dsg@mhuxi.UUCP (David S. Green) (11/08/84)
[golem, golem] > It is certainly our religious right to ignore the similarity of the > names Esther and Mordecai to Ishtar and Marduk (Marduk lives?). > I think we should extend similar rights to others. > I'm bracing for flames on this note. I would appreciate it if some > of the flames would include: > - discussing the origin of the word "Esther" > - discussing the origin of "Mordechai", which to me is > a very strange looking Hebrew word > - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) > allegra!eosp1!robison > or: decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison > or (emergency): princeton!eosp1!robison Sorry, this is not a flame but what I can glean from reading the Megillah Esther last night ( ArtScroll Edition ): 1. Mordechai is similar to "flowing myrrh" [Exod. 30:22 ] which the Targum renders as 'Mira Dachia', which in both spelling and sound resemble Mordechai ( Chulin 139b ). Just as the foremost of spices, so Mordechai was the foremost of the righteous of his generation ( Midrash ). 2. There is a difference of opinion among the Sages ( Meg. 13a ) whether Hadassah was her proper name and Esther was added later, or vice-versa. Both names are descriptive of her virtues. Hadassah is derived from the Hebrew word translated as 'Myrtle'; Esther from 'Istahar' [ as beautiful as the moon, says Rashi ]. "Just as the myrtle has a sweet smell but a bitter taste, so Esther was sweet to Mordechai but bitter to Haman" (Midrash). Well, at least halloween is over and done with; I hope. Let us get back to business... What are the odds of winning at dreidel? Shalom, David Seth Green {ihnp4}!mhuxi!dsg 201-564-4468
robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) (11/09/84)
In article <229@mhuxi.UUCP> dsg@mhuxi.UUCP (David S. Green) writes: >What are the odds of winning at dreidel? More facinating to me in recent years is that Fantasy Role Game Players (Dungeons and Dragons, etc.) use a pyramid shaped object when they need a four-sided die. The pyramid is a nuisance to "roll" and to read. But these game players don't seem to have tried driedels yet. - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) allegra!eosp1!robison or: decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison or (emergency): princeton!eosp1!robison
dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) (11/13/84)
In article <1244@eosp1.UUCP> robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) writes: || The pyramid is a nuisance to "roll" and to read. || But these game players don't seem to have tried driedels yet. Nah, they'd get bored waiting for it to stop spinning. Dave Sherman -- { allegra cornell decvax ihnp4 linus utzoo }!utcsrgv!dave
dave@gitpyr.UUCP (David Corbin) (11/13/84)
> More facinating to me in recent years is that Fantasy Role Game Players > (Dungeons and Dragons, etc.) use a pyramid shaped object when they > need a four-sided die. The pyramid is a nuisance to "roll" and to read. > But these game players don't seem to have tried driedels yet. > > - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) Well, since driedels are top-like, I imagine it would take to long for the die-spin to finish. Also, consider, when a player has to roll 20 4-sided dice, it is a lot easier to take a handful of pyramids, and throw them, than it is to spin 20 tops. David Corbin Georgia Institute of Technology Box 34034 Atlanta GA 30332 ...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,masscomp,ut-ngp}!gatech!gitpyr!dave ...!{rlgvax,sb1,uf-cgrl,unmvax,ut-sally}!gatech!gitpyr!dave