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      2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANING
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: The meaning of words can be explained either by
      • (2a) translating an idiom, a group of words whose collective meaning transcends the meaning of its individual component words,
      • (2b) explaining the nuances and commonality of synonyms-homographs,
      • (2c) describing the usages of connective words like also,because,if-then, when,
      • (2d) indicating how grammatical conjugation can change word meaning
      • (2e) changing word meaning using the figures of speech common to all languages such as irony and oxymorons.
      This examples applies to Rashis Ex17-02a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w35n5.htm
      Brief Summary: NSH means TEST; NSYON means CHALLENGE/DOUBT.

When Rashi uses the synonym method he does not explain the meaning of a word but rather the distinction between two similar words both of whose meanings we already know.

    The following Hebrew words all refer to a treatment of non-acceptance.
  • Nun-Samech-Hey, Nissah, test
  • Nun-Samech-Hey + Nun, Nissayon, challenge, doubt.

In our article Peshat and Derash: A New Intuitive and Logical Approach, which can be found on the world-wide-web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rashi.pdf we have advocated punchy translations of Biblical verses as a means of presenting Rashi comments. The following translation of verse Ex17-02a embeds the Rashi translation Nisayon challenge / doubt Therefore the people complained to Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why do you fight with me? why do you challenge/doubt God?

    Advanced Rashi: Here is a more succinct analysis:
  • A test shows that a person or object can meet unusual stresses. You test a car by going at unusual speeds, you test a person by asking unusual amounts of knowledge;
  • By contrast a challenge/doubt tries to destroy a person or object. Unlike a test it does not seek to ascertain but rather to redicule.

In this example Rashi points out Moses (incorrectly) complained that the people were not asking God to meet needs under unusual circumstances but rather the people were doubting God by asking for water in the wilderness. We have identified the source of this Rashi as linguistic: Nisayon means challenge/doubt; it does not, like Nisah mean test,show performance.

Note also that this Rashi can be defended grammatically. A terminal nun indicates extra intensity: So if NSh means test then NShyon would mean challenge/doubt. 


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