Difference between revisions of "Literary Devices – Bereshit 23/0"
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| + | <h1>Literary Devices – Chapter 23</h1> | ||
| − | <category>Structure | + | |
| + | <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold" class="header"><a href="Text" data-aht="subpage" class="btn" style="color:#832525">Open Interactive Text</a><br/></div> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <category>Structure of Chapter 23 | ||
| + | <p>Chapter 23 splits into an introduction (23:1-2) and conclusion (23:17-20) describing Sarah's death and burial, and two main scenes, Avraham's Negotiations with Benei Chet (23:3-9) and Avraham's Negotiations with Efron (23:10-16). For more on the structural units of the chapter and their relationship, see <a href="Structure – Bereshit 23" data-aht="page">Structure</a>.</p> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
| − | <category>Parallels and Contrasts | + | |
| + | <category>Parallels & Contrasts | ||
| + | |||
| + | <p>An examination of the parallels between the various sections of the chapter highlights several points:</p> | ||
| + | <subcategory>Double Negotiations | ||
| + | <point>Avraham's initial negotiations with the Hittites and the first half of his discussion with Efron both follow a similar conversational pattern, with many linguistic parallels. Each contains an introduction of the <aht-lit color="red" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="0">negotiator's status</aht-lit>, a <aht-lit color="green" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="1">response by the Hittites</aht-lit>, the ,<aht-lit color="green" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="1">Hittite's respectful address and offer of (free) burial</aht-lit>, <aht-lit color="green" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="1">Avraham's bowing</aht-lit> and, finally, his <aht-lit color="green" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="1">counter offer of payment</aht-lit>.</point> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li>Repeat – The parallel structure of the two sets of negotiations highlights a troubling issue in the story. Why were negotiations with both parties necessary at all? If Avraham was looking to buy a plot from Efron, why not speak to him directly? What role did the preliminary discussion with the Hittites play?<fn>See <multilink><a href="/5#RAvrahambHaRambamBereshit23-10">R. Avraham b. HaRambam</a><a href="/5#RAvrahambHaRambamBereshit23-10">Bereshit 23:10</a><a href="PAR02RAvraham" class="about">About R. Avraham b. HaRambam</a></multilink> and <multilink><a href="/5#RambanBereshit23-4-1119">Ramban</a><a href="/5#RambanBereshit23-4-1119">Bereshit 23:8</a><a href="PAR02Ramban" class="about">About R. Moshe Nachmanides</a></multilink> who suggests that Avraham, in a show of deference to Efron, asked the people of the city to be middlemen in the process. <multilink><a href="/5#RashbamBereshit23-418-20">Rashbam</a><a href="/5#RashbamBereshit23-418-20">Bereshit 23:4</a><a href="PAR02Rashbam" class="about">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink> and <multilink><a href="/5#RYosefBekhorShorBereshit23-71720">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="/5#RYosefBekhorShorBereshit23-71720">Bereshit 23:7</a><a href="PAR02RYBS" class="about">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, in contrast, asserts that they played a more crucial role. Purchase of a burial plot needed the consent of the entire city and not just the owner of the particular area being bought. Thus, even the negotiations with Efron take place in sight and hearing of the Hittites, and after the sale the verse says, " וַיָּקׇם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם לַאֲחֻזַּת קָבֶר מֵאֵת בְּנֵי חֵת".</fn></li> | ||
| + | <li>Status – The use of the same root, <aht-lit color="red" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="0">"ישב"</aht-lit>, to describe both Avraham and Efron's status, serves to highlight what is actually a contrast between the two men. While Avraham is a foreigner, with no legal standing, Efron is a full citizen. The fact that Avraham is no more than a "תושב" with no land to call his own is what makes the whole story necessary.</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>Price and Payment | ||
| + | <point>The second half of Avraham's discussion with Efron contains an inner <aht-lit color="green" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="1">parallelism</aht-lit>, with Efron's demand and Avraham's consent mirroring each other. Efron says "listen" and "Avraham listens". Efron asks for "400 shekalim" and the text repeats that Avraham paid "400 shekalim". Though there had been much back and forth before the setting of the price, this seemingly unnecessary repetition emphasizes how here there is none. It also makes one ask, if there was no price haggling, what then, was everyone arguing about beforehand?<fn>According to some, the original debate revolved around the object of the sale. The Hittites offered an individual grave while Avraham desired his own family burial plot. Similarly, while Avraham requested a cave from Efron, he instead offered him also the field. Others suggest that the argument revolved around the order of the sale. While Avraham insisted that he pay before the burial, the Hittites urged him to bury Sarah first. Finally, some assert that the two sides argued not over the price, but the lack of one. The Hittites offered Avraham the site for free while Avraham wanted to pay for it.</fn> | ||
| + | </point> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>Double Ending | ||
