action
exchange
At a glance
In short
Temurah is substitution, putting a second thing in the place of the first. It looks at the man who makes the switch (Malbim), and in several readings it implies a downgrade (Rabbi Shapira-Frankfurter, Wertheimer, Rav Hirsch). Chalifah is exchange or swapping out. It looks at the thing being gotten rid of (Rav Hirsch), and it is the neutral word (Wertheimer) or even the word for trading up (Shapira-Frankfurter). Vayikra 27:10 uses both words to forbid the act, but where the Torah states the consequence it uses only hamer yamir (27:10, 27:33). Chalifah carries a sense of its own.
Distinctions
Temurah (תמורה)
The Torah's name for the prohibition at the close of Vayikra: transferring the kedushah of a consecrated animal onto another, with the result that both become consecrated (Vayikra 27:10, 27:33).
- Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Algazi: temurah is one man swapping one of his own animals for another of his own.
- Rabbi Yehuda Leib Shapira-Frankfurter: temurah is trading something better for something worse. The Torah forbids the transfer either way, better for worse or worse for better.
- Rabbi Shlomo Aharon Wertheimer follows this basic approach, with one slight tweak on chalifah (below): temurah is exclusively good-replaced-by-bad, and he works this through a series of pesukim.
- Rav Hirsch takes his great-uncle's reading of temurah and draws the consequence: once the transfer is forbidden, any attempt at it counts as "for the worse" even when the second animal is objectively better, which is why the pasuk stating the outcome says hamer yamir and does not return to chalifah.
- Malbim: temurah looks at the person who effects the switch and chalifah at the objects switched, which Rabbi Klein casts as a classic cheftza/gavra construct. The same event can be described either way. Hence Tehillim 106:20 on the eigel, vayamiru es kevodam: Hashem was not in fact replaced, since from His side nothing changed, so the object-word chalifah would not fit; from the people's side there was an exchange, so a temurah cognate is used.
Root: Ibn Chayyuj מ-ו-ר or מ-י-ר; Ibn Janach and Radak מ-י-ר; Menachem Ibn Saruk, a biliteralist, simply מ-ר. Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim (Cheshek Shlomo) defines מ-ר as "getting rid of a thing so that another can take its place," and derives mohar (given in exchange for a woman's maidenhood), maher (what does not stay in one state), mar (a taste the palate rejects and wants replaced), morah (the razor that clears the way for new hair), and amirah (speech, where the parties alternate between listening and speaking).
Chalifah (חליפה)
The Torah's second verb in the same prohibition.
- Algazi: chalifah is two people swapping animals, a transactional transfer.
- Shapira-Frankfurter: chalifah is trading up, worse for better.
- Wertheimer: chalifah is neutral, covering both directions.
- Rav Hirsch: chelef/chalifah is at bottom moving a thing out of one place or state into another, whether or not anything takes its place. Yeshayahu 2:18 uses yachalof for idols simply vanishing. The slaughtering knife is a chalaf because it moves an animal from living to dead. (Others maintain that chalaf in the sense of knife comes from the Arabic chalaf, "sharp," which is itself likely derived from the Hebrew charif, the r-sound and the l-sound being often interchangeable.) And because the word fits what people tend to discard and replace, it is the verb for changing clothes (Bereishis 35:2, 41:14) and then the name of the outer garments themselves (Bereishis 41:14, Shmuel II 12:20); in Modern Hebrew a chalifah is a suit.
- Malbim: chalifah looks at the objects switched, not the switcher.
- Chemdas HaChemdah (to Vayikra 27:10): lo yachalifenu forbids letting a particular consecrated animal be lost with the plan of simply replacing it, and lo yamir forbids swapping something already consecrated to move its holiness onto another animal, better or worse.
- Toras Gavriel, by Rabbi Gavriel Wolf Margolios, son-in-law of Rabbi Nachum of Horodna: chalaf is bad for good and temurah good for bad.
