[Avodah] "Zipped" in Sefer Shemot?

[Zev Sero]

Galsaba at aol.com wrote:
> On this week Parasha, (Tetzaveh)we read וירכסו את החושן -
> (VaYirkhasu Et HaKhoshen)  (Shmot 28:28).
> Reading the parasha, my understanding is that they BUTTONED
> the Khoshen.  They buttoned the Khoshen to the Efod.

When do you suppose buttons were invented?

 
> *If I have to translate the pasuk (VaYirKhesu) to English (zipper in 
> English is Rokhsan in Hebrew) then I will say "they ZIPPED the Khoshen*"

Why would you do that?  What possible relevance could a thoroughly
modern word, in a thoroughly modern form, have to translating the
Torah?  You might as well rely on some Hindi word that sounds similar.
And when do you suppose the zipper was invented?


> Based on this, the right word in modern Hebrew (in my opinion) for
> "TO BUTTON" should be "LiRkhos". However, modern hebrew uses the
> word "LirKhos" for "to zip".  Didn't they mix between the two verbs?

So?  Ivrit has only a nodding acquaintance with Lashon Hakodesh at
the best of times.  Ivrit makes stuff up all the time; it also borrows
words from earlier forms of Hebrew, and uses them for completely
different purposes, especially for concepts that didn't exist in
earlier times, and so couldn't possibly have had words.  Or did you
think that Yechezkel knew about electricity?  Or that "chazeret",
the preferred form of maror, is horseradish?


Lirchos is to fasten.  How one fastens is probably not relevant.
But the choshen was certainly neither buttoned nor zipped, since
neither form of fastening was known.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas