Hebrew Questions: Mavreek (MBRYK) and Nivrak (NBRK)
Sayid Abu Khamr al-Murtad
Recently someone told me that in a footnote to a verse in the
Artscroll TaNaKh, a claim is made that the verb nivrak (i.e. the BRK
root in the nif`al form), particularly the way it is used in Genesis
12:3, is related to the Hebrew word mavreek. I have not looked in an
Atrscroll translation/edition of the TaNaKh yet, as I am just starting
to skim the issue. All I do know, at present, is that the word mavreek
appears in Bavli (Sotah 43B), and in the Artscroll edition of Bavli,
it is translated along the lines of layering or grafting. I briefly
took a peek in Jastrow and Alqalay's dictionaries, and did not find
mavreek there.
Anyway, here are my questions:
(1) Does anyone have any further information on a possible relation
between mavreek and nivrak?
(2) Is there a more obvious grammatical connection? In other words, is
there usually a connection between a maf`eel (MF3L) and nif`al (NF3L)
forms?
Any light anyone can shed on this would be greatly appreciated!
Giorgies E Kepipesiom
wrote:
> Greetings!
>
Genesis 12:3 says venivrekhu, from the root beth-resh-khaf, meaning
and they will be blessed. Nothing to do with grafting, wich root is
resh-kaf-veth. But why am I feeding the trolls this evening?
Giorgies
Sayid Abu Khamr al-Murtad
> Genesis 12:3 says venivrekhu, from the root beth-resh-khaf,
> meaning and they will be blessed. Nothing to do with grafting,
> wich root is resh-kaf-veth.
Well, I was referring to specifically a word from the bet-kaph-reysh
root which can mean "engrafting". Today I looked in the following
dictionary...
Reuven Avino`am (Grossman), "Milon `Ivree-Anglee Shalem," (Segal
Revised Edition, Dvir, Tel Aviv, 1965), p. 50
...and under hivreek (i.e. the BRK root in the hif`eel form), "to
engraft" was one of the definitions given.
The post you were responding to was one I wrote very quickly from a
computer inside the Dorot room at the Humanites Research Library on
42nd and 5th in Manhattan (i.e. that big library with the statues of
the lions out front), and I had not done any prior research before
typing that post. Since then, I have done a minor bit of research, but
I have yet to look in the ArtScroll TaNaKh (which allegedly includes a
footnote connecting specifically nivrak with mavreek, and that is the
motivation for this study).
What I found since writing that post is the following:
First, I found out that mavreek (i.e. the BRK root in the participle
of hif`eel form) appears in Bavli, specifically in the Mishnah of
Sotah 43A, and the Gemaraa of Sotah 43B, which you can see here:
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/b/l/l3508.htm
The text clearly is referring to a sort of grafting.
Second, one of my questions was if there is any grammatical connection
between those forms, and I realized the answer on my own. A root in
the nif`al form can mean to have an action done to oneself, while the
same root in the hif`eel form can meen to cause an action to be done.
So, for example, the kaph-tav-bet root: nikhtav refers to something
written, while hikhteev means to dictate (i.e. to sort of cause
something to be written).
> But why am I feeding the trolls
> this evening?
Sir, I must object to this claim that I was trolling. You can see my
past posting history to SCJM archived on Google here:
But even without taking into account my posting history, I would note
that I was asking a serious question, and, again, the question was
motivated by the fact that a friend claimed a footnote in the
ArtScroll TaNaKh connected mavreek and nivrak (I have yet to check
this for myself, but, if you'd like, I can report back to the group
after checking the ArtScroll TaNaKh).
mos...@mm.huji.ac.il
> Giorgies E Kepipesiom wrote:
snip
>> But why am I feeding the trolls this evening?
>
> Sir, I must object to this claim that I was trolling.
I suspect it's the name you use to post with. Of course, this may be
a case of "People who live in glass houses...". :-)
Moshe Schorr
It is a tremendous Mitzvah to always be happy! - Reb Nachman of Breslov
The home and family are the center of Judaism, *not* the synagogue.
May Eliezer Mordichai b. Chaya Sheina Rochel have a refuah shlaimah
btoch sha'ar cholei Yisroel.
