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Yesterday as I was
walking the old Jerusalem train tracks, minding my business and admiring the view, a couple of walkers stopped me:
"You're religious. Maybe you can help us."
"OK." I was curious.
That was a very compelling opening line. What could they want from me?
"I've been trying to teach my friend Parshat Shavua, (Torah Portion of the Week,) and we have a problem. How could a man as righteous as Jacob lie to his father?" One of them asked me.
Actually, this verse is from an earlier week,
Toldot, Genesis Chapter 27:
19And Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you have spoken to me. Please rise, sit down and eat of my game, so that your soul will bless me." | | יטוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־אָבִ֗יו אָֽנֹכִי֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּכֹרֶ֔ךָ עָשִׂ֕יתִי כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ אֵלָ֑י קֽוּם־נָ֣א שְׁבָ֗ה וְאָכְלָה֙ מִצֵּידִ֔י בַּֽעֲב֖וּר תְּבָֽרֲכַ֥נִּי נַפְשֶֽׁךָ: |
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By chance I had read the perfect response to this. I asked them if they were familiar with the power of punctuation and how it can change the meaning of things. Just add a comma or semicolon:
"אָֽנֹכִי֙'עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּכֹרֶ֔ךָ I am myself; Esau your firstborn"
"Wow. That makes sense. Thank you so much."
And they went their way, and I went mine. Does this happen anyplace else, or just Jerusalem?
Yesterday as I was walking the old Jerusalem train tracks, minding my business and admiring the view, a couple of walkers stopped me:
By chance I had read the perfect response to this. I asked them if they were familiar with the power of punctuation and how it can change the meaning of things. Just add a comma or semicolon: