
</opinion> | </opinion> |
Version as of 06:28, 27 November 2019
Chronological and Thematic Order
Exegetical Approaches
Technical Displacement: Minor Details
At times, achronology in the text is a result of technical literary issues. In many cases, the majority and core of a given story is recorded in its proper chronological place and it is just one or two secondary components which are displaced. The displaced unit might be moved from elsewhere to join and thereby complete the central story ("להשלים את הענין") or it might be separated from the main narrative so as not to interrupt the story line ("לא להפסיק את הענין").
Preludes and Epilogues: "להשלים את הענין"
A subordinate component of a story might be moved from its proper chronological place so as to complete a central narrative. This might take the form of a prelude or heading before the main story or an epilogue or summation at the end.
Prelude
An event which occurred earlier is displaced to serve as an introduction and provide necessary background to a later story.
Epilogue
A component of a story which is only to occur later is moved earlier to provide closure to the main unit.
Headings
An event which is soon to be discussed in the text is mentioned already in the heading of the unit, not because it takes place then, but to let the reader know what is to come. This phenomenon might appear as a"כלל ופרט", a general formulation followed by details.
Summaries
An episode which occurred and was explicitly mentioned earlier in Tanakh is repeated in order to serve as a summary to a unit.
Prologues and Appendices: "לא להפסיק את הענין"
Secondary narrative components might be moved to form a prologue at the very beginning of a unit or an appendix at the end because setting them in their proper chronological place in the middle of the central unit would otherwise break the flow of the main narrative . The episode or topic which is displaced is either irrelevant to the main theme or message of the unit, of lesser import, or of a different literary character.
Prologues
An event is moved from its correct chronological place later in the text and placed at the very beginning of the unit where it will not disrupt the main topic.
Appendices
An episode is moved from its correct chronological place earlier in the narrative and placed at the very end of the unit where it will not disrupt the main topic.
Thematic Arrangement: Parallel Units
Tanakh will often prefer thematic ordering over strict chronology, juxtaposing related material even if this means not adhering to a historical timeline.
Overlapping Stories
A preference for thematic ordering is often evident when components of two independent stories overlap in time. Tanakh will focus on each story individually, recounting them in parallel units, rather than constantly switching back and forth between the two. As such, the same overall time period might be discussed from different vantage points in the textual equivalent of a split screen, with material grouped by varying protagonists, perspectives, literary genre or other factors.
Figures
Tanakh will often focus on one individual protagonist at a time, even if this means compromising on chronological order.
Realms of Life
When a protagonist's interactions in two realms of his life (such as the personal / familial realm vs. the political /national realm) overlap, Tanakh will often separate the two strands of the story rather than constantly switching back and forth.
Individual vs. Universal
When an incident has both a universal and individual aspect to it, Tanakh will focus on one at a time.
Literary Genre
Torah often separates material of different genres. Thus, even if a unit of laws was relayed over a period of time and other events occurred simultaneously, Torah might group the legal and narrative material separately. Similarly, when a book contains both prophecies and history, each might be grouped alone even if this creates achronology.
Speech vs. Action
When an action occurs in the middle of a conversation, or an extended conversation occurs in the midst of a list of several actions, Tanakh might distinguish between the two.
Non-overlapping Stories
Even when two stories do not overlap in time, Tanakh might prefer thematic unity over a strict chronological recounting.
Related Topics
At times, closely related events, even if they took place at different times, might be grouped together.64
"לדורות" / "לשעה"
Tanakh might group laws which are relevant only for a specific time period (לשעה) separately from those which are relevant for all future generations (לדורות).
Two Authors
If a book has multiple authors, each author's material might be grouped separately even if this means that some content is relayed achronologically.
Simultaneous Actions
When a unit contains but one element, the entire unit might not just overlap with but actually occur totally simultaneously with another event. In such cases, Tanakh does not have a choice but to tell one event before the other, even though this does not represent the reality.
Homiletical
Achronology might stem from a desire to relay a message through the juxtaposition of two stories which otherwise would not follow one another. The message might be a lesson in proper behavior, a showcasing of Hashem's attributes, or a means of highlighting a character's strengths or faults.