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    2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANING
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: The meaning of words can be explained either by
    • (2a) translating an idiom, a group of words whose collective meaning transcends the meaning of its individual component words,
    • (2b) explaining the nuances and commonality of synonyms-homographs,
    • (2c) describing the usages of connective words like also,because,if-then, when,
    • (2d) indicating how grammatical conjugation can change word meaning
    • (2e) changing word meaning using the figures of speech common to all languages such as irony and oxymorons.
    This example applies to Rashis Lv13-02a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv15-03a.htm
    Brief Summary: The Hebrew root, NUN-SIN-ALEPH means CLOUD; Hence SIN-ALEPH-TAUV, means CLOUD-WHITE.

Verse Lv13-02 states When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a Sin Aleph Tauv a scab, or bright spot, and it is on the skin of his flesh like the disease of leprosy; then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the pries Rashi commenting on the meaning of the Hebrew word Sin-Aleph-Tauv states: Names of leprosy plagues ...varying degrees of whiteness.

Rashi does not further explain how he knew this meaning. I would conjecture that Rashi used the method of meaning by root. Indeed, the Hebrew root of the word Sin Aleph Tauv is Nun Sin Alpeh which means (among other things), cloud. Hence Sin Aleph Tauv would mean cloud-white. It is common in languages to name colors by related objects of that color - this technique is known as metonomy. Some typical examples in English of colors named by related objects with the same color are orange, aqua, violet. Similar examples abound in other languages.

Advanced Rashi: Without the methods of this email list we might have dismissed this Rashi as a meaning known through oral tradition. While Judaism certainly has an oral tradition it also has a tradition based on logic and inference. It is important to show logical derivations and inferences when they apply. Such derivations are supplemental and supportive or oral traditions and strengthen them.


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