society
communal activist
At a glance
In short
An askan is a communal activist: he busies himself with whatever needs doing and gets it done himself. A shtadlan is an intercessor or lobbyist: he goes to the authorities on the community's behalf to change their position. The whole distinction between the two is that the one acts and the other persuades. Behind them stand esek, dealing with a matter (and in Tanach, fighting over one), and shadal, making an effort or persuading. The Yiddish macher is simply a doer.
Distinctions
Esek (עסק, עשק)
The root ע-ש-ק occurs exactly twice in Tanach, both in one pasuk: Yitzchak named the well Esek because Avimelech's shepherds his'asku, fought, with his own (Bereishis 26:20). In the Mishnah the samech form means being taken up with something, often so taken up that another act is done haphazardly or unknowingly (Shekalim 6:2, Rosh Hashanah 4:8, Sotah 1:9, Kiddushin 4:14, Eduyos 2:5, Kerisos 4:3, Taharos 7:8, Niddah 8:2, Zavim 2:2). From there: osek b'divrei Torah for toil in learning; esek as an affair one must attend to (Maaser Sheini 4:7, Shabbos 23:4); esek gadol for making much of the cutting of the Omer (Menachos 10:3); and the Targumim's esek (Bereishis 12:17, 20:11, 20:18; Yehoshua 14:6) and iska (Koheles 3:1, 3:18, 7:8, 8:2) for any matter needing attention. Esek also means commerce (Avos 4:10), as does the Aramaic iska (Rashi to Berachos 56a, Shabbos 19b, Moed Katan 22a, Kesubos 80b, Kiddushin 30b), and it extends to other transactions including shidduchim (Kesubos 8a, Bava Metzia 68b). In Modern Hebrew an osek is a freelancer and issuk one's occupation.
Several old siddurim spell la'asok in the daily Birkas HaTorah with a sin in place of the samech: so the Siddur Areshet Sefatayim (Amsterdam, 1906) and Seligman Baer's Avodas Yisrael.
Askan (עסקן)
Rashi (to Chullin 57b): Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta was called an askan because he went out to test for himself what other authorities reported. The word therefore carries the extra exertion of doing a thing with one's own hands, which is exactly the modern communal askan.
Shadal (שדל) and shtadlan (שתדלן)
Targum Onkelos renders pitui, seducing or convincing, as shadal (Shemos 22:15), and Rashi (there, and to Yoma 35b, Kiddushin 31a) confirms that the Hebrew and Aramaic terms match. The Aramaic term recurs throughout the Gemara for convincing, cajoling, or seducing another into agreeing to what one wants. It seems to derive from the root ש-ד-ל, but no words from that root appear in Tanach itself. Sforno (to Bereishis 26:20) reads the shepherds' his'asku as hishtadlu, that they were trying to talk Yitzchak's men out of the well, which is the bridge from esek to shtadlanus. A shtadlan, then, is one whose work is to work on others. (A homograph: the Italian scholar R. Shmuel Dovid Luzzatto, 1800-1865, whom Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein calls controversial, is sometimes known by his initials as Shadal.)
Shadar (שדר)
Biblical Aramaic, where it appears at least once: Daryavesh, distressed at Daniel's sentence, mishtadar until sunset to save him (Daniel 6:15), meaning he tried everything he could (Tosafos to Kiddushin 39b). Pseudo-Rasag there gives an explanation similar to Ramban's and likewise reaches for esek, that the king had to fight to convince his officers to save Daniel; Ramban theorizes that shadal and shadar are cognates, on the ground that lamed and reish often interchange, and notes that some versions of Avos 2:5 read hishtadar for hishtadel. Shadar has another sense: in post-Biblical Aramaic it means "to send", which has nothing to do with striving (see the malach/shaliach entry).
Macher (Yiddish)
The Yiddish macher comes from mach, to do, a cognate of English "make". The word is not a technical one: a macher is just a man who goes around getting things done for the good of the community, as the askan and the shtadlan do.
Where the authorities disagree
Where the Mishnaic esek comes from.
- Rabbi Binyamin Mussafia (1606-1675) in Mussaf HaAruch: the rabbinic sense of "busy, preoccupied" derives from Greek, though he supplies no cognate Greek word. Dr. Alexander Kohut (1842-1894) in Aruch HaShalem presumes that Rabbi Mussafia meant the Greek ἀσχέω (áschéó), which Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein glosses, on the strength of Google Translate, as "I don't care", possibly what a man already busy with one thing feels about being asked to do another.
- Kohut himself rejects that etymology and assumes instead that the Rabbinic Hebrew sense grows out of the root's original Biblical meaning, the sin of ע-ש-ק morphing into a samech in Rabbinic Hebrew, an interchange that is not at all unusual.
