#######################################################
#       12 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE         #
#                    Aug 10, 2009                     #
#                    YEAR 10 of 12                     #
#                                                     #
#           VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES             #
#           -----------------------------             #
#         HOME   http://www.RashiYomi.Com             #
# WEEKLY RASHI   http://www.RashiYomi.Com/rule.htm    #
#  DAILY RASHI   http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm#
#                                                     #
#  Reprinted with permission from WEEKLY RASHI,       #
#  (c) 1999-2009, RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President #
#   Permission to reprint with this header PROVIDED   #
#          it is not printed for profit               #
#                                                     #
#######################################################


#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc. 2009, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#
      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 Lv06-15a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1213.htm
      Brief Summary: THE PRIEST WHO IS ANNOINTED REPLACING HIM FROM HIS SONS means THE PRIEST WHO IS ANNOINTED FROM HIS SONS TO REPLACE HIM

Today, students of the Bible learn grammar from Biblical Hebrew grammar textbooks. These textbooks organize material by topics. Grammatical topics include a) verb mood and conjugation, b) plurality agreement, c) pronoun reference, d) subject-verb-object sequencing, e) sentence structure and type, f) the possessive and g) connective words, and many other topics.

However in Rashi's time gramamr was just beginning. There were no official grammatical textbooks and tables. One of Rashi's functions was to teach grammar. Rashi did not write a grammar textbook but instead left grammatical explanations appended to each verse.

In today's example Rashi explains rules about word order. Many languages such as English have rules about word order and word proximity. For example the dangling modifier rule encourages words to be near the words they modify as such a word order confuses the reader the least.

Verse Lv06-15a discussing the successor high-priest states And the priest, who is annointed, in his place, of his sons, shall offer it; it is a statute forever to the Lord; it shall be wholly burned. Rashi simply changes the word order removing the dangling phrase modifier. The adjectival phrase of his sons modifies the word priest and hence the verses is clearer if the adjective is near the noun it modifies. This makes the verse clearer. And the priest, of his sons, anointed in his place, shall offer it; it is a statute forever to the Lord; it shall be wholly burned.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi does not indicate why the Biblical text deviates from the dangling modifier rule. It would appear to me that the Biblical construction priest annointed in his place,of his sons deemphasizes a lineage choice of replacement. It is important in the Bible to emphasize that replacement is done first by merit and if there are equally qualified candidates then we use lineage. By deviating from the dangling modifier rule and deemphasizing lineage the Bible reemphasizes that any priest - not just the immediate descendants - can become High Priest. 


#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2009, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#