Difference between revisions of "Literary Devices – Bemidbar 11/0"
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<h1>Literary Devices – Bemidbar 11</h1> | <h1>Literary Devices – Bemidbar 11</h1> | ||
<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | <div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | ||
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<category>Structure | <category>Structure | ||
− | + | <p>Moshe's complaint to Hashem in verses 11-15 is arranged in a chiastic structure:</p> | |
+ | <ul> | ||
+ | <li>לָמָה <span style="color: #ff0000;">הֲרֵעֹתָ</span> לְעַבְדֶּךָ וְלָמָּה <span style="color: #ff0000;">לֹא מָצָתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ</span></li> | ||
+ | <li><span style="color: #0000ff;">לָשׂוּם אֶת מַשָּׂא כׇּל הָעָם הַזֶּה עָלָי</span>... כִּי תֹאמַר אֵלַי <span style="color: #0000ff;">שָׂאֵהוּ</span> בְחֵיקֶךָ </li> | ||
+ | <li><span style="color: #339966;">מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר</span> לָתֵת לְכׇל הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי יִבְכּוּ עָלַי לֵאמֹר <span style="color: #339966;">תְּנָה לָּנוּ בָשָׂר וְנֹאכֵלָה</span></li> | ||
+ | <li>לֹא אוּכַל אָנֹכִי לְבַדִּי <span style="color: #0000ff;">לָשֵׂאת אֶת כׇּל הָעָם הַזֶּה</span></li> | ||
+ | <li>אִם <span style="color: #ff0000;">מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ</span> וְאַל אֶרְאֶה <span style="color: #ff0000;">בְּרָעָתִי</span>.</li> | ||
+ | </ul> | ||
+ | <p>The structure highlights how Moshe is not simply relaying the nation's complaint about meat but framing this with his own complaint about his inability to lead.</p> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
− | + | <category>Key Words and Sounds | |
− | < | + | <p>The chapter contains several keywords which serve to both unify the two seemingly distinct narratives of the chapter (the nation's request for meat and Moshe's crisis of leadership) and to reveal the unit's main message.</p> |
− | <p></p> | + | <subcategory>רַע |
+ | <p>Bemidbar 10 ends with a five-fold repetition of the root "טוב" (good). At the beginning of Bemidbar 11, there is a shift to the word “רע” (bad), which appears four times in the chapter.  Additionally, the sound “רע” appears several times in etymologically unrelated words, such as in verse 3: “וַיִּקְרָא... תַּבְעֵרָה... בָעֲרָה". This switch indicates the shift from the nation’s harmonious journey in the beginning of Bemidbar to the discontent and rebellion that ultimately derails their mission.</p> | ||
+ | </subcategory> | ||
+ | <subcategory>אסף | ||
+ | <p>The root אסף (to gather) appears six times in the chapter as a verb, and one more time in the noun "אסַפְסֻף" (mixed multitudes).  It is used both in reference to gathering the quail and with regards to gathering the 70 elders who were to aid Moshe. The word, thus, serves to connect the two themes of the chapter: the nation's complaint about quail and Moshe's frustration with the nation.<fn>Its usage might further imply that the gathering of elders was perhaps not only a practical solution to help Moshe deal with the people but also a more fundamental solution to help curb the people's lusting.</fn> </p> | ||
+ | </subcategory> | ||
+ | <subcategory>בשר ורוח | ||
+ | <p>See the <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/TanakhLab/Bemidbar/11">Tanakh Lab</a>,  that together these words appear 14 times in the unit, with בשר, flesh, appearing 8 times, and "רוח", appearing 6 times. The opposing words highlight how the people's request for meat needed to be countered by an infusion of "spirit" into the camp.</p> | ||
+ | </subcategory> | ||
+ | <subcategory>עם | ||
+ | <p>The <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/TanakhLab/Bemidbar/11">Tanakh Lab</a> demonstrates that this is one of the most prevalent words in the chapter, appearing 20 times.  For discussion of its various usages, see Character Titles below.</p> | ||
+ | </subcategory> | ||
+ | <subcategory>Articles | ||
+ | <ul> | ||
+ | <li>Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnzsYfRWQM0">Bemidbar: The Story of Two Generations</a>, by Dr. Yael Ziegler, for discussion of the key words "good" and "bad" and what they represent about the psychology of the generation that left Egypt.</li> | ||
+ | <li>Listen to <a href="https://www.hatanakh.com/en/lessons/lusts-and-laments-audio">Of Lusts and Laments </a>(beginning at 15:24), by R. Chanoch Waxman, for contrast of Moshe’s perspective on the journey with that of the nation, as represented by the shift from “טוב” to “רע” .</li> | ||
+ | <li>See <a href="https://etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/torah/sefer-bamidbar/parashat-behaalotekha/behaalotekha-moshe-vs-lustful-leadership-crisis">Moshe vs. "the Lustful": Leadership in Crisis</a>, by R. Elhanan Samet for discussion of all the key words mentioned above and how Hashem taught Moshe that in the face of the nation's lusting and rejecting of His values, he must make the "spirit" prevail over the "flesh;" and counteract the "asafsuf" with a "gatheirng" of elders. For a similar analysis, see Alex Israel's <a href="https://www.alexisrael.org/copy-of-behaalotecha---meat-or-spirit">Flesh or Spirit</a>.<fn>He notes that the theme which unites the various sections of the chapter is the conflict between prioritizing spiritual and material aspirations. There are several connecting words ("מונחים מקשרים") which are used in both the narrative discussing the nation's complaint and that discussing Moshe's needs, which highlight that the two are intertwined.  For example:<br/> | ||