Root: most read ח-ל-ף. Pappenheim (Yerios Shlomo) builds it from two biliterals, ח-ל (circle, turning) and א-ף (face, present), so chalifah is pivoting away from the present situation. This somewhat echoes Rav Hirsch on what one is getting rid of, and it runs against what Pappenheim himself writes in Cheshek Shlomo, where temurah is "out with the old" and chalifah "in with the new"; Pappenheim concedes that in practice the two have become largely interchangeable.
Also discussed in
Radak on these roots
Sefer HaShorashim
ח-ל-ף
To pass on and be gone; to change or renew, and changes of garments; in place of; and a sense close to these, cutting off, from which knives are called מַֽחֲלָפִים.
Passing on
חָלַף הָלַךְ לֽוֹ (Shir HaShirim 2:11), it has passed and gone; וְחָֽלַפְתָּ מִשָּׁם וָהָלְאָה (Shmuel I 10:3), you shall pass on from there; וְיַֽחֲלֹף וְֽלֹא־אָבִין לֽוֹ (Iyov 9:11), He passes by and I do not perceive Him; כְּסוּפוֹת בַּנֶּגֶב לַֽחֲלֹף (Yeshayahu 21:1), like whirlwinds in the Negev, passing through; חָלְפוּ חֹק (Yeshayahu 24:5), they passed over the statute. All of them are the sense of passing. Beside them stand בַּבֹּקֶר יָצִיץ וְחָלָף (Tehillim 90:6), in the morning it blossoms and passes, and בַּבֹּקֶר כֶּחָצִיר יַֽחֲלֹֽף (Tehillim 90:5), in the morning like grass it passes.
Changing and renewing
וְהַֽחֲלִיפוּ שִׂמְלֹֽתֵיכֶֽם (Bereishis 35:2), change your garments; וַתַּֽחֲלֵף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּי (Bereishis 31:41), you changed my wages; כַּלְּבוּשׁ תַּֽחֲלִיפֵם וְֽיַֽחֲלֹֽפוּ (Tehillim 102:27), You change them like a garment and they are changed; אִֽם־יִכָּרֵת וְעוֹד יַֽחֲלִיף (Iyov 14:7), though it be cut down it will yet renew, meaning it will renew its shoots; וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַֽחֲלִֽיף (Iyov 29:20), my bow renews in my hand, which he explains as my strength and my might renewing my honour for me; and יַֽחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ (Yeshayahu 40:31), they shall renew strength.
A change of garments, and in place of
וַיְגַלַּח וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו (Bereishis 41:14), he shaved and changed his garments; חֲלִפוֹת שְׂמָלֹת (Bereishis 45:22), changes of raiment; וּשְׁלשִׁים חֲלִפֹת בְּגָדִֽים (Shoftim 14:12), thirty changes of garments: all in the sense of renewal and exchange. One thing coming in another's place is עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים בַּחֹדֶשׁ חֲלִיפוֹת (Melachim I 5:28), ten thousand a month by courses, these going and those coming. חֵלֶף עֲבֹֽדַתְכֶם (Bamidbar 18:31), in return for your service, is pointed with six dots; and the Targum renders תַּחַת (Bereishis 4:25), in place of, as חֲלַף.
Cutting off, a sense close by
Another sense, close to this one: אִם־ יַֽחֲלֹף וְיַסְגִּיר (Iyov 11:10), if He cuts off and shuts up; וְהָאֱלִילִים כָּלִיל יַֽחֲלֹֽף (Yeshayahu 2:18), and the idols shall be wholly cut off; תַּחְלְפֵהוּ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה (Iyov 20:24), a bow of brass shall cut him down; and the nouns עַד־בּוֹא חֲלִיפָתִֽי (Iyov 14:14), until my cutting off comes, אֲשֶׁר אֵין חֲלִיפוֹת לָמוֹ (Tehillim 55:20), who have no cutting off, and כָּל־בְּנֵי חֲלֽוֹף (Mishlei 31:8), all the sons of cutting off. All of these are the sense of cutting off, and the people of the world are called בני חלוף because death and cutting off from the world come upon them.
