SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 5 main goals is to explain meaning the same
way a dictionary explains meaning. We call this the Rashi
rule of WORD MEANINGS
Rashi had 10 vehicles to explain meaning. Rashi frequently
explained the new idiomatic meanings of phrases of words--that
is, the collection of words has a new meaning that is distinct
from the sum of meanings of the individual words. We call this
the RASHI SUBRULE of NEW MEANINGS (We could also call this the
Rashi subrule of IDIOMS)
EXAMPLE Ex04-10b
----------------
The verse states
-------------------------------
Moses said to God: I am not a
man of words ... because I am
HEAVY OF TALKING
--------------------------------
Rashi comments
-----------------------------------
The phrase HEAVY OF TALKING is an
idiom meaning STUTTERER
-----------------------------------
Hence Rashi would interpret the verse
as follows
-------------------------------
Moses said to God: I am not a
man of words because I am
a STUTTERER
--------------------------------
LIST854z below presents a list of Biblical
idioms.
EXAMPLE Ex05-07c
----------------
The verse states
--------------------------------------
...Let them work...dont give them
stubble but keep the brick building
LIKE YESTERDAY LIKE THREE DAYS AGO
--------------------------------------
Rashi comments
----------------------------------
The phrase LIKE YESTERDAY LIKE THREE
DAYS AGO is an IDIOM meaning LIKE
THEIR FORMER HABITS
----------------------------------
Hence Rashi would interpret the verse
as follows
--------------------------------------
...Let them work...dont give them
stubble but keep the brick building
LIKE THEIR FORMER HABITS OF PRODUCTION
--------------------------------------
EXAMPLE Ex21-29a
-----------------------
The verse states
---------------------------------
...but if the ox was a gorer
LIKE YESTERDAY LIKE THREE DAYS AGO
and it was warned ... then the
ox is stoned
---------------------------------
Rashi comments
----------------------------------
The phrase LIKE YESTERDAY LIKE THREE
DAYS AGO is an IDIOM meaning LIKE
ITS FORMER HABITS (of goring)
----------------------------------
Hence Rashi would interpret the verse
as follows
---------------------------------
...but if the ox was a gorer
LIKE ITS FORMER HABIT of goring...
and the ox was warned,
then the ox is stoned
---------------------------------
Actually the literal rendition of Rashi is
------------------------------------------
- gorer YESTERDAY = a second case
- like THREE DAYS AGO = a third case
This shows that if the ox had gored
three times it has the status of a GORER;
if it gored less than three times it has
the status of an ordinary ox
------------------------------------------
I believe that Rashi simply interprets
LIKE YESTERDAY LIKE THREE DAYS AGO as LIKE ITS
FORMER HABIT the same way he interpreted it on
Ex05-07c. However Jewish law gives a numerical
interpretation to LIKE HIS FORMER HABIT OF GORING
to mean IF HE GORED AT LEAST THREE TIMES.
That is we interpret Rashi using the principle
of STAGES: In STAGE 1 we interpret
- LIKE YESTERDAY LIKE THREE TIMES AGO=
LIKE HIS FORMER HABIT
In STAGE 2 we interpret
- LIKE HIS FORMER HABIT = a habit that had been
done at least 3 times.
Still another way to explain this is that
there is an INTERPRETIVE aspect to the
verse and also a LEGAL aspect to the verse.
LIST854j below explores several verses with
the idiom: YESTERDAY ...THREE DAYS AGO. These
verses allow us to test the suggestion that
this phrase means FORMER HABITUAL BEHAVIOR
We continue with other idiom examples.
EXAMPLE Gn16-02c
-------------------------
The verse states
-----------------------------------
God said to Abraham: Everything that
Sarah tells you....listen to her VOICE
-----------------------------------
Rashi comments
-----------------------------------
HER VOICE refers to the HOLY SPIRIT
within her
-----------------------------------
This is a difficult Rashi to interpret. I suggest
that VOICE, in general, refers to NUANCES
Here, my suggested interpretation of Rashi
----------------------------------
Listen to Sarah-s NUANCES
----------------------------------
could correspond to Rashi-s statement
-----------------------------
Listen to Sarah-s HOLY SPIRIT
-----------------------------
The next example seems to confirm our approach
EXAMPLE Ex04-08a
----------------
The verse states
-----------------------------------------
God told Moses if they dont listen to the
VOICE of the first sign then they will
listen to the VOICE of the second sign
-----------------------------------------
My suggestion that VOICE = NUANCE would
yield the following interpretation of Ex04-08a
-----------------------------------------
God told Moses if they dont listen to the
NUANCES of the first sign then they will
listen to the NUANCES of the second sign
-----------------------------------------
Rashi actually comments on this verse
--------------------------------------
God told Moses: Tell them: I Moses have been
punished for slandering the Jews (and
doubting that they would listen to signs)
--------------------------------------
Thus Rashi-s interpretation is consistent
with the suggestion VOICE = NUANCE.
LIST854k below explores verses with VOICE
meaning NUANCE
|