The 4 meanings of ALL:#12 of 18 ########################################################### # 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE # # Jul 04, 2000 # # Rashis 126-127 Of 7800 (1.7%) # # # # Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, # # (c) 1999-Present, Dr. Hendel # # http://www.shamash.org/rashi # # # #Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit# # # # WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS # ########################################################### In this series we review the Rashis on the word ALL. Although there are 40 Rashis there are 4 simple rules. RULE: The Hebrew word "ALL"(KL)indicates that there are no exceptions and that what is being discussed should take place in ALL circumstances---EVEN those you wouldn't ordinarily think of.There are 4 methods by which the interpretation of ALL is implemented. ALL can indicate (A) cases you wouldn't ordinarily think of -------------------------------------- EXAMPLE:Gn06-12a "ALL Flesh corrupted" RASHI: EVEN Animals corrupted (B) it can indicate that there are no exceptions ----------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE:By the 10 commandments it describes how the Jewish people all witnessed the miracles Ex19-11c "The WHOLE nation saw the thunders" RASHI: The "WHOLE" nation--there were no exceptions That is, there were no blind people. (C) it can refer to all PARTS of a whole ------------------------------------ EXAMPLE: In discussing ritual impurity we are told LV21-11b "And on ANY dead body he should not come" RASHI: It is prohibited to come in contact with a WHOLE dead body or with PARTS of a dead body(organs) (Rashi gives technical measurements) (D) it can emphasize not to exclude "obvious exceptions" ---------------------------------------------------- Ex12-47a "ALL Jews are required to make a Passover offering" RASHI: "ALL Jews" means each and every Jew. Indeed Ex12-03 says that that first Passover offering was done by HOUSEHOLDS not by INDIVIDUALS. Hence it would have been legitimate to think that the other Passovers are by HOUSEHOLD. Therefore it says "ALL Jews" to indicate that the Passover was an INDIVIDUAL obligation. We are almost finished with this module We therefore bring miscellaneous verses in the next few issues. #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# EXAMPLE 32: Ex12-12b -------------------- >Ex12-12b: I will smite ALL firstborn in Egypt >RASHI: "ALL firstborn"--even if they were firstborn of another nation who happened to be visiting Egypt at the time of the plague ALL in this verse means cases you wouldn't ordinarily think of. EXAMPLE 33: Dt11-06a -------------------- >Dt11-06a: The earthquake in ALL OF ISRAEL devoured them >RASHI: (Opinion 1) There earth CRACKED in many places (Opinion 2) The earth FISSURED in many places And those at the site of the fissure roled to the cracks and were devoured. Note how both opinions are consistent with the word all However Rashi seems to favor OPINION 2 since another verse explicitly says "The earth opened its MOUTH" (But not its mouths) Nu16-32 Thus we see how the possible interpretations of ALL are modified by other verses that are brought to bear #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#