וַיֹּאמֶר
מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת מֹשֶׁה
KJ (King James translation 29:40): And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
BN (BibleNet translation): And Mosheh told the Beney Yisra-El everything that YHVH had instructed Mosheh.
ET MOSHEH: odd to repeat the name, rathen than saying OTO = "him"
pey break
Sedra 9, MATOT: Numbers 30:2 – 32:42
Chapter 30 (cont): The Chapter of Vows
30:2 VA YEDABER MOSHEH EL RA'SHEY HA MATOT LIVNEY YISRA-EL LEMOR ZEH HA DAVAR ASHER TSIVAH YHVH
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה
KJ (30:1): And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.
BN: And Mosheh spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Beney Yisra-El, saying: This is the sum of everything that YHVH has instructed me.
DAVAR: Once again this word which means "word", but also "thing", and needs to be translated into English in a much larger understanding: this after all is "the Word of God", which ultimately means all of Life, the Universe and everything that is in it. And what Mosheh is about to recite will take pretty much the entire Book of Deuteronomy, and not just these closing chapters of Numbers.
30:3 ISH KI YIDOR NEDER LA YHVH O HISHAVAH SHEVU'AH LE'SOR ISAR AL NAPHSHO LO YACHEL DEVARO KE CHOL HA YOTS'E MI PIYV YA'ASEH
אִישׁ כִּי יִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַיהוָה אוֹ הִשָּׁבַע שְׁבֻעָה לֶאְסֹר אִסָּר עַל נַפְשׁוֹ לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ כְּכָל הַיֹּצֵא מִפִּיו יַעֲשֶׂה
KJ (30:2): If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
BN: If a man makes a vow to YHVH, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do exactly what has issued from his mouth.
NEDER: What kind of a vow are we talking about? Simply swearing in the name of YHVH to do something in the human world, or is this specifically a sacred commitment, such as Nazirut? Or perhaps both? Either way, these are the vows whose annullment at the opening of Yom Kippur gives rise to the liturgical phrase Kol Nidre ("all vows"), by which that opening is now known.
30:4 VE ISHAH KI TIDOR NEDER LA YHVH VE ASRAH ISAR BE VEIT AVIYHA BI NE'UREYHA
KJ (30:3): If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;
BN: Also when a woman makes a vow to YHVH, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth...
Women having lower status than men in the Yisra-Eli world, despite the world having been created "male and female equally" in Genesis 1. At what point did this change take place? Given the extent to which this is detailed, over the next several verses, I strongly suspect it is the Ezraic age superimposing its patriarchalism upon the Mosaic, and this is is why it is in the late texts of Numbers-Deuteronomy, and not in any of the previous.
30:4 VE ISHAH KI TIDOR NEDER LA YHVH VE ASRAH ISAR BE VEIT AVIYHA BI NE'UREYHA
וְאִשָּׁה כִּי תִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַיהוָה וְאָסְרָה אִסָּר בְּבֵית אָבִיהָ בִּנְעֻרֶיהָ
KJ (30:3): If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;
BN: Also when a woman makes a vow to YHVH, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth...
Women having lower status than men in the Yisra-Eli world, despite the world having been created "male and female equally" in Genesis 1. At what point did this change take place? Given the extent to which this is detailed, over the next several verses, I strongly suspect it is the Ezraic age superimposing its patriarchalism upon the Mosaic, and this is is why it is in the late texts of Numbers-Deuteronomy, and not in any of the previous.
30:5 VE SHAMA AVIYHA ET NIDRAH VE ESARAH ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHSHAH VE HECHERISH LAH AVIYHA VE KAMU KOL NEDAREYHA VE CHOL ISAR ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHSHAH YAKUM
וְשָׁמַע אָבִיהָ אֶת נִדְרָהּ וֶאֱסָרָהּ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ וְהֶחֱרִישׁ לָהּ אָבִיהָ וְקָמוּ כָּל נְדָרֶיהָ וְכָל אִסָּר אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקוּם
KJ (30:4): And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
BN: And her father hears her vow, or the bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds his peace with her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand.
