A Sequence of Eleven Stories of Talmudic Rabbis as Empirical Linguists (Rosh Hashanah 26a-b)
Unrelated to the following piece, I’d like to point out that I made a number of revisions to my previous piece on “Identifying the Most Quoted Sages in the Talmud's Aggada”.
Illustration by Dall-e. Description: “An illustration showcasing a series of connected vignettes, each interpreting different phrases from Rosh Hashanah 26a-b by various rabbis. Including: 1) A ram in an Arabian landscape for 'yovel' by Rabbi Akiva. 2) A depiction of a woman representing 'galmuda' in a Gallia-like setting, also by Rabbi Akiva. 3) An African scene with a small coin to signify 'kesita', again interpreted by Rabbi Akiva. 4) A bustling marketplace in 'Sea Towns' (possibly Asia Minor) for 'kira', interpreted by Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi. 5) A bride and a rooster in 'Kan Nishrayya' representing 'ninfi' and 'sekhvi', by Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. 6) A depiction of a robbery for 'keva'a', interpreted by Levi. Also include abstract representations for 'seirugin' (at intervals), 'ḥaloglogot' (purslane), 'salsel' (turn about), 'vetetetiha' (sweep), and 'yehavkha' (load), capturing the thematic diversity of these Talmudic interpretations.”
The passage: Rosh Hashanah 26a (section # 17) - 26b (section #6)
Outline of stories
yovel = ram (in Arabia - Petra?) - Rabbi Akiva
galmuda = menstruating woman (in Gallia, Asia Minor?) - Rabbi Akiva
kesita = ma’a (in Africa - Carthaginian Punic?) - Rabbi Akiva
kira = sale (in ‘Sea Towns’) - Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi
ninfi = bride; sekhvi = rooster (in ‘Kan Nishrayya’) - Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish
keva’a = robbed (Aramaic?) - Levi
seirugin = At intervals (in Hebrew used by maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house)
ḥaloglogot = purslane (““)
salsel = turn about (““)
vetetetiha = sweep (““)
yehavkha = load (in Arabic) - Rabba bar bar Ḥana
Stories #7-#10 were observed in Hebrew language used by maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house. #11 was observed by Rabba bar bar Ḥana in the speech of an Arab (clearly, in Arabic).
The passages
For each, the Talmudic text is followed by ed. Steinzaltz translation and explanation. I comment on some place names in italics before a few.
yovel = ram (observed in the speech of Arabia) - Rabbi Akiva
The major city in the Roman province of Arabia was Petra, in modern-day southern Jordan.
מאי משמע דהאי יובלא לישנא דדכרא הוא?
דתניא, אמר רבי עקיבא: כשהלכתי לערביא, היו קורין לדכרא ״יובלא״.
It is taught in the mishna that Rabbi Yosei proves from a verse that the horn of a ram [yovel] is called a keren. The Gemara asks: From where may it be inferred that this term yovel denotes the horn of a ram?
The Gemara answers: As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Akiva said: When I went to Arabia, I heard that they called a ram yovla, and from this we can infer the meaning of the term yovel in the related language of Hebrew.
galmuda = menstruating woman (in Gallia) - Rabbi Akiva
On Gallia, see my discussion in ‘Abba’ about ‘Gallia’ in the Talmud. This is most likely Galatia in Asia Minor (not Gaul, meaning modern-day France, though Gaul is also mentioned in the Talmud, together with Spain).
ואמר רבי עקיבא: כשהלכתי לגליא, היו קורין ל"נדה" "גלמודה".
מאי "גלמודה" — גמולה דא מבעלה.
The Gemara records a series of similar statements:
And Rabbi Akiva said: When I went to Galia, I heard that they called a menstruating woman galmuda,
and this clarifies the meaning of that word in Scripture. It should be understood as follows: What does galmuda mean? She is separated [gemula da] from her husband, as all physical contact between a menstruating woman and her husband is forbidden.
kesita = ma’a (observed in the speech of Africa) - Rabbi Akiva
For a different mention of the Roman province of Africa, see my previous piece on the debate in front of Alexander the Great. As I discussed there, the Africans there are likely Carthaginians, who were ethnically Canaanite. Their language was Semitic. Therefore it makes sense to use their language to discover etymology. Sages from Carthage are mentioned in the Talmud, see my discussion in ‘Abba’ on ‘Kartigna’.
ואמר רבי עקיבא: כשהלכתי לאפריקי, היו קורין ל"מעה" "קשיטה".
למאי נפקא מינה?
לפרושי ״מאה קשיטה״ דאורייתא, מאה דנקי.