- Kohut neglects to explain the semantic shift from esek as "fighting" to esek as "busy dealing"; Rabbi Klein supplies that bridge himself, and to him the connection is patently obvious, since fighting is marked by the obstinate persistence of parties who refuse to back down, and that same perseverance describes those who toil for the public good. He adds that even in rabbinic literature esek somewhat retains its Biblical sense, since it sometimes refers specifically to a matter that is subject to controversy (Rashi to Shavuos 31a, Bava Metzia 14a).
That is where Rabbi Klein comes out: Kohut's own reading, with his own bridge.
What eshtadur is.
- Menachem Ibn Saruk (Machberes Menachem): a quadriliteral root א-ש-ד-ר, unrelated to shadal.
- Ramban seems to take the aleph as extraneous to the core root ש-ד-ר, and reads the word as rebellion, contravening (Ezra 4:15, 4:19).
Ramban's reading is what brings eshtadur into the one family of shadar and shadal; Rabbi Ernest Klein accepts Ramban's etymology connecting shadal with shadar.
How wide shadal is.
- Ramban (to Bereishis 32:25, Shemos 22:15) points out that shadal has various meanings, and centers one of them on persuasion: Onkelos renders Yaakov's wrestling with the angel of Esav (vaye'aveik) as ishtadel, and Ramban sees that struggle as each side trying to convince the other, using esek itself to define shadal.
- But the Targum to Yechezkel 38:4 and Rus 2:19 uses shadal for any sort of attempt or effort, whether or not a second party is being worked on, which is the sense of the ordinary hishtadlus, and of hishtadel lihyos ish (Avos 2:5, and see 4:18) and yishtadel adam (Berachos 58a).
To Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein it seems that "attempting" is the base, with persuading, rebelling, and fighting derived from it, since each is a matter of not backing down.
Also discussed in
- Angelשדר / shadar (ש-ד-ר)
Radak on these roots
Sefer HaShorashim
ע-ש-קhis headword עשׂק
Harassing and contesting a claim, טרידה וערעור: the well named עֵשֶׂק, because they contended with him.
The whole entry
וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם־הַבְּאֵר עֵשֶׂק (Bereishis 26:20), he called the name of the well Esek, which he notes is written with five points; and from it, in the reflexive, כִּי הִֽתְעַשְּׂקוּ עִמּֽוֹ, because they contended with him. Its sense is טרידה וערעור, harassment and the contesting of a claim, as in the words of Chazal, ויצאו עיליה עשקין (Bava Kamma 9a), claimants came out against it, which Radak explains as one who contests, saying it is mine.
Radak’s root עשׂק
וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם־הַבְּאֵר עֵשֶׂק (בראשית כו, כ), בחמש נקודות. וההתפעל ממנו כִּי הִֽתְעַשְּׂקוּ עִמּֽוֹ (שם), ענין טרידה וערעור מדברי רבותינו ז"ל ויצאו עיליה עשקין (בבא קמא ט, ע"א), פירוש מערער לומר שלי היא.
To withhold another's money that came into your hand, a deposit, a loan or a wage owed, refusing to return it; robbing, taking by force, is a different thing.
Withholding, not robbing
לֹא־ תַֽעֲשֹׁק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ וְלֹא תִגְזֹל (Vayikra 19:13), do not withhold from your fellow and do not rob, is no repetition: to withhold is where your fellow's money came into your hand as a deposit or a loan, or you came to owe him his wage, and when he asks for it you keep back the money and say you will not return it; to rob is to snatch it from him or take it from him by force. So Chazal explained it (Bava Kamma 79b), bringing proof from וַיִּגְזֹל אֶֽת־הַֽחֲנִית מִיַּד הַמִּצְרִי (Shmuel II 23:21), he wrested the spear out of the Egyptian's hand. The pasuk itself parts the two: אוֹ בְגָזֵל אוֹ עָשַׁק אֶת־עֲמִיתֽוֹ (Vayikra 5:21), or in robbery, or he has withheld from his fellow.
Where both are said together
וְהַצִּילוּ גָזוּל מִיַּד עָשׁוֹק (Yirmiyahu 22:3), deliver the robbed out of the hand of the withholder, does not mean that all is one; it is that a robber certainly withholds as well, for once he has robbed his fellow by force, it goes without saying that he will withhold from him if his money comes into his hand. עָשׁוֹק itself is an adjective, on the weight of גָּדוֹל, great, and רָחוֹק, far.
