[Avodah] Mi Ban Siach

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Jul 05, 2011 at 08:29:04PM +0200, Arie Folger wrote:
: R' Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:
:> The medrash says "Lemah hu domeh beineihem? Keshoshanah bein
:> hachochim." I'm repeating that -- the mevareikh is the shoshanah, the
:> masses who lack the art of blessing and prayer are the chochim. Unlike
:> the other comments on this pasuq which make kelal Yisrael the shoshanah
:> bein umos ha'olam.

: Yours is a cogent argument, so I'd like to offer the following
: sensible adaptation. Siach shoshan 'ho'him is definitely the Torah.
: The talmid 'hakham who steps forward is one who knows siach shoshan
: 'ho'him...

If it weren't such a long while later (in email list time), I wouldn't
have bothered repeating myself. But since it is...

I prefer the translation that makes Mi Bon as a hazmanah of the One
Who understands the talmud chakham's words and will (we beseech) fulfil
that berakhah. For two reasons:

1- R' Chanan miTeveria calls the chakham domeh leshoshanah, not "meivin
siach mi shedomeh leshoshanah". This extra level of indirection appears
too significant to me to gloss over.

2- As RZS noted, it parallels "Mi Adir" that way.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             You will never "find" time for anything.
micha at aishdas.org        If you want time, you must make it.
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