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#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc. 2008, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#
      8. RASHI METHOD: DATABASES
      BRIEF EXPLANATION:Rashi makes inferences from Database queries. The precise definition of database query has been identified in modern times with the 8 operations of Sequential Query Language (SQL).
      This example applies to Rashis Gn36-03b Gn34-25b
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n5.htm
      Brief Summary: Genealogies are usually patriarchal. If a genealogy is not patriarchal it emphasizes some special relationship. 'Dinah daughter of Leah' emphasizes she learned how to handle men from Leah. Basmath sister of Nevayoth implies he helped her get married.

We ask the following database query: How are genealogies listed? The reader is encouraged to perform the query using a standard Biblical Konnkordance or search engine. This database query yields the list below. The list justifies the following Rashi inference: Genealogies are usually patriarchal. If a genealogy is not patriarchal it emphasizes some special relationshiph. 'Dinah daughter of Leah' emphasizes she learned how to handle men from her mother. 'Basmath sister of Nevayoth' implies he helped raise her and get her married. 'Shimon and Levi the brothers of Dinah' emphasizes they risked their lives to save her. The list below presents the results of the database query. Although there are several examples throughout the Bible there are three in this weeks Parshah.

Verses Who Genealogy by ... The Emphasis
Gn34-25b Shimon, Levi Dinah's brother They risked their lives for her
Gn36-03b Basmath Sister of Nevayoth He helped raise her/get her married
Gn34-01 Dinah Daughter of Leah She imitated her mother in male-female relations.

To further clarify this table we cite Gn34-01 which states And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. A more thorough analysis would require showing the many verses where genealogies are patriarchal (e.g. language of the form Dinah the daughter of Jacob.).The reader is encouraged to read thru various chapters of the Bible and see how people are described. There are about a dozen genealogy Rashis in the Torah.

Sermonic Points: See below in rule #9 where we discuss the unfair treatment of Rashi in his analysis of Gn34-01. Rashi was not blaiming Leah. Rather he was empathizing with her natural feelings of guilt on Dinah's rape. Guilt is a feeling and can sometimes arise in a blameless person. The feelings of guilt manifest themselves in thoughts such as the following: I should have told her / talked to her more. There must have been something I could have done. Maybe I should have been more discrete around the house. ... As indicated such thoughts of guilt are normal. They occur throughout history. It is important for Jewish women to have a matriarchal role model to help them deal with what they are going through.


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