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
Lv09-22:24
discussing
the blessings and prophecies on the day of
consecrating the Temple
states
- General: Aaron lifted his hands towards the nation and blessed them
- Detail: And he descended from doing
- the sin offering
- the elevation offering
- and the peace offering
- General: And Moses and Aaron came to the (Prophetic) Meeting Tent,
and they went out and blessed the nation
This paragraph - blessing - offering - blessing - is
followed by a another paragraph
- The Honor of God prophetically appeared to the nation
- (The prophetic vision appeared as ) An issuing fire from God consuming
the elevation animal and its fat
Rashi generalizes the detail clause -
sin, elevation, peace offering -
as illustrative of the general clause,
- blessing, -
and as connected causally to the following paragraph dealing with
prophetic visions. Rashi states:
The blessing was that the offerings should facilitate a prophetic vision.
We believe this comment evident and consistent with the Rabbi Ishmael style guidelines.
Summary: So Rashi in effect reads the verses as follows:
- Aaron blessed the nation that their sin, elevation and peace offerings should be blessed
[and facilitate prophetic inspiration] and immediately
- An actual prophetic vision occurred; the prophetic vision appeared as a consuming
fire on the altar enveloping the elevation animals in fire.
Advanced Rashi:
Recall that the Patriarch Jacob blessed his children with animal symbols. Combining
the above Rashi with the Patriarch Jacob's blessing we see that the Jews present at
the consecration of the Desert-Temple achieved the Patriarchal blessing of a prophetic
fire-animal vision. This is a very high and lofty blessing.
This is also the opinion of the Talmudic sages who state that Even
the bondmaids received prophetic visions similar to those of Ezekiel, that is the Jews
of the Desert-Temple received prophetic fire animal visions like those of Ezekiel.
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