This is a 4 part series
that specially focuses on the
Rabbi Ishmael style rules as
they apply to the land
Sabbatical

VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
------------------
This is a real peach of a Rashi. Anyone who wishes to master
the rules of Rabbi Ishmael could start by reading this
posting. I shall therefore explain everything clearly in
a lucid manner. I shall write it in the style of a
chapter of Rambam so it will be clear to everybody

POINT 1
--------
Consider by way of introduction the verse Dt25-04
DONT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE THRESHING

POINT 2
-------
First note that there is no problem or question on this verse
Nothing is bothering Rashi.

POINT 3
--------
Nevertheless I have 3 methods of interpreting the verse
- LITERALLY: Only OXEN shouldnt be muzzled.Other animals
can be muzzled. After all, that IS what the verse says

POINT 4
-------
- BROADLY: NO ANIMAL should be muzzled. The Bible
only gave a typical example: (No OX should be muzzled)
But the rule should be broadly applied.

POINT 5
-------
- PARTIALLY BROADLY: ANIMALS should not be muzzled
But beasts are ok to muzzle.

POINT 6
-------
So in summary we have 3 ways of interpreting any Torah
Verse- LITERALLY (Only it), BROADLY (see the verse as
an example); PARTIALLY BROADLY.

POINT 7
--------
We call the selection of an interpretation method, STYLE
That is, it is not a matter of logic but rather a matter
of style whether you interpret literally or broadly.

POINT 8
--------
Rabbi Ishmael laid down style rules.
- A simple verse is ALWAYS GENERALIZED and seen as
an example. Hence Rabbi Ishmael requires
interpreting DONT MUZZLE AN OX as DONT MUZZLE
ANY ANIMAL

POINT 9
--------
- A GENERAL-DETAIL verse is seen as literal. For
example if the Torah had said: DONT MUZZLE ANIMALS;
DONT MUZZLE AN OX...then ONLY oxen would be prohibited
but not other animals. For the word ANIMAL is
GENERAL and the word OX is DETAIL and the
GENERAL DETAIL method requires LITERAL INTERPRETATION

POINT 10
--------
- a DETAIL-GENERAL or GENERAL-DETAIL-GENERAL style
requires PARTIAL GENERALIZATION. The basic idea
is to see the GENERAL-DETAIL-GENERAL style as
defining a PARAGRAPH whose main theme is the
GENERAL STATEMENT and whose details are given
in the DETAIL section. So the DETAILS are only
meant to DEVELOP and ILLUSTRATE the general theme
You can generalize them provided they are
consistent with the general theme.

POINT 11
--------
Reviewing Lv25-02:07 we clearly see a GENERAL-DETAIL-GENERAL
structure. In fact in the list below (LIST411a) we simply
list all phrases in the verses but break them out
according to whether they are general or detail.

POINT 12
--------
There are 4 clear sections. The GENERAL THEME is easy to see
-- Make a SABBATICAL FOR THE LAND
-- The SABBATICAL LAND IS FOR FOOD FOR EVERYONE

POINT 13
--------
The DETAIL THEMES are also clear.
-- no SOWING
-- No PRUNING
-- No gathering leftovers from the field
-- no basketing vines

POINT 14
--------
Applying the Rabbi Ishmael rules we see that SOWING, PRUNING,
GATHERING LEFTOVERS, BASKETING are perceived by Rabbi
Ishmael as examples of doing a SABBATICAL. Hence we
partially generalize and conclude that ALL AGRICULTURAL
ACTIVITY DONE FOR HARVESTING & OWNERSHIP are prohibited
even if sowing is not involved

POINT 15
--------
There are many more details. In fact this Chapter is
a rare case of a GENERAL-DETAIL-GENERAL structure with
a nested GENERAL-DETAIL structure (Rashi does not discuss
this, but it is brought down by the Talmud).

POINT 16
--------
Furthermore there are several subparagraphs. For
example Lv25-06:07 states
-- Sabbatical is for FOOD (General)
-- to YOU, SERVANTS, MAIDS, WORKERS, RESIDENTS, ANIMALS..
-- Sabbatical is for FOOD(General)
This GENERAL-DETAIL-GENERAL theme shows that EVERYONE
can eat from the food and as such contradicts a verse
in Ex23-11 which states that the poor should eat. Thus
because of the GENERAL-DETAIL-GENERAL style we see
the verse in Ex23-11 as an EXAMPLE: That is TYPICALLY
POOR WILL EAT FROM THE SABBATICAL BUT IN TRUTH EVERYONE
CAN EAT. Thus we have another example where a Torah
verse can be interpreted literally or else seen as
an example.

POINT 17
--------
A person who reviews these 17 points and carefully
studies the 4 sections in Lv25-02:07 will acquire
a deep understanding of this concept of style. It will
no longer just be a RULE HANDED DOWN FROM SINAI but
rather it will become something intuitive and plausible
which the student can then apply by himself to reach
inferences from the Biblical text. It is for this
reason that I have called the Rabbi Ishmael rules the
EXAMPLE METHOD. For further details and discussion as
well as a free download please visit
http://www.RashiYomi.com/ishmael.htm