society
property
At a glance
In short
Rechush is property or possessions, the movable goods a man has gathered. Mikneh shares the root of kinyan and looks like a general word for what one has acquired, but it is livestock, the herds that were the ancient world's measure of wealth. The authorities differ over how the two relate: Radak counts livestock as one kind of rechush, Rav Hirsch keeps rechush to inanimate belongings, and Midrash Sechel Tov seems to make it human property, slaves and maidservants. Nechasim, always plural, is assets, the standard word in the Mishnah, where rechush and mikneh do not appear at all.
Distinctions
Rechush (רכוש)
Thirty-three times in Tanach, only in Bereishis, Bamidbar, Daniel, Ezra, and Divrei HaYamim; the verb rachash, to accrue property, is in Bereishis alone. Seven instances fall in Lech Lecha (Bereishis 12:5, 13:6, 14:11, 14:12, 14:16, 14:21, 15:14), the highest concentration in any parashah. In Tanach rechush and mikneh always appear in the singular.
- Rav Hirsch (to Bereishis 12:5), and Solomon Rabinowitz (d. 1943) with him, argues that rechush, with a final SHIN, is related to reches with a SIN, "tying" or "attaching" (see Rashi to Shemos 28:28): the term alludes to the pursuit of wealth, whereby a man seeks to accrue as much as he can and tie all of it together into one net worth.
- The Hebrew scholar Naftali Torczyner/Tur-Sinai (1886-1973) offers a slightly different approach, taking rechush as ultimately derived from rechesh, a type of horse: since livestock was the crux of a man's possessions in the ancient world, rechush later expanded into a general term for everything he owned. Ohalei Yehudah understands that rechesh itself relates back to reches, because a harness or stirrup was tied to the horse for riding.
- Rabbi Nosson of Rome (Sefer HeAruch) and Rabbi Eliyahu HaBachur (Sefer HaTishbi and Meturgeman) write that Targum typically renders rechush, like hon, wealth, into Aramaic as mammon.
Mikneh (מקנה)
Over seventy-five times in Tanach, the commonest of the three. Root KUF-NUN(-HEI), which also yields miknah and kinyan, acquisition.
- Ramban (to Bereishis 14:19, 34:23) and Radak (Sefer HaShorashim): the word names livestock precisely because livestock were a person's chief acquisition, all the more so in the ancient world, where how much livestock a man held was the measuring stick of how rich he was. Dr. Gerald Leonard Cohen (Missouri University of Science and Technology) notes in his Comments on Etymology that the importance of livestock can be seen in the fact that of the first three letters of the alphabet, two refer to domesticated animals: aleph means "ox," and gimmel is related to gamal, "camel."
- Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim gives KUF-NUN the core sense of a minimal dwelling, whence ken, a bird's nest, and kinyan, which often shifts an item from one domain into another; mikneh is then either the commercially central asset (a beast serves for wool, milk, hide, offspring, meat, and field work, where produce is only eaten) or the animal often kept in a barn rather than a home.
Nechasim (נכסים)
Seven times in Tanach, always plural: once in Yehoshua (22:8), twice in Koheles (5:18, 6:2), twice in Divrei HaYamim II (1:11 and 1:12), and twice in the Aramaic of Ezra (6:8, 7:26). In rabbinic Hebrew it is the standard term for total assets: rechush and mikneh never appear in the Mishnah, and nechasim runs through it (Peah 3:6-8, Kesubos 8:1-2, Bava Basra 8:3-7, Avos 2:7, and dozens more).
- Bamidbar Rabbah 22:8 assumes it is related to kisui, covered or hidden: assets are nechasim "because they are hidden from this one and revealed to that one," that is, material possessions are held only for a time and do not inherently become an inseparable part of the man, the way physical strength or wisdom might be said to. Rabbi Shmuel de Ucedah (Midrash Shmuel to Avos 2:8) sharpens it: a man often spends much of his life accruing riches, then dies, and others end up reaping the benefit of his labor, so there is always a hidden side to materialism, the one who toils not always being the one who enjoys the fruit. He closes the discussion cynically: "many people gather up money for the benefit of their wives' [future] husbands."
- Rabbi Shimon Yehuda Leib Goldblit, an early twentieth-century exegete, offers two more ways of tying nechasim to kisui: a man's financial worth is often hidden from those who meet him, since net worth is not readily apparent to one who does not know; or, where a man has all sorts of flaws but is wealthy, his wealth covers up his shortcomings so that people relate to him as though he did not have them (this second explanation is already found in Shoresh Yesha).
- Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim likewise traces nechasim to the biliteral KAF-SAMECH, whose core meaning is placing something on top of something else: kisui; kesus, clothing, which covers the skin; kos, a cup that has a cover; kisei, a chair that has a cover; kis, a pocket, a covered container; meches, tax, monies that fall into the government's kis; and michsah, the central pot of funds into which the partners in a korban Pesach pool their monies (Shemos 12:4). Nechasim is then what one puts into one's pocket, whether literally or figuratively; or, alternatively, what one covers and hides in order to hold onto it and protect it; or, finally, what covers one's needs and necessities so that he does not need the aid of others to survive.
Where the authorities disagree
How rechush and mikneh relate. Three views:
- Hypernym and hyponym. Radak (to Bereishis 12:5, 14:11): rechush includes gold, silver, other movables, and mikneh too, so livestock are one kind of rechush. Ibn Ezra (to Bereishis 12:5) seems to explain that rechush means the same as mikneh, or at least can sometimes mean the same as mikneh.
- Mutually exclusive. Rav Hirsch (to Bereishis 12:5, 13:2, 31:18): rechush is inanimate movable belongings and mikneh is livestock, neither including the other. His reason: domesticated animals recognize the owner who acquired them (Yeshayahu 1:3) and will follow him from place to place of their own volition, whereas inanimate rechush the owner has to take and move himself.
- Animals against people. Rabbi Menachem ben Shlomo (c. 1140), Midrash Sechel Tov (to Bereishis 31:18, 36:6-7), who seems to explain that mikneh is animal property and rechush human property, slaves and maidservants. Rabbi Klein offers this as an explanation that "can be gleaned" from him, not as his stated position.
Where nechasim comes from.
- Bamidbar Rabbah 22:8 relates it to kisui, and Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim takes it from KAF-SAMECH, whose core sense for him is placing one thing on top of another.
- Rabbi Aharon Marcus contends that neches, the singular, is likewise derived from reches (ostensibly, on Rabbi Klein's reading, through the interchangeability of REISH and NUN), making it a cousin of rechush. He notes that nechasim has similar-sounding cognates in Phoenician (Canaanite) and Akkadian, languages whose speakers were in close contact with Hebrew from an early time, and that nechasim first appears in Sefer Yehoshua, written once the Jews had reached the Holy Land and could theoretically have been influenced by its Canaanite inhabitants. On this basis Marcus notes that the tie between nechasim and rechush is especially poignant for Yehoshua himself, who as an Ephraimite pronounced the shin like a sin (Shoftim 12:6), so he may have said rechus. Marcus adds that in many ancient languages the letters equivalent to shin and lamed are interchangeable, which leads him to claim that the root of rechush is also the original source of ר-כ-ל, whence rochel, a merchant.
Also discussed in
Radak on these roots
Sefer HaShorashim
כ-ס-ה
To cover; its nouns are כְּסוּי and כְּסוּת, a covering or a garment, and מִכְסֶה, a covering.
Covering
כִּסָּה הֶֽעָנָן (Bamidbar 9:15), the cloud covered, and כִּֽי־תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ (Yeshayahu 58:7), when you see the naked, cover him. In the reflexive, וַתִּקַּח הַצָּעִיף וַתִּתְכָּֽס (Bereishis 24:65), she took the veil and covered herself.
The covering
כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ (Bamidbar 4:6), a covering of tachash skin. On another pattern כְּסוּת, as עַל־אַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת כְּסֽוּתְךָ (Devarim 22:12), on the four corners of your garment, and כִּי הִוא כְסוּתֹה לְבַדָּהּ (Shemos 22:26), for it alone is his covering. On another again, וְעָשִׂיתָ מִכְסֶה לָאֹהֶל (Shemos 26:14), you shall make a covering for the tent. The noun וְלִמְכַסֶּה (Yeshayahu 23:18), and for a covering, is like כְּסוּת, a covering.
Covering a thing from men
אָדָם עָרוּם כֹּסֶה דָּעַת (Mishlei 12:23), a prudent man covers knowledge. אֵלֶיךָ כִסִּֽתִי (Tehillim 143:9), to You I have covered, means: to You I cried in secret, in concealment from men. The whole pasuk is explained so: הַצִּילֵנִי מֵאֹיְבַי, save me from my enemies, Hashem, for I did not uncover my quarrel to men, since the salvation of man is vain, but covered it from them and uncovered it to You alone.