And Rabbi Akiva said: When I went to Africa, I heard that they called a ma’a, which is a certain coin, kesita.
The Gemara asks: What is the practical significance of this?
The Gemara answers: To explain that the words in the Torah relating to Jacob’s purchase of his field near Shechem: “And he bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, from the sons of Hamor for a hundred kesita” (Genesis 33:19), denote a hundred dankei, i.e., a hundred ma’a.
kira = sale (observed in the speech of ‘Sea Towns’) - Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi
It is unclear where these ‘Sea/coastal Towns’ are located.1
אמר רבי: כשהלכתי לכרכי הים, היו קורין למכירה כירה.
למאי נפקא מינה?
לפרושי ״אשר כריתי לי״:
Similarly, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: When I went to the sea towns, I heard that they called a sale kira.
And the Gemara asks: What is the practical significance of this?
The Gemara answers: To explain the verse relating to Jacob’s burial plot: “In my grave which I purchased [kariti] for myself, there shall you bury me” (Genesis 50:5).
ninfi = bride; sekhvi = rooster (in ‘Kan Nishrayya’) - Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish
‘Kan Nishrayya’ literally means ‘the eagle’s nest’. I don’t know what place it’s referring to.
אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש: כשהלכתי לתחום קן נשרייא, היו קורין לכלה "נינפי", ולתרנגול "שכוי".
לכלה נינפי — מאי קרא: ״יפה נוף משוש כל הארץ״.
ולתרנגול שכוי — אמר רב יהודה אמר רב, ואיבעית אימא רבי יהושע בן לוי: מאי קרא — ״מי שת בטוחות חכמה או מי נתן לשכוי בינה״. ״מי שת בטוחות חכמה״ — אלו כליות, ״או מי נתן לשכוי בינה״ — זה תרנגול.
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: When I went to the district of Kan Nishrayya, I heard that they called a bride ninfi and a rooster sekhvi.
The Gemara explains how this information serves to clarify the meanings of biblical verses: A bride is called ninfi; what is the verse that uses a similar term? “Beautiful view [nof], the joy of the whole earth, Mount Zion” (Psalms 48:3), which therefore means beautiful like a bride.
And a rooster is called sekhvi; Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: And if you wish, you can say that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said this: What is the verse that employs this term? “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the sekhvi” (Job 38:36), which should be understood as follows: “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts”: These are the kidneys that are hidden in the body; “or who has given understanding to the sekhvi”: This is a rooster, who knows to crow at fixed times during the night.
keva’a = robbed - Levi
לוי איקלע לההוא אתרא.
אתא גברא לקמיה, אמר ליה: קבען פלניא.
לא הוה ידע מאי קאמר ליה.
אתא שאיל בי מדרשא, אמר ליה: גזלן אמר לך, דכתיב: ״היקבע אדם אלהים וגו׳״.
אמר ליה רבא מברניש לרב אשי: אי הואי התם, הוה אמינא ליה: היכי קבעך? במאי קבעך? ואמאי קבעך? וממילא הוה ידעינא.
ואיהו סבר: מילתא דאיסורא קאמר ליה.
Incidental to the discussion of the meanings of certain words in foreign countries, it was related that Levi once happened to come to a certain place, where a man came before him to complain about what had been done to him.
This man said to him: So-and-so keva’a from me.
Levi did not understand what that man was saying to him, as he did not know the meaning of the word kava.
So he went and asked in the study hall. They said to him: That man said to you: He robbed me, as it is written: “Will a man rob [hayikba] God?” (Malachi 3:8).
Rava from a place called Barnish said to Rav Ashi: Had I been there in Levi’s place I would have tried to uncover the meaning of the word in a different way, for I would have said to him: How did he keva’a you? With what did he keva’a you? And why did he keva’a you? And from his answers I would have understood on my own what was being said.
The Gemara comments: And Levi, who did not do this, thought that the man was talking about a matter of prohibition and not a monetary matter, and so asking the man these questions would not have helped, as they are relevant only to monetary matters.
seirugin = At intervals (observed in the speech of the maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house)
לא הוו ידעי רבנן מאי ״סירוגין״.
שמעוה לאמתא דבי רבי דחזתנהו רבנן דהוו עיילי פסקי פסקי, אמרה להו: עד מתי אתם נכנסין סירוגין סירוגין.
The Gemara continues its discussion of unusual words: The Sages did not know the meaning of the word seirugin, which is found in a mishna.
One day they heard the maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house say to the Sages whom she saw entering the house not all at once, but intermittently: How long shall you enter seirugin seirugin? and from this they understood that the word seirugin means: At intervals.
