Kehillat Kesher, Englewood, Orthodox
That is a hapax legomenon? It is a word or phrase that is used only once in a certain work. The word flother, a synonym for snowflake, appears only once in written English before 1900. There are two parts of Noah’s ark that are described with words that only appear once in the Bible. One is the type of wood and the other is the tzohar.
Noach is told to make a tzohar for the ark (6:16). The Midrash (B"R 31:11, Sanhedrin 108b) cited by Rashi on that verse records a debate as to what exactly was this tzohar. According to Rabbi Abba bar Kahana it was simply a window; according to Rabbi Levi it was a precious stone that reflected the light from inside the ark.
Kehillat Kesher, Englewood, Orthodox
That is a hapax legomenon? It is a word or phrase that is used only once in a certain work. The word flother, a synonym for snowflake, appears only once in written English before 1900. There are two parts of Noah’s ark that are described with words that only appear once in the Bible. One is the type of wood and the other is the tzohar.
Noach is told to make a tzohar for the ark (6:16). The Midrash (B"R 31:11, Sanhedrin 108b) cited by Rashi on that verse records a debate as to what exactly was this tzohar. According to Rabbi Abba bar Kahana it was simply a window; according to Rabbi Levi it was a precious stone that reflected the light from inside the ark.
The debate between these two great rabbis may also reflect a more fundamental disagreement. Perhaps what is really being argued is — from where do we draw our light and inspiration? For Rabbi Levi everything comes from the light within the ark, while Rabbi Abba seems open to bringing light in from the outside.
Rabbi Levi wants to protect the perfection of life within the safe cocoon of the ark, while Rabbi Abba seeks direction from outside the ark. Every Jew in the modern world has to ask themselves this very question — how much of the outside world do I want coming into my religious life? Do we seek to live exclusively by the light of Torah that is reflected from within (Rabbi Levi) or do we pursue light from the outside to inspire our religious life (Rabbi Abba)? Every community falls somewhere along a spectrum between the two.
Of course, the answer to this debate lies in the original Akkadian root of the word tzohar. In Ancient Near East cognate languages this is an architectural term of art referring to the top, back, or cover of a boat (thank you to my colleague Rabbi Adam Scheier for this definition). Simply put, the tzohar was likely understood to be the roof of the ark — neither Rabbi Levi nor Rabbi Abba knew this when they wrote the midrash.
Who is right — the linguists, Rabbi Abba or Rabbi Levi?
I think that in a very real way, they are all correct. The Akkadian cognate teaches us what this hapax legomenon meant in its original context, while the debate of Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Abba bring the chumash alive for us today.
May we all merit the blessing of windows that bring in just the right amount of light into our homes and synagogues.