+ | <ul> | ||
+ | <li>The word “סְבִיבֹת” appears in both verses 24 (in the context of providing Moshe with elders to aid him) and 31 (in the context of bringing the fowl to feed the people).<br/>The root “אסף” and the term "אספסןף" come up many times (verses 4, 16, 22, 24, 30, and 32) in both units, also connecting them. [See discussion above regarding this key word].</li> | ||
+ | </ul></fn></li> | ||
+ | <li>See <a href="https://etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/studies-tanakh/literary-readings-tanakh/leitwort-vi">Leitwort (VI)</a>, by Prof. Yonatan Grossman, for analysis of the phenomenon of contrasting pairs of guiding words (like "good" and "bad") in Biblical narratives and see his <a href="https://etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/studies-tanakh/literary-readings-tanakh/repetition-sounds">Repetition of Sounds</a> for discussion of the ways in which Tanakh makes use of the aural qualities of words (similar to the sound of “ra” in Bemidbar 11) to express themes and tones.</li> | ||
+ | </ul> | ||
+ | </subcategory> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
− | + | <category>Word Play | |
− | <category> | + | <p>The word “עין” appears twice in describing the manna.  The people say: “אֵין כֹּל בִּלְתִּי אֶל הַמָּן <b>עֵינֵינוּ</b>” (verse 6).  The Torah then states that the manna was “וְהַמָּן כִּזְרַע גַּד הוּא <b>וְעֵינוֹ כְּעֵין</b> הַבְּדֹלַח”.  The use of the same word in both phrases emphasizes the people’s choice to see the manna in the most negative light -- "בִּלְתִּי אֶל הַמָּן עֵינֵינוּ" instead of as it actually was -- “‎עֵינוֹ כְּעֵין הַבְּדֹלַח”.‎<fn>This wordplay was pointed out by R. Amnon Bazak in his lecture <a href="https://www.hatanakh.com/lessons/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%94-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%93%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9C%D7%94">משמעות של פרשת ציצית לאור הפרשיות הקודמות לה.</a></fn> </p> |
− | |||
</category> | </category> | ||
− | |||
<category>Character Titles | <category>Character Titles | ||
− | <p></p> | + | <subcategory>The Nation |
+ | <p>The people of Israel are referred to over twenty times in the chapter, almost always with variations of the title "עם" (appearing twenty times), rather than the epithet "בני ישראל" (the Children of Israel).</p> | ||
+ | <ul> | ||
+ | <li><span style="color: #ff00ff;">"העם"</span> – This is the chapter's default title for the people, used 15 times alone, without a modifier.<fn>See verses 1,2, 8, 10, 16, 17, 18, 21, 24 (twice), 32, 33 (twice), 34, and 35.</fn></li> | ||
+ | <li><span style="color: #ff00ff;">העם הזה</span> – This epithet appears just four times, all clustered in Moshe's complaint to Hashem in verses 11-15.<fn>See verses 11, 12, and 13 (twice).</fn>  The pejorative appellation "this nation" may reflect Moshe's feelings of disconnection and alienation from the people.<fn>This point is made by Dr. Haggai Misgav in his lecture <a href="https://www.hatanakh.com/lessons/%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%9E%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%AA">סיפור מי מריבה - מבנה ומשמעות</a>.</fn> </li> | ||
+ | <li><span style="color: #ff00ff;">עם י"י</span> – This term appears only once, in verse 29, when Moshe tells Yehoshua that Eldad and Medad are not deserving of punishment, expressing the desire that all of Israel should merit prophecy. Moshe's use of the term might reflect a change in his attitude towards the people.  After  Hashem supports Moshe and calms his frustrations, the dismissive "this nation" has now morphed into "Hashem's nation".<span style="color: #ff00ff;"><br/></span></li> | ||
+ | <li><span style="color: #ff00ff;">בני ישראל</span> – The nation is called "בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" only once in the chapter, in verse 4, to differentiate them from the "אסַפְסֻף" who initiated the complaint for food. [The term "ישראל", though, appears twice more as the elders are referred to as "זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" in verses 16 and 30.]<fn>Elsewhere in the chapter the eders are referred to as "זקני העם" or simply "זקנים".</fn></li> | ||
+ | </ul> | ||
+ | </subcategory> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
</page> | </page> | ||
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Latest revision as of 07:14, 21 May 2024
Literary Devices – Bemidbar 11
Structure
Moshe's complaint to Hashem in verses 11-15 is arranged in a chiastic structure:
- לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ וְלָמָּה לֹא מָצָתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ
- לָשׂוּם אֶת מַשָּׂא כׇּל הָעָם הַזֶּה עָלָי... כִּי תֹאמַר אֵלַי שָׂאֵהוּ בְחֵיקֶךָ
- מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר לָתֵת לְכׇל הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי יִבְכּוּ עָלַי לֵאמֹר תְּנָה לָּנוּ בָשָׂר וְנֹאכֵלָה
- לֹא אוּכַל אָנֹכִי לְבַדִּי לָשֵׂאת אֶת כׇּל הָעָם הַזֶּה
- אִם מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וְאַל אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִי.
