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  • From: Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Common Sense
  • Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:54:57 -0500

Ethel Jean (Kowan) Saltz wrote:

For me, I've decided that Judaism historically is a documentation of Common
Sense and that's what Y'H'W'H means. In fact, in a recent article in Jewish
World Review there appears to be an article (I haven't read) that states
that Judaism is not a religion. So that debate is now ongoing, I guess. I
don't think it is either. Also there are the beginnings of saying the Bible
(with/without Apocrypha/Koran) is the oldest ancient history book that
exists. I also came to that conclusion 25 years ago. So it's a relief that
there are glimpses being published with this sort of intellectual
management. I don't have time to read every single article in every
newletter I get, so I use the lead statements to justify that I can
participate with my own mind. With blogs abounding, that's what we've got,
and thus you get a feel for the way the Sekhel Ha-Yashar is going. Lots of
individual expressions at last. Out of this talmudic management of the
collection of books called the BIBLE we can all get our own support for our
own lives from common cheap ancient history textbooks.

1. Is it correct to say in Hebrew that Sekhel Ha-Yashar means Common Sense,
as my Webster's New World does?

HH: I think in Hebrew you would need to add another definite article before Sekhel. Here is an example in a quotation from a Jewish publication:

After discussing at length the opinions of the Hatam Sofer and those who disagree with him, Rabbi Messas adds that the opinion of the Hatam Sofer is rather unusual (hiddush), and that it runs counter to reason and common sense (she-debarav enam musbarim kefi ha-sekhel ha-yashar), for if the husband (or the rabbi) designates specific witnesses, he thereby indicates that he wants these witnesses and no others.

HH: If you don't add the early definite article, the phrase means something like "insight of the upright."

Yours,
Harold Holmyard




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