Sunday, August 26, 2012

The definition of shok, part ii

I've posted this to my Daf Yomi blog as well, but the original discussion of shok occurred on parshablog, and so the followup is also appropriate here.


As a follow-up to the previous post, it might be nice to see what shok means in Akkadian. This could shed light on the Biblical usage, which in turn could shed light on the meaning of the word in the gemara.
Akkadian Lexicon Companion for Biblical Hebrew Etymological, Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalence
According to An Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew, by Dr. Tawil, the following is the definition of שוק. (I've approximated the symbols for some of the below.) (See on Amazon, Akkadian Lexicon Companion for Biblical Hebrew Etymological, Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalence.)

שוק = Akk. siqu s. MA on (CAD 305b; AHw 1028a), thigh
The Heb. sequential hapax שֹּׁקַיִם -a בִּרְכַּיִם "knees - thighs" (Deut 28:35) may parallel the referent in ABL 453:6 in which siqu is a variant for birku in the same blessing formula, "marmareshunu sharru ina siqushu lintuh"may the king (live to) lift their (his sons') grandchildren onto his lap" (CAD S 305b) = marmareshu sharru beli ina birkishu lintuh"may the king, my lord, (live to) lift his grandsons onto his knees (CAF M 259a); Heb: (for a similar blessing formula), e.g. וּרְאֵה-בָנִים לְבָנֶיךָ: שָׁלוֹם, עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל (Ps. 128:6 cf also Prov 17:6).
This might then help decide this dispute as to whether shok means thigh or calf. If it is used to mean lap, in parallel to birkayim, then it means the thigh area.

This is in accordance with the Mishnah Berurah, as well as, more recently, Rabbi Yehuda Henkin. In discussion shok be'isha erva, he analyzes the prooftext in sefer Yeshaya,
ב  קְחִי רֵחַיִם, וְטַחֲנִי קָמַח; גַּלִּי צַמָּתֵךְ חֶשְׂפִּי-שֹׁבֶל גַּלִּי-שׁוֹק, עִבְרִי נְהָרוֹת.2 Take the millstones, and grind meal; remove thy veil, strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers.
ג  תִּגָּל, עֶרְוָתֵךְ--גַּם תֵּרָאֶה, חֶרְפָּתֵךְ; נָקָם אֶקָּח, וְלֹא אֶפְגַּע אָדָם.  {פ}3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen; I will take vengeance, and will let no man intercede. {P}

and writes:

6 comments:

Rabbi Joshua Maroof said...

Take a look at שו"ת שבט הלוי, the first teshuva in the first volume, for a crisp articulation of the opposing (more stringent) view.

joshwaxman said...

thanks. here is a direct link.

kol tuv,
josh

Mike S. said...

Is R. Avraham Alshvilli the father of the Ritv"a?

joshwaxman said...

i don't know. if i had to guess, i'd say yes.

anon said...

R. Willig accepts that shok is the lower leg, however allows uncovering it based on the divrei chamudos that arms and legs are society dependent.
(Shiur from YUTorah - don't remember which one)
I don't know why he wouldn't allow even shorter based on that.

M.B and Igros Moshe hold it is the upper leg until the knee (including).
Chazon ish (contrary to popular belief) while citing proof from a mishna in אהלות that it is lower leg, he cites M.B. and writes קשה להכריע.

jim said...


That image had a head of fine gold, its breast and its arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of copper.

33Its legs were of iron, and its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay.

if thighs are copper than shok legs are lower leg. at least in tenach

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