משחקי מילים Word Play: Puns, Shades of Meaning, שורשים (Hebrew roots) and Things that Took Me By Surprise

ByJonathan Weinkle

Section 1, in which we begin with a teaching that most of us have heard before

ישעיהו נ״ד:י״ג

(יג) וְכָל־בָּנַ֖יִךְ לִמּוּדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְרַ֖ב שְׁל֥וֹם בָּנָֽיִךְ׃

Isaiah 54:13

(13) And all your children shall be disciples of the LORD, And great shall be the happiness of your children;

ברכות ס״ד א:י״ד

אַל תִּקְרֵי ״בָּנָיִךְ״ אֶלָּא ״בּוֹנָיִךְ״. ״שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֵין לָמוֹ מִכְשׁוֹל״. ״יְהִי שָׁלוֹם בְּחֵילֵךְ שַׁלְוָה בְּאַרְמְנוֹתָיִךְ״. ״לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ. לְמַעַן בֵּית ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲבַקְשָׁה טוֹב לָךְ״. ״ה׳ עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן ה׳ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם״.

Berakhot 64a:14

The Sages interpreted this verse homiletically: Do not read your children [banayikh], but your builders [bonayikh]. Torah scholars are those who build peace for their generation. As it is stated: “Those who love Your Torah have great peace; there is no stumbling block for them” (Psalms 119:165); and “May there be peace within your walls, prosperity within your palaces” (Psalms 122:7), because: “For the sake of my brothers and friends, I shall say: Peace be within you. For the sake of the House of the Lord, our God, I will seek your good” (Psalms 122:8–9), and “May the Lord give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace” (Psalms 29:11).

ב.נ ==> ב.נ.ה

These are the same, but only in the homiletical sense - or is it more than that?

Section 2, in which I make a linguistic blunder in front of a room full of learned people...

הגדה של פסח, מגיד, כנגד ארבעה בנים ג׳

רָשָׁע מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר? מָה הָעֲבוֹדָה הַזּאֹת לָכֶם. לָכֶם – וְלֹא לוֹ. וּלְפִי שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכְּלָל כָּפַר בְּעִקָּר. וְאַף אַתָּה הַקְהֵה אֶת שִׁנָּיו וֶאֱמוֹר לוֹ: "בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה ה' לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם". לִי וְלֹא־לוֹ. אִלּוּ הָיָה שָׁם, לֹא הָיָה נִגְאָל:

Pesach Haggadah, Magid, The Four Sons 3

What does the evil [son] say? "'What is this worship to you?' (Exodus 12:26)" 'To you' and not 'to him.' And since he excluded himself from the collective, he denied a principle [of the Jewish faith]. And accordingly, you will blunt his teeth and say to him, "'For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt' (Exodus 13:8)." 'For me' and not 'for him.' If he had been there, he would not have been saved.

הקהה או הכה?

ק.ה.ה \ ה.כ.ה

Punch him in the mouth, or just dull his teeth? These are not really the same.

Section 3, in which we really start getting busy with the text

ויקרא א׳:א׳

(א) וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃

Leviticus 1:1

(1) The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying:

במדבר כ״ג:ד׳

(ד) וַיִּקָּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אֶת־שִׁבְעַ֤ת הַֽמִּזְבְּחֹת֙ עָרַ֔כְתִּי וָאַ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

Numbers 23:4

(4) God manifested Himself to Balaam, who said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.”

ק.ר.א =\= ק.ר.ה

In what way are these not the same?

רש"י על ויקרא א׳:א׳:א׳

(א) ויקרא אל משה. לְכָל דִּבְּרוֹת וּלְכָל אֲמִירוֹת וּלְכָל צִוּוּיִים קָדְמָה קְרִיאָה, לְשׁוֹן חִבָּה, לָשׁוֹן שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זֶה (ישעיהו ו'), אֲבָל לִנְבִיאֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם נִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶן בִּלְשׁוֹן עֲרָאִי וְטֻמְאָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם (במדבר כ"ג):

Rashi on Leviticus 1:1:1

(1) ויקרא אל משה AND [THE LORD] CALLED UNTO MOSES — All oral communications of the Lord to Moses whether they are introduced by דבר or by אמר or by צו were preceded by a call (to prepare him for the forthcoming address) (cf Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 1 1-2). It is a way of expressing affection, the mode used by the ministering angels when addressing each other, as it is said (Isaiah 6:3) “And one called unto another [and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts]”. To the prophets of the nations of the world, however, God revealed himself in a manner which Scripture describes by an expression ordinarily used for denoting events of a casual character and of uncleanness, as it is said, (Numbers 23:4) “and God happened to meet (ויקר) Balaam” (the term ויקר, from the root ,קרה, is connected with מִקְרֶה which denotes “chance”, “occurrence”, and has also the meaning of “uncleanness”, by analogy with Deuteronomy 23:11: ‎לא יהיה טהור מקרה לילה) (cf. Bereishit Rabbah 52:5).