The structure highlights how Moshe is not simply relaying the nation's complaint about meat but framing this with his own complaint about his inability to lead.
Key Words and Sounds
The chapter contains several keywords which serve to both unify the two seemingly distinct narratives of the chapter (the nation's request for meat and Moshe's crisis of leadership) and to reveal the unit's main message.
רַע
Bemidbar 10 ends with a five-fold repetition of the root "טוב" (good). At the beginning of Bemidbar 11, there is a shift to the word “רע” (bad), which appears four times in the chapter. Additionally, the sound “רע” appears several times in etymologically unrelated words, such as in verse 3: “וַיִּקְרָא... תַּבְעֵרָה... בָעֲרָה". This switch indicates the shift from the nation’s harmonious journey in the beginning of Bemidbar to the discontent and rebellion that ultimately derails their mission.
אסף
The root אסף (to gather) appears six times in the chapter as a verb, and one more time in the noun "אסַפְסֻף" (mixed multitudes). It is used both in reference to gathering the quail and with regards to gathering the 70 elders who were to aid Moshe. The word, thus, serves to connect the two themes of the chapter: the nation's complaint about quail and Moshe's frustration with the nation.1
בשר ורוח
See the Tanakh Lab, that together these words appear 14 times in the unit, with בשר, flesh, appearing 8 times, and "רוח", appearing 6 times. The opposing words highlight how the people's request for meat needed to be countered by an infusion of "spirit" into the camp.
עם
The Tanakh Lab demonstrates that this is one of the most prevalent words in the chapter, appearing 20 times. For discussion of its various usages, see Character Titles below.
Articles
- Watch Bemidbar: The Story of Two Generations, by Dr. Yael Ziegler, for discussion of the key words "good" and "bad" and what they represent about the psychology of the generation that left Egypt.
- Listen to Of Lusts and Laments (beginning at 15:24), by R. Chanoch Waxman, for contrast of Moshe’s perspective on the journey with that of the nation, as represented by the shift from “טוב” to “רע” .
- See Moshe vs. "the Lustful": Leadership in Crisis, by R. Elhanan Samet for discussion of all the key words mentioned above and how Hashem taught Moshe that in the face of the nation's lusting and rejecting of His values, he must make the "spirit" prevail over the "flesh;" and counteract the "asafsuf" with a "gatheirng" of elders. For a similar analysis, see Alex Israel's Flesh or Spirit.2
- See Leitwort (VI), by Prof. Yonatan Grossman, for analysis of the phenomenon of contrasting pairs of guiding words (like "good" and "bad") in Biblical narratives and see his Repetition of Sounds for discussion of the ways in which Tanakh makes use of the aural qualities of words (similar to the sound of “ra” in Bemidbar 11) to express themes and tones.
Word Play
The word “עין” appears twice in describing the manna. The people say: “אֵין כֹּל בִּלְתִּי אֶל הַמָּן עֵינֵינוּ” (verse 6). The Torah then states that the manna was “וְהַמָּן כִּזְרַע גַּד הוּא וְעֵינוֹ כְּעֵין הַבְּדֹלַח”. The use of the same word in both phrases emphasizes the people’s choice to see the manna in the most negative light -- "בִּלְתִּי אֶל הַמָּן עֵינֵינוּ" instead of as it actually was -- “עֵינוֹ כְּעֵין הַבְּדֹלַח”.3
Character Titles
The Nation
The people of Israel are referred to over twenty times in the chapter, almost always with variations of the title "עם" (appearing twenty times), rather than the epithet "בני ישראל" (the Children of Israel).
- "העם" – This is the chapter's default title for the people, used 15 times alone, without a modifier.4
- העם הזה – This epithet appears just four times, all clustered in Moshe's complaint to Hashem in verses 11-15.5 The pejorative appellation "this nation" may reflect Moshe's feelings of disconnection and alienation from the people.6
- עם י"י – This term appears only once, in verse 29, when Moshe tells Yehoshua that Eldad and Medad are not deserving of punishment, expressing the desire that all of Israel should merit prophecy. Moshe's use of the term might reflect a change in his attitude towards the people. After Hashem supports Moshe and calms his frustrations, the dismissive "this nation" has now morphed into "Hashem's nation".
- בני ישראל – The nation is called "בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" only once in the chapter, in verse 4, to differentiate them from the "אסַפְסֻף" who initiated the complaint for food. [The term "ישראל", though, appears twice more as the elders are referred to as "זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" in verses 16 and 30.]7