[Avodah] Kaparos

[Arie Folger]

RMB wrote:
> (It may be that Iyov's "SECHvi" means heart, but "sechVI" means "rooster".)

I heard this before, but have found no evidence whatsoever.

By the way, Rashi says in Iyov that belashon 'hakhamim it is a
rooster, which implies that it really means heart, Ralbag says it
means intellect, which is really the same thing as "heart," but less
poetically stated, and Avudraham says it means rooster, period. It is
difficult to figure out what Rambam holds.

So far only Rashi's view is a correction to what you stated. However,
I should also add that Rosh does not say that שכוי is man's heart, but
rather that it means both: biblically, it means man's heart, but
'hakhamim instructed us to make the blessing asher natan lasekhvi vina
when hearing the rooster, because sekhvi means rooster in Arabic.

I don't read Arabic, but asked around, and while sekhvi does not mean
rooster in Arabic, it is attested and must be the same word, because
it is a rare four letter root or otherwise arcane form, which is
rarely found in either Hebrew or Arabic. Hence, if the word (in Arabic
Sakawa) appears in both languages, it is the same word. In yea olde
Arabic, it has the connotation of complaint, cackle, olde man, hence,
the link to the cackle of the rooster is readily apparent.

I wrote all this from memory, though I recently dealt with this issue
in depth, so I hope I didn't majorly misstate anything. Regarding the
Arabic etymology, it was given to me in much greater detail by a
semitics expert who is a member of this list, and I will let him
provide the full details when he wants to. Meanwhile, let it be clear
that I should not be credited or quoted regarding the Hebrew-Arabic
comparative etymology, of which I have little understanding and no
expertise; I am merely transmitting someone else's wisdom.
-- 
Arie Folger,
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