Section 4, in which we get three meanings for the price of one pasuk taken from Rabbi Adelson's Bar Mitzvah parsha.

ויקרא י״ט:ט״ז

(טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

Leviticus 19:16

(16) Do not deal basely with your countrymen. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am the LORD.

תרגום אונקלוס על ויקרא י״ט:ט״ז

(טז) לָא תֵיכוּל קוּרְצִין בְּעַמָּךְ לָא תְקוּם עַל דְּמָא דְחַבְרָךְ אֲנָא יְיָ:

Onkelos Leviticus 19:16

...

ק.ו.מ = ע.מ.ד?

Are these really the same?

תרגום ירושלמי, ויקרא י״ט:ט״ז

(טז) עַמִּי בֵּית יִשְרָאֵל לָא תֶהֱווּן בָּתַר לִישְׁנָא תְּלִיתַיָא עַל חַבְרֵיכוֹן וְלָא תִשְׁתּוֹק אִידְמָא דְחַבְרָךְ בִּזְמַן דְאַתְּ יָדַע קְשׁוֹט בְּדִינָא כְּדֵין אָמַר יְיָ:

Targum Jerusalem, Leviticus 19:16

(16) My people of the house of Israel, follow not the slanderous tongue against your neighbour, nor be silent about thy neighbour's blood, what time in the judgment thou knowest the truth: so speaketh the Lord.

תרגום יונתן על ויקרא י״ט:ט״ז

(טז) לָא תֶהֱווֹן אָזְלִין בָּתַר לִישַׁן תְּלִיתָאֵי דְהוּא קְשֵׁי הֵי כְּחַרְבָּא דִקְטַל מִן תְּרֵין חוּרְפוֹי לְמֵיכוּל קוּרְצִין לִמְעִיקָא לְבַר עַמָךְ לָא תִמְנַע זְכוּ דְחַבְרָךְ לְמִסְהֲדָא עֲלוֹי בְּדִינָא אֲנָא יְיָ

Targum Jonathan on Leviticus 19:16

(16) Thou shalt not go after the slanderous tongue, which is cruel as a sword that killeth with its two edges in uttering false accusations to afflict thy people. Thou shalt not hinder the acquittal of thy neighbour in witnessing against him in the judgment: I am the Lord.

ע.מ.ד =\= ש.ת.ק????!!!???

Are these really opposites?

Section 5 in which I have that strange revelation on the eve of the pandemic, and all I can do is keep breathing...

The storm is coming but I don't mind
People are dying, I close my blinds
All that I know is I'm breathing now

I want to change the world, and instead I sleep
I want to believe in more than you and me
But all that I know is I'm breathing

All I can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
Now, now
Now, now, now

All that I know is I'm breathing
All I can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing

All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing

All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
Now

Ingrid Michaelson, "Keep Breathing," 2007

תהילים ק״נ:ו׳

(ו) כֹּ֣ל הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּ֥ל יָ֗הּ הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃

Psalms 150:6

(6) Let all that breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah.

יחזקאל ל״ו:ל״ד

(לד) וְהָאָ֥רֶץ הַנְּשַׁמָּ֖ה תֵּֽעָבֵ֑ד תַּ֚חַת אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיְתָ֣ה שְׁמָמָ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עוֹבֵֽר׃

Ezekiel 36:34

(34) and the desolate land, after lying waste in the sight of every passerby, shall again be tilled.

ישעיהו נ״ד:א׳

(א) רָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֤ה וְצַהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה כִּֽי־רַבִּ֧ים בְּֽנֵי־שׁוֹמֵמָ֛ה מִבְּנֵ֥י בְעוּלָ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃

Isaiah 54:1

(1) Shout, O barren one, You who bore no child! Shout aloud for joy, You who did not travail! For the children of the wife forlorn Shall outnumber those of the espoused —said the LORD.

ישעיהו נ״ד:ג׳

(ג) כִּי־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֖אול תִּפְרֹ֑צִי וְזַרְעֵךְ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם יִירָ֔שׁ וְעָרִ֥ים נְשַׁמּ֖וֹת יוֹשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Isaiah 54:3

(3) For you shall spread out to the right and the left; Your offspring shall dispossess nations And shall people the desolate towns.

נ.ש.מ. =\= ש.מ.מ.!!!!!

These are NOT THE SAME - so why are they exactly the same?