[Mesorah] Question on the word Mevarcheicha?

Mandel, Seth mandels at ou.org
Wed Oct 28 08:22:58 PDT 2020


It is well known that in Aramaic there is no difference between the second person singular masculine possessive ending and the plural. They both are -okh (with a qomatz),  althugh in the Torah sheBikhthav they may be written with a silent yod to distinguish singular and plural, e.g. Daniel 2:29 רַעְיוֹנָךְ֙
 appears in some mss. with a yod.  See also Daniel 4:22
כב וְלָ֣ךְ טָֽרְדִ֣ין מִן־אֲנָשָׁ֡א וְעִם־חֵיוַ֣ת בָּרָא֩ לֶֽהֱוֵ֨ה מְדֹרָ֜ךְ וְעִשְׂבָּ֥א כְתוֹרִ֣ין ׀ לָ֣ךְ יְטַֽעֲמ֗וּן וּמִטַּ֤ל שְׁמַיָּא֙ לָ֣ךְ מְצַבְּעִ֔ין וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה עִדָּנִ֖ין יַחְלְפ֣וּן עליך (עֲלָ֑ךְ) עַ֣ד דִּֽי־תִנְדַּ֗ע דִּֽי־שַׁלִּ֤יט עליא (עִלָּאָה֙) בְּמַלְכ֣וּת אֲנָשָׁ֔א וּלְמַן־דִּ֥י יִצְבֵּ֖א יִתְּנִנַּֽהּ׃
The ones with the plural are written with a yod as a q'ri uk'thjv, but all are pronounced the same.
In Unqulos there is not  k'thiv, so both are written the same.  There is no way to tell whether it is singular or plural.


Rabbi Dr. Seth Mandel
Rabbinic Coordinator
The Orthodox Union

Voice and Fax (212) 613-8330        e-mail mandels at ou.org

________________________________
From: Aharon Gal <galsaba at aol.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 10:22 PM
To: Mandel, Seth <mandels at ou.org>
Cc: Zev Sero <zev at sero.name>; mesorah at lists.aishdas.org <mesorah at lists.aishdas.org>
Subject: Question on the word Mevarcheicha?

Chapter 12 verse 3: וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרֲכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר
Onkelos translates: וֶאֱבָרֵךְ מְבָרְכָךְ וּמְלַטְטָךְ אֵילוּט
Seems to me strange that the verse will say “...those who bless…and the one who curse..”
Septuagint translates both as plural - “those”.
As for Onkelos, I don't know. Is the word מְבָרְכָךְ singular, plural, or can be both?

Thanks,

Aharon


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