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The table below presents presents
two contradictory verses.
Both verses talk about
service of the Levites
The underlined words highlight the contradiction.
One verse says
Levites start at 25
while the other verse says
Levites start at 30.
Which is it?
Do the Levites start at 25 or 30?
Rashi simply resolves this using the 2 Stages method:
- The levites start training at age 25;
- they start
actual Temple service at age 30.
Summary
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Verse / Source
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Text of verse / Source
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Levites start training at 25.
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Nu08-24
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And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, This is it what concerns the Levites: from 25 years old and upward they shall go to be posted on posts for theservice of the Tent of Meeting;
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Levites start actual service at 30
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Nu04-02a
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#####
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Resolution:
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2 Stages:
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- The levites start training at age 25;
- they start
actual Temple service at age 30.
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Advanced Rashi:
Traditional Rashi-ists would explain this contradiction by incorrectly appealing to
word nuances or to alignment. For example aligning the two verses listed
above we see a hinted contrast of come to be posted vs. to do work in the temple.
This contrast of nuances hints at a distinction of actual work vs training
to be posted.
We however have explained this Rashi using the contradiction method. What is important
is the fact of contradiction. True there might be supportive nuances emanating from
alignment but the fact of contradiction justifies a resolution. We try the
three methods of resolution - 2 stages, 2 aspects, broad-literal meaning - and find that
the 2 stages approach neatly suggests training-performance.
This approach of seeking a natural resolution
by appeal to real-world phenomena is characteristic
of the contradiction method.
In fact the contradiction
method, although sometimes it uses verses, very often relies on intuitive logic to naturally resolve
a textual contradiction by appeal to real world phenomena such as the training-performance sequence.
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