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Rachel A Listener's avatar

Regarding “Throughout the time that it is desolate, it shall observe the rest that it did not observe in your sabbath years while you were dwelling upon it.”——

It seems evident that HaShem prioritizes time, specifically Shabatot and Shmittah not only for our benefit but for His creation, His Land.

As well, in Avot, (forgot which chapter), I remember the curses (plural) written on behalf of the forgotten tithes to the poor connected in time-references to the Shmittah years: “… war comes to the world because the tithes were remiss during the year … following or/and prior to the Shmittah year…”

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Rachel A Listener's avatar

Regarding “Tofet in the Valley of Hinom was a shrine for idolatry, and Hashem turned the very shrine into a burial place.”——

I wonder if Tofet was built by Shlomo HaMelech for one of his idolatrous wives?

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Rachel A Listener's avatar

Is Ben hinom the same as Gay-hinom?

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Joshua Waxman's avatar

Yes, gei ben hinnom

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Rachel A Listener's avatar

Thank you. Would you please, or would you mind clarifying the Hebrew in two places? As follows:

(HSBH” puts the haughty (geiim)to the ground.) I think from Tehillim.

And

In the Siddur, one of the descriptions of HKBH” is exalted,

I think the Hebrew is this word, but I don’t remember which prayer it is in.

And this promotes another question,

Does the Hebrew in your above article have the same root? And therefore meaning?

Because then how could that be logical?

A place of severe judgement described as high or something?

(I’m trying to understand the Hebrew when I daven.)

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Joshua Waxman's avatar

I don't know for sure that they have the same root. One is GIMEL-YUD-ALEPH and the other is GIMEL-ALEPH-YUD. If a word also means its opposite, there's a term for that: contronym, or auto-antonym. It is unclear if Hebrew has contranyms.

There are a few listed here:

https://forward.com/news/3132/the-curious-contronym/

I could add גהה means both to blind and to heal.

Jastrow connects the two, based on a slope connection: גאי, גָּאָה (b. h.; √גא, גו , גה to rise; to be arched, caved) to rise, swell; trnsf. to be elated, proud; to be exalted, majestic.

https://www.sefaria.org/Jastrow%2C_%D7%92%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%99%D6%B0%D7%90.1?ven=english|London,_Luzac,_1903&lang=bi&p2=Jastrow%2C_%D7%92%D7%90%D7%99.1&lang2=bi

Klein thinks the roots are unrelated, thus writes "Of unknown etymology" about the valley meaning

https://www.sefaria.org/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%90%D7%95%D6%B9%E2%97%8C.1?ven=english|Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987&lang=bi

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Rachel A Listener's avatar

Thank you. When you wrote “I could add גהה means both to blind and to heal.”, to my mind came

The picture of D’ore ‘s sketch of Shimshon in Judges, who was blinded by Israel’s enemies, which resulted in the healing of his soul and an accomplishment in his death of more than what he had done in his lifetime.

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Rachel A Listener's avatar

Thank you for your comprehensive answers. This is fascinating.

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