An alternative to the Rav's explanation of Targum Yonatan on Bereishit 32:3

Also from last year. I will retouch this later, by putting in Hebrew and some direct quotes from the webpage mentioned below...

At the end of Vayeitzei, in the very last psukim, (Bereishit 32:2-3) we are told that Yaakov went on his way and encountered angels of Elokim. And he said, when he saw them, "this is an encampment of Elokim," and he called the name of that place Machanayim. (which is the dual form of Machaneh, camp)

וְיַעֲקֹב, הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ; וַיִּפְגְּעוּ-בוֹ, מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹקִים.
וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם, מַחֲנֵה אֱלֹקִים זֶה; וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, מַחֲנָיִם.

"And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
And Jacob said when he saw them: 'This is God's camp.' And he called the name of that place Mahanaim."


Rav Soloveitchik, in a shiur on parashat vayetze, observed that Targum Yonatan translates Machanayim as "beit kudsha Machanayim," which the Rav takes to mean that Yonatan translates Machanayim as the beit hamikdash. Then, the Rav proceeds to explain the different gradations of kedusha of the encampments of the Jews in the wilderness, the most intense being that of machaneh shechina. For a summary of the Rav's shiur, click here.

Money quote:

The Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel on this verse indicates that the term
Machanayim means the Beis Hamikdash. The sanctity of the Beis Hamikdash
and its surrounding areas, referred to as Kedushat Machanot, increases
in gradations, each of which is called a "camp" since they correspond to
the different camps which the Jewish people consisted of in their
sojourn in the desert.

Unfortunately, this is a mistranslation of Targum Yonatan. The pasuk states "וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא מַחֲנָיִם." Yonatan translates that he encountered the machaneh of angels and first thought that it was the camp of Esav, but it was not, and he thought it was the camp of Lavan coming to chase him, but it was not, but rather they were a camp of holy angels that were sent from before Hashem. For this reason, he called the name of this place, in the Language of the Holy House, Machanayim." In Aramaic: BeGen Ken, Kera Shemeh DeAsrah HaHu, BeLishan Bet Kudsha, Machanayim.
בגן כן קרא שמיה דאתרא ההוא בלישן בית קודשא מחנים

Two things arise: 1) Yonatan is not translating Machanayim as the bet hamikdash. He gives a lengthy etymology, based on the fact that Yaakov mistook the camp of angels for two separate camps - thus, the dual "Machanayim." 2) The Rav missed out on the word BeLishan, "in the language of." Yonatan was saying that Yaakov called the name of the place, in Hebrew, the language used in the bet kudsha, Machanayim. Yonatan did this to mark that the word he was about to give was Hebrew and not his regular Aramaic. He is NOT calling the name of the place "bet kudsha machanayim."

How do I know this? Well, it should be obvious just by examining Targum Yonatan closely. But, I have further proof. Look in parashat Vayishlach, when Rachel gives birth to Binyamin and dies in childbirth. In Bereishit 35:18, we are told:

וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ, כִּי מֵתָה, וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ, בֶּן-אוֹנִי; וְאָבִיו, קָרָא-לוֹ בִנְיָמִין.
"And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing--for she died--that she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin."

Targum Yonatan translates it simply, giving Ben Davay (son of my suffering) as Ben Oni and leaving Binyamin in its Hebrew form. But, in Targum Yerushalmi, the fragmentary targum which is basically a variant/earlier form of Targum Yonatan, it translates the second part of the pasuk as "VeAvoi Hava Karei Leih BeLishan Beit Kudsha Binyamin." And his father called him, in the language of the holy house, Binyamin. We see that this is a phrase targumim use when they decide to leave a Hebrew word untranslated.

Unless the Rav is willing to say that Yaakov named his son "Beit Hamikdosh Binyamin," I think he would have to agree.