[HANASHIR:9691] RE: Mi Chamocha grammar

[Cantor Brad Hyman <cantorb...>]

Hello folks:

        This is one of my first postings to this list, and I must say... I am 
quite
pleased to read all of your messages. The gentleness that is in most of you
comes through in your postings, and it often gets me through my long days
here at the temple. Thank you.
        Now to add my two cents into the mix regarding "Mi Chamocha." I have 
always
wanted to be a cantor. Since my earliest kiddush solo on the bima at age 12,
I knew this was the job for me. Of course, a lot has happened along the way
since that has solidified my life goals. Before I entered HUC, I got my
degree in history from Michigan State University, where I had the pleasure
of studying Hebrew with Dr. John T. Greene. Dr. Green was an
African-American scholar, who just happened to hold classes in one of the
local bars. Very un-orthodox, but it really made a connection with all of
his students. One class period, we spent some time looking at biblical texts
from a "historian's perspective," over a couple of glasses of merlot (his
favorite). Often when we remove the charge of our emotions (religious
conviction), it takes us to another level of understanding that we would not
have otherwise been afforded. Sometimes, admittedly, it just takes away the
magic. I prefer to find a balance between my historical training, and my
religious fervor.
        One day, our class got to Mi Chamocha and of course, this very question 
we
are looking at came up. Very simply, Dr. Greene suggested that we see this
beautiful "song" in its function. This is one of the Torah's first attempt
at poetry and verse. There is beauty in being able to say the same thing in
more than one way. The Hebrew rule states that if you have a chirik malei or
a vav before a beged kefet letter, the dagesh is "stolen". Hence: Mi
Kamocha. But what about the first occurance of Mi Chamocha? If you strip
away the grammatical rules, you will remember that we can   describe God in
many different words, all pointing to the same single word: God. Awesome,
powerful, mighty, Friend, Teacher, Parent... you get the idea. In the
wonderful world of the Torah, there were many ways to describe God.
El-Shaddai, Adonai, etc. There are also poetic constructs that will function
in the same way. "Mi Chamocha, mi kamocha, ein kamocha, Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu,
etc." This is not merely a Chassidic device, or something out of mystical
practice, but rather a wonderful opportunity to see our earliest attempts at
poetry, our earliest form of artistic expression.
        Please don't take what I have to say as absolute. There are many
explanations we have to offer our congregants, friends, students, and
teachers. Each one of them are valid and important. This discussion is
great. Keep it up.

B'shalom,
Cantor Brad Hyman
Temple Sinai of Glendale
1212 N. Pacific Avenue
Glendale, California 91202
(818) 246-8101
(818) 246-9372 fax
(626) 665-1272 cell

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