SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
The BULLET method could perhaps better be called the
PARAGRAPH METHOD. The BULLET method seeks to make
inferences from PARAGRAPH structure or from PARALLEL
structure (A good example of paragraph structure is
a bulleted structure). We present an example with
several inferences below.
Two example classes are presented below
One of the examples in this posting
was initially presented in Volume 25 Number 21. It is
presented here a) more concisely and b) with reference
to other Rashi rules connected with the paragraph as
appropriate.
EXAMPLES 1-3: Lv22-10:16 (From Volume 25 Number 21)
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Lv22-10:16 should be read as an entire paragraph. The
paragraph theme deals with the prohibition of NON-PRIESTS
from eating TERUMAH (The food items RAISED for the priest).
We first present the text of the chapter and then proceed
to make 3 inferences from the PARALLEL structure.
------------------- TEXT OF Lv22-10:16 --------------------
VERSE PERSON DISCUSSED (S)HE CAN/CANT EAT
-------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Lv22-04 A male priest....*3 *5
Lv22-07 ...who is pure may eat HOLIES,his bread
------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Lv22-10a Strangers*3 Dont eat holies*1
------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Lv22-10b priest tenants*2
Lv22-10b ------ workers*2 Dont eat holies*1
Lv22-11a Bought Souls PROPERTY*2 He can eat
Lv22-11b Born in house*2 They can eat
------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Lv22-12 Priest daughter-stranger*3 Cant eat TERUMAH holy*1
Lv22-13 Widowed Priest daughter*4 Can Eat fathers bread*1
Lv22-13 Stranger *3 *5 dont eat
------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Lv22-14 Man who eats by accident*3 Pay 1/5 fine
Lv22-15a DONT DESCECRATE*6 Holies*1
Lv22-15 TERUMAH to God*1
Lv22-16a Lest they bear sin*7 eating holies*1
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We now proceed to make 3 inferences (as indicated by the
footnotes) This chapter describes the prohibitions and
permissabilities of eating HOLY items such as Terumah. So
e.g. Priests may eat TERUMAH; non-priests may not eat it.
Special laws apply to workers, children, in-laws of priests.
INFERENCE #1: HOLY=TERUMAH
--------------------------
Revu all items with #1 in the above list. The Bible
describes WHAT can/cannot be eaten using 7 terms
- holies
- holies
- holy terumah
- fathers bread
- holies
- Terumah
- holies.
Reviewing this list we easily arrive at Rashi-s inference
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The HOLY items referenced in this chapter refer to the
TERUMAH gifts that Israelites give to Priests for food
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INFERENCE #2: Bought souls,property=SLAVES
------------------------------------------
Revu all itmes with #2 in the above LIST. The Bible
describes 4 types of people associated with priests and
indicates whether they may or may not eat Terumah. The
4 types are
- priest tenants*2
- workers*2
- Bought Souls PROPERTY*2
- Born in house*2
The phrase BOUGHT SOULS, PROPERTY is the giveaway. It tells
us that we are talking about SLAVES. This suggests the idea
of searching the Bible for phrases or types of slaves and
comparing to the above list. We arrive at the following
suggested correspondences
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- NON JEWISH SLAVES - BOUGHT, PROPERTY (Ex21-21) (Lv22-11a)
- CHILDREN OF HOUSE - CHILDREN OF SLAVES (Lv25-45)(Lv22-11b)
- SLAVES FOR 7 YEARS - WORKERS (Cf Lv25-40) (Rashi:Lv22-10b)
- Slaves for 50 years- PRIEST RESIDENT (Rashi:Lv22-10b)
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Let us be clear about the inference. We are NOT saying that
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the phrase RESIDENT PRIEST intrinsically MEANS 50 year slaves
-----------------------------------------------------
In fact the phrase RESIDENT PRIEST does not occur again in
the Bible. There is no reason to think it means 50 year slave.