Grass in the morning
His father explains כֶּחָצִיר יַֽחֲלֹֽף (Tehillim 90:5), like grass it is cut off, from this sense, citing זְרַמְתָּם שֵׁנָה יִהְיוּ בַּבֹּקֶר כֶּחָצִיר יַֽחֲלֹֽף, You flood them away, they are as a sleep; in the morning, like grass, it is cut off. On his father's reading, if they are there at night they are not there in the morning, for like grass it is cut off, the word standing alone in that sense; and if בַּבֹּקֶר יָצִיץ וְחָלָף (Tehillim 90:6), in the morning it blossoms and is renewed, is like וְעוֹד יַֽחֲלִיף (Iyov 14:7), it will yet renew, then by evening it is cut down and dried.
Knives, and locks of hair
From this sense knives are called מחלפים, מַֽחֲלָפִים תִּשְׁעָה וְעֶשְׂרִֽים (Ezra 1:9), twenty-nine knives, because they cut; and אֶת־שֶׁבַע מַחְלְפוֹת רֹאשִׁי (Shoftim 16:13), the seven locks of my head, are the curls of the hair, called so because they are like knives, or because change and exchange come over them when they whiten in old age.
חָלַף הָלַךְ לֽוֹ (שיר השירים ב, יא), חָֽלְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּוֹת אֵבֶה (איוב ט, כו), וְחָֽלַפְתָּ מִשָּׁם וָהָלְאָה (שמואל א' י, ג), וְיַֽחֲלֹף וְֽלֹא־אָבִין לֽוֹ (איוב ט, יא), כְּסוּפוֹת בַּנֶּגֶב לַֽחֲלֹף (ישעיה כא, א), חָלְפוּ חֹק (ישעיה כד, ה), כלם ענין עבר. בַּבֹּקֶר יָצִיץ וְחָלָף (תהלים צ, ו), בַּבֹּקֶר כֶּחָצִיר יַֽחֲלֹֽף (תהלים צ, ה). והפעל הכבד [הִפְעִיל] וְהַֽחֲלִיפוּ שִׂמְלֹֽתֵיכֶֽם (בראשית לה, ב), לֹא יַֽחֲלִיפֶנּוּ וְלֹֽא־יָמִיר אֹתוֹ (ויקרא כו, י), וַתַּֽחֲלֵף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּי (בראשית לא, מא), כַּלְּבוּשׁ תַּֽחֲלִיפֵם וְֽיַֽחֲלֹֽפוּ (תהלים קב, כז), אִֽם־יִכָּרֵת וְעוֹד יַֽחֲלִיף (איוב יד, ז), כלומר יחליף יונקותיו. וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַֽחֲלִֽיף (איוב כט, כ), פירוש החוזק והתוקף שלי תחליף ותחרש לי כבודי. וְקוֵֹי י"י יַֽחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ (ישעיה מ, לא), וַֽאֲרָזִים נַֽחֲלִֽיף (ישעיה ט, ט). וכבד אחר [פִּעֵל] וַיְגַלַּח וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו (בראשית מא, יד). והשם חֲלִפוֹת שְׂמָלֹת (בראשית מה, כב), וּשְׁלשִׁים חֲלִפֹת בְּגָדִֽים (שופטים יד, יב), וַיִּתֵּן הַחֲלִיפוֹת לְמַגִּידֵי הַחִידָה (שופטים יד, יט). כלם ענין התחדשות התמורה. ובא דבר במקום זולתו עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים בַּחֹדֶשׁ חֲלִיפוֹת (מלכים א' ה, כח), פירוש שיהיו מתחדשים שהיו הולכים אלו ובאים אלו. חֵלֶף עֲבֹֽדַתְכֶם (במדבר יח, לא), בשש נקדות תרגום תַּחַת (בראשית ד, כה) חֲלַף. וענין אחר קרוב לזה אִם־יַֽחֲלֹף וְיַסְגִּיר (איוב יא, י), וְהָאֱלִילִים כָּלִיל יַֽחֲלֹֽף (ישעיה ב, יח), וּמָֽחֲצָה וְחָֽלְפָה רַקָּתֽוֹ (שופטים ה, ט), תַּחְלְפֵהוּ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה (איוב כ, כד). והשם עַד־בּוֹא חֲלִיפָתִֽי (איוב יד, יד), אֲשֶׁר אֵין חֲלִיפוֹת לָמוֹ (תהלים נה, כ). ומשקל אחר כָּל־בְּנֵי חֲלֽוֹף (משלי לא, ח), כל אלו ענין כריתה. ונקראו בני העולם בני חלוף לפי שתבואם המיתה והכריתה מן העולם. ואדוני אבי ז"ל פירש מזה כֶּחָצִיר יַֽחֲלֹֽף (תהלים צ, ה), אמר זְרַמְתָּם שֵׁנָה יִהְיוּ בַּבֹּקֶר כֶּחָצִיר יַֽחֲלֹֽף כלומר אם הם בלילה אינם בבקר כי כֶּחָצִיר יַֽחֲלֹֽף, והוא בודד, פירוש יכרת, ואם בַּבֹּקֶר יָצִיץ וְחָלָף כמו וְעוֹד יַֽחֲלִיף (איוב יד, ז), לערב ימולל ויבש. ומזה נקראים הסכינים מחלפים מַֽחֲלָפִים תִּשְׁעָה וְעֶשְׂרִֽים (עזרא א, ט), לפי שהם כורתים. אֶת־שֶׁבַע מַחְלְפוֹת רֹאשִׁי (שופטים טז, יג), הם תלתלי השער פלוט"ש בלע"ז. ונקראו כן לפי שהם דומים לסכינים. או נקראו כן שיבואם חלף ותמורה בהתלבנם לעת השיבה.
מ-ו-ר
מֹר, myrrh, a spice. Some took it for musk; Ibn Ezra makes it a spice of the gathered plants, and Rabbeinu Hai the resin of a sweet-smelling tree.
Whether it is musk
מָר־דְּרוֹר (Shemos 30:23), pure myrrh, and בְּשֶׁמֶן הַמֹּר (Esther 2:12), with oil of myrrh. Ibn Ezra writes that some explained it as musk, and that were it musk the pasuk would not say אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי (Shir HaShirim 5:1), I have gathered my myrrh, since musk is no plant to be gathered; he himself explained it as a spice of the kinds of plants that are gathered. Rabbeinu Hai explains it as the resin of a sweet-smelling tree, which has a name of its own in Arabic; and on that explanation too, Radak says, one can say אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי.
Why it stands for Avraham
From Midrash Chazis, on צְרוֹר הַמּוֹר, the bundle of myrrh: as myrrh is the chief of all the spices, so Avraham Avinu is the chief of all the tzaddikim; as whoever gathers myrrh has his hands made bitter, so Avraham Avinu made himself bitter; and as myrrh gives off its scent only in fire, so Avraham Avinu made his good deeds known only in the fiery furnace.
מָר־דְּרוֹר (שמות ל, כג), בְּשֶׁמֶן הַמֹּר (אסתר ב, יב). כתב החכם רבי אברהם אבן עזרא יש שפירשוהו מושק"ו. ואם היה מור מושק"ו לא היה אומר אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי (שיר השירים ה, א), כי המושק"ו אינו צֶמַח שיארה. והוא פירש אותו בֹּשֶֹם ממיני הצמחים שיתלקט. ורבינו האי ז"ל פירש שהיא שרף עץ שיש לו ריח טוב הנקרא בערבי לובנ"י אל דהבא"ן. ולזה הפירוש יתכן לומר אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי. ובמדרש חזית (רבה שה"ש פסוק צרור המור) מה המור הזה ראש לכל הבשמים אף אברהם אבינו ראש לכל הצדיקים, מה המור הזה כל מי שלוקט אותו ידיו מתמררות כך היה אברהם אבינו ממרר עצמו, מה המור הזה אינו מפיח ריחו אלא באור כך אברהם אבינו לא הודיע מעשיו הטובים אלא בכבשן האש.
