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THE SUBJUNCTIVE |
RASHIS COVERED: Gn29-03a Gn29-03c
VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
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Consider the tense of the verb SEE in the following sentences
--- Upon SEEING a red light, you stop.
--- When you WILL SEE a red light, you stop.
The verb SEE in these sentences is said to be in the SUBJUNCTIVE
MOOD. Although one sentence seems to be in the FUTURE(If you WILL
SEE) it is nevertheless, not talking about ONE event that will
happen sometime in the future, but rather is describing the
consequences ANY TIME this event happens. Hence Rashi interprets
Gn29-03 as the SUBJUNCTIVE-WHEN they gathered the flocks, then
they opened the well, watered the flocks,& closed the well
THE RULE
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One of Rashis 6 main tasks is to explain GRAMMAR the same
way modern dictionaries explain grammar. In this posting
Rashi explains the SUBJUNCTIVE rule:
Accordingly,
IF
-- we deal with a COMPOUND sentence
-- describing attributes of an ONGOING or REPEATED activity
THEN
-- we translate this sentence either
------using the SUBJUNCTIVE (WOULD) or
------using a GERUND(Word ending in ING denoting ONGOINGness)
-- & we use either the past or future grammatical form.
THE LIST
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The list below contains about a dozen compound sentences
where past or future tenses seem out of place. Rashi translates
these as either the SUBJUNCTIVE or GERUND *10 The first two
rows are new (The previous rows are from
http://www.RashiYomi.com/h12n4.htm)
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| VERSE |
TEXT OF VERSE WITH FUTURE/PAST TRANSLATED AS GERUND |
| Gn29-03 |
When they gathered they WOULD*3 open the well, |
| Gn29-03 |
and water the flock and then they WOULD*4 close*3 well |
| Gn18-19b |
I explain Sedoms destruction to enable COMMANDINGcharity |
| Gn24-45a |
Before my COMPLETING the prayer for her, Rivkah came |
| Job1-4 |
Job offered sacrifices SAYING, Maybe my childen sinned |
| Job1-5 |
The above procedure WOULD always BE DONE by Job |
| Gn29-03b |
until sufficient shepards gather for ROLLING the stone |
| Ex18-15a |
Upon COMING to me I advise them of Gods ways *14 |
| Ex18-22a |
Select reps,JUDGING the people;you try the hard cases*11 |
| Ex33-07b |
Moses WOULD pitch tent outside camp for people to come*1 |
| Ex33-08a |
When Moses WOULD go out, people WOULD stand for him |
| Ex33-09a |
God WOULD speak to Moses face to face like friends*12 |
| Ex33-11a |
After God WOULD speak with Moses |
| Ex33-11c |
Moses WOULD return to the camp*13 |
| Dt02-12A |
Esauv WILL BE INVOLVED IN THEIR CONQUEST*2 |
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COMMENTS |
*1 The next 5 elements in the list form one whole section,
Ex33-07:11. Rashi points out use of the subjunctive in
several of the verbs.
*2 Rashi points out that there wasnt just one war where
Esauv won this territory. Like many conquests the
war lasted over a period and was probably still ongoing
at the time of the Bible. Hence instead of saying
ESAUV INHERITS IT (PRESENT TENSE) the Bible says
ESAUV (WILL) INHERIT it ((FUTURE for PRESENT) since
the PRESENT activity of INHERITANCE is continuing into
the future. Thus this example illustrats not the
SUBJUNCTIVE but rather ONGOING activity.
*3 --------OPENING THE WELL
is denoted by the Biblical phrase of
--------ROLLING the (covering) stone (for the well);
--------CLOSING THE WELL
is denoted by the Biblical phrase of
--------RETURNING the stone
*4 Rashi is making a comment here about the beginning and ending
of a compound IF statements. Here is Gn29-03
- WHEN they gathered all the flocks
- THEN they WOULD
---- OPEN the well
---- WATER the flock
-----and CLOSE the WELL
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