Moreover, Rabbi Wertheimer argues that the word mateh is related to the Hebrew word mateh (“inclined”) and refers to the curvature at the top of the stick used for gripping the object.
Of all the characters in the Bible who carried a stick, only Moshe’s stick is called a mateh because he held a certain degree of authority unparalleled by any other Jewish leader on account of his dual role as a prophet and a king. Similarly, Rabbi Wertheimer explains that mateh denotes a stick held by a person in a position of authority.
Some explain that shevet and sharvit refer to the same object, but that sometimes the Bible adds extra r-sounds to words (just as the Bible generally calls the ancient Syrian city Damascus Damesek, but sometimes calls it Darmesek). The word sharvit appears in the Scroll of Esther as the royal scepter held by the Persian king Ahasuerus. The Vilna Gaon (1720-1797) writes that both a mateh and shevet are using for hitting, but differ slightly: to hit with a mateh one only needs to raise one’s hand a bit in order for the impact to be felt, while to hit with a shevet one must wind up one’s hit with energy for the impact to be felt. Rabbi Shlomo Aharon Wertheimer (1866-1935) explains that these terms originally referred to a stick used for hitting animals, and only refer to hitting people as a borrowed usage. In the context of law, the shevet or shotim is the instrument used for flogging those whose offenses deserve such punishment. Rashi (to Sanhedrin 5a) writes that the word shevet denotes the authority and the associated responsibility. (The word makel is probably related to the Hebrew word malkot/makkot, which means “lashes”). In the Bible it generally appears in the context of a shepherd who hits the animals in his charge. Mishenet is a walking stick upon which an elderly person can lean ( mishan means “lean” or “rely”) in other words, a cane. Malbim (to Jeremiah 1:11) says that the word mateh denotes a stick held by a dignitary, which demonstrates the honor due to him by showing his exalted status. Then, using some of that data we will be able to understand the connection between sticks and tribes, which will help us discern the difference between the two synonyms for “tribe”. In this essay, we will discuss the different words for sticks in Hebrew and highlight their differences in connotation. Other words for sticks are mishenet, makel, sharvit, and choter. Moreover, both mateh and shevet share an alternate meaning: they both mean “stick”. However, another word for “tribe” in Hebrew is shevet (or shevatim in plural). The word mateh sometimes means “tribe” (almost exclusively in Numbers and Joshua) and its plural form serves as the namesake for Parshat Matot. This week’s installment features two words which are not only synonyms, but also homonyms.
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