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      2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANING
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: The meaning of words can be explained either by
      • (2a) translating an idiom, a group of words whose collective meaning transcends the meaning of its individual component words,
      • (2b) explaining the nuances and commonality of synonyms-homographs,
      • (2c) describing the usages of connective words like also,because,if-then, when,
      • (2d) indicating how grammatical conjugation can change word meaning
      • (2e) changing word meaning using the figures of speech common to all languages such as irony and oxymorons.
      This examples applies to Rashis Lv13-55e
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1214.htm
      Brief Summary: BALD garment = WORN OUT garment. HILLY garment = NEW garment.

    The FFF submethod states that words can be named by Form, Feel, and Function.
  • Some examples of naming words by Form include (a) the leg of a chair, (b) the handle of a pot, (c) the branch of a family tree, (d) surfing the net or (e) brainstorming Some of these examples illustrate naming objects by form while other examples illustrate naming activities by form.
  • A good punchy example distinguishing naming by form vs. function is pentagon-UN. The pentagon is named after the shape and form of the building while the United Nations is named after the function and purpose of the building. Although both these buildings have as a purpose world peace they are named differently.
  • Examples of naming by feel/substance are glasses, hardship, ironing-board, plaster etc.

The FFF principle is a special case of the literary techniques of synechdoche-metonomy. These literary principles, universal to all languages, state that items can be named by related items, by parts of those items, or by good examples of those items. For example honey refers to anything sweet since honey is a good example of something sweet. Similarly hot refers to matters of love since the two are related. Todays Rashi can best be understood by applying these principles.

Biblical verse Lv13-55e refers to garments that are described in Hebrew as Kuph-Resh-Cheth-Tauv or Gimel-Beth-Cheth-Tauv. The corresponding roots Kuph-Resh-Cheth and Gimel-Beth-Cheth mean bald and humpy respectively. By using the triple FFF, Form,Function, Feel principle we can understand that a bald garment would refer to a worn out garment which has lost all its fu10 while by contrast humpy garment would refer to a new (woolen) garment which by nature would have lots of protrusions of strands of wools resembling small humps. Such a naming of garments is similar to the English naming of color by fruits with that color: e.g. an orange dress. Here we name things by Form, that is the external characteristics such as color or the appearance or lack of protrusions.

Advanced Rashi: There are two Rashis (Lv13-55e, Lv13-55f) commenting on the meaning of the Hebrew terms Kuph-Resh-Cheth-Tauv and Gimel-Beth-Cheth-Tauv. The first Rashi simply says Translated as indicated by the Targum. The second Rashi goes into more details including exegetical comparisons to other leprous items. We believe our explanation above consistent with the first Rashi referencing the Aramaic translation since Aramaic also used such literary terms. We will explain the other Rashi on these meanings in another future digest.


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