Literally Speaking II - A Response From Rav Mirsky

I received the following email from R. Yehudah Mirsky, author of the poignant YU Commentator article that was the subject of my recent post on the use of the word 'literally'.

Dear MoChassid -- Thanks for taking the care to keep us on the grammatical straight and narrow. As it turns out, my grandfather did indeed finish his work on the Sheiltot on his deathbed, i.e. he finished the manuscript as he lay in bed and lapsed into his final coma a few hours later.

As for people who gave their lives for YU, when I wrote that line I chiefly had in mind Dr. Revel, whose early death seems very much to have been at the least abetted by overwork, as well as Dr. Belkin, who also worked himself very very hard, as well as other very hard-working people I knew over the years.

Feel free to post this on your blog.

Shavua tov,
Yehudah Mirsky

So half an apology to R. Mirsky. His use of the term literally when describing his grandfather literally finishing his manuscript on his death bed was indeed correct. His use of the term literally when describing those who gave their lives for YU was, however, incorrect.

Oh well. A .500 batting average in baseball gets you into the Hall of Fame.