align-11


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    =============  HOT ITEMS ================================
   THE BIBLICAL SOURCE OF THE BLESSING FORMAT-Todays posting

   ENGLISH RASHI:       http://www.mnemotrix.com/metsudah
   THE WHITE PAPERS:    http://www.RashiYomi.Com/white.htm
   =========================================================

 GOALS
=====
This module studies the ALIGNMENT method in Rashi. In this
method 2 different verses are found to be ALMOST the same.
The verses are lined up and the minor differences between
them function as footnotes illuminating the text.


TODAYS UNIT
===========
In todays unit we review the alignment
--of 4 verses where Abraham called People to God
--the verbs used in a chapter describing Abrahams hospitality


REFERENCE:
=========
Todays unit comes from the following posting

http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn18-04a.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn21-33b.htm

#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#



ALIGNMENT OF VERBS DESCRIBING ABRAHAMS HOSPITALITY
 

EXAMPLE 25: Gn18-04a Abrahams hospitality to guests

BACKGROUND
----------
Gn18-04 describes a vision of how 3 passerbys passed by Abraham.
The vision then describes how Abraham was hospitable to the
guests.

THE TEXT
--------
All the activities of hospitality, except one, are listed
in the active form: Abraham asked his guests to EAT food,
to REST etc

But one activity is in the passive form (let water BE TAKEN)

THE RASHI
---------
Rashi interprets this to mean that the water was taken to
them by someone else (presumably servants). This was done
for reasons of modesty as we show below

Here is the LIST
VERSE VERB OBJECT

Gn18-04 LET BE TAKEN water
Gn18-04 WASH your feet,
Gn18-04 REST under the tree
Gn18-05 Ill TAKE bread
Gn18-05 EAT to content
Gn18-05 & then LEAVE 
Differs *1 

COMMENTS

*1 First note how only one of the verbs has Abraham
   (vs the guests) as subject: It says: **I** WILL
   TAKE BREAD (vs AND **YOU** WILL EAT). Presumably
   the guests couldnt take bread because they didnt
   know where it was and also it didnt belong to them

   Similarly one of the verbs is PASSIVE: (LET WATER
   BE TAKEN vs YOU EAT, YOU REST). Again, the guests
   didnt know where the water was and it didnt belong
   to them. So someone else, presumably a servant took
   water to them to bathe (Presumably as an act of
   modesty Abraham sent a servant to help them bathe
   rather then do it himself).



ALIGNMENT OF ABRAHAMS CALL TO WORSHIP GOD
 

EXAMPLE 26: Gn21-33b Abrahams Calls people to worship God

BACKGROUND
----------
The Torah in 4 places says that Abraham built altars
in order to CALL PEOPLE TO GOD

THE TORAH TEXT
--------------
In the LIST below we see that one of these 4 places
has an extra phrase: TO CALL TO GOD vs TO CALL TO
GOD THE GOD OF THE WORLD

RASHI
-----
The extra phrase denotes emphasis and Rashi concludes
that Abraham asked people to Acknowledge God as the
creator and Source of their material wealth

Here is the LIST
VERSE PHRASE1 PHRASE2 PHRASE3 PHRASE4

Gn13-04 And Abram called there in the name of God 
Gn12-08 And he called in the name of God 
Gn26-25 And he called in the name of God 
Gn21-33 And he called in the name of God God OfThe world
Differs *1 *2 *3 *4

COMMENTS

*1 These phrases are basically the same

*2 These phrases are almost the same. I dont know why
   one of them has an extra emphasis THERE.

*3 These phrases are identical

*4 This phrase GOD LORD OF THE WORLD only occurs in Gn21-33
   The extra phrase is for emphasis. It leads Rashi to state
   that Abraham asked his guests to Acknowledge God as Owner
   and Giver of Material wealth.

   On a side note there is a well known Jewish institution of
   saying a BLESSING before eating (e.g. Bless be You,God, LORD
   OF THE WORLD, who creates fruit). The Talmud explains that
   since God owns the world we must PURCHASE food before
   consuming it and we do so by BLESSING. Note how the LANGUAGE
   of the blessing,GOD LORD OF THE WORLD is identical to the
   wording of Gn21-33. This leds me to suspect that this verse
   is the source for the language of the blessing.



#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#

ALIGNMENT OF VERBS DESCRIBING ABRAHAMS HOSPITALITY
EXAMPLE 25: Gn18-04a Abrahams hospitality to guests BACKGROUND ---------- Gn18-04 describes a vision of how 3 passerbys passed by Abraham. The vision then describes how Abraham was hospitable to the guests. THE TEXT -------- All the activities of hospitality, except one, are listed in the active form: Abraham asked his guests to EAT food, to REST etc But one activity is in the passive form (let water BE TAKEN) THE RASHI --------- Rashi interprets this to mean that the water was taken to them by someone else (presumably servants). This was done for reasons of modesty as we show below Here is the LIST
VERSE	VERB	OBJECT
Gn18-04	LET BE TAKEN	water
Gn18-04	WASH	your feet,
Gn18-04	REST	under the tree
Gn18-05	Ill TAKE	bread
Gn18-05	EAT	to content
Gn18-05	& then LEAVE
Differs	*1

COMMENTS
1 First note how only one of the verbs has Abraham (vs the guests) as subject: It says: I* WILL TAKE BREAD (vs AND YOU WILL EAT). Presumably the guests couldnt take bread because they didnt know where it was and also it didnt belong to them Similarly one of the verbs is PASSIVE: (LET WATER BE TAKEN vs YOU EAT, YOU REST). Again, the guests didnt know where the water was and it didnt belong to them. So someone else, presumably a servant took water to them to bathe (Presumably as an act of modesty Abraham sent a servant to help them bathe rather then do it himself).

ALIGNMENT OF ABRAHAMS CALL TO WORSHIP GOD
EXAMPLE 26: Gn21-33b Abrahams Calls people to worship God BACKGROUND ---------- The Torah in 4 places says that Abraham built altars in order to CALL PEOPLE TO GOD THE TORAH TEXT -------------- In the LIST below we see that one of these 4 places has an extra phrase: TO CALL TO GOD vs TO CALL TO GOD THE GOD OF THE WORLD RASHI ----- The extra phrase denotes emphasis and Rashi concludes that Abraham asked people to Acknowledge God as the creator and Source of their material wealth Here is the LIST
VERSE	PHRASE1	PHRASE2	PHRASE3	PHRASE4
Gn13-04	And Abram	called there	in the name of God
Gn12-08	And he	called	in the name of God
Gn26-25	And he	called	in the name of God
Gn21-33	And he	called	in the name of God	God OfThe world
Differs	*1	*2	*3	*4

COMMENTS
1 These phrases are basically the same 2 These phrases are almost the same. I dont know why one of them has an extra emphasis THERE. 3 These phrases are identical 4 This phrase GOD LORD OF THE WORLD only occurs in Gn21-33 The extra phrase is for emphasis. It leads Rashi to state that Abraham asked his guests to Acknowledge God as Owner and Giver of Material wealth. On a side note there is a well known Jewish institution of saying a BLESSING before eating (e.g. Bless be You,God, LORD OF THE WORLD, who creates fruit). The Talmud explains that since God owns the world we must PURCHASE food before consuming it and we do so by BLESSING. Note how the LANGUAGE of the blessing,GOD LORD OF THE WORLD is identical to the wording of Gn21-33. This leds me to suspect that this verse is the source for the language of the blessing.