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  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
  |       http://www.RashiYomi.Com                           |
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VERSE: Dt01-15d

RASHIS COVERED: Dt01-15d Dt01-15e Ex18-21e
                Ex18-21f Ex18-21g Ex18-21h

BACKGROUND
----------
Dt01-15c says "I will appoint CHIEFS OF THOUSAND" Rashi
comments "CHIEFS OF A THOUSAND" means CHIEFS OVER A THOUSAND

This rustic Rashi with its almost country like naivitee looks
innocent. Yet it is a peach of Rashi. In fact it is one of
the most profound Rashis in all of Chumash.





RULE:
----
The Hebrew word SR has 3 usages. It is best translated
as CHIEF or MASTER--for example MASTER BAKER or CHIEF
BAKER.






EXAMPLES
--------

USAGE 1:
-----------------------------------------------------------
    In the following verses the Hebrew word 'SR' means
    MASTER or CHIEF--for example, MASTER CHEF, MASTER BAKER
-----------------------------------------------------------

VERSE   TEXT
------- --------------------------
Gn37-36 Master Chef
Gn39-21 Master of Prisons
Gn40-02 Master Bartender
Gn40-16 Master Baker
Ex01-11 Master of Taxes
Jud9-30 Master of the city(Mayor)
2C32-06 Masters of War





USAGE 2:
-----------------------------------------------------------
    In the following verses the Hebrew word 'SR' means
    MASTER or CHIEF. The verse USES the word to indicate
    WHERE the master or chef came from
-----------------------------------------------------------

VERSE   TEXT
------- ---------------------------
Jud7-25 Midianite Masters
Jud8-6  Succothian Masters
Nu22-12 Moabite Masters
Nu22-12 Balaks Masters
Jos5-14 Master (0fficer) of the Army


COMMENT
-------
We now understand WHY Rashi commented as he did. EVERY other
place where SR occurs in the Bible it means either a
 (a) CHIEF from some place
 (b) MASTER of some activity (master baker, master chef...)

Therefore in Dt01-15 and Dt18-21 it would be natural to interpret
the word 'SR' the same way. Since the word ALF means BOTH
1000 and TEACHER/TRAINER we would therefore interpret SR ALF
as 'CHIEF TRAINER' or MASTER TEACHER.  We could similarly
interpret SR CHMASIM as MASTER OF ARMS since CHMASH besides
meaning 50 also means ARMS.

Rashi must therefore WARN us against such a natural attempt.
Rashi does this by emphasizing a 3rd usage of the Hebrew word
SR.





USAGE 3
-------------------------------------------------------------
    In the following verses the Hebrew word 'SR' means
    MASTER or CHIEF. The verse USES the word