A man oppressed, or oppressing
אָדָם עָשֻׁק בְּדַם־נָפֶשׁ (Mishlei 28:17), a man ashuk in the blood of a soul: in his view this too is an adjective, like עושק, one who oppresses, for though it has a shuruk, adjectives like it with a shuruk are found; so Radak's father explained שָׁחוּט (Yirmiyahu 9:7), said of an arrow, as an adjective like שוחט, one who slaughters. On Radak's own reading, the meaning is a man who oppresses others in the blood of a soul, that is, who kills men. Radak's father explained it otherwise: a man whose yetzer hara oppressed him so that he killed a soul, and until he goes down to Gehinnom men will not support him or help him; and יָנוּס, he flees, is said because he is in dread all his days.
The plea in Yeshayahu
עָֽשְׁקָה ־לִּי עָרְבֵֽנִי (Yeshayahu 38:14), ashkah for me, be my surety, is in his view a command, though it is not shortened, as שָֽׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּֽי־חָסִיד אָנִי (Tehillim 86:2), guard my soul, for I am devout, is not; its meaning is: give me over and above, and add to my days and my years. In the words of Chazal (Bava Metzia 51a), עשיק לגביך ושוי לכרסיך, pay over for your back and pay the value for your belly; by Radak's explanation, to clothe yourself, buy the garment giving extra and adding to the price though it is not worth so much, but for your belly buy at its worth. He had explained it before in another sense, as a verb in the feminine, my sickness has oppressed me, be You my surety; but what he has written here is the straight and right reading in his eyes. עֲלֵיהֶם יִֽחְיוּ (Yeshayahu 38:16), upon them they live, means the years You allotted to a man, on which men can live by Your will, as I do, for my allotted days were already complete and You added fifteen years to them for me; and וּלְכָל־בָּהֶן חַיֵּי רוּחִי, and to all, in them is the life of my spirit, means: to all I will tell, and say that in them, in the added years, is the life of my spirit.
By way of figure, and the nouns
By way of figure, הֵן יַֽעֲשֹׁק נָהָר (Iyov 40:23), behold, he withholds a river, that is, he draws the whole river into his mouth as though he had withheld it. In the passive, הַֽמְעֻשָּׁקָה בְּתוּלַת בַּת־צִידוֹן (Yeshayahu 23:12), the oppressed maiden daughter of Tzidon. The noun is כִּי הָעֹשֶׁק יְהוֹלֵל חָכָם (Koheles 7:7), for oppression makes a wise man mad, and with an added mem and the feminine ending, וְרַב מַֽעֲשַׁקּוֹת (Mishlei 28:16), and great in oppressions, and מֹאֵס בְּבֶצַע מַֽעֲשַׁקּוֹת (Yeshayahu 33:15), who despises the gain of oppressions.
Radak’s root עשׁק
אֶת־מִי עָשַׁקְתִּי אֶת־מִי רַצּוֹתִי (שמואל א' יב, ג), לֹא־תַֽעֲשֹׁק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ וְלֹא תִגְזֹל (ויקרא יט, יג), איננו כפל דבר, כי פירוש לֹא־תַֽעֲשֹׁק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ אם בא ממון רעך לידך בפקדון או בהלואה או נתחייבת לו שכרו כשישאלנו ממך לא תכבוש הממון ותאמר לא אחזירנו לך. ופירוש לֹא תִגְזֹל שחוטף ממנו או לוקח ממנו בחזקה. וכן פירשו רבותינו ז"ל (בבא קמא עט, ע"ב) והביאו ראיה מן וַיִּגְזֹל אֶֽת־הַֽחֲנִית מִיַּד הַמִּצְרִי (שמואל ב' כג, כא). וכן הפרידם הכתוב באמרו אוֹ בְגָזֵל אוֹ עָשַׁק אֶת־עֲמִיתֽוֹ (ויקרא ה, כא). והנה נתבאר ענינם בפסוק עֲשׁוּקִים בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְנֵֽי־יְהוּדָה יַחְדָּו וְכָל־שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם הֶֽחֱזִיקוּ בָם מֵֽאֲנוּ שַׁלְּחָֽם (ירמיה נ, לג), ומה שאמר וְהַצִּילוּ גָזוּל מִיַּד עָשׁוֹק (ירמיה כב, ג), לא שהכל אחד אלא שבודאי הגוזל עושק, כי אחר שיגזול חברו בחזקה אין צריך לומר שיעשקנו אם יבא ממונו לידו. ומלת עָשׁוֹק תאר בפלס גָּדוֹל, רָחוֹק. ולפי דעתי כן הוא אָדָם עָשֻׁק בְּדַם־נָפֶשׁ (משלי כח, יז), תאר והוא כמו עושק ואף על פי שהוא בשורק נמצאו כמהו תארים בשורק. וכן פירש אדוני אבי ז"ל חֵץ שָׁוחֻט [שָׁחוּט] (ירמיה ט, ז) תאר כמו שוחט. ופירושו אדם שהוא עושק אחרים בדם נפש כלומר שהוא הורג בני אדם. ואדוני אבי ז"ל פירש עשוק שעשקו יצרו הרע והרג אה הנפש עד רדתו לגיהנם לא יתמכו בו בני אדם ולא יעזרוהו, ואמר יָנוּס בעבור שהוא בפחד כל ימיו. ופירוש עָֽשְׁקָה־לִּי עָרְבֵֽנִי (ישעיה לח, יד), לפי דעתי שהוא צווי ואף על פי שאינו חטוף הנה כמוהו שָֽׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּֽי־חָסִיד אָנִי (תהלים פו, ב) ופירושו ויתר והוסיף לי ימי ושני. ובדברי רבותינו ז"ל (בבא מציעא נא, ע"א) עשיק לגביך ושוי לכרסיך, פירוש לכסות את עצמך קנה הכסות בויתור ובתוספת דמים אף על פי שאינו שוה כל כך, אבל לבטנך קנה בשוה. וכבר פירשנוהו ענין אחר פעל עובר לנקבה ופירושו עשקה לי מחלתי ערבני אתה. הה שכתבתי הוא הישר והנכוןבעיני. ופירוש עֲלֵיהֶם יִֽחְיוּ (בבא מציעא לח, טז) על השנים שקצבת לאדם עליהם יוכלו לחיות עם רצונך כמו שאני עושה, כי כבר נשלמו ימי הקצובים והוספת לי עליהם חמש עשרה שנה. וּלְכָל־בָּהֶן חַיֵּי רוּחִי (שם) לכל אספר, ואומר כי בהן בשני התוספת חיי רוחי. ובדרך ההשאלה הֵן יַֽעֲשֹׁק נָהָר (איוב מ, כג), כלומר שמושכו כולו אל פיו כאילו עשקו. והפעל הכבד [פֻּעַל] הַֽמְעֻשָּׁקָה בְּתוּלַת בַּת־צִידוֹן (ישעיה כג, יב). והשם כִּי הָעֹשֶׁק יְהוֹלֵל חָכָם (קהלת ז, ז). ובתוספת מ"ם עם סימן הנקבה וְרַב מַֽעֲשַׁקּוֹת (משלי כח, טז), מֹאֵס בְּבֶצַע מַֽעֲשַׁקּוֹת (ישעיה לג, טו).
ש-ד-ר
No sense given here: one pasuk, וּשְׂדֵרֹת בָּֽאֲרָזִֽים (Melachim I 6:9), and s'deros with cedars, and a note that he has already explained it under the letter samech.
The whole entry
Two clauses and no more: the phrase וּשְׂדֵרֹת בָּֽאֲרָזִֽים (Melachim I 6:9), and s'deros with cedars, and his word that he has already explained it in the section of the letter samech. The sense itself is not set down here at all, which is why s'deros stands untranslated.
וּשְׂדֵרֹת בָּֽאֲרָזִֽים (מלכים א' ו, ט), וכבר בארנוהו בשער הסמ"ך.
Radak, Sefer HaShorashim, Berlin 1847. Public domain, digitised by Sefaria from the National Library of Israel.
Sources
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Toldos: The Doers and Fighters," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 26 November 2022.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "The Doers and Fighters," What's in a Word? Synonyms in the Hebrew Language (book manuscript).
Cited in the essay: Bereishis 26:20 with Sforno, and 12:17, 20:11, 20:18, 32:25; Shemos 22:15 with Targum Onkelos and Rashi; Yehoshua 14:6; Yechezkel 38:4; Rus 2:19; Daniel 6:15 with Tosafos to Kiddushin 39b and pseudo-Rasag; Ezra 4:15, 4:19; Koheles 3:1, 3:18, 7:8, 8:2; Avos 2:5, 4:10, 4:18; Berachos 56a, 58a; Moed Katan 22a; Kesubos 8a and 80b; Bava Metzia 68b; Kiddushin 30b; Chullin 57b with Rashi; Shavuos 31a and Bava Metzia 14a with Rashi; Mishnah Shekalim 6:2, Maaser Sheini 4:7, Shabbos 23:4, Rosh Hashanah 4:8, Sotah 1:9, Kiddushin 4:14, Eduyos 2:5, Kerisos 4:3, Menachos 10:3, Taharos 7:8, Niddah 8:2, Zavim 2:2; Mussaf HaAruch; Machberes Menachem; Aruch HaShalem; Siddur Areshet Sefatayim (Amsterdam, 1906); Seligman Baer, Avodas Yisrael.