Students of Rashi must bear in mind that Rashi could sometimes use universal principles applicable in all languages. This particularly applies to the meaning methods.

The synechdoche principle basically says that any language can use a good example to name an entire category. For example, in English,
• the word honey can mean anything sweet.
• Similarly bread can refer to any food.
• Man can refer to any person (male of female)
• day can refer to the entire 24 hour period
• heart can refer to the entire person as in e.g., (Ps 43)My heart yearns for you, God which really means My entire person yearns for you God
• The loss of a person can refer to the destruction of that person (Dt28-22i)

Verse Ex02-11b discussing Moses exposure to the Jews states And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and empathized with their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

The Hebrew Biblical root used, Resh-Aleph-Hey normally refers to physically sight. However seeing can equally mean empathizing. In a similar manner the Biblical root Shin-Mem-Ayin which normally refers to physical listening can equally mean understand. Words for other sensory perceptions have similar dual meanings. Thus in English we use the word scent to indicate a hunch; we similarly use the word feel to indicate intuition.

In all these examples Rashi is using the synechdoche / good example figure of speech method. Thus understanding is a good usage of listening; similarly empathy is a good example of seeing. Especially since empathy is often communicated by eye contact.