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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 Gn31-54a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1316.htm
      Brief Summary: SLAUGHTER TO GOD = Sacrifice; SLAUGHTER = slaughter

When Rashi uses, what we may losely call, the hononym method, Rashi does not explain new meaning but rather shows an underlying unity in disparate meanings. Rashi will frequently do this by showing an underlying unity in the varied meanings of a Biblical root.

In my article Peshat and Derash found on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rashi.pdf. I advocate enriching the Rashi explanation using a technique of parallel nifty translations in modern English. Today's examples show this.

    The Heberw Biblical root Zayin-Beth-Cheth has a fundamental meaning of slaughter. Hence this Biblical root can mean
  • slaughter
  • sacrifice [ slaughter to God ]
  • Altar [ the place where sacrifices are made ]

Applying the above translation to Gn31-54a discussing the party Jacob made for Laban we obtain And [after the treaty] Jacob slaughtered [animals] for a party in the mountain and he called to his family to eat a meal. They ate a meal and stayed overnight in the mountain.

Advanced Rashi: This particular distinction in meaning can also be approached through the database method. If we examine verses with the root Zayin-Beth-Cheth we find verses with the indirect object God or god indicating a slaughter for God/god, that is sacrifice and we similarly find verses without any reference to a Deity/deity in which case the root indicates slaughter for purposes of a meal. Another such verse referring solely to meals but not to sacrifices is 1S28-24 which discusses the meal the soothsayer made for Saul and his guests.

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