The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

232 The Aramaic Bible: The Targums in their Historical Context
on the mouth [i.e. testimony] of the fathers'. Here, too, instead of
being literal in translation, since the court officials knew the Halakha 11
that the testimony of witnesses who are relatives is inadmissable.
Onqelos nevertheless reflects the meaning of the biblical injunction
found in this Halakha by the addition of the single word Dis.
3. Exod. 21.19—Here the Hebrew text deals with a person who has
injured another and the various types of compensations he must make
to him after the injured party became disabled. If sometime thereafter
he regains his strength, he is still obligated to render him some of the
compensation. The Hebrew reads: npn irajflOQ by prn -pnrm Dip 1 DK
KDT Ksm p irnto pn roan—'if he gets up and walks about outside on
his staff the offender is vindicated, only he must pay for his idleness
and his cure'. Onqelos renders it: HNDT 'm nma ^s tma j^nm mp» DH
D'XT fc^oK ~i3«i ]rr mbo'n Tin 1 ? NTTB—'if he gets up and walks about
outside on his own health (and his own strength), then the offender is
vindicated, except his idleness and his doctor's fees he must pay'. This
is certainly a case for the courts, and yet Onqelos reflects two
Halakhic points in his translation. 12
2. N. Adler
He criticized the Chajes-Rapoport theory by enumerating no less than
12 cases of Tnb rrmon all of which Onqelos translates by adding
Halakha; and three additional cases of ^d^> rvnioa where Onqelos is literal
in his translation. In addition to Deut. 24.16 already cited above
under Chajes's self-criticism, Adler enumerates the following.
11. Cf. y. Sank. 3.10, 21c:
"The fathers should not die"—on account of the testimony of the children and the
children should not die—on account of the testimony of the fathers, up to here is the
opinion of R. Aqiha.' Cf. also b. Sank. 27b and Sifre N:*n o CCLXXX.16,
p. 297.
12. The first is stated in Mek. C'ODCO VI, pp. 270 and 293: vra ^ iraiKSD ^
'POO I'DD mim om ^«yQt2' 'i n'nc D'-QI HD'POO in« nr—'"on his staff" that
means restored to his health. This is one of three expressions in the Torah that
R. Ishmael used to interpret as being figurative'.
The second is mentioned in b. B Qam. 85a: «STI IOIN *P«^DO' 'i '31 «'am
rrwE)! 1 ? nsri 1 ? moi ]n ? 3D ]«DD «ST—'It was taught in the School of R. Ishmael "and
shall cause him to be thoroughly healed", from here it may be learned that a doctor
was given permission to heal.' Cf. also y. Sanh. 8.8, 26c.