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#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc. 2009, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#
      7. RASHI METHOD: FORMATTING
      BRIEF EXPLANATION:Inferences from Biblical formatting: --bold,italics, and paragraph structure.
      • Use of repetition to indicate formatting effects: bold,italics,...;
      • use of repeated keywords to indicate a bullet effect;
      • rules governing use and interpretation of climactic sequence;
      • rules governing paragraph development and discourse
      This example applies to Rashis Nu15-02a       URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1221.htm
      Brief Summary: A) These people who have tested me 10 times will not see the land but their children will B) The sinners died in a plague; the nation tried to repent but was defeated C) [But] When you DO come to Israel.

    The Formatting rule includes the methods of writing consecutive paragraph or sentences. Just as a paragraph is a collection of sentences unified by a topic sentence and developed by supporting sentences, so too, a chapter very often has a theme that is developed by a skillfully sequenced set of paragraphs. Rashi new of 3 methods of writing consecutive paragraphs
    • Cause-effect: The second paragraph is the effect of the first paragraph. The first paragraph is the cause of the second paragraph.
    • Contrast: The two paragraphs illustrate contrasting sides of a theme.
    • Unified theme: The two or more paragraphs illustrate a common theme. For example a common theme may be illustrated by a sequence of example-paragraphs; each paragraph exemplifies and illustrates one example of the basic theme.
    The above three principles indicate methods for paragraph development into chapters as well as methods for sentence development into paragraphs.

We formerly classified methods of paragraph and chapter development under the grammar rule. However we think it more proper to devote the grammar rule to the relation between meaning and form, for example how verb conjugational forms indicates meaning. As indicated in the opening boxed in table to this section, the formatting rule governs use of sequence to indicate climax and paragraph sequencing.

    Rashi on Nu15-02a explains the sequenceing of three paragraphs:
  • Nu14-11:25. The spies slandered God; the Jewish people tested God 10 times. They must be punished
  • Nu14-26:45. The spies and Jewish people will die out while their children will come to the land.
  • Nu15-01:16. When you come to the land and offer sacrifices.

Rashi's comment on this is obvious: The people were just told that they tested God 10 times and therefore they would not come into the land but their children would. The doubts on this are clear. Perhaps their children would also sin. Perhaps the sight of war would temp their children to rebel. God therefore emphasized in the next paragraph When you come to the land.... Here Rashi uses the contrast method of paragraph development: You will not come but your children will come to Israel and that is a promise.


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