Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a Theme-Development form. In other words a broad general idea is stated first followed by the development of this broad general theme in specific details. The Theme-Detail form creates a unified paragraph and consequently the law or narrative statement only applies to the enumerated details but not to other cases. Today's example illustrates this as shown below.

Verses Gn045-27 - Gn46-04 discussing the revival [literally: living] of Jacob's spirit states
• General: And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived [literally: living];
• Detail: And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die. And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. ....
The general clause states the spirit of Jacob lived and could mean that he recoved from his depression on the assumed death of Jacob (cf. Gn37-34:35) The detail clause provides specificity to the general clause and describes how it should be interpreted: Jacob reacquired the capacity for prophetic communion with God.

Advanced Rashi: There are several interesting points to be made on this Rashi. First: The Bible explicitly connects depression with lack of prophecy as we find with Elishah (2Ki03-15) who, while in a state of anger, needed music therapy before he could prophecy. So indeed Jacob's spirit lived could more generally refer to removal of depression but depression has many symptoms and the Bible both here and at Gn37-34:35 solely connects the depression with hell and prophecy. In other words of all symptoms of depression (e.g. lack of appetite, lack of interest in standard things) it was prophecy that Jacob loss upon hearing about Joseph's probable death and prophecy which Jacob regained when he heard he was alive. (Notice that Gn37-34:35 identifies lack of prophecy with hell.

Last year Volume 11 Number 25 I classified this Rashi as reference. But as I think it over the reference takes place within a paragraph and is more consistent with the general - detail style rule. It is however interesting how style and reference have enough commonality to get confused. They both refer to clarification of meaning. For example the famous Passover Hagaddah reference example explains the phrase Jews were few to mean There were 70 Jews when then came to Egypt. This is done through a reference of distant verses (Dt10-22 clarifies and references verse Dt26-05.). But the General-Detail or Theme-development Rabbi Ishmael Style rule also clarifies the meaning of the general clause through the detail verses that immediately follow it. Hence there is a commonality.