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.
Today we examine two meaning submethods of Rashi.


EXAMPLE: NAMING BY FORM/FUNCTION/FEEL
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Rashi frequently identifies meaning by focusing
on the FORM and FUNCTION or FEEL 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. Similarly words like
HARDship and inFLAMMATION name events by how they FEEL.

EXAMPLE: BURNING snake venom
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Nu21-06a refers to the
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BURNING snakes.
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Rashi explains
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The venom of a snake bite feels
like a BURN
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LIST819a below presents several examples of naming by FEELing

EXAMPLE: PROVIDING A UNIFIED MEANING for VERSES
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The root Ayin-Pay-Lamed only occurs about a dozen times in Tanach.
This is a peach of an example of how to infer meaning of rare
verses
- Rashi states (Nu14-44a) it means STRONG
- Radack however states it means HIGH--Radack explains
Rashis STRONG as HIGH OF HEART (Strong willed)
- Also: Rashi himself explains the meaning HEMMOROIDS as
HIDDEN (1S05-06)

Let us summarize: By looking at Rashi on SEVERAL verses and
by looking at SEVERAL commentators we have the meanings
- STRONG
- HIGH
- HIDDEN

This example shows
- the danger of simply reading one verse with commentary and
thinking that understanding has been obtained
- the necessity of checking several verses and commentaries

We suggest the basic meaning THICK/IMPENETRABLE. Hence we have
- thick/impenetrable fortress
- thick hemmoroids
- (Nu14-44a) thick impenetrable storming of enemy
Such a wild storming is frequently unorganized indicating
spontaneousness and lack of leadership(Rashi's 2nd explanation)

Note Rashi's STRONG is a misnomer--Rashi really meant something
HARD and THICK, not necessarily strong. This is consistent
with usages in other verses.

LIST864a below summarizes this approach with sample verses

List of verses with      Root Ayin-Pay-Lamed=thick / impenetrable