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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 Ex29-20a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1404.htm
      Brief Summary: The Hebrew TENUCH is the INTENSELY MIDDLE part of the ear. It refers to the External Auditory meatus - the middle part of the ear which contains the ear canal.

Rashi would sometimes derive the meaning of a word from the meaning of its underlying Biblical root. In applying this method Rashi would use all available grammatical methods to study the meanings of related roots. The next paragraph presents one such rule.

There are 1900 Biblical roots. Of these 1900 roots about half involve X-Vav-Y X-Y-Y X-Y-Hey pairs. These roots (with one root letter weak) often, but not always, have related meanings. Consequently, very often, but not always. one can infer the meaning of a X-Y-Y root from the related X-Y-Hey or X-Vav-Y root.

Rashi believed in two grammatical systems. He believed in the traditional tri-literial (3-letter) root methdos used to conjugate verbs and taught in all elementary schools.

Besides the conjugational root system Rashi also believed in a semantic root system. This is a separate system that enables derivation of root meaning from other roots.

For example the meaning of a 4-letter root, ABCD, is derived from the meaning of its two 2-letter subroots, #####

    Rashi derives the meaning of the 3-letter root, Tauv-Nun-Caph, Tenuch as follows:
  • Tauv-Vav-Caph, Toch means middle;
  • Nun refers to characteristic/strong attribute;
  • Hence Tauv-Nun-Caph, Tenuch means strongly middle and refers not just to the two dimensional center of the air but refers to the part of the outer air with the hole of the ear canal which brings sound through the ear canal. The technical name for this is the external auditory meatus.

    Some further examples where Nun refers to characteristic/strong attributes:
  • Resh-Yud-Beth, Riv means to dispute; Resh-Yud-Beth-Nun, Yerivun, means to fight.
  • Zayin-Yud-Kuph, Zik, means spark; Nun-Zayin-Kuph, Nezek, means damage, a strong characteristic of sparks.
  • Teth-Pay, Tippah, means Droplet; Nun-Teth-Pay, NaTaph, refers to certain tree drippings, strongly characteristic of droplets.
  • Ayin-Mem, Im means with; Nun-Ayin-Mem, Naim means pleasant, strongly characteristic of withness.
  • Tzade-Lamed, Tzayl means shade; Nun-Tzade-Lamed, NaTzayl means salvation strong characteristic of providing shade and removing one from "the heat." 


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