[Mesorah] Melo Khol Ha'aretz Kevodo

[Micha Berger via Mesorah]

On Tue, Jan 19, 2016 at 04:12:56AM +0000, Mandel, Seth wrote:
: Exampli gratia: bonei Yerushalim is the noun in construct, meaning
: "the builder of Y-m." Boneh Y-m is a verb form, and a brokho based on
: that would mean Blessed ... is He who builds (or is builiding) Y-m."

Speaking philosophically rather than linguistically, I would conclude
that "boneh" is the form used both for "builder" and for "is building",
that the noun and the present tense verb are the same thing. To put
the idea back into its philosophical context, it means that as long as you
are dancing, you are a dancer. We are making a distinction the Author
of Leshon haQodesh is "intentionally" guiding us away from making. It's
a philosophical error.

This kind of worldview, that you are what you do, fits a religion that
gives such a central role to halakhah.

I think this is why LhQ so often throws in an implied "One Who". "Builder"
and "One Who is building" are the same word with the same meaning. The "One
Who" is an artifact of chosing the verb translation.

"Bonei" is the semichut, we shift to tzeirei not to change from "building"
to builder" but to add the "of" for "of Y-m". Which then forces our
hand, when translating into a language that does separate these parts
of speech, to use "builder" -- "is building of Y-m / Y-m's is building"
makes no sense. (Although you could say that Hashem is "Y-m's 'One Who
is building'".)

: In Shmoneh 'Esrei, we use the first form, since we are quoting from the
: pasuq in T'hilllim 147:2, where it is a noun form ("God is the Builder of
: Y-m"). But if somone used the form with a segol, would it really change
: the meaning?
: 

Besides, descriptions of G-d are more common for berakhos: "haMotzi
lechem", not "hotzi lekhem". Verbs tend to get changed into descriptions
of G-d with "asher" -- "asher qidishanu bemitzvosav". The baqashah part
then goes into the body, not the chasimah.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
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