SUCCINCT SUMMARY
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One of Rashis 10 main goals is the explanation of
meaning the same way a dictionary explains meaning.
We call this the Rashi method of WORD MEANING.
Rashi had 10 vehicles by which to explain words.
Today we examine three submethods of meaning.
EXAMPLE OF SUBMETHOD: IDIOMS / NEW MEANINGS
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Rashi frequently explains not, word meaning, but rather
phrase meaning. That is each particular word in the phrase
may have a known meaning but the collection of words
together form a NEW IDIOMATIC MEANING.
We call this the NEW MEANING or the IDIOM SUBMETHOD.
EXAMPLE: PLACE FACE
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Lv17-10 states
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I, God, will PLACE MY FACE against the
person eating blood and cut him off from
my people
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Rashi comments
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The phrase PLACE MY FACE is an idiom
meaning DEVOTE ALL MY ATTENTION/FOCUS
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An almost identical biblical phrase and Rashi occurs at Lv20-03a
EXAMPLE Lv20-13
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The Biblical text at Lv20-13 states
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Dont sleep homosexually with men like SLEEPINGS WITH WOMEN
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Rashi comments
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SLEEPINGS WITH WOMEN includes vaginal and anal sex
[but excludes oral sex]. In other words there is
no death penalty (just a prohibition) of oral sex
between men
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LIST854y below gives further examples of Biblical idioms.
EXAMPLE OF SUBMETHOD: UNIFIED MEANING
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The UNIFIED MEANING submethod seeks to find a UNIFIED
MEANING to a root with disparate meanings. Todays
example is particularly good and sheds light on several
difficult verses.
EXAMPLE: Cheth-Samach-Daleth means KINDNESS/FAVOR
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- Gn47-29 do me a FAVOR--dont bury me in Egypt
- Gn40-14 do me a FAVOR--mention to the King I am in prison
- Gn24-12 God, please do me a FAVOR--give him a charitable women
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- Pr25-10 Dont insult; he might do you a FAVOR;its embarassing
- Lv20-17a if a person sleeps with his sister-if she does a FAVOR
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This last verse has evoked extreme controversy---why is incest
called A FAVOR? Some claim that Cheth-Samech-Daleth could mean
the opposite, SHAMEFUL. However the psychology of incest is
well known and affords us a simpler explanation
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Most men are willing to take the risks of a sexual encounter
Which requires sustaining a certain amount of tension. A person
whose masculinity is so destroyed that he would only have sex
with someone he trusts--like his sister--is not acting like
an adult but receiving a FAVOR from someone he trusts (Despite
this kindness/favor (vs lust) incest is universally prohibited)
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This seems to be the simplest explanation of this unique verse
and seems consistent with Rashi. At any rate the UNIFIED
MEANING of Chest-Samech-Daleth is FAVOR/KINDNESS and this
applies to Pr25-10 and Lv20-17a
LIST863v below summarizes this unified meaning and arguments
EXAMPLE OF SUBMETHOD: 8 METHODS OF NAMING
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Rashi frequently identifies meaning by focusing
on the FORM and FUNCTION of words. For example:
Both the UNITED NATIONS and PENTAGON are institutions
that protect but the PENTAGON is named by its FORM,
while the UNITED NATIONS is named by its GOAL and
PURPOSE to unite nations. (There are other methods
of NAMING words -- for example by SUBSTANCE (iron, glasses)
by FEEL (HARDSHIP) etc.
EXAMPLE: Don-t CIRCLE your head
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Lv19-27a states
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DONT CIRCLE YOUR HEAD
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Rashi comments:
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Don't create the CIRCLE FORM on your head
by shaving the sideburns (so that the hairline from ear
to ear has the FORM of a SEMI-CIRCLE)
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LIST813b below presents other words named by FORM.
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