[Avodah] The 13 middos

[Jonathan Ziring]

[I had to edit this post significantly to fit Avodah's format constaints.
-micha]

Shalom,

I'm touched to be asked.  I have wondered about this (and have again this
week due to Daf Yomi).  I can't say I have strongly formed opinions on it,
but the sugyot do seem to imply that these are more tendencies rather than
rules, at lease re: Klal UPrat vs. Ribbui and Miut.  The drashot of vavim
and the like seem more absolute (X is not doresh vav). Yaakov Elman makes
that point in his article on Ribbui.

A few articles that deal with the topic that I've glanced through are:

The Formal Development of [Kelal uPerat uKelal]
Michael Chernick
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/23596005>

Tarbiz, pp. 393-410
Towards a History of "Ribbuy" in the Babylonian Talmud

and Yaakov Elman
Proceedings of the World Congress of Jewish Studies
Vol. 11, Division C: Thought and Literature, Volume I:
Rabbinic and Talmudic Literature (1993), pp. 87-94

In general, Michael Chernick and devoted much time to this.  A few other
relevant articles by him:
The Development of Ribbuim and Mi 'utim Hermeneutics," PAAJR",1982-3.
"The Use of Ribbuyim and Mi'utim in the Halakic Midrash ofR. Ishmael," JQK,
1979.
"The Hermeneutic Kelal u-Ferat u-Kelal: Its History and Development," AAJR
Annual Meeting, 1980

I think this will spur me to think more systematically about this.  If I
come up with anything, I will definitely share it.

Jonathan