| + | <point>Verses 17-18 and 19-20 repeat almost verbatim the <aht-lit color="brown" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="2" group2="Contrasts" item2="1">establishment of the sale</aht-lit>. Why is this necessary? One might suggest that while verses 17-18 conclude the sale itself, verses 19-20 serve as a summary to the chapter as a whole. Alternatively, perhaps establishing ownership was a two part process, requiring not only payment, but also actual use of the object bought. Only with the burial of Sarah did the acquisition (מקנה), become a more permanent אחוזת קבר.<fn> See <multilink><a href="/5#RashbamBereshit23-418-20">Rashbam</a><a href="/5#RashbamBereshit23-418-20">Bereshit 23:18-20</a><a href="PAR02Rashbam" class="about">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink> and <multilink><a href="/5#RYosefBekhorShorBereshit23-71720">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="/5#RYosefBekhorShorBereshit23-71720">Bereshit 23:17-20</a><a href="PAR02RYBS" class="about">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink> who make this point.</fn> | ||
| + | </point> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>Opening and Closing | ||
| + | <point>The opening and closing verses of the chapter are natural bookends for the unit, with mention of Sarah's death and burial. A more unexpected parallel, though, is the double mention of the site of the episode, <aht-lit color="red" weight="normal" group1="Parallels" item1="3">הִוא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן</aht-lit>. One wonders not just at the repetition, but at the superfluous "in the land of Canaan". Perhaps the inclusio hints that one of the purposes of the whole story is to show the first realizations of Hashem's promise of Land to Avraham.<fn>See <multilink><a href="/5#IbnEzraBereshit23-18-19">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="/5#IbnEzraBereshit23-18-19">Bereshit 23:19</a><a href="PAR02IbnEzra" class="about">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>.</fn> | ||
| + | </point> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
<category>Key Words | <category>Key Words | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>קבר and מות | ||
| + | <p class="nonintro">Since Sarah's death and burial are the main subjects of the chapter, it is not surprising that these two roots appear multiple times. <aht-lit color="darkorange" weight="normal" group1="Lead" item1="0">קבר</aht-lit> in its various forms repeats 13 times,<fn>See verses 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, and 20. [In verse 3 it occurs twice and in verse 6 it appears four times.]</fn> while the root <aht-lit color="green" weight="normal" group1="Lead" item1="1">מות</aht-lit> occurs 9 times.<fn>See verses 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, and 15. R"E Samet points out that 8 of these are nouns, referring to Sarah. If one adds these to the five times that Sarah's proper name is mentioned this totals 13, the same number as the occurrences of the root קבר.</fn></p> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>נתן | ||
| + | <p class="nonintro">The story revolves around a transaction, but it is the root <aht-lit color="red" weight="normal" group1="Lead" item1="2">נתן</aht-lit> rather than "מכר" or "קנה" which repeats in the chapter, appearing 7 times total.<fn>See verses 4, 9, 11, and 13. [It appears twice in verse 9 and three times in verse 11.]</fn> This points to one of the tensions in the story, the argument between the Hittites and Avraham regarding whether the burial plot was to be given as a gift or paid for in money. Perhaps out of politeness and a desire not to outright contradict the other side, both parties use the more ambiguous term, "נתן" which can uphold both meanings. The <multilink><a href="/5#HoilMosheBereshit23-4">Hoil Moshe</a><a href="/5#HoilMosheBereshit23-4">Bereshit 23:4</a><a href="PAR03Hoil" class="about">About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi</a></multilink> goes further to suggest that according to Hittite law, sale to non-citizens was prohibited and so a legal fiction was created as Efron offered the land gratis, and Avraham gave him a monetary gift in turn.</p> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>Listen to me! | ||
| + | <p class="nonintro">The root <aht-lit color="purple" weight="normal" group1="Lead" item1="3">שמע</aht-lit> appears six times in the story, once in each response of the various characters.<fn>See verses 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, and 16.</fn> The first five represent a polite refusal of the request or offer proffered by the other side, while the final occurrence marks Avraham's acquiescence to Efron's price. The word thus serves to track the back and forth of the negotiations.</p> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>In the eyes and ears of... | ||
| + | <p class="nonintro">Variations of the phrase <aht-lit color="teal" weight="normal" group1="Lead" item1="4">"בְּאׇזְנֵי/ עֵינֵי בְנֵי חֵת"</aht-lit> occur 5 times in the second half of the story.<fn>See verses 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17.</fn> Though one might have expected that after Avraham confronted Efron, the other Hittites would disappear from the narrative, this refrain highlights that they remained an integral part of the process until the end. Why, though, could Efron not have conducted a private sale with Avraham?</p> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
</category> | </category> | ||
| + | |||
<category>Character Titles | <category>Character Titles | ||
| + | |||
| + | <p>Chapter 23 refers to each of Sarah, Efron, and the Hittites by various names. In some instances, these variations reflect a fundamental difference of meaning, while in others they serve a literary function. See <a href="LIT$">here</a> for a general discussion of Character Titles in Tanakh.</p> | ||