Covering with a garment
וְעֵרוֹם כִּסָּה ־בָֽגֶד (Yechezkel 18:16), and has covered the naked with a garment, is בבגד, with a garment. וַתִּקְחִי אֶת־בִּגְדֵי רִקְמָתֵךְ וַתְּכַסִּים (Yechezkel 16:18), and you took your embroidered garments and covered them, he explains as ותכסי בם, and you covered with them. Or the suffix is joined to the verb as with putting on clothes, as in יִלְבָּשָׁם הַכֹּהֵן (Shemos 29:30), the kohen shall put them on, and לְבַשׁ בְּגָדֶיךָ (Divrei HaYamim II 18:29), put on your garments: the garments I gave you to cover yourself with for honour when you come to My house, you covered yourself with before the images. Or the suffix of וַתְּכַסִּים is the male images already mentioned, so that you covered the images with the embroidered garments.
אָדָם עָרוּם כֹּסֶה דָּעַת (משלי יב, כג), וְכֹסֶה קָלוֹן עָרֽוּם (משלי יב, טז). והשם כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ (במדבר ד, ו). ומשקל אחר וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָֽאֲבַדּֽוֹן (איוב כו, ו), עַל־אַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת כְּסֽוּתְךָ (דברים כב, יב), כִּי הִוא כְסוּתֹה לְבַדָּהּ (שמות כב, כו). ומשקל אחר וְעָשִׂיתָ מִכְסֶה לָאֹהֶל (שמות כו, יד). וההתפעל וַתִּקַּח הַצָּעִיף וַתִּתְכָּֽס (בראשית כד, סה), תִּכַּסֶּה שִׂנְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאוֹן (משלי כו, כו), הראוי תִּתְכַּסֶּה. והנפעל בַּֽהֲמֹון גַּלָּיו נִכְסָֽתָה (ירמיה נא, מב), לְבִלְתִּי הִכָּסֽוֹת (יחזקאל כד, ח). והפעל הכבד [פִּעֵל] כִּסָּה הֶֽעָנָן (במדבר ט, טו), וַֽעֲוֹנִי לֹֽא־כִסִּיתִי (תהלים לב, ה), אֵלֶיךָ כִסִּֽתִי (תהלים קמג, ט), בחירק. ופירוש הפסוק הַצִּילֵנִי מֵאֹיְבַי י"י, כי לא גליתי ריבי לבני אדם כי שוא תשועת אדם, אלא כסיתי מהם ואליך לברך גליתי וזה טעם אֵלֶיךָ כִסִּֽתִי אליך צעקתי בסתר ובמכסה מבני אדם. ובצרי כִּסֵּתִי עָלָיו אֶת־תְּהוֹם (יחזקאל לא, טו), וְכִסֵּיתִי בְכַבּֽוֹתְךָ שָׁמַיִם (יחזקאל לב, ז), וַיְכַס הֶֽעָנָן (שמות מ, לד), בֶּעָנָן אֲכַסֶּנּוּ (יחזקאל לב, ז), והוקל תְּהֹמֹת יְכַסְיֻמוּ (שמות טו, ה). אֲשֶׁר תְּכַסֶּה־בָּֽהּ (דברים כב, יב). וַתִּקְחִי אֶת־בִּגְדֵי רִקְמָתֵךְ וַתְּכַסִּים (יחזקאל טז, יח), פירוש ותכסי בם. או יסמך אל הכינויים כדרך לבישה יִלְבָּשָׁם הַכֹּהֵן (שמות כט, ל), לְבַשׁ בְּגָדֶיךָ (דברי הימים ב' יח, כט), כלומר הבגדים שנתתי לך שתכסים לכבוד בבואך אל ביתי כסית אותם לפני הצלמים. או יהיה כנוי וַתְּכַסִּים לצלמי זכָר שׁזכַר כלומר כסית הצלמים בבגדי רקמה. וְעֵרוֹם כִּסָּה־בָֽגֶד (יחזקאל יח, טז), בבגד. כִּֽי־תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ (ישעיה נח, ז). והשם וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִֽיק (ישעיה כג, יח), כמו כסות והוא בפלס מְמַלֵּא עַל־כָּל־גְּדֹיתָיו (דברי הימים א' יב, טו), שהוא שם תאר כמו מָלֵא, וכן יִמַּךְ הַמְּקָרֶה (קהלת י, יח) הוא לקרוי הבית. ושלא נזכר פעלו ממנו [פֻּעַל] כָּסּוּ הָרִים צִלָּהּ (תהלים פ, יא), וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמוֹ יְכֻסֶּֽה (קהלת ו, ד).
