Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0019909, Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:20:03 -0700

Subject
Re: Semblable: neighbour, fellow, but not double
Date
Body

On Apr 24, 2010, at 8:16 PM, Anthony Stadlen wrote:

In Jewish translations and discussions in English of the Holiness
Code, i.e. Leviticus 19, the word "fellow" is often used
interchangeably with "neighbour". "My fellow, my brother" -- isn't
that what Baudelaire means?

Anthony Stadlen

Dear Mr Stadlen,

I don't know about Baudelaire, but I can tell you something about the
verse in the Hebrew bible. The word under question here ("neighbor")
in Hebrew has the root resh-ayin-kaf. Unfortunately I can't lay hands
on a Hebrew dictionary at the moment, but I can tell you that the two
phrases in Leviticus distinguish between brothers (literally: sons of
thy people) whom we are enjoined not to hate or hold grudges against,
and the neighbor (in the singular) [ואהבת לרעך כמוך]
towards whom we are enjoined to bear the same love as that we we bear
for our own. So it would appear not to refer to the fellow next door.

Hope that helps,
Carolyn Kunin






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