[Avodah] Use of the word peshat in Moreh Nevuchim

[Zvi Lampel]

On Fri, Jul 15, 2022 at 3:31 PM Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:

On Mon, Jun 20, 2022 at 02:41:09PM +0300, Zvi Lampel via Avodah wrote:

> 1. So many Hebrew translators missed this.

>

> 2. The Rambam never uses the term peshat regarding pesukim in the

> Moreh Nevuchim!


> RMB: Most would consider idiom as as part of peshat.


ZL: Agreed

So, the Rambam's discussion of literal vs idiomatic wouldn't require use of
> the word
> "peshat".
>

ZL: Why wouldn't he refer to the idiomatic meaning as ''peshat'' ?

Rambam discusses peshat vs. drash extensively in Sefer Hamitzvos. I need to
get a hold of the Arabic version to see if he switched to Hebrew for the
word peshat, or used an Arabic translation; and if the latter, what the
translation means in English.

>
> RMB: I think this observation is equivalent to noting that nowhere in the
> Moreh
> does the Rambam discuss the interplay between peshat and medrash. He cites
> medrashim to prove points, but never head-on to explain a pasuq. ...
>

 MN 3:43 (Friedlander translation) would be an exception:

 [O]ur Sages employ biblical texts merely as poetical expressions, the
> meaning of which is clear to every reasonable reader.... Our Sages say, in
> reference to the words, “ and a paddle (yated) thou shalt have upon thy
> weapon" [azeneka, Deut. xxiii. 14]: Do not read azeneka, “ thy weapon, “
> but ozneka, “ thy ear?' You are thus told, that if you hear a person
> uttering something disgraceful, put your fingers into your ears. Now, I
> wonder whether those ignorant persons [who take the Midrashic
> interpretations literally] believe that the author of this saying gave it
> as the true interpretation of the text quoted, and as the meaning of this
> precept: that in truth yated, “ the paddle, “ is used for" the finger, “
> and azeneka denotes" thy ear?' I cannot think that any person whose
> intellect is sound can admit this. The author employed the text as a
> beautiful poetical phrase, in teaching an excellent moral lesson, namely
> this: It is as bad to listen to bad language as it is to use it. This
> lesson is poetically connected with the above text. In the same sense you
> must understand the phrase, “ Do not read so, but so, “ wherever it occurs
> in the Midrash



Zvi Lampel
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