ק-נ-ה
To acquire, the counterpart of selling; מִקְנֶה, cattle, a man's possession. A second sense: קָנֶה, a reed, and things so called, a measuring rod, a branch, a spear.
Acquiring
אֲשֶׁר קָנָה אַבְרָהָם (Bereishis 25:10), which Avraham acquired, and כִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי (Shemos 21:2), if you acquire a Hebrew servant. It stands against selling, and is well known; but there is an acquiring where there is no sale and no money paid, as קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ (Bereishis 14:22), the One who acquired heaven and earth, and the like. In מִקְנֶה וְקִנְיָן (Yechezkel 38:12), cattle and goods, the one word is of the animals and the other of the rest of a man's goods. And כִּֽי־אָדָם הִקְנַנִי מִנְּעוּרָֽי (Zechariah 13:5) he reads as: a man taught me from my youth to be one who acquires cattle and works the ground.
Why cattle are called מקנה
The larger and smaller beasts are called מִקְנֶה because they are a man's possession and his money and his business: וּמִקְנֶה רַב הָיָה (Bamidbar 32:1), and there was very much cattle.
The reed, and other things so called
כַּאֲשֶׁר יָנוּד הַקָּנֶה (Melachim I 14:15), as the reed shakes. Because a measure is made from the reed, a measuring rod is a קָנֶה, בִּקְנֵה הַמִּדָּה (Yechezkel 42:17), with the measuring reed. The thin rods in the likeness of a reed are called קָנִים as well, וְשִׁשָּׁה קָנִים (Shemos 25:32), and six branches. The limb from the arm's joint to the shoulder's joint is also called קָנֶה: וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵר (Iyov 31:22), and let my arm be broken from its קָנֶה. Spears are called so because they are in the likeness of a reed: גְּעַר חַיַּת קָנֶה (Tehillim 68:31), rebuke the band of the reed, that is, the company that fights with spears. The beam of a balance, from which the pans hang by cords on either side, is called קָנֶה too: וְכֶסֶף בַּקָּנֶה יִשְׁקֹלוּ (Yeshayahu 46:6), and they weigh silver on the beam. So is the spice that is in the likeness of a reed, וּקְנֵה בֹשֶׂם (Shemos 30:23), and a reed of spice.
אֲשֶׁר־קָנָה אַבְרָהָם (בראשית כה, י), קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת־י"י (בראשית ד, א), קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָֽרֶץ (בראשית יד, יט), הֲלוֹא־הוּא אָבִיךָ קָּנֶךָ (דברים לב, ו), כִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי (שמות כא, ב), זְכֹר עֲדָתְךָ קָנִיתָ קֶּדֶם (תהלים עד, ב), כִּֽי־אַתָּה קָנִיתָ כִלְיֹתָי (תהלים קלט, יג). והשם מִקְנֶה וְקִנְיָן (יחזקאל לח, יב), קִנְיַן כַּסְפּוֹ (ויקרא כב, יא) ובאמת מִקְנֶה וְקִנְיָן כמו מִקְנֵהֶם וְקִנְיָנָם (בראשית לד, כג), האחד על הבהמות והאחד על שאר הנכסים. והנפעל וְנִקְנָה הַשָּׂדֶה (ירמיה לב, מג), עוֹד יִקָּנוּ בָתִּים (ירמיה לב, טו). והפעל הנוסף [הִפְעִיל] כִּֽי־אָדָם הִקְנַנִי מִנְּעוּרָֽי (זכריה יג, ה), כלומר למדני שאהיה קונה מקנה ועובד אדמה. והשם לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִקְנָה (בראשית כג, יח), מִקְנַת