SUCCINCT SUMMARY:
-----------------
One of Rashis 6 main goals is the explanation of words
similar to the way a dictionary explains words. When Rashi
explains words we say he is using the method of WORD
MEANINGS

Rashi had 10 vehicles by which to explain words. When Rashi
uses the SYNONYM submethod Rashi is not explaining the
meaning of words--indeed the meaning is already known--
rather Rashi is contrasting the nuances of a given word
to other words with almost similar meanings.

EXAMPLE: Beth vs Tauv-Vav-Caph
------------------------------
Both the
- Hebrew letter Beth and
- Hebrew word Tauv-Vav-Caph
mean IN. Tauv-Vav-Caph, however, means CENTRALLY IN.

This nuance helps explain the following Rashis

EXAMPLE Nu17-21a
----------------
The Biblical text states
--------------------------------
All the tribes gave branches;
Aarons branch was [CENTRALLY] AMONG the branches
--------------------------------

Rashi states
-----------------------------------
The word TWK means CENTRALLY AMONG
This heightens the miracle that only
Aarons branch sprouted; if Aaron's
branch was at the side then people
would say that the sprouting happened
BECAUSE it was on the side
-----------------------------------

EXAMPLE Gn02-09b
----------------
The Biblical text states
--------------------------------
There were many trees in the
garden; the tree of life
was [CENTRALLY] IN the garden
--------------------------------

Rashi states
-------------------------------
The tree of life was CENTRALLY
IN the garden.
-------------------------------

Rabbi Cooperman, with whom I spent Shabbos,
further explained the symbolic implications
of this Rashi: He said this in the name of
his father-in-law who cited the Chafetz Chaim
-------------------------------------------
The TREE OF LIFE refers to the TORAH.
The fact that the TORAH is CENTRALLY in
the Garden of Eden means it is equidistant
from all other trees. The symbolic meaning
of this is that no matter how you approach
Torah--from whatever TREE IN LIFE you are
at--you have an equal chance/distance/access
to get to the Torah
-------------------------------------------

EXAMPLE Ex24-18a
----------------
The Biblical text states
------------------------------------------
Moses went [CENTRALLY] INTO the cloud of God
------------------------------------------

Rashi states
------------------------------------------
TWK means CENTRALLY INTO THE MIDDLE. This
teaches that God had to make a path for
Moses to enter the center of the cloud
------------------------------------------

Again we can speculate on the symbolic
meaning that prophecy requires entering
the CENTER OF THE CLOUD
----------------------------------------
Prophecy is not about obvious matters;
God for example does not say that a tree
is a tree or that the sun will rise tomorrow;
Prophecy is about matters on which we need
guidance, matters about which we are confused.
Symbolically, prophecy happens from the CENTER
OF THE CLOUD
-----------------------------------------

EXAMPLE Lv24-10c
----------------
The Biblical text states
------------------------------------
...a person - the son of an
Egyptian - [CENTRALLY] IN the Jewish
people
------------------------------------

Rashi states
------------------------------------
TWK means CENTRALLY IN. This teaches
that the person had converted
------------------------------------

EXAMPLE Gn01-06b
-----------------
The Biblical Text states
---------------------------------
And God said: Let there be a
FIRMAMENT [CENTRALLY] IN the
water and let there be a division
between water and water
---------------------------------

Rashi
--------------------------------
TWK means CENTRALLY IN. This teaches
that the firmament is CENTRALLY
IN the water and hence the firmament
literally lies MID AIR and is held
by a miracle
--------------------------------

Again we can seek symbolic meaning
----------------------------------
- WATER refers to everyday emotions.
- HEAVEN refers to spiritual matters.
- EARTH refers to physical matters.

But the border between everyday chatter
that refers to physical vs spiritual
matters is very tenuous (it lies
MID AIR!!!). For physical people
continuously see physical nuances
in the most spiritual of speeches
while spiritual people can derive
moral lessons from physical everyday
chatter. Hence indeed, the FIRMAMENT,
the divider between the physical and
spiritual lies MID AIR and is tenuous.
-------------------------------------

EXAMPLE Nu35-34a
----------------
The Biblical text states
-----------------------------
Dont tolerate bloodshed because
I, God, am [CENTRALLY] dwelling
IN the land
-----------------------------

Rashi
-------------------------------
TWK means CENTRALLY IN--hence
since God cant dwell with murderers
[who deny the Divine Image in which
we are created] therefore we must
prosecute murderers so that God
can CENTRALLY DWELL among us
--------------------------------

EXAMPLE Lv11-33a
----------------
The Biblical text states
----------------------------
As for earthenware vessels:
If a dead animal falls CENTRALLY in it;
all that is CENTRALLY IN IT
will become ritually impure
----------------------------

Rashi states
----------------------------
This teaches that earthenware
vessels both
- receive ritual impurity
- transmit ritual impurity
from their AIRSPACE
----------------------------

In other words....the transmitting
or receiving object can both be
CENTRALLY IN the vessel without
touching it and this suffices to
effectuate ritual impurity.

List of verses where     TWK means CENTRALLY IN vs just IN