מַלֵּיל עִם אַהֲרֹן וְתֵימַר לֵיהּ בְּאַדְלָקוּתָךְ יָת בּוֹצִינַיָּא לָקֳבֵיל אַפֵּי מְנָרְתָא יְהוֹן מְנָהֲרִין שִׁבְעָא בוֹצִינַיָּא׃
(Numbers 8:2, Targum Onkelos)
Speak with Aharon and say to him: “When you kindle the lamps, opposite the face of the menorah, the seven lamps shall give light.”
Apprentice and Master Scribe: A Ritual Grammar Lesson
Apprentice: Master, I was copying from Onkelos, and in Numbers 8:2, I saw this word יָת — the direct object marker. But why here? Isn’t the verb clear enough?
Master: Ah, young scroll-rider, listen well. In the holy tongue, verbs do much. But in the Aramaic of the Targum, יָת is the golden pin in the scrollwork of meaning. It fastens clarity. Without it, ambiguity reigns.
Apprentice: But the phrase is “when you kindle the lamps”—בְּאַדְלָקוּתָךְ יָת בּוֹצִינַיָּא. The verb “kindle” already expects something to be kindled!
Master: True, but this is the language of clarity and priesthood. We use יָת to mark not just any object, but one of ritual importance. בּוֹצִינַיָּא are not just any lamps—they are sacred vessels. The marker יָת elevates the grammar to match the holiness of the object.
Parsing the Ritual Flame
| Phrase | Gloss | Grammatical Insight |
|---|---|---|
| בְּאַדְלָקוּתָךְ | when you kindle | Infinitive in construct + 2ms suffix (with בְּ for temporal clause) |
| יָת בּוֹצִינַיָּא | the lamps (object) | Direct object explicitly marked with יָת for emphasis and clarity |
| לָקֳבֵיל אַפֵּי מְנָרְתָא | opposite the face of the menorah | Spatial prepositional phrase; “face” (אַפֵּי) in construct with “menorah” |
| יְהוֹן מְנָהֲרִין שִׁבְעָא בוֹצִינַיָּא | they shall give light—the seven lamps | Verb precedes plural subject for emphasis; nominative phrase clarifies subject |
Syntactic Illumination
This verse demonstrates the elegance of Targumic clause structure in ritual contexts:
- The opening uses a temporal construct infinitive phrase: בְּאַדְלָקוּתָךְ “in your kindling.”
- The direct object is preemptively introduced by יָת, allowing clarity even if verbs shift in proximity.
- Prepositional precision is shown in לָקֳבֵיל אַפֵּי מְנָרְתָא — “opposite the face of the menorah” — avoiding the generic “before” or “toward.”
- The clause יְהוֹן מְנָהֲרִין puts the verb before the subject, a stylistic norm in Aramaic, especially in Targum for prophecy and commands.
On יָת: Not Just a Particle
In Targum Onkelos, the use of יָת is more than grammatical—it is theological. It often marks:
- Sacred objects
- Named persons
- Items of legal or ritual focus
Here, יָת בּוֹצִינַיָּא draws attention to the ritual significance of the flames, paralleling Hebrew’s accusative function without requiring inflection.
Cross-Targum Note: Jonathan and the Fire
In Targum Jonathan, similar uses of יָת are found in prophetic mandates—especially where judgment, prophecy, or instruction meet. However, Onkelos is more conservative and consistent in using it for sacral clarity. In both, it is a semantic highlighter.
A Whisper Beyond the Grammar
The menorah’s flames did not dance randomly. They aligned toward the center, mirroring unity, discipline, and divine symmetry. So too does the grammar of Onkelos: structured, liturgical, aligned.
יָת may be a sliver of syntax, but in the world of priestly diction, it is a flame itself—burning with clarity, pointing us toward the subject, the sacred, the seen.
Even in the syntax, we light the lamps.