Rather the inference is from the PARALLEL STRUCTURE
----------------------------------------------------------
- Since there are 4 phrases used in the chapter
- and since 2-3 of them clearly refer to slaves
- - for example PROPERTY BOUGHT(=non-Jewish slave)
- - or, those BORN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD(=children of slaves)
- - and possibly (WORKER, a term the Bible uses for 7 year slaves)
- therefore, we are justified, based on Parallel structure
- to identify the 4th phrase with the 4th type of slave
- It is for this reason that we identify PRIEST RESIDENT
- with a Hebrew slave who stays with his master for 50 years
-----------------------------------------------------------
Such an inference based on PARALLEL Structure
is not as punchy as a LANGUAGE inference but is a
legitimate methods of justification.
The student who understands the above logic will have
a very clear and rich understaning of many Rashis.
INFERENCE #3: stranger = NON PRIEST
-----------------------------------
Revu all phrases marked with #3. These verses discuss
who may or may not eat Terumah. We see the contrast of
- male priests
- strangers
- priest daughters married to a stranger
- a man
The Rashi inference is now clear
-------------------------------
STRANGER refers to a non-priest
-------------------------------
Note that without the CONTEXT and PARALLEL structure
I might think that STRANGER e.g. refers to a non-jew.
However the context clearly indicates that we are
talking about a non-priest vs a priest.
LIST107L below summarizes this.
EXAMPLE2 Lv22-04:07
------------------
These verses NATURALLY form a Biblical Paragraph
that BULLETS possibilities of becoming IMPURE followed
by a purification procedure. Here is the outline
------------------ TEXT Lv22-04:07 --------------------------
- INTRODUCTION: If a priest become impure thru
- BULLET--1--- Leprosy
- BULLET--2--- Unusual flows
- CONCLUSION-- Then he shouldnt eat OFFERINGS till pure
- BULLET--3--- Or if he touches someone UNCLEAN to the dead
- BULLET--4--- Or a man with seminal flow
- BULLET--5--- Or he touches ANY rodents THAT MAKES HIM IMPURE
- BULLET--6--- Or he touches a man THAE MAKES HIM IMPURE
- CONCLUSION When he becomes impure he cant eat offerings
- CONCLUSION until he goes to Mikvah and waits till evening
- CONCLUSION Only then can he eat from the Offerings
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Notice how the BULLETS are indicated by the repeated word
OR.
INFERENCE #1 Bullets #3,#6
--------------------------
- BULLET--3--- Or if he touches someone UNCLEAN to the dead
- BULLET--6--- Or he touches a man THAE MAKES HIM IMPURE
The BULLETED status of the list encourages a perception
of distinctness. So Rashi suggests
- unclean to dead = a man who had CONTACT with the dead
- a man he is unclean to=an actual dead man
This inference is not based on logic or pickiness
in phrases. Rather, it is based on the bulleted
structure which encourages an atmosphere of distinctness
Furthermore since the last bullet uses the word ANY
----------------------------------------------------
touches a man that he is unclean to, ANY uncleanliness
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The word ANY justifies including all unclean human
states whether they are mentioned in this list or not
See LIST005n for a discussion of the nuances of ALL
INFERENCE #2 Bullets #5,#6
--------------------------
We study
- BULLET--5--- Or he touches ANY rodents THAT MAKES HIM IMPURE
- BULLET--6--- Or he touches a man THAE MAKES HIM IMPURE
The precise Rashi argument is as follows
- For the word ANY
----------------------------------------
ANY RODENT THAT HE IS UNCLEAN TO
----------------------------------------
Rashi infers that he is unclean whether
he touches the WHOLE DEAD RODENT or a
PART of that rodent.
The word ANY can refer to PARTS. See LIST005
below for verse examples where ANY refers
to parts.
- Notice how both verselets use the phrase
---------------------
THAT HE IS UNCLEAN TO
---------------------
Rashi argues that this extra parallelism
justifies transferring elliptically the
word ANY to the other bullets.
]That is the priest is prohibited
from eating TERUMAH whether he contacted
the WHOLE of an impure source or PART
of one)
LIST106u below summarizes this argument.
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