[Avodah] Yelidei haAnak

[Micha Berger]

I noticed that on this week's parashah `Unqelus repeatedly translates
"yelidei ha'anaq" as "benei gibaraya". The Metzuda Edition (R Avraham
Davis) bolds all the less literal Unqelus. So, the "-ya" is in bold,
because the original is lashon yachid, and Unqelus makes it a plural.

But I would have made the whole word bold. Unqelus took the giants and
turned them into heros (giborim)!

For those who wonder about the nissim necessary for giants to live
normal lifespans despite the square-cube law, maybe Unqelus avoids the
problem by not taking giantism literally.

(Square-cube law: A leg that is n times as long is only n^2 as strong,
because support strength depends on cross-section. But the person's
weight would grow by n^3. So, his legs are under incredible stress.
So too all his bones. As well as his heart's ability to pump blood --
n^2 the strength needing to push n^3 as much blood. Etc... It's why ants
and elephants can't have the same structure. And why most people with
giantism have health issues. And why true giants would requite perpetual
nissim to stay alive.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Take time,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   be exact,
Author: Widen Your Tent      unclutter the mind.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF          - Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, Alter of Kelm