parsha bit: Shoftim

[cellio]

This week's parsha contains the famous passage tzedek, tzedek, tirdof -- "justice, justice, you shall pursue" [1]. The repeated word (rare in the torah) emphasizes the importance of doing justice not just passively but actively. Rabbi Aba taught in the name of Rabbi Tanhum ben Chiyya: though a person is a great torah scholar, careful in observing the mitzvot, if he is able to protest wrongdoing and does not do so, he is considered cursed. Rabbi Jeremiah responded by quoting Rabbi Chiyya, who taught: though a person is not a scholar nor careful in the mitzvot, if he stands up to protest against evil, he is called a blessing. (Leviticus Rabbah 25:1)

[1] From what I have learned of biblical Hebrew so far, the language does not distinguish among "shall", "will", and "may" in imperfect (future, incomplete) verbs. Presumably there is some other way (not from the verb itself) to get this, but I don't know how yet. (Sometimes, of course, it's obvious from context, but not always.) "Tirdof" could mean "you shall pursue" (a directive), "you will pursue" (a prediction), or "may you pursue" (a desire). (All of these "you"s are masculine singular, by the way.) Help from the Hebrew-literate would be welcome. :-)

Comments

[siderea]

The repeated word (rare in the torah) emphasizes the importance of doing justice not just passively but actively.

Why is that the conclusion? (She asked curiously.) In English, when we repeat a noun, it usually is to emphasize the noun in contrast to other nouns. We'd read that as "Justice -- justice that is, instead of anything else, like, say, vengeance -- you shall pursue". Why is the "pursue" part read as emphasized?

[cellio]

Gah! What's that abbreviation customer-support people use? PEBBAK (problem exists between brain and keyboard)?

What I meant to write was that the doubling emphasizies justice and "pursue" (as opposed to, say, "seek") means it's active. Thanks for the catch.