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    9. RASHI METHOD: SPREADSHEETS
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: The common denominator of the 3 submethods of the Spreadsheet method is that inferences are made from non textual material. The 3 submethods are as follows:
    • Spreadsheet: Rashi makes inferences of a numerical nature that can be summarized in a traditional spreadsheet
    • Geometric: Rashi clarifies a Biblical text using descriptions of geometric diagrams
    • Fill-ins: Rashi supplies either real-world background material or indicates real-world inferences from a verse. The emphasis here is on the real-world, non-textual nature of the material.
    This example applies to Rashis Dt21-02b
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1305.htm
    Brief Summary: Measure FROM the corpse (FROM his head FROM his nose) TO each of the nearby cities.

Verse Dt21-02 discussing the ceremony when a dead body with unknown killer is found states Then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are surround the corpse; The word measure refers to a mathematical function requiring two arguments, the two points (a) from which you measure and (b)to which you measure. But as the underlined words indicate the above verse only indicates one of the two mathematical arguments: the place to which you measure. It does not explicitly indicate the place from which you measure. Hence Rashi clarifies The elders measure from the corpse to the surrounding cities. Since this Rashi clarifies a mathematical requirement we classify it as a NonVerse-Spreadsheet Rashi.

    Advanced Rashi: Rambam, Laws of Murder, Chapter 9, gives further mathematical details which supplement Rashi:
  • If the corpse is beheaded you measure from the head not from the rest of the body. (Furthermore, if the corpse is beheaded you first reunite the body and head and then measure).
  • In any event you measure from the nose (the indicator of life and death).
  • If multiple bodies were found one on top of the other we measure from them as they are.

Rashi inferred that we measure from the corpse since Dt21-03 indicates that the purpose of the measurement is to find the distance from the corpse to the city. Rambam inferred that we measure from the head and from the nose based on logic since the head and nose are the points by which life can be recognized and it makes most sense to measure from them.

      10. RASHI METHOD: SYMBOLISM
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi provides symbolic interpretations of words, verses, and chapters. Rashi can symbolically interpret either
      • (10a) entire Biblical chapters such as the gifts of the princes, Nu-07
      • (10b) individual items, verses and words
      The rules governing symbolism and symbolic interpretation are presented in detail on my website.
      This examples applies to Rashis Dt18-03d:e
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1305.htm
      Brief Summary: The Priest, who is in charge of helping the nation achieve marital happiness is symbolically taught the components of physical relationship: arms, cheeks=secreting organs, womb=children

    Verse Dt18-03 explains that when people offer certain sacrifices the Priests receive the
    • The shoulder
    • the cheeks and
    • the stomach
    The priests were charged with helping the Jewish people achieve psychological perfection. The Torah in delivering these gifts to the people teaches them the components of a successful physical relationship between husband and wife.
    • The shoulder symbolizing a preliminary foreplay period of exposure of organs normally covered because of modesty
    • the cheeks symbolizing organs which make secretions
    • the stomach symbolizing the womb which symbolizes the purpose and function of physical relationship.
    With regard to the last item, the stomach I should mention the beautiful Midrash that While in Paradise Adam and Eve went to bed as 2 and got up as 6. (The 2 boys, their sisters, and Adam and Eve) I once saw a delicious paper by a French scholar which explained that In paradise the act of love and the consequences of love, children, were combined. Unlike the post-paradise punishment where the act and consequences were separated the same bed combined both sexual and parental love in the same night. Thus the physical relationship had added dimensions which we, in post-paradise exile do not have. (I am truly sorry but I have forgotten who the author of this wonderful interpretation is). This Midrash explains that having children are a component of a successful physical relationship. Consequently a Priest who met a couple with an inferior physical relationship could, by receiving the shoulders symbolically remind the couple of the need for a fore-play period. In short the congregant-priest interaction functioned as a symbolic reminder of the components necessary for a successful relationship. In this way, unlike today, marital therapy was performed in a low key symbolic manner without embarassing confrontation of the couple. Such non-intrusive therapy obviously is superior to modern methods which require the capacity to withstand embarassing and highly personal discussions with the therapist.


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