30:6 VE IM HENIY AVIYHA OTAH BE YOM SHAM'O KOL NEDAREYHA VE ESAREYHA ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHSHAH LO YAKUM VA YHVH YISLACH LAH KI HENIY AVIYHA OTAH
וְאִם הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָהּ בְּיוֹם שָׁמְעוֹ כָּל נְדָרֶיהָ וֶאֱסָרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ לֹא יָקוּם וַיהוָה יִסְלַח לָהּ כִּי הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָהּ
KJ (30:5): But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
BN: But if her father disallows her on the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of the bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand; and YHVH will forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
30:7 VE IM HAYU TIHEYEH LE ISH U NEDAREYHA ALEYHA O MIVTA SEPHATEYHA ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHSHAH
וְאִם הָיוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִישׁ וּנְדָרֶיהָ עָלֶיהָ אוֹ מִבְטָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ
KJ (30:6): And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
BN: And if she is married to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the clear utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul...
30:8 VE SHAMA ISHAH BE YOM SHAMO VE HECHERIYSH LAH VE KAMU NEDAREYHA VE ESAREYHA ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHSHAH YAKUMU
וְשָׁמַע אִישָׁהּ בְּיוֹם שָׁמְעוֹ וְהֶחֱרִישׁ לָהּ וְקָמוּ נְדָרֶיהָ וֶאֱסָרֶהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקֻמוּ
KJ (30:7): And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
BN: And her husband hears it, on whatever day it is that he hears it, and holds his peace with her; then her vows shall stand, and the bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand.
30:9 VE IM BE YOM SHEMO'A ISHAH YANI OTAH VE HEPHER ET NIDRA ASHER ALEYHA VE ET MIVTA SEPHATEYHA ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHSHAH VA YHVH YISLACH LAH
וְאִם בְּיוֹם שְׁמֹעַ אִישָׁהּ יָנִיא אוֹתָהּ וְהֵפֵר אֶת נִדְרָהּ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ וְאֵת מִבְטָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ וַיהוָה יִסְלַח לָהּ
KJ (30:8): But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.
BN: But if her husband disallows her on the day that he hears it, then he shall make void the vow which is upon her, and the clear utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul; and YHVH will forgive her.
30:10 VE NEDER ALMANAH U GERUSHAH KOL ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHASHAH YAKUM ALEYHA
וְנֵדֶר אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקוּם עָלֶיהָ
KJ (30:9): But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
BN: But the vow of a widow, or of a woman who is divorced, everything in which she has bound her soul, shall count as valid.
YAKUM ALEYHA: "stand against her" sounds negative, whereas this is a positive commandment; we cannot translate idioms literally if that then removes the cultural content and the intrinsic intent; "shall count as valid" is the intention.
30:11 VE IM BEIT ISHAH NADARAH O ASRAH ISAR AL NAPHSHAH BI SHEVU'AH
וְאִם בֵּית אִישָׁהּ נָדָרָה אוֹ אָסְרָה אִסָּר עַל נַפְשָׁהּ בִּשְׁבֻעָה
KJ (30:10): And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
BN: And if a woman vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath...
30:12 VE SHAMA ISHAH VE HECHERISH LAH LO HENIY OTAH VE KAMU KOL NEDAREYHA VE CHOL ISAR ASHER ASRAH AL NAPHSHAH YAKUM
וְשָׁמַע אִישָׁהּ וְהֶחֱרִשׁ לָהּ לֹא הֵנִיא אֹתָהּ וְקָמוּ כָּל נְדָרֶיהָ וְכָל אִסָּר אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקוּם
KJ (30:11): And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
BN: And her husband heard it, and held his peace with her, and did not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand.
