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      3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi explains verses using grammar principles, that is, rules which relate reproducable word form to word meaning. Grammatical rules neatly fall into 3 categories
      • (a) the rules governing conjugation of individual words,Biblical roots,
      • (b) the rules governing collections of words,clauses, sentences
      • (c) miscellaneous grammatical, or form-meaning, rules.
      This examples applies to Rashis Ex23-05c
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n9.htm
      Brief Summary: PERHAPS you will see the donkey of your enemy overburdened with transport and you will abstain from helping him? You must, WITH HIS HELP, UNLOAD UNLOAD.

Todays example combines word meaning, formatting, and grammar rules.

Two familiar functions of grammar in all languages are pronoun reference and plurality.

Hebrew is more flexible than English in pronoun reference. However Hebrew frequently follows the rule in all languages that a pronoun refers to the last mentioned person.

    Biblical Hebrew, in general, has two methods of indicating pronouns
    • Suffix: For example if I wanted to say Help him I would add a suffix Nun-Vav to the verb meaning help. The suffix nun-vav means that the indirect object of the help should be him.
    • Full word: However when a full word is used for a pronoun it indicates emphasis: Only to that person.
    This beautiful suffix-word distinction was developed by the great modern commentator, Malbim. Malbim uses this principle numerous times, especially throughout Leviticus to explain various exegetical laws.

In verse Ex23-05 the English phrase with him is indicated by an entire word (vs. a suffix) thus indicating emphasis. I have captured the essence of this emphasis by translating you must, with his help unload. Rashi (following the Mechiltah brought down in the Talmud) states Does the command to help unload a donkey imply that the owner of the donkey can maliciously sit down in the shade and order me to unload by myself since I am commanded to? No! For this reason it states you must with his help unload. Again we emphasize that the driving force of this exegesis is the use of an entire word to indicate a pronoun indicating extra emphasis.

Advanced Rashi: As indicated we will complete the explanation of this Rashi in rule #7, formatting below.


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