[Avodah] Z"L in English

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, May 16, 2007 9:05 am, mkopinsky at gmail.com wrote:
: According to the Nefesh Hachaim, even when we say G-d is blessed
: ("Blessed art Thou..."), we are saying that he is a source of
: blessing.
...

(Tangent: Does anyone know what the word "bless" means any better than
"barukh"? The English word has little meaning, and probably
connotations that are counterproductive.)

That is specific when speaking of "barukh atah Hashem". The problem is
that berakhah is a lashon ribui, and there is no ribui shayah when
speaking of HQBH.

But in the usual case, there would be no motivation to take the word
from its simple sense of ribui. Otherwise, would you insist that when
someone gives someone else a berakhah, they are declaring them a
source for others rather than an intended recipient?

On Wed, May 16, 2007 2:29 pm, R Zvi Lampel brings our attention to his
other initial:
: Another (if not the only real, in this context) translation of
: "zecher" is "mention"...

The whole think about repeating a pasuq of parashas Zachor arises from
this issue. The Gra made a distinction between "zecher" and "zeicher",
that one is a memory, and the other a memorial, a reminder, or a
mention. Since the parashah begins "zechor" and ends "al tishqach",
the duty must be to obliterate all mention (verbal and physical) of
Amaleiq, not all memory. His talmidim were mesupaqim which means
which, leaving them debating as to which the Gaon was maqpid on
saying.

We might have a similar problem here too. Trusting ben Asher, it's
"zeikher tzadiq livrakhah" in Mishlei 10:7. Now just tell me which one
"zeikher" means... According to R' Chaim Volozhoner (since he is
already on this thread), it would mean "memorial", with the more
rounded vowels being the more causative conjugation. Much like RZL's
conclusion.

But if we were trusting Ben Asher or taking sides on that machloqes,
most of us wouldn't be repeating the pasuq in parashas Zachor...

Tir'u baTov!
-mi

-- 
Micha Berger             Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
micha at aishdas.org        your grip on it, it chokes; slacken your
grip, http://www.aishdas.org   and it flies away.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            - Rav Yisrael Salanter