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      10. RASHI METHOD: SYMBOLISM
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi provides symbolic interpretations of words, verses, and chapters. Rashi can symbolically interpret either
      • (10a) entire Biblical chapters such as the gifts of the princes, Nu-07
      • (10b) individual items, verses and words
      The rules governing symbolism and symbolic interpretation are presented in detail on my website.

      This examples applies to Rashis Ex30-34a, Ex30-34b, Ex30-34c
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1210.htm
      Brief Summary: The Ketoreth perfumes contain DRIPPY, SHINY and FATTY spices corresponding to STATELY (drop by drop, bit by bit), FLASHY and INDULGENT people (All are needed)
#####

    And the Lord said to Moses, Take to you sweet spices,
    • drippy spice (storax), and
    • shiny spice (onycha), and
    • fatty spice (galbanum);
    these sweet spices with pure frankincense
    Rashi explains that
  • Storax is called drippy spice because it is typically obtained when it oozes from the tree;
  • onycha is called shiny spice because of its shiny appearance; I would therefore extend Rashi's method and explain:
  • Galbanum is called fatty spice because it smells bad like putrid fat.

Rashi makes symbolic inferences from the use of a bad smelling fatty spice in the sweet incense: #####

    We can extend Rashi's symbolism as follows:
    • The shiny spice obviously symbolically refers to a shiny flashy person who is always conspicuous and showing off;
    • We have just seen that the fatty spice symbolizes foul-smelling people, people who are bad. Since you become fat by always indulging perhaps the fatty spice symbolizes indulgers; and
    • Finally the drippy spice would refer to a stately person who does things drop by drop (bit by bit) and not hurriedly.
    Together, the three spice types listed in Ex30-34--the drippy, fatty, and shiny---would correspond to three basic types of people: the stately, the indulgers and the flashy people.
    We could say more but the just-stated explanation gives the flavor of how Rashi's symbolism can be understood and extended in a natural way.


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