כַּסְפּוֹ (בראשית יז, כג). ומשקל אחר מִקְנֵה הַשָּׂדֶה (בראשית מט, לב), וכלם ענין קנין והוא כנגד המכירה וידוע. ויש קנין שאין שם מכירה ולא דמים כמו קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָֽרֶץ (בראשית יד, כב), והדומים לו. והבהמות הגסות והדקות יקראו מקנה לפי שהם קנין האדם וכספו ועסקו. וּמִקְנֶה רַב הָיָה (במדבר לב, א), גַּם מִקְנֶה בָקָר וָצֹאן הַרְבֵּה הָיָה לִי (קהלת ב, ז), איננו סמוך כי הוא פתח קטן ואחר כך מפרש מה הוא המקנה בקר וצאן. וְכָֽל־מִקְנְךָ תִּזָּכָר (שמות לד, יט). יִרְעֶה מִקְנֶיךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא (ישעיה ל, כג), יתכן שיהיה לשון יחיד והיו"ד למ"ד הפעל ואף על פי שהוא שלא כמנהג. או יהיה לשון רבים ואף על פי שאמר ירעה הנה כמהו רבים. וכן הוא הקבוץ מקנים כמו מן מעשה מעשים. וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת־מִקְנֵיהֶם אֶל־יוֹסֵף (בראשית מז, יז), וְאִם־מֵימֶיךָ נִשְׁתֶּה אֲנִי וּמִקְנַי (במדבר כ, יט), אֹתִי וְאֶת־בָּנַי וְאֶת־מִקְנַי בַּצָּמָֽא (שמות יז, ג). וענין אחר כַּֽאֲשֶׁר יָנוּד הַקָּנֶה (מלכים א' יד, טו), קָנֶה וָסוּף קָמֵֽלוּ (ישעיה יט, ו), ידוע. ולפי שעושים מן הקנה מדה אמר חֲמֵֽשׁ־מֵאוֹת קָנִים בִּקְנֵה הַמִּדָּה (יחזקאל מב, יז). וכן יקראו הבדים הדקים שהם בדמות הזקנה. יְרֵכָהּ וְקָנָהּ (שמות כה, לב), וְשִׁשָּׁה קָנִים (שמות כה, לב). שְׁלֹשָׁה קְנֵי מְנֹרָה (שם). ובקבוץ הנקבות כַּפְתֹּֽרֵיהֶם וּקְנֹתָם כה, לו). וכן קבורת היד נקרא קנה וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵֽר (איוב לא, כב), והה"א נחה ומשפטו במפיק והוא מפרק הזרוע ועד פרק הכתף. וכן הרמחים לפי שהן בדמות הקנה נקראו כן גְּעַר חַיַּת קָנֶה (תהלים סח, לא), כלומר העדה הלוחמת ברמחים. וכן בד המאזנים שתלויין בו הכפות בחוטים מזה ומזה נקרא קנה. וְכֶסֶף בַּקָּנֶה יִשְׁקֹלוּ (ישעיה מו, ו), וכן אמרו רבותינו ז"ל (בבא בתרא פט, ע"א) נפש מאזנים תלויה באויר שלשה טפחים וגבוהים מן הארץ שלשה טפחים וקנה ומותני שלה שנים עשר טפחים. וכן הבושם שהוא בדמות קנה הנקרא בלע"ז קניל"ה. וּקְנֵה־בֹשֶׂם (שמות ל, כג), לֹֽא־קָנִיתָ לִּי בַכֶּסֶף קָנֶה (ישעיה מג, כד), וְקָנֶה הַטּוֹב מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָק (ירמיה ו, כ).
ר-כ-ס
The רְכָסִים are the high mountains; רֻכְסֵי אִישׁ, the pride and haughtiness of men; and the verb, raising the choshen to join it to the ephod above it.
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וְהָֽרְכָסִים לְבִקְעָֽה (Yeshayahu 40:4), and the high mountains into a valley, רְכָסִים being the high mountains; מֵֽרֻכְסֵי אִישׁ (Tehillim 31:21), from the pride of men and their haughtiness; and the verb from it, וְיִרְכְּסוּ אֶת־הַחֹשֶׁן (Shemos 28:28), that is, they shall raise the choshen to join it to the ephod, which is above it.
וְהָֽרְכָסִים לְבִקְעָֽה (ישעיה מ, ד), ההרים הגבוהים. ומשקל אחר מֵֽרֻכְסֵי אִישׁ (תהלים לא, כא), מגאות בני אדם ומגבהותם. והפעל ממנו וְיִרְכְּסוּ אֶת־הַחֹשֶׁן (שמות כח, כח), כלומר יגביהו החשן לחברו עם האפוד שהוא למעלה ממנו.
ר-כ-ש
רֶכֶשׁ, beasts ridden: to Rabbi Yonah good horses not many years old, to Radak perhaps another kind; and רְכוּשׁ, all a man's wealth, cattle, silver, gold, movables.