30:13 VE IM HAPHER YAPHER OTAM ISHAH BE YOM SHAM'O KOL MOTSA SEPHATEYHA LIN'DAREYHA U LE ISAR NAPHSHAH LO YAKUM ISHAH HAPHERAM VA YHVH YISLACH LAH
וְאִם הָפֵר יָפֵר אֹתָם אִישָׁהּ בְּיוֹם שָׁמְעוֹ כָּל מוֹצָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ לִנְדָרֶיהָ וּלְאִסַּר נַפְשָׁהּ לֹא יָקוּם אִישָׁהּ הֲפֵרָם וַיהוָה יִסְלַח לָהּ
KJ (30:12): But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.
BN: But if her husband declares them null and void on the day that he hears them, then whatever has proceeded from her lips, whether it were her vows, or the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband has made them void; and YHVH will forgive her.
30:14 KOL NEDER VE CHOL SHEVU'AT ISAR LE ANOT NAPHESH ISHAH YEKIYMENU VE ISHAH YEPHERENU
כָּל נֵדֶר וְכָל שְׁבֻעַת אִסָּר לְעַנֹּת נָפֶשׁ אִישָׁהּ יְקִימֶנּוּ וְאִישָׁהּ יְפֵרֶנּוּ
KJ (30:13): Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
BN: Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may let it stand, or her husband may make it void.
KOL NEDER: the singular of KOL NIDRE, the opening words of the vow-annullment service that precedes Yom Kippur. Much of the language suggests that this may in fact be the Yom Kippur provision for women.
30:15 VE IM HACHARESH YACHARISH LAH IYSHAH MI YOM EL YOM VE HEKIM ET KOL NEDAREYHA O ET KOL ESAREYHA ASHER ALEYHA HEKIM OTAM KI HECHERISH LAH BE YOM SHAM'O
וְאִם הַחֲרֵשׁ יַחֲרִישׁ לָהּ אִישָׁהּ מִיּוֹם אֶל יוֹם וְהֵקִים אֶת כָּל נְדָרֶיהָ אוֹ אֶת כָּל אֱסָרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ הֵקִים אֹתָם כִּי הֶחֱרִשׁ לָהּ בְּיוֹם שָׁמְעוֹ
KJ (30:14): But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.
BN: But if her husband holds his peace with her completely from day to day, then he causes all her vows to stand, or all her bonds, to which she has made a commitment; he has let them stand, because he held his peace with her on the day that he heard them.
30:16 VE IM HAPHER YAPHER OTAM ACHAREY SHAM'O VE NASA ET AVONAH
וְאִם הָפֵר יָפֵר אֹתָם אַחֲרֵי שָׁמְעוֹ וְנָשָׂא אֶת עֲוֹנָהּ
KJ (30:15): But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.
BN: But if he shall make them null and void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.
Meaning that he assumes the responsibility, and becomes accountable for whatever ensues. So at least the women have that much!
30:17 ELEH HA CHUKIM ASHER TSIVAH YHVH ET MOSHEH BEYN ISH LE ISHTO BEYN AV LE VITO BI NE'UREYHA BEIT AVIHA
אֵלֶּה הַחֻקִּים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת מֹשֶׁה בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ בֵּין אָב לְבִתּוֹ בִּנְעֻרֶיהָ בֵּית אָבִיהָ
KJ: These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
BN: These are the statutes, which YHVH instructed Mosheh, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, she being in her youth, in her father's house.
Given by Mosheh after he has handed over the leadership to his successor - is the text then out of chronology, or...
And if this is not the women's arrangements for Yom Kippur, we have to ask: why this particular law at this particular time? I think we have to imagine that some incident took place, perhaps, given its location in the book, as a result of the stand made by Tselaphchad's daughters (Numbers 27). Did the men come to Mosheh after that decision was announced, and ask for clarification about other matters pertaining to their women; or did other women come, seeking to assert their rights and find some measure of independence? The text tells us nothing of this, but the inferences are present.
pey break
No comments:
Post a Comment