29. Explanations are obtained by reducing the letters of a ivord to their numerical value (□'^■OI'lli-J "p32 niail2 Xila^aa), and substituting for it another word
MEDRASH
246
MTDRASH
or phrase of the same value, or hy transposing the letters {T^^T^'i< rpbn). For an instance of the first we must refer to the reduction of "iTS'^lsX to 318, given in the pre- ceding section. The second part of this rule is illustra- ted by examples which show that several modes of transposing the letters were resorted to. Thus "UJUJ, Sheshadi, is explained by ^213, Babel {J er. xxv, 26; li, 41), and ^^p 'zh by U'-TCZ {ibid, li, l),by taking the letters of the alphabet in their inverse order; X, the first letter, is expressed by n, the last letter of the al- phabet; 2, the second letter, by "O, the last but one; 5 I ,y "I ; T bv p ; n by 21, and so on. Tliis principle of commutation is called A tbash (a "2 n N), from the first two specimen pairs of letters which indicate the inter- change. Or the commutation is effected by bending the alphabet exactly in the middle, and putting one half over the other, and the interchange is X for h, 2 for "Z, 5 for 3. Tliis mode is termed A Ibam (D 3 5 X), from the first two specimen pairs of letters which indi- cate the interchange (comp. Xedarim, 32 a ; Sanhedrin, 22 a).
30. A n explanation is to be obtained by either divid- ing a word into several words, or into syllables, and transposing these syllables, or into letters, and taking each kiter as an initial or abbreviation of a word. This rule is termed mSHS •1pi-i::l3 "lUJ'^mr •|"'DT3, and is il- histratc'il by the word CiTl3X being divided into 3X Ci;i 'p^'"^) the father of many nations; by 3~12 being divided into h'Q and "13, and the latter transposed into ~"1, viz. soft and grindable; and by everj- letter of r:iT^3 (1 Kings ii, 8) being taken as standing for a w(.r(l,.viz.: 3 = vii<13, adidterer ; '0 = '^'Z^^1:l, Moabile; ■1 = n:i11, murderer; S = ^"l'i:i, apostate; and n = n2"in, abhorred (comp. Sabbath, 105 a).
31. Words and sentences are sometimes transposed (73-2 "mix's Xirrr mp-^.r). Thus 1 Sam. iii, 3, '•And ere the lamp of God went out, and Samuel was lying in the temple of the Lord," the words mn"' bs'^nn, in the temple of the Lord, which are placed later in the sentence, evidently belong to il33^, icent out, since no one was allowed to sit down in the Temple except the kings of the house of David, much less to lie down. So also in Psa. xxxiv, where ver. 18 must be taken up to ver. lt> (comp. Kiddushin, 78 b; Baba Kama, 106).
3"2. Whole sentences are sometimes transposed (Dlpl^ r.1 w'"isn Xinu: imx^). Thus, e. g. the record, '-And he said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old," etc. (Gen. xv, 9, etc.), ought properly to precede ch, xiv, inasmuch as it is anterior in point of time. This re- versed order is owing to the fact that the Scriptures for some reason put certain events which occurred earlier in time after later occurrences (comp. Berachoth, 7 b, with J'essachim, (> b).
Hesides these thirty-two rules, the following laws of interpretations must be mentioned:
'\. Deduction from .Juxtaposition. — When two laws immediately follow each otlier, it is inferred that they are similar in consequences. Thus it is said in Exod. xxii, 18, ID, "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live. Whosoever licth with a beast shall surely be put to death;" whence it is inferred that these two enactments are placed close to each otlier to indicate the manner of death a witch is to sufl'ir. which the Scriptures nowhere define. Now, as he who cohabits with an animal is, according to the lltdachah based upon l^v. xx, to be stoned to death, hence it is concluded that a witch is to die in the same manner.
ii. All repetitions of words, as well as the construc- tion of the finite verb with tlie infinite, e. g. 2"l'n 13y33!n liDSil, 3''5Un, have a peculiar signification,
and must be explained. Some, however, maintain that the Bible, being written in human language, employs these repetitions (CIX ^SS V'wbs min nnain) in accordance with the usus loqueitdi {Mishna Baba Mezia, ii, 9; xii, 3; Gemara, ibid. 31 ; Jerusalem Ntdarim, i, 1; Kethuboth, 77 b; Berachoth, 31 b).
iii. Letters are to be taken from one word ami joined to another, or formed into new words. Thus, e. g. ^rr31 T^Nwb "ir3n3 rx," Then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman" (Numb, xxvii, 11), is explained by lb -IX'i' r?n3 nX Crr31, "And ye shaU give the in- heritance of his wife to him," i. e. the husband, by taking away the 1 from irSn3 and the ? from 1~Xw5, thus j obtaining the word 13; and it is deduced therefrom that a man inherits the property of his CX'i') wife (comp. Baba Batkra, iii, 6; Me?iachoth, 74 a). This rule is called -pirilTl ■j'^S'^Diri ■"'y^ns.
iv. A word is to be explained both with the preceding and folloicbig words. Thus, X3 Cn^X rrX ''-.•^"1
lan nis-ri r.^'^i-z nnsu: nbi -.b n^ibi, "And sa-