After the sin of the Golden Calf, Shemot 32 25, Moshe sees the people are paru’a, either running wild or out of control (English translations), or exposed in their sinfulness, according to Rashi. Shavat struck me in particular, I guess, because we think of it in terms of Shabbat, the day of rest, and in those contexts (such as the beginning of the second chapter of Bereshit), Onkelos translates it as we would expect, with shavat as nah, rested, in Bereshit, and in the Aseret Ha-Dibberot as shabbata, the name of the day. In all those cases, Onkelos has the appropriate conjugation of batel. Tashbitu regarding the slaves meant to have them cease their work the verb can also refer to removing items from one’s presence, such as where Shemot 12 15 obligates removing all yeast and dough from one’s house for Pesah, Vayikra 2 13 warns against letting the salt cease from sacrifices ( lo yashbit melah), Vayikra 26 6 promises to remove all destructive animals from Israel when the Jews act well, and Devarim 32 26, where Hashem threatens to remove the Jews’ memory from humanity. The concern with hishbatem in Shemot also calls our attention to the many times Onkelos translates a use of that root as batel. Onkelos has batlanin, and a verse later, when Par’oh tells them not to be involved with divrei shaker, false matters, Onkelos writes pitgamin batalin, words that are null and/or void. Before the shavat verb, 5 4 has him ask Moshe and Aharon lamah…tafri’iu, why would you interrupt or distract them, and Onkelos again has tevatelun then, when the Jews complain to Par’oh about harsher work conditions, he says, 5 8, ki nirpim hem, they are shirkers (Sefaria) or lazy ( ). The discussion between Par’oh and Moshe highlights Onkelos’ use of batel for multiple purposes. So, too, Par’oh protests Moshe and Aharon’s giving the people a reason to work less, Shemot 5 5, ve-hishbatem otam mi-sivlotam, for Onkelos again a matter of tevatelun. Many times the Torah uses the root of shabbat, to rest or cease, Onkelos puts in a form of batel. For example, after the Flood, Bereshit 8 22, Gd decides yomam va-layla lo yishbotu, day and night will never again cease, and Onkelos employs the batel root. That’s two words Onkelos translated with the same Aramaic verb my Bar Ilan tells me he has many others. Onkelos again uses u-vatal, the same root as before, annul.
There, the Torah uses the word ve-hefer, translated by ArtScroll and Sefaria as annul. I might have ignored the switch, except verses later (30 9), the Torah speaks of a husband’s right to dispense certain vows of his wife’s. Onkelos writes la yevatel, he must not annul the oath (by violating it). A man who takes an oath must not desecrate it, the Torah tells us at 30 3, using the word yahel for ‘desecrate’ yahel, to make hullin, ordinary or mundane.
Parshat Matot opens with some laws of nedarim, oaths. Lessons of NonLiteral Onkelos: Parshat Matot
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