The Meaning of Repetition, Repetition
When it comes to reading the Tanakh, much is lost in translation, so even a bit of knowledge of Biblical Hebrew can go a long way. Here is one grammatical insight into this week鈥檚 parashah, Parashat Re鈥檈h.
According to Deuteronomy 14:22, Israelite farmers must tithe the produce of their field 砖指讈谞指讛 砖指讈谞指讛, shanah shanah, which at first glance means 鈥測ear, year.鈥 Later in the parashah, Deuteronomy 15:20, we are told that firstborn animals shall be eaten at God鈥檚 chosen place 砖指讈谞指讛 讘职砖指讈谞指讛, shanah veshanah, which apparently means 鈥渁 year in a year.鈥 What does the repetition mean in these two verses?
In Biblical Hebrew, repetition conveys a sense of plurality often translated as 鈥渆very,鈥 鈥渆ach,鈥 or 鈥渁ny.鈥 Joseph resisted the sexual advances of Potiphar鈥檚 wife 讬讜止诐 讬讜止诐, yom yom, 鈥渆very day鈥 (Genesis 39:10). Samson awoke from his sleep thinking he would again break free from Delilah as he had done 讻职旨驻址注址诐 讘职旨驻址注址诐, kefa鈥檃m befa鈥檃m, 鈥渆ach time鈥 (Judges 16:20). We are told that 讗执讬砖讈 讗执讬砖讈, 鈥榠sh 鈥榠sh, 鈥渁ny man鈥 who curses his parents shall be put to death (Leviticus 20:19).
Returning to our parashah, what do the phrases 砖指讈谞指讛 砖指讈谞指讛, shanah shanah, and 砖指讈谞指讛 讘职砖指讈谞指讛, shanah veshanah convey? They mean the Israelites were supposed to visit God鈥檚 place 鈥every year.鈥 This phrase has a similar meaning to 诇职讚止专 讚止旨专, ledor dor, in Exodus 3:15, in which God reveals his name to Moses 鈥渇or every generation.鈥 As the years and generations pass, God is still waiting to be served.
If we look closely, sometimes we find syllables repeating themselves within a single word. This has a slightly different nuance. Instead of meaning 鈥渆very,鈥 鈥渆ach,鈥 or 鈥渁ny,鈥 this type of repetition occurs when a great plurality is to be imagined. The 转址旨诇职-转址旨诇执旨-讬诐, taltallim, 鈥渓ocks of hair鈥 in Song of Songs 5:11 convey a full head of hair with bountiful locks; 注植-拽址诇职-拽址诇旨-讜止转, 鈥榓办补濒办补濒濒辞迟, 鈥渢wisted鈥 in Judges 5:6 suggests a road with frequent turns; 注址驻职-注址驻址旨-讬, 鈥榓蹿鈥榓辫辫补测, 鈥渕y eyelids鈥 in Psalm 132:4 connotes blinking repeatedly; the name 讚址专职-讚址旨专, dardar, 鈥渢histle鈥 of Genesis 3:18 warns of its many thorns; and the 讙址诇职-讙执旨诇指旨-讬讜, galgillav, chariot 鈥渨heels鈥 in Isaiah 5:28 implies spinning round and round.
With this knowledge we can better understand a noun in the second half of the parashah:
鈥 讗侄转志讝侄讛 转止旨讗讻职诇讜旨 诪执讻止旨诇 讗植砖侄讈专 讘址旨诪指旨讬执诐 讻止旨诇 讗植砖侄讈专志诇讜止 住职谞址驻执旨讬专 讜职拽址砖职讉拽侄砖侄讉转 转止旨讗讻值诇讜旨变
This you all shall eat from everything in the water: everything that has fins and scales you all shall eat.
(Deut. 14:9)
Whereas the plurality of 砖指讈谞指讛 砖指讈谞指讛, shanah shanah, means 鈥every year,鈥 the repetition of 拽砖讉-拽砖讉 in 拽址砖职讉拽侄砖侄讉转, kaskeset, conveys the hundreds, if not thousands of individual scales on each fish. The repetitive form suggests abundance.
Looking beyond the parashah, repetition can be found in some of the most well-known verses in the Tanakh. For example, the angels surrounding God are described in Isaiah as follows:
鈥 讜职拽指专指讗 讝侄讛 讗侄诇志讝侄讛 讜职讗指诪址专 拽指讚讜止砖讈 拽指讚讜止砖讈 拽指讚讜止砖讈 讬职讛讜指讛 爪职讘指讗讜止转 诪职诇止讗 讻指诇志讛指讗指专侄抓 讻职旨讘讜止讚讜止變
And each one called to another 鈥kadosh kadosh kadosh鈥 is the Lord of Hosts, his honor fills the entire world!
(Isa. 6:3)
What does kadosh kadosh kadosh mean? Most translations have something like 鈥渉oly, holy, holy!鈥 but our approach adds new meaning to the repetition, rendering it 鈥渉oly in every way鈥 or 鈥渋nfinitely holy.鈥 This happens to be the understanding of the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, which adds that God is 鈥渉oly鈥 in the heavens, 鈥渉oly鈥 on the earth, and 鈥渉oly鈥 for all eternity. God is holy in every conceivable way.
In next week鈥檚 parashah we will read that judges must be fair and righteous:
鈥爪侄讚侄拽 爪侄讚侄拽 转执旨专职讚止旨祝 诇职诪址注址谉 转执旨讞职讬侄讛鈥 讜职讬指专址砖职讈转指旨 讗侄转志讛指讗指专侄抓 讗植砖侄讈专志讬职讛讜指讛 讗直诇止讛侄讬讱指 谞止转值谉 诇指讱职變
Pursue tzedek tzedek so that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you
(Deut. 16:20)
What does tzedek tzedek mean? Some translations have 鈥渏ustice, justice,鈥 but our approach suggests 鈥every type of justice.鈥 Justice for the rich and the poor. Justice for your friend and your foe. As it turns out, this is the approach of the King James Bible, which translates tzedek tzedek as 鈥渢hat which is altogether just.鈥 The way to say 鈥渁ltogether鈥 in Biblical Hebrew is to repeat.
Repetition is so uncommon in the English language it is underlined in red in Microsoft Word. This is not the case in Biblical Hebrew. As we have seen, some of the most familiar and influential verses contain repetition, and our approach can be applied to each and every one. All you have to do is repeat, repeat.
The publication and distribution of the JTS Commentary are made possible by a generous grant from Rita Dee (锄鈥漧) and Harold Hassenfeld (锄鈥漧).