| + | <subcategory>Sarah | ||
| + | <p>Sarah is referred to in three ways in the chapter:</p> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="lime" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="0">שָׂרָה (Sarah)</aht-lit> – This is the term used when introducing Sarah's death in the opening of the story (verses 1-2). It is the default and expected appellation.</li> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="lime" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="0">מֵתִי/ מֵתֶךָ (my or your deceased)</aht-lit> – Throughout the negotiations (verses 3-15) Sarah is never referred to by name because her personal identity is irrelevant to the transaction. Only her role as "the deceased" is important.</li> | ||
| + | li><aht-lit color="lime" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="0">שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ (Sarah, his wife)</aht-lit> – With burial, Sarah is referred to as Avraham's wife, perhaps to connect the two in their moment of separation.</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | |||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>Efron | ||
| + | <p>Efron is also referred to in three ways in the chapter:</p> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="royalblue" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="1">עֶפְרוֹן בֶּן צֹחַר (Efron b. Zochar)</aht-lit> – Efron is first mentioned, not by the narrator, but by Avraham (verse 8). It is possible that his full name is used because Avraham needed to identify and distinguish him from other Efrons of the community.</li> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="royalblue" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="1">עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי (Efron the Hittite)</aht-lit> – When the narrator fist introduces Efron in verse 10, he fills in his ethnicity to let the reader know that Efron is not an outsider, but also a member of the Hittite nation, with full legal standing.</li> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="royalblue" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="1">עֶפְרוֹן (Efron)</aht-lit> – In the rest of the negotiations (verses 13, 14, 16, and 17) no special title is needed and none is given.</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <subcategory>The Hittites | ||
| + | <p>It is not clear if the various terms given to the Hittites refer to the same group of people or to various subsets.</p> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="darkorange" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="2">בְּנֵי חֵת (lit. the sons of Chet)</aht-lit> – This appears to be the default term used in the majority of verses (3, 5, 7, 10, 16, 17 and 20).<fn>In verse 7 the phrase is combined "לְעַם הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי חֵת" and in verses 10 and 18 it is accompanied by the appellation, "כֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ".</fn></li> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="darkorange" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="2">עַם הָאָרֶץ (lit. the nation of the land)</aht-lit> – See verses 7, 12 and 13. This term has been understood to refer either to the masses,<fn>See <multilink><a href="/5#RYosefBekhorShorBereshit23-71720">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="/5#RYosefBekhorShorBereshit23-71720">Bereshit 23:7</a><a href="PAR02RYBS" class="about">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink> and Netziv</fn> or to the heads of the town<fn>See <multilink><a href="/5#SefornoBereshit23-7-12">Seforno</a><a href="/5#SefornoBereshit23-7-12">Bereshit 23:7</a><a href="PAR03Seforno" class="about">About R. Ovadyah Seforno</a></multilink></fn>. Either way it might refer to a different group (either larger or smaller) that בני חת. If the men were the city's leaders then Avraham's singling them out (in verses 7 and 12) to bow to is understandable. Similarly he might makes his monetary offer (verse 13) specifically in their hearing to ensure that the transaction is witnessed by the elders.</li> | ||
| + | li><aht-lit color="darkorange" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="2">לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ (all those who come through the city's gates)</aht-lit> – see verses 10 and 18. This term is also ambiguous. According to <multilink><a href="/5#RadakBereshit23-10">Radak</a><a href="/5#RadakBereshit23-10">Bereshit 23:10</a><a href="PAR02Radak" class="about">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink> it refers to all the inhabitants of the city (and might be more expansive than the phrase "בְנֵי חֵת"). It is not clear, though, how this can account for their mention in these verses specifically.</li> | ||
| + | <li><aht-lit color="darkorange" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="2">בבְנֵי עַמִּי (the members of my nation)</aht-lit> – This term appears only verse 11, when Efron begins his negotiations with Avraham. He refers to the inhabitants in first rather than third person, because he is one of them.</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | |||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | |||
</category> | </category> | ||
| + | |||
</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> | ||
Version as of 03:36, 6 November 2015
Fatal 76: Opening and ending tag mismatch: ul line 67 and li
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70: li><aht-lit color="lime" weight="normal" group1="Titles" item1="0">שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ (Sarah, his wife)</aht-lit> – With burial, Sarah is referred to as Avraham's wife, perhaps to connect the two in their moment of separation.</li>