[Avodah] PEARLS OF SHMOS

[T613K at aol.com]

From: Cantor Wolberg _cantorwolberg at cox.net_ (mailto:cantorwolberg at cox.net) 

The Chasam  Sofer asks why should all rabbis have the title of rabbi  
precede their  name, whereas with Moshe, his name preceded his title:  
Moshe Rabbeinu.  He answers that even before matan Torah, Moshe was the  
greatest of the  rabbis, whereas all the other rabbis are great only  
because of the  merit of the Torah that Moshe Rabbeinu taught, so  
that's why he was  Moshe Rabbeinu and not Rabbeinu Moshe. 

 
>>>>>
 
Well, it's a nice little vort, but "Moshe Rabbeinu" seems to follow the  
normal, natural rule of [old?] Hebrew:  Avraham Avinu, Yosef Hatzaddik,  Aharon 
Hakohen, Dovid Hamelech, Eliyahu Hanavi, Esther Hamalka, Yehuda Hanasi,  Saadya 
Gaon.  Name before title, regular rule.
 
I guess that the Chasam Sofer was not asking, "Why is Moshe's name first  and 
his title second?" but "Why do we nowadays put the title first and the name  
second?"  The obvious (at least to me) answer is that our Hebrew has been  
influenced by European languages.  

--Toby  Katz
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