[Avodah] If and When

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Sun, Jun 14, 2015 at 02:00:32PM +0000, Kenneth Miller via Avodah wrote:
: > LAD, "im" introduces an implication -- X implies Y.
: ...
: > When X is always obligated, then Y will also be always
: > obligated, but the "always" is because X is.
: 
: If I'm understanding you correctly, your logic will work only if
: there is another pasuk somewhere which *already* obligates us to build a
: mizbe'ach of stone, to lend money without interest, and to bring bikkurim
: in this manner. If so, then a fuller translation can be written with
: the word "if", and without the word "when"...

In reality, the cited Mechilta actually provides derahos to prove that
there is nothing optional about the antecedants.

But my point was to suggest that "im" has nothing to do with the
maybe-ness of "if". Just the implication bit --
    if X then Y, or
    whenever X then Y, or
    since X then Y,
regardless of whether not-X is a possibility or option.

Which would reduce what looks like two definitions for "im" into a single
common meaning.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Time flies...
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