[Mesorah] Mishtaleiach

[Zev Sero]

kennethgmiller at juno.com wrote:

>> Also Negaim 14:5 (about the tzipor hamishtaleach)
> 
> I'm not familiar enough with this case. Anyone else? What do the birds have in common with the seirim?

They're both released into the wild.


But let's get back to the original question.  What word should we expect
here instead of "mishtaleach"?  RMB suggested "nishlach", but that would
only be appropriate if the verb for what the person did was "veshalach";
it isn't, it's "veshilach".  Neither the goat nor the bird are not sent
anywhere. Sending by definition implies a destination or goal.  One
sends a shliach, to go somewhere or do something.  One sends a letter
to some particular address.  This isn't what happens to these animals;
instead they're let go.  No destination is intended, except "not here".
That's what "veshilach" means.   The infinitive is not "lishloach", but
"leshaleach".  The imperative is not "shlach" but "shalach".  Par'oh is
told "shalach et ami", and refuses "leshaleach", and "velo shilach et
benei yisrael".  So what were we, when Par'oh finally did let us go?
Not "nishlachim", but what?  Perhaps "mishtalchim".

-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                    - Margaret Thatcher