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      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 Ex20-19d
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1401.htm
      Brief Summary: Do not make for PERSONAL USE gold or silver gods e.g. personal replicas of Temple angels in your synagogues.

Today Hebrew grammar is well understood and there are many books on it. Rashi, however, lived before the age of grammar books. A major Rashi method is therefore the teaching of basic grammar.

Many students belittle this aspect of Rashi. They erroneously think that because of modern methods we know more. However Rashi will frequently focus on rare grammatical points not covered in conventional textbooks.

    There are many classical aspects to grammar whether in Hebrew or other languages. They include
  • The rules for conjugating verbs. These rules govern how you differentiate person, plurality, tense, mode, gender, mood, and designation of the objects and indirect objects of the verb. For example how do you conjugate, in any language, I sang, we will sing, we wish to sing, she sang it.
  • Rules of agreement. For example agreement of subject and verb, of noun and adjective; whether agreement in gender or plurality.
  • Rules of Pronoun reference.
  • Rules of word sequence. This is a beautiful topic which is not always covered in classical grammatical textbooks.

Today we deal with the Biblical rules governing use of an indirect object introduced by the word for for example for you, for myself. The basic rule enunciated by Rashi in several places is that For indicates a personal aspect.

We apply the preceding analysis to Ex20-19d. Don't make with me gold gods and silver gods; [also] don't make for your personal use. [Rashi: Do not make personal replicas of the Temple angels; for example, don't make in your synagogues replicas of the golden Keruvim-angels in God's Temple.]

    Advanced Rashi: Rashi's point is that the two verse halves form an alignment with two distinct prohibitions:
    • Don't make idols to worship (even if you still believe in Me and you only use them as intermediaries);
    • Also, don't make personal replicas of the Temple angels (such as the Temple Keruvim).
    This point is continued in rule #4, below.

This Rashi is continued in rule #4, Alignment below, which the reader is encouraged to read now.


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