신명기 4:11의 Responsa
וַתִּקְרְב֥וּן וַתַּֽעַמְד֖וּן תַּ֣חַת הָהָ֑ר וְהָהָ֞ר בֹּעֵ֤ר בָּאֵשׁ֙ עַד־לֵ֣ב הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עָנָ֥ן וַעֲרָפֶֽל׃
너희가 가까이 나아와서 산 아래 서니 그 산에 불이 붙어 화염이 충천하고 유암과 구름과 흑암이 덮였는데
Noda BiYhudah I
Ergo, to my mind, even one who stated a part of a verse ‘mee-mach’ in a place where the vowels need to be strung together equally57This is likely a reference to the ability of the liturgical poets to create such amazing pieces, often by stringing together parts of verses. A source for this is:
שיר השירים רבה (וילנא) פרשה א
.....אֶלָּא הָיִיתִי יוֹשֵׁב וְחוֹרֵז בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וּמִתּוֹרָה לִנְבִיאִים, וּמִנְּבִיאִים לִכְתוּבִים, וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים שְׂמֵחִים כִּנְתִינָתָן מִסִּינַי, וְהָיוּ עֲרֵבִים כְּעִקַּר נְתִינָתָן, וְכֵן עִקַּר נְתִינָתָן מִסִּינַי לֹא בָאֵשׁ הָיוּ נִתָּנִין?! הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) דברים ד, יא :(וְהָהָר בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ.
רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְאֵשׁ מְלַהֶטֶת סְבִיבוֹתָיו. אָמַר: שֶׁמָּא אֵינִי חוֹרֵז בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה כְּתִקְנָן, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי: אִית דְּיָדַע לְמִחְרוֹז וְלָא יָדַע לְמִקְדַּח, וְאִית דְּיָדַע לְמִקְדַּח וְלָא יָדַע לְמִחְרוֹז, בְּרַם אֲנָא הֲוֵינָא חָרוֹזָא וַאֲנָא הֲוֵינָא קָדוֹחָא.
Relating to the meaning of Song of Songs 1:10נָאו֤וּ לְחָיַ֙יִךְ֙ בַּתֹּרִ֔ים צַוָּארֵ֖ךְ בַּחֲרוּזִֽים׃
Your cheeks are comely with plaited wreaths, Your neck with strings of jewels. The Midrash stated….
Rather, I sat and strung together the words of Torah and from the Torah to the books of the prophets, from the books of the prophets to the books of prophetic writings, and these words gladdened me as it was similar to when the Torah was given to us at Mount Sinai, they were pleasing as their original transmission. Were not the essences of that transmission were given in fire?! Indeed, we noted that in the verse (Deut. 4:11) ‘The Mount was consumed with fire”.
Rabbi Abahu would expound on the Torah and flames would glow around him. He said: perhaps I am stringing together words of the Torah properly, as Rabbi Levi stated: There are those who know how to string together (verses of the Torah), but do not know how to ‘open’ (lit. to perforate – meaning to take the words in proper context) them; and there are those who know how to ‘open’ verses but not how to string them together. Apparently, I know how to do both – string them together and open the verses properly!, is not in error.
שיר השירים רבה (וילנא) פרשה א
.....אֶלָּא הָיִיתִי יוֹשֵׁב וְחוֹרֵז בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וּמִתּוֹרָה לִנְבִיאִים, וּמִנְּבִיאִים לִכְתוּבִים, וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים שְׂמֵחִים כִּנְתִינָתָן מִסִּינַי, וְהָיוּ עֲרֵבִים כְּעִקַּר נְתִינָתָן, וְכֵן עִקַּר נְתִינָתָן מִסִּינַי לֹא בָאֵשׁ הָיוּ נִתָּנִין?! הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) דברים ד, יא :(וְהָהָר בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ.
רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְאֵשׁ מְלַהֶטֶת סְבִיבוֹתָיו. אָמַר: שֶׁמָּא אֵינִי חוֹרֵז בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה כְּתִקְנָן, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי: אִית דְּיָדַע לְמִחְרוֹז וְלָא יָדַע לְמִקְדַּח, וְאִית דְּיָדַע לְמִקְדַּח וְלָא יָדַע לְמִחְרוֹז, בְּרַם אֲנָא הֲוֵינָא חָרוֹזָא וַאֲנָא הֲוֵינָא קָדוֹחָא.
Relating to the meaning of Song of Songs 1:10נָאו֤וּ לְחָיַ֙יִךְ֙ בַּתֹּרִ֔ים צַוָּארֵ֖ךְ בַּחֲרוּזִֽים׃
Your cheeks are comely with plaited wreaths, Your neck with strings of jewels. The Midrash stated….
Rather, I sat and strung together the words of Torah and from the Torah to the books of the prophets, from the books of the prophets to the books of prophetic writings, and these words gladdened me as it was similar to when the Torah was given to us at Mount Sinai, they were pleasing as their original transmission. Were not the essences of that transmission were given in fire?! Indeed, we noted that in the verse (Deut. 4:11) ‘The Mount was consumed with fire”.
Rabbi Abahu would expound on the Torah and flames would glow around him. He said: perhaps I am stringing together words of the Torah properly, as Rabbi Levi stated: There are those who know how to string together (verses of the Torah), but do not know how to ‘open’ (lit. to perforate – meaning to take the words in proper context) them; and there are those who know how to ‘open’ verses but not how to string them together. Apparently, I know how to do both – string them together and open the verses properly!, is not in error.
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