[Avodah] Diberah Torah Kil-shon bnei adam

[H Lampel]

Under the heading, Re: [Avodah] Did the Patriarchs Speak Hebrew?,

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 From: Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org>
>   Mandel, Seth via Avodah wrote:
> : There is no proof that anyone spoke Hebrew. Chazal say that dibb'ra Torah
> : bilshon b'nei odom...
>
> RMB: Well.... R' Yishmael says it [the dictum ''dibb'ra Torah
> bilshon b'nei odom.''] And it appears to be an argument for his
> rules of derashah, which do not include looking for magic words like
> "akh" (mi'ut), "raq" (mi'ut), "kol" (ribui) or even "es", but darshens
> the meaning of terms, whether ribui or mi'ut....And besides, R' Aqiva disagrees!
RSRH (Collected Writings Vol. V, p. 170), citing 30 cases,  points out 
that, ''R. Ishmael, no less than R. Akiba (and......all of R. Akiva's 
predecessors...)...considered particles [including of ''akh,'' ''raq'' 
and ''ess'] and superfluities ..in the Biblical text...subject to 
interpretations.''

He explains (p. 177) that ''R. Ishmael disagrees with R. Akiba only with 
regard to one very specific form of redundancy, namely, repetitions of 
the same expression; e.g.,...yidor nedder,...hasheiv heishiv, or the 
repetition of the same noun (ish ish). However, R. Ishmael interprets 
other redundancies in exactly the same manner as does R. Akiba.''

This leads me to propose an explanation for the phenomenon described by 
RMB as that...
> The Rambam really sloganeers (like the CS's "chadash assur min haTorah")
> when he uses it to explain that anthropomorphic descriptions of HQBH
> are idioms, not to be taken overly literally.
Rambam was not the first (and of course not the last*) to understand 
that Chazal intended by ''dibrah Torah kil-shon bnei adam'' a wider 
meaning than the one in dispute between R. Akiva and R.Yishmael, and 
even wider than the one RSRH shows both agreed to.

    Rav Hai Gaon (Teshuvas HaGaonim #98), too, used it to explain
    anthropomorphisms ("all the words of our Sages that have
    anthropomorphic descriptions ... are not to be understood literally
    but are metaphors or allegory. ... the Torah speaks in the language of
    man.)''

    So did Chovos Halevavos (Shaar HaYichud 1:1:10).

    And Sefer HaKuzari (5:27) used it to explain  what the Torah means
    when it says that blowing the chatzotzros will result in ''v-hayu
    lachem l-zikaron lifnei H','' which seems to imply that H' requires
    reminders.

    Raavad (Sefer HaEmunah 1:7) applied the dictum to explain why the
    rewards and punishments the Torah' explicitly references are only
    those in this world, and not the next.  He explained that speaking
    of spiritual rewards would confuse the common people, ''v'al zeh
    ne'emar dibrah Torah b-lashon bnei adam.'' (Semi-off topic: In
    Maamar Techiyyas HaMeisim, Rambam gives a similar, if not identical
    reason for no explicit reference to techiyyas hameisim, without
    invoking the dictum.)


So I propose that the Geonim and rishonim understood that the intent of 
Chazal's dictum  ''dibrah Torah kil-ashon bnei adam'' was a wide one, 
which includes the Torah's use of anthropomorphism. And that R. 
Yishmael, contra R. Akiva,  /extended/  it even to repetitions of the 
same expression; e.g.,...yidor nedder,...hasheiv heishiv, or the 
repetition of the same noun (ish ish). But nobody, including R. 
Yishmael, extended it even further, to other apparently extra words or 
particles such as"akh", "raq", "kol" and "ess". Those are meant for 
interpretation according to all.

This would explain why even though the rule is that we follow R. Akiva 
when he argues with R. Yishmael, , the rishonim embraced the dictum of 
"dibrah Torah kil-shon bnei adam." Because they embraced it in the sense 
that all Chazal agreed to. And this applies to anthropomorphisms. It is 
only regarding whether to extended the dictum's application to certain 
types of expressions that R. Yishmael and R. Akiva argue.

*Ibn Ezra--numerous times, such as on Breishis 6:6)
Radak (numerous times, such as on Breishis 9:15
Ramban (Breishis 6:6)
Hizkuni (Devarim 5:26)
Rabbeynu Bechaye (numerous times, such as on Breishis 1:26)
Ralbag (Shoftim 10:16)
Akeidas Yitzchak numerous times, such as on Vayeria Shaar 19 sv Va'ani ain)

Zvi Lampel

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