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      7. RASHI METHOD: FORMATTING
      BRIEF EXPLANATION:Inferences from Biblical formatting: --bold,italics, and paragraph structure.
      • Use of repetition to indicate formatting effects: bold,italics,...;
      • use of repeated keywords to indicate a bullet effect;
      • rules governing use and interpretation of climactic sequence;
      • rules governing paragraph development and discourse
      This example applies to Rashis Dt25-02c       URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1306.htm
      Brief Summary: Lashes are given a) According to the degree of wickedness and b) According to measure (of capacity)

We have explained in our article Biblical Formatting located on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf, that the Biblical Author indicated bullets by using repeating keywords.

That is, if a modern author wanted to get a point across using bullets - a list of similar but contrastive items - then the Biblical Author would use repeating keywords. Today's verse illustrates this principle.

Bullets whether indicated through modern notation or through the Biblical method of repeating keywords always indicate contrastive emphasis - that is, each bullet is presumed to be a distinct item contrasted to the other items on the list. Very often the bullets are also used to indicate that the entire list is exhaustive of some spectrum.

    Verse(s) Dt25-02c discussing the administration of lashes to a person who violated Torah law states
      then it shall be, if the wicked man deserve to be lashed, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face,
    • according to the measure of his wickedness,
    • by number.
    40 lashes but not more....less he be lashed more...and your brother will be humiliated     The repeated underlined phrase according / by creates a bullet effect. The bullet effect in turn creates an emphasis on the distinctness of all enumerated items. Rashi interprets the distinctness as follows To give lashes you must ascertain two things: a) How wicked was the sin and b) what number of lashes can the convicted endure [The lashes must be suggestive of rehabilitation and not be so strong as to humiliate and degrade the person]

Advanced Rashi: Rambam gives numerous laws that follow from this principle. For example 1) The lashes were administered by a person of medium strength; it was prohibited to administer the lashes by a powerful person; 2) Physiological signs of extreme fright exempted the person from further lashes 3) re-estimations of capacity justified lowering the number of lashes 4) the number of lashes even in someone who could withstand it never exceeds 40 (and to play it safe never exceeded 39), 5) lashes were administered in triplets so as not to accidentally lose count (See Rambam Sandendrin, Chapters 16,17,18).


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