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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>>> The problem with taking "yom" non-literally is not that it
doesn't fit<BR>the words, but that it undermines the basis for Shabbos. If
Hashem<BR>worked for six aeons and then rested on the seventh, why can't I
say<BR>I'll work for six decades and then rest for the seventh?
<<<BR><BR>-- <BR>Zev
Sero
<BR>zev@sero.name <BR>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>That's turning the whole thing back to front. Most likely the
very reason the Torah uses the word "yom" (rather than some other
word, like "tekufah") is that it wants us to apply the word to our human
understanding and rest every seventh DAY. The Torah wants us to use the
word "day" as humans do (while knowing that G-d's "day" may be quite different
from a human day.)</DIV>
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<DIV>There are numerous examples in Tanach of a word being used because we are
supposed to learn a lesson or a halacha from the use of this word rather than
that word. There are numerous places in the Chumash where Rashi
(based on Chazal) translates words and phrases in ways that seem quite
far-fetched and quite far from what a simple reading would imply. (Not
that I can think of any examples right now but I bet there are Avodah scholars
who can. In fact I bet RZS can, easily.) </DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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