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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 Ex12-35b
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n7.htm
      Brief Summary: The Jews took from the Egyptians a) silver utensils, b) gold utensils, and c) clothes (which were the most needed)

The climax principle asserts that a sequence of similar phrases should be interpreted climactically even if the words and grammatical constructs used do not directly suggest this. That is the fact of the sequence justifies reading into the Biblical text a climactic interpretation even if no other textual source justifies it. For this reason we consider the climax method a distinct and separate method.

    Verse Ex12-35b discussing what the Jews took from Egypt when they left states And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians
    • Silver utensils
    • Gold utensils
    • and clothing

Rashi interprets this Biblical verse Climactically: Silver utensils were the least important, gold utensils were more important and clothing was most important. We infer this from the fact that clothing is mentioned last in the verse.

Sermonic points: Rashi tells us that clothing were the most important but does not elaborate further. Perhaps he is being discrete. After all slaves do not traditionally wear good clothing. The Midrash relates that Vashti, the Queen or Persia, used to make her Jewish slaves work naked to humiliate them. In such a context Rashi's statement the clothing was the most important emphasizes the degraded state in which the Jewish slaves were - all they could think about was getting a good pear of appairel. 


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