Disclaimer: Nothing here necessarily reflects the opinion of Hebrew University
Ksiva v"CHatima Tova
JoelH
wrote:
> (1) Does anyone have any further information on a possible relation
> between mavreek and nivrak?
>
> (2) Is there a more obvious grammatical connection? In other words, is
> there usually a connection between a maf`eel (MF3L) and nif`al (NF3L)
> forms?
1. Mavreek (mavrikh, aka מבריך), does indeed mean "grafting," that
is, joining one plant to another (and not contriving a scheme by which
to swindle). A particularly clear use can be found in Mishnah Kilayim
7:1. As a guess, the word comes from the root b.r.k in its sense of
"knee," with the notion that grafting a branch onto a tree creates a
knee-like junction.
2. There is sometimes a connection between hif'il ("maf'eel") and
nif'al. Sometimes the nif'al, rather than the expected huf'al, is the
passive of hif'il. (I have a vague recollection that Rashbam suggests
this connection regarding Genesis and nivr'khu, but I wouldn't swear
to it.) A MH example of using nif'al for huf'al is the passive of
madhim ("amazing"). "I was amazed." is nidhamti, not hudhamti.
-Joel
Joel M. Hoffman, PhD
http://www.lashon.net
Director of Education
Temple Israel of Northern Westchester
http://www.TINW-School.org
http://blog.TINW-School.org
Giorgies E Kepipesiom
>
> 1. Mavreek (mavrikh, aka מבריך), does indeed mean "grafting," that
> is, joining one plant to another (and not contriving a scheme by which
> to swindle). A particularly clear use can be found in Mishnah Kilayim
> 7:1. As a guess, the word comes from the root b.r.k in its sense of
> "knee," with the notion that grafting a branch onto a tree creates a
> knee-like junction.
Mavrikh does indeed NOT mean grafting. That is markiv. From the root
rokhev, to ride, because the twig that is grafted rides upon the
rootstock to which it is grafted.
The Mavrikh in the Mishnah means layering, not grafting. Only a single
tree is involved. You take a long branch from the tree, and bend it
down all the way to the earth, but without breaking it off. You stick
short length of the branch into the earth, and cover it up with earth,
the the far end of the branch is left upright above the place where
part of it was buried. The layered branch continues to draw water and
nutrients from the old tree's root system. Menawhile, the buried part
sprouts roots of its own, and eventually can live independently of the
old tree. You can now, if you wish, sever the original connection. You
are correct that mavrikh comes from berekh, the knee, because the
branch that is layered is bent down, then up, like a knee.
Giorgies
>
> 2. There is sometimes a connection between hif'il ("maf'eel") and
> nif'al. Sometimes the nif'al, rather than the expected huf'al, is the
> passive of hif'il. (I have a vague recollection that Rashbam suggests
> this connection regarding Genesis and nivr'khu, but I wouldn't swear
> to it.) A MH example of using nif'al for huf'al is the passive of
> madhim ("amazing"). "I was amazed." is nidhamti, not hudhamti.
>
> -Joel
>
> Joel M. Hoffman, PhDhttp://www.lashon.net
yaco...@aol.com
wrote:
> Mavrikh does indeed NOT mean grafting. That is markiv. From the root
> rokhev, to ride, because the twig that is grafted rides upon the
> rootstock to which it is grafted.
>
> The Mavrikh in the Mishnah means layering, not grafting. Only a single
> tree is involved. You take a long branch from the tree, and bend it
> down all the way to the earth, but without breaking it off. You stick
> short length of the branch into the earth, and cover it up with earth,
> the the far end of the branch is left upright above the place where
> part of it was buried. The layered branch continues to draw water and
> nutrients from the old tree's root system. Menawhile, the buried part
> sprouts roots of its own, and eventually can live independently of the
> old tree. You can now, if you wish, sever the original connection. You
> are correct that mavrikh comes from berekh, the knee, because the
> branch that is layered is bent down, then up, like a knee.
>
> Giorgies
Bravo!
Excellent post. And excellent knowledge of Hebrew. I tip my hat to
you.
I think "mabrikh" is from BRK because you force the branch to bend
down. Not emphasizing its similarity to the shape of a human knee,
but the functional "causing to kneel" of the branch. But the two
explanations are essentially identical.
Doesn't the word for "ingredients" in modern Hebrew have a hiph'il
derivative of RKB?
Jacko