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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 Ex20-09a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1206.htm
    Brief Summary: See to it no work is done [whether by] a) you, b) small children c) servants d) animals e) resident non-Jews

We have explained in our article Biblical Formatting located on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf, that the Biblical Author indicated bullets by using repeating keywords.

That is, if a modern author wanted to get a point across using bullets - a list of similar but contrastive items - then the Biblical Author would use repeating keywords. Today's verse illustrates this principle.

    Verse(s) Ex20-10 discussing the prohibition of work on Sabbath states But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work,
    • neither you,
    • nor your son, nor your daughter,
    • nor your manservant, nor your maidservant,
    • nor your cattle,
    • nor your resident non-Jews
    The repeated underlined phrase nor creates a bullet effect. The bullet effect in turn creates an emphasis on the distinctness of all enumerated items. Rashi interprets the distinctness as follows You should not do any work nor let any work be done, whether by
    • animals
    • non-Jews
    • servants or
    • young children.

Advanced Rashi: We have slightly rephrased the Rashi and utilized the Rabbi Ishmael rule of context. In other words we have argued The prohibition of animals working is clearly not a command to animals but rather a command to you to prevent work from being done by animals. We similarly treat the prohibition of work by non-Jews, servants and children as a prohibition of letting work be done by these people. The actual Rashi argument is a bit differnt - Rashi focuses on the contrast of you vs children: The prohibition of grown children doing work is already included in the prohibition of you doing work (Since you is plural and refers to all). Consequently the distinctness of bulleted items necessitates interpreting the prohibition on children as a prohibition on letting children do work. We have simply supplemented the Rashi explanation with an argument based on context. It should be noted that Rashi also adds a requirement of educating children not to work.

In the translation above we have translated the Hebrew letter Vav as nor. Most people are use to translating Vav as and. The reader can substitute and for nor and the above analysis of Rashi would be identical. That is Rashi focused on the repeating keyword, Vav, whether it means and or nor and therefore, because of the bullets, applied a distinct meaning to each bullet. In passing, it is known that Vav in Biblical Hebrew can refer to any type of logical connective. Vav can means or, and, nor,if etc. These translations of Vav are not always used but are legitimate and correct.


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