מ-י-ר
Exchanging one thing for another, with the noun תמורה, what is given in exchange. In one pasuk the word may also carry a second sense, magnifying.
Exchange
הֵמִיר כְּבוֹדוֹ (Yirmiyahu 2:11), he exchanged his glory; וְלֹֽא־יָמִיר אֹתוֹ (Vayikra 27:10), he shall not exchange it; וְלֹא יָמֵר (Yechezkel 48:14), he shall not exchange, said of the first of the land; and the noun, וְהָֽיָה־הוּא וּתְמֽוּרָתוֹ (Vayikra 27:10), it and what is exchanged for it. Their sense is the exchanging of one thing for another.
Perhaps two senses in one word
הַֽהֵימִיר גּוֹי אֱלֹהִים (Yirmiyahu 2:11), has a nation exchanged gods: the yod written between the heh and the first root letter is the quiescent letter of הֵקִים, he raised up, and הֵשִׁיב, he brought back, and in this word it is written against the usual way. The word may be meant to join two senses. One is exchange: whether a nation has exchanged gods for other gods, although they are no gods. The other comes from וּבִכְבוֹדָם תִּתְיַמָּֽרוּ (Yeshayahu 61:6), and in their glory you shall be magnified; then הֵימִיר would follow the pattern of הֵיטִיב, he did good, and the sense would be: has a nation magnified other gods that are not its own, though they are no gods, neither the one nor the other.
הַֽהֵימִיר גּוֹי אֱלֹהִים (ירמיה ב, יא), נכתב היו"ד בין ה"א הפעל ובין פ"א הפעל והוא הנח אשר בהֵקִים, הֵשִׁיב ונכתב בזאת המלה שלא כמנהג. ואפשר שהכונה להרכיב המלה בשני ענינים האחד לשון המיר הוא לשון החלפה, כלומר אם החליף גוי אלהים באלהים אחרים אף על פי שהמה לא אלהים, והענין השני מן וּבִכְבוֹדָם תִּתְיַמָּֽרוּ (ישעיה סא, ו). ויהיה הֵימִיר בשקל הֵיטִיב ופירושו ההגדיל גוי אלהים אחרים שאינו אלהיו ואף על פי שהמה לא אלהים לא זה ולא זה. הֵמִיר כְּבוֹדוֹ (ירמיה ב, יא), וְלֹֽא־יָמִיר אֹתוֹ (ויקרא כז, י), וְלֹא יָמֵר וְלֹא יַֽעֲבִור [יַֽעֲבִיר] רֵאשִׁית הָאָרֶץ (יחזקאל מח, יד). והשם תמורה וְהָֽיָה־הוּא וּתְמֽוּרָתוֹ (ויקרא כז, י), ענינם ענין החלפה דבר בדבר.
Radak, Sefer HaShorashim, Berlin 1847. Public domain, digitised by Sefaria from the National Library of Israel.
Sources
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Old Switcheroo," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 23 May 2020.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "The Old Switcheroo," What's in a Word? Synonyms in the Hebrew Language (book manuscript).
Cited in the essay: Vayikra 27:10 and 27:33; Bereishis 35:2 and 41:14; Shmuel II 12:20; Yeshayahu 2:18; Tehillim 106:20; Pappenheim, Cheshek Shlomo s.v. מר and Yerios Shlomo on ח-ל-ף; Chemdas HaChemdah to Vayikra 27:10; Toras Gavriel.