[Avodah] A "Coal" of Metal

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Dec 15, 2021 at 02:05:04PM -0000, Chana Luntz wrote:
> Whereas in the case of it going to a "coal" or melting, is it necessarily
> the case that it is glowing? ...

Yes, I am taking it for granted that the word "gacheles" refers to
something that glows. I used the word "coal", but had I thought of the
word at the time, I think I would have used "ember".

And "an ember of metal" would be glowing hot metal, no?

So I went to Jastrow, to see if I just misunderstood the word. He has
"burning coal".
https://www.sefaria.org/Jastrow%2C_%D7%92%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%97%D6%B6%D7%9C%D6%B6%D7%AA

I think I assumed this translation because of usages like "shalheves
qeshurah begacheles" (Seifer haYetzirah 1:7, and consequently a very
used idiom in Sifrei Qabbalah).

And in halachic discussion too, gacheles and shalheves often come in a
contrasting pair. Like in neziqim, or tiltuls beShabbos.

Shemuel 2:14:7 has "vekhibu es gachalti", which seems to take for
granted that a gacheles is something you can extinguish.

Yechezqeil 1:13 describes the Chayos as being kegachalei eish. Although
that could be argued either way -- does eish elaborate on gechalim,
or does is distinguish from gechalim that could have been not of eish?

I am not sure where else to take a discussion of the pashut translation
of a word.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Every second is a totally new world,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   and no moment is like any other.
Author: Widen Your Tent              - Rabbi Chaim Vital
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF