1. RASHI METHOD: REFERENCES BRIEF EXPLANATION: Commentary on a verse is provided thru a cross-reference to another verse. The cross references can either provide (1a) further details, (1b) confirm citations, or (1c) clarify word meaning. This examples applies to Rashis Gn28-11e URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1317.htm Brief Summary: (Gn28-11:12) Jacob sleeping in a particular place and dreaming of angels going up and down REFERENCES (Gn28-16) God is in this place (God is in Temple/House of study; God is in wilderness / campouts)

Verse Gn28-11:12 discussing Jacob's camping out on his trip from Beer Sheva to Charan states And he lighted upon a certain place, and remained there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Rashi notes that the underlined words, lay down in that place to sleep. references verses Gn28-16 discussing the presence of God in a mere camping ground. Hence the Rashi comment (Gn28-11:12)Jacob slept in that place ...saw angels ascending and descending... references Gn28-16 Jacob woke up and God is in this place. In other words Jacob had previously thought that God could only be found in holy places - Temples and houses of Study. But all of a sudden Jacob sees God in a camping ground and discovered God is all over. (In rule #5 below we will see that in Houses of Study people climb up to God while in camping grounds God descends to help people.

Text of Target Verse Gn30-37a	Text of Reference Verse Ho04-13
And he lighted upon a certain place, and remained there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.	And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
Rashi comments: (Gn28-11:12)Jacob slept in that place ...saw angels ascending and descending... references Gn28-16 Jacob woke up and God is in this place. In other words Jacob had previously thought that God could only be found in holy places - Temples and houses of Study. But all of a sudden Jacob sees God in a camping ground and discovered God is all over. (In rule #5 below we will see that in Houses of Study people climb up to God while in camping grounds God descends to help people.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi doesn't literally state what we have indicated above. However this is a beginning of an analysis of this Rashi using all 10 rules. In rule #2 and rule #3 we will review the use of the pronoun this which always gives special emphasis. Then in rule #5 we will deal with the contradiction that God is everywhere but also God is more in some places such as Temples and Houses of Study. In rule #8 we will show the unusual feature that this is the only place in the Bible where a person sleeping is described as making a bed, again a special emphasis suggesting that previously he was active without time to sleep. In rule #9 we will review the chronology of Jacob's journeys and show that 14 years are missing, suggesting separate spiritual activities prior to coming to Laban. Finally in rule #10 we will deal with the symbolism of angels going up and down.

The botton line is as follows: In rule #9, spreadsheets we see there is a 14 year gap between Jacob's departure from Beer Sheva and his arrival in Charan. Jacob camps in the middle of nowhere but sees God in a dream and concludes that God is here even though he didn't expect it. In rules 5, 10 - contradiction and symbolism we see that Jacob learns that God manifests himself in two ways: 1) In Temples and Houses of Study man ascends to God; 2) In camping grounds and profane places God descends to man to help him out. This second manifestation of God surprises Jacob who hadn't been aware of it. Finally in rule #8, databases we discover the unusual reference to Jacob making a bed in this place suggesting that prior to this he had slept haphazardly creating connotations of a prior life of a student who sleeps haphazardly. In rule #2 we see a further emphasis that Jacob made a bed and slept in this place (but not in others). Combining the above we arrive at the conclusion that Jacob's former life was a life of prayer and study - he erroneously thought God was only found there. But Jacob now finds God in the profane. Jacob sees God manifesting in two ways - man ascends to God in Temples and houses of study but God descends to help man in the profane.