ḥaloglogot = purslane (observed in the speech of the maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house)
לא הוו ידעי רבנן מאי ״חלוגלוגות״.
יומא חד שמעוה לאמתא דבי רבי דחזית לההוא גברא דקא מבדר פרפחיניה, אמרה ליה: עד מתי אתה מפזר חלוגלוגך.
It is similarly recounted that the Sages did not know the meaning of the word ḥaloglogot, which is mentioned in various mishnayot and baraitot.
One day they heard the maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house say to a certain man whom she saw scattering his purslane plants: How long shall you scatter your ḥaloglogot? So they understood that ḥaloglogot means purslane.
salsel = turn about (observed in the speech of the maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house)
לא הוו ידעי רבנן מאי: ״סלסלה ותרוממך״.
יומא חד שמעוה לאמתא דבי רבי דהוות אמרה לההוא גברא דהוה קא מהפך בשעריה, אמרה ליה: עד מתי אתה מסלסל בשערך.
The Sages also did not know the meaning of the word salseleha in the verse: “Salseleha and it will exalt you” (Proverbs 4:8).
One day they heard the maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house say to a certain man who was curling his hair: How long shall you mesalsel your hair? And from this they understood that the verse means: Turn wisdom about, and it will exalt you.
vetetetiha = sweep
לא הוו ידעי רבנן מאי ״וטאטאתיה במטאטא השמד״.
יומא חד שמעוה לאמתא דבי רבי דהוות אמרה לחבירתה: שקולי טאטיתא וטאטי ביתא.
It is further related that the Sages did not know the meaning of the words in the verse: “And sweep it [vetetetiha] with the broom [matatei] of destruction” (Isaiah 14:23).
One day they heard the maidservant in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house saying to her workmate: Take a broom [tateita] and sweep [ta’ati] the house,” and they understood the meaning of these words.
yehavkha = load
לא הוו ידעי רבנן מאי ״השלך על ה׳ יהבך והוא יכלכלך״.
אמר רבה בר בר חנה: יומא חד הוה אזלינא בהדי ההוא טייעא, הוה דרינא טונא ואמר לי: שקול יהביך ושדי אגמלאי.
The Sages also did not know the meaning of the word yehavkha in the verse: “Cast your load [yehavkha] upon the Lord and He will sustain you” (Psalms 55:23).
Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: One day I was traveling with a certain Arab [Tayya’a], and I was carrying a load, and he said to me: Take your yehav and cast it on my camel, and from this I understood that yehav means a load.
See Jordan D. Rosenblum, “CITIES OF THE SEA: IN SEARCH OF כרכי הים”, Hebrew Studies, vol. 51 (2010), who reviews the places in the talmudic literature where this term is used. He writes in the conclusion (p. 221):
“Scholars have suggested various locations for כרכי הים, including Caesarea and Cyprus. However, when one examines all of the contexts in which the cities of the sea appear, it becomes apparent that כרכי הים is not necessarily a location to be charted on a map. Rather, I would suggest that כרכי הים is a locus to which rabbis sometimes turn when looking to narrate tales of sin (and, in some instances, salvation); to define difficult and obscure terms; and to explain exceptions to halakah. Of course, this is not to dismiss completely the possibility that, at least in some instances, rabbinic authors might have been referring to some actual location.”
And ibid., f. 46, he writes:
“There appears another rabbinic phrase that, at first glance, might seem comparable to מדינת הים :כרכי הים (the "city/province/country of the sea"). In the majority of instances where it appears, מדינת הים is used to explore the effect that overseas travel has on halakah, notably on marriage, divorce, and inheritance law (e.g., m. Yevamot 15:1, 6, 8-10; 16:1; t. Yevamot 14:3; b. Yevamot 25a; 87b; 92a-b; 94b). While this term on rare occasions seems to serve as a locus of linguistic definition (e.g., b. Shabbat 114a) and salvation (Leviticus Rabbah 37:2), the phrase מדינת הים appears to be deployed mainly in a concrete-and not literary-manner. Namely, מדינת הים is used to discuss an actual person who, for whatever practical reason (usually business), must travel a distance from home. If he were to die en route, this creates very real problems vis-à-vis rabbinic law. As such, halakic exceptions feature prominently in these discussions. However, these are concrete conversations about the effect of travel on law, and not literary appeals to a locus of pedagogy. It is for this reason that I do not dedicate an extended discussion to mapping מדינת הים.”
(Thanks to MA from the ‘Ask The Beit Midrash’ Facebook group for pointing me to this article.)