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#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc. 2009, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#
      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 Nu28-02e
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1224.htm
      Brief Summary: PROFESSIONALLY WATCH the daily offering (Nu28-02) The Rabbis instituted Professional Societies of Lay Israelites who prayed simultaneously with the morning offering.

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 Shin-Mem-Resh has a fundamental meaning of watching. Hence this Biblical root can mean
  • to guard
  • prisons and prison guards [ prisons are places where you are watched; guards are people who watch; ]
  • night watch periods [ watch periods are time periods when guards must be on duty. ]
  • be cautious [ cf. the English, watch yourself ]
  • thorns [ items to be cautious, to watch yourself, from ]
  • wine dregs [ items to be cautious, to watch yourself, from, when drinking and having a good time ]
  • professional standards [ guidelines of caution designed to watch, guard and maintain a standard ]
  • eyebrows [ eyebrows watch the eyes ]
  • strong rock, harder than stone [ a strong rock appears to have been watched from all softening forces ]

Applying the above translation to Nu28-02 discussing the offering of the daily offering we obtain Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by fire, of a sweet savour unto Me: professionally standardize to offer it unto Me in its due season.

Advanced Rashi: Hence the Rashi comment: From this Biblical requirement of professional standardazation the Rabbis based the institution of the Standers groups of lay Israelites who would stand and pray in their synagogues simultaneously with the offering of the daily sacrifice. These Standers helped standardize and watch the institution of the daily offering since a wider spectrum of Jews knew of the offering by virtue of the representatives in their community. 


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