6. RASHI METHOD: STYLE Rashi examines how rules of style influences inferences between general and detail statements in paragraphs. Example: Every solo example stated by the Bible must be broadly generalized; Theme-Detail: A general principle followed by an example is interpreted restrictively---the general theme statement only applies in the case of the example; Theme-Detail-Theme: A Theme-Detail-Theme unit is interpreted as a paragraph. Consequently the details of the paragraph are generalized so that they are seen as illustrative of the theme. This examples applies to Rashis Dt17-08b,c,d URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n9.htm Brief Summary: You seek guidance from the supreme court, not on general matters, but on yes-no matters, such as whether ritual impurity applies, or whether civil matters cause liability or not.

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a Theme-Development-Theme form. In other words a broad general idea is stated first followed by the development of this broad general theme in specific details. The paragraph-like unit is then closed with a repetition of the broad theme. The Theme-Detail-Theme form creates a unified paragraph. The detailed section of this paragraph is therefore seen as an extension of the general theme sentences. Today's example illustrates this as shown immediately below.

Verse Dt17-08 discussing when you should seek guidance from the great court in Jerusalem states
• General:If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment,
• Detail: between blood and blood,
• Detail: between plea and plea,
• Detail: and between plague and plague,
• General: being matters of controversy inside your gates;
then shall you arise, and get to the place which the Lord your God shall choose;

The General-Detail-General rule requires perceiving the entire paragraph as a unit. Hence all the detail phrases are seen as exemplifying the general phrases which deal with controversies whose solution is unknown. The examples given are
• whether a leprosy plague is ritually pure or not
• whether blood discharges are ritually pure or not
• whether civil issues result in payment or not.

In other words, each of the detail clauses is interpreted as referring to some yes-no issue - yes, it is ritually pure, vs. no, it is not ritually pure; yes, you are liable money, vs. no, you are not liable money. The emphasis here is that you don't go to Jerusalem because of a general philosophic inquiry - a desire to learn court casee - but only for a specific yes-no issue.