heb-naco  

Re: help with Aramaic?

Clifford Miller
Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:00:47 -0700

Since the author's name authority of August 2007 romanizes the title as Agra
I entered Agra as the uniform title.


But since it seemed logical that it meant letter,
I romanized the 245 as Igra.

Jastrowe's Dictionary, spelling it with alef yod to eliminate doubt,
 cites this as an example of Igra.


But now I find in Bavli Berakhot 6a
Rav Zera refers to the reward or payoff or subsidiary benefit of various good deeds,
and Steinsaltz vocalizes our title phrase as Agra de-ta'anita.
In that Gemara context, Agra makes sense for all the examples,
while Igra does not make sense for any of the listed mitzvot other than fasting.

Clifford B Miller

At 03:41 PM 8/4/2008, you wrote:
Friends, I'm cataloging a book with a title that I don't understand.  It seems it must be either

Agra de-ta'anita
or, maybe,
Igra de-ta'anita

Can you tell me which?  If "agra," is this the "agra" that means "meretorious deed"?  Or what??  Perhaps needless to say, the book is a commentary on Masekhet Ta'anit.

Thank you--
Joan

P.S.  The author is Nahum Avraham of Monsey, N.Y.--publication date, 767.