This is part 1 of a 7 part series.
We explore the Biblical phrase AT THAT TIME


VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
------------------
This is a real peach of a Rashi. Anyone who wishes to know
- What is Rashi about?
- What were Rashis goals?
- How should we learn Rashi?
anyone wishing to know this should study this posting.
I shall 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
--------
Know that Rashi lived on the border of two great Biblical
schools - The masorites and the commentators.

POINT 2
-------
Rashi came at the END of the period of the Masorites.
The MASORITES had as their goal the preservation of the
Biblical text. They did this by making lists and pointing
out anomalies. For example: the phrase GOD SPOKE TO MOSES
occurs 78 times in the Torah. The sister phrase GOD SPOKE
TO AARON only occurs twice. The masorites carefully commented
on such anoamalies. Otherwise a scribe thinking his predecessor
had errored would correct the phrase GOD SPOKE TO AARON into
GOD SPOKE TO MOSES. The masorites commented only thru lists--
they never explained deeper meaning and rarely gave rules

POINT 3
--------
Rashi also came at the BEGINNING of the BIBLICAL COMMENTATORS
These commentators attempted to glean moral principles from
the Biblical text. For example the commentators point out that
the Biblical chapter on the nazarite (who abstains from wine)
comes after the Biblical chapter on the Sotah (who is suspected
of committing adultery). The commentators explain that WINE
in excess leads to ADULTERY and conversely witnessing adultery
leads to fear and abstention from wine.

POINT 4
-------
As indicated Rashi lived between these two great schools. Rashi
saw his goal to harmonize the two schools. Rashi believed in
extracting moral lessons but only if they could be derived from
logical inferences from the text. Similarly Rashi believed that
the Biblical text could best be preserved by BOTH presenting
lists with anomalies as well as by explaining the WHY of the
anomalies. Hence Rashis commentary consists of moral inferences
consistent with the exceptions in Biblical lists.

POINT 5
-------
Here is a simple example. Rashi would NOT suffice with observing
that GOD SPOKE TO AARON vs GOD SPOKE TO MOSES occured only 2
times. Similarly Rashi would not suffice with a moral exhortation
that wine can facilitate adultery. Rather Rashi notes that
of the 2 times that it says GOD SPOKE TO AARON one of them occurs
in the prohibition of Priests drinking wine and serving in the
temple. This admonition comes right after Aarons 2 sons died:
Rashi EXPLAINS the oddity that GOD SPOKE TO AARON vs MOSES by
noting that Aarons 2 sons had probably gotten drunk and bragged
how they could offer incense like their father and because of this
disrespect they died. This point echoes the Midrash that they
were bachelors who were searching for identity. Thus the link
of drinking wine to impress women is there also.

POINT 6
-------
In short Rashi combines the use of LISTS WITH ODDITIES--the
tradition of the Masorites--with the use of MORAL EXHORTATION
- the tradition of the commentaries. This is Rashis unique
contribution and greatness.

POINT 7
-------
It follows that Rashis goals were to
- identify Biblical anomalies in lists
- explain these anomalies with moral and legal themes

POINT 8
-------
It follows that to properly learn and understand Rashi we must
- identify the list involved
- identify the cause of the anomalies in the list

POINT 9
-------
It immediately follows that a person who learns Rashi and
says RASHI HAD A TRADITION OF SUCH AND SUCH is only
addressing half of Rashi--namely the traditional aspect
of Rashi. But this person is totally ignoring the logical
part of Rashi and hence has not fully learned Rashi. In
fact to properly learn Rashi one must seek out Rashis lists
and explain EACH occurence in the list, whether or not
Rashi explained them or not.

POINT 10
--------
Todays example illustrates this point. The phrase AT THAT
TIME occurs only about 2 dozen times in the Bible. The phrase
AT THAT TIME signifies CAUSALITY If the Bible is discussing
EVENT A and then states: AT THAT TIME EVENT B HAPPENED then
the phrase AT THAT TIME signifies that event A CAUSED event
B. Indeed for this reason it says AT THAT TIME THE 2nd
ITEM HAPPENED--to signify that the 2nd item was CAUSED by
the 1st.

POINT 11
--------
How so? When it discusses (Dt10) the SIN and FORGIVENESS for
the golden calf and then says:-- AT THAT TIME God separated
out the tribe of Levi for Temple service---we infer that
Levis behavior during the Golden calf CAUSED the tribe of
Levi to be separated out for Temple service. .In fact
Levi abstained from worshipping the Golden calf and assisted
Moses in executing those who did worship.

POINT 12
--------
But of the 2 dozen verses with the phrase AT THAT TIME,
Rashi only explains about half of them. It is important
for the serious student of Rashi to attempt to explain
EACH and every occurence. By doing so the student practices
not only tradition but logic and learns the principle
that Rashi taught.

POINT 13
--------
This method of Rashi: Whereby Rashi explains only half the
occurences of some odd item and leaves the other half for
the student is called the WORKBOOK method. It resembles
the modern method of doing a few sample problems and
then letting the student practice the remaining problems.
The student thereby gains mastery of the principle
involved.

POINT 14
--------
Furthermore Rashi cleverly selects those verses he explains
so that nothing new or hard is left for the student. For
example there are 3 verses where AT THAT TIME refers not
to causality but rather to the BEST TIME TO DO SOMETHING
In fact the verses dont say AT THAT TIME but rather
IN THEIR TIME. The exact verse is that  RAIN WILL COME
IN ITS TIME The phrase IN ITS TIME means
at the best time for rain to come (e.g. Friday nights
when everyone is home or nights in general when people
are asleep but not by day).

POINT 15
--------
The list below amply illustrates the Rashi WORKBOOK
principle. The serious student of Rashi should assiduously
study it -- both the verses he explains as well as the
verses he does not explain -- until the principle is
clear and engraved in his mind.  This will lead to
the students enrichment of Rashi study.

- PRAISE BE HIM WHO CHOSE THEM AND THEIR LEARNING -