<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div id="yiv1898752183"><div id="yiv1371277165"><div id="yiv180322136"><style>
<!--
#yiv1898752183 #yiv1371277165 #yiv180322136
#yiv180322136 p.MsoNormal, #yiv1898752183 #yiv1371277165 #yiv180322136 li.MsoNormal, #yiv1898752183 #yiv1371277165 #yiv180322136 div.MsoNormal
        {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";}
#yiv1898752183 #yiv1371277165 _filtered #yiv180322136 {margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
#yiv1898752183 #yiv1371277165 #yiv180322136 div.Section1
        {}
-->
</style>
<p class="MsoNormal">re: avodah discussion re: shabbas 55b<br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">from: http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/vayishlach/pos.html</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A tannaitic dispute: “Unstable as water [Heb. <b><i>p</i></b><i>a<b>h</b>a<b>z</b></i>],
you shall excel no longer” (Gen.49:40). Rabbi Eliezer says: You
acted rashly [<b><i>p</i></b><i>azta</i>], you were found wanting [<b><i>h</i></b><i>avta</i>],
you demeaned yourself [<b><i>z</i></b><i>alta</i>]. Rabbi Joshua says:
You overstepped the law [<b><i>p</i></b><i>asa’ata al dat</i>], you
sinned [<b><i>h</i></b><i>atata</i>], you fornicated [<b><i>z</i></b><i>anita</i>].
Rabban Gamaliel says: You prayed [<b><i>p</i></b><i>ilalta</i>],
you entreated [<b><i>h</i></b><i>alta</i>], your prayer shone through [<b><i>z</i></b><i>arha</i>].
Rabban Gamaliel said: We still need to hear out Moda’i; Rabbi
Eliezer ha-Moda’i says: Reverse the letters in the word and interpret
it: you were shaken [<b><i>z</i></b><i>u’aza’ta</i>], you refrained [<b><i>h</i></b><i>irta’ta</i>],
sin departed [<b><i>p</i></b><i>arha</i>] from you.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even though in his commentary on the Torah Rashi
interpreted, “<i>he lay</i> – since he rumpled the bed clothes, Scripture
treats him as if he had slept with her” (and, according to Bahya, Nahmanides
was inclined to hold a similar view), many exegetes interpreted “and he lay” at
face value, such as Radak, who wrote that Reuben “went to Bilhah’s tent and
slept with her.” The same follows from Ibn Ezra’s comment on this verse,
“The Rabbis interpreted this aptly: <i>But a clever man conceals his
humiliation</i> (Prov. 12:16).” In other words, the Rabbis did well by
covering up Reuben’s disgrace. That means that there was a disgraceful
act, but that the Rabbis covered it up, and well that they did. Rashbam
had a similar interpretation of Genesis 49:3:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p>
</div></div></div></td></tr></table>