What a רכש is
Rabbi Yonah wrote that they are the good horses over whom many years have not passed. Radak holds it may rather be some other beast we do not know, since one pasuk sets the couriers בְּיַד הָרָצִים בַּסּוּסִים רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ (Esther 8:10), by the hand of the runners on horses, riders of the רֶכֶשׁ, and another gives וְהַשְּׂעֹרִים וְהַתֶּבֶן לַסּוּסִים וְלָרָכֶשׁ (Melachim I 5:8), the barley and the straw for the horses and for the רֶכֶשׁ: it looks like a kind besides horses.
What רכוש takes in
The noun covers all a man's money: his cattle, silver and gold, and every movable thing. So וְאֶת־כָּל־רְכֻשׁוֹ אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁ (Bereishis 31:18), all his goods that he had gathered. And on תֶּן־לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻשׁ קַח־לָךְ (Bereishis 14:21), give me the souls and take the goods to yourself, he says נפש is the souls of the men, for he asked of him nothing but the people, and let him take the livestock and all the money.
רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ (אסתר ח, י), רְתֹם הַמֶּרְכָּבָה לָרֶכֶשׁ (מיכה א, יג), בשש נקודות. כתב רבי יונה כי הם הסוסים הטובים שלא עברו עליהם שנים רבות. ויתכן היותם בהמות אחרות לא ידענום כי הנה אמר בְּיַד הָרָצִים בַּסּוּסִים רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ (אסתר ח, י), ואמר וְהַשְּׂעֹרִים וְהַתֶּבֶן לַסּוּסִים וְלָרָכֶשׁ (מלכים א' ה, ח), דומה שהוא מין אחר זולתי הסוסים. וְאֶת־כָּל־רְכֻשׁוֹ אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁ (בראשית לא, יח), וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן יֵֽצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדֽוֹל (בראשית טו, יד), וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם יִהְיוּ לִבְהֶמְתָּם וְלִרְכֻשָׁם וּלְכֹל חַיָּתָֽם (במדבר לה, ג), וְאֵת כָּל־הָֽאָדָם אֲשֶׁר לְקֹרַח וְאֵת כָּל־הָֽרְכֽוּשׁ (במדבר טז, לב), כָּל־אֵלֶּה שָׂרֵי הָֽרְכוּשׁ אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִֽיד (דברי הימים א' כז, לא). השם הזה כולל כל ממון האדם קנה הבהמה וכסף וזהב וכל מטלטלין. וכן תֶּן־לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָֽרְכֻשׁ קַח־לָֽךְ (בראשית יד, כא), פירוש הנפש נפש האדם כי לא היה מבקש ממנו כי אם האדם ויקח לו המקנה וכל הממון.
Radak, Sefer HaShorashim, Berlin 1847. Public domain, digitised by Sefaria from the National Library of Israel.
Sources
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Prime Property," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 5 November 2022.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Bechukosai: All About Money," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 1 June 2024.
Cited in the essay: Bereishis 12:5, 13:2, 13:6, 14:11, 14:12, 14:16, 14:19, 14:21, 15:14, 31:18, 34:23, 36:6-7; Shemos 12:4, 28:28 with Rashi; Yehoshua 22:8; Shoftim 12:6; Yeshayahu 1:3; Koheles 5:18, 6:2; Ezra 6:8, 7:26; Divrei HaYamim II 1:11, 1:12; Mishnah Peah 3:6-8, Kesubos 8:1-2, Bava Basra 8:3-7, Avos 2:7; Bamidbar Rabbah 22:8; Radak to Bereishis 12:5, 14:11 and Sefer HaShorashim; Ibn Ezra to Bereishis 12:5; Rav Hirsch to Bereishis 12:5, 13:2, 31:18; Ramban to Bereishis 14:19, 34:23; Midrash Sechel Tov to Bereishis 31:18, 36:6-7; Rabbi Shmuel de Ucedah, Midrash Shmuel to Avos 2:8; Rabbi Shimon Yehuda Leib Goldblit; Shoresh Yesha; Ohalei Yehudah; Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim; Rabbi Aharon Marcus; Solomon Rabinowitz; Naftali Tur-Sinai; Dr. Gerald Leonard Cohen, Comments on Etymology; Rabbi Nosson of Rome, Sefer HeAruch; Rabbi Eliyahu HaBachur, Sefer HaTishbi and Meturgeman.