parsha bit: Tazria-Metzora

[cellio]

This week's parsha tells us that a man afflicted with tzara'at, or leprosy, must cry out "unclean, unclean". One obvious reason for this is to advise others to keep away from him, but the talmud notes the repetition of the word and offers a second reason: that he should make his distress known so that others will pray for his recovery. The point is not to embarrass him but to help him recover and rejoin the community. (Mo'ed Katan 5a)

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Did you ever wonder if, maybe, some of the guys who wrote the Talmud are trying a little too hard to wring something deep out of something simple?

Like "what if you didn't hear me the first time, idjiit" is just as good an explanation. :-)

I mean, what is the functional value of the SCA "Oye" being called twice? Once is to get attention, and the second is to ensure that you heard properly. Doing it once often leaves people going "what was that?"

Well, except when I do it. I tend to sing out "Oye" so that it lasts a good 10-15 seconds. No need to do that twice. :-)

[cellio]

There's a rabbinic tradition that repeated words in the torah (quoted or not) are somehow significant. (Another is "tzedek tzedek tirdof" -- "justice, justice you shall pursue", which is sometimes translated "justice you shall surely pursue" or variations on that.)

Clearly the person is going to repeat his warning some number of times as he goes along his way, so the torah could have just said "he shall say 'unclean'" and that wouldn't have meant only once. So the rabbis are trying to find meaning in the (unnecessary?) extra word.

I'm not agreeing with this, by the way, just explaining it.

Well, except when I do it. I tend to sing out "Oye" so that it lasts a good 10-15 seconds. No need to do that twice. :-)

This is the style I prefer. Aside from being more effective (IMO) at getting people to stop talking and start paying attention, it seems to prevent half a dozen other people from "helpfully" adding their own calls of "oyez" to the mix.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

I'm not agreeing with this, by the way, just explaining it.

Oh, I knew that. But, sometimes, it seems that they are trying to get two gallons of lemonade out of one lemon, by squeezing just a little too hard. :-)

[patsmor.livejournal.com]

Well, all the thoughts about repetition is interesting, but I've always thought that the most interesting part of this is that you are separated from the community by some inner illness, and Leprosy is the external sign of that internal problem. I can see the repetition to remind people to pray that he is healing inside.

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I tend to sing out "Oye" so that it lasts a good 10-15 seconds. No need to do that twice.

10-15 seconds doesn't get you squat at most of the events I've been to recently. (Most of which have been in the EK...) I'll hold out my "Oyez" for 15-20 seconds and follow it up with "Gooooood my looooords and ladieeeeeeeez..." holding it out until I can tell that the audience has actually STFU.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

10-15 seconds doesn't get you squat at most of the events I've been to recently.

That is surprising.

Then again, I am also rather loud...

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Gyrth Oldcastle and a Marshall stack would still take half a minute to shut these crowds up. I was pretty amazed.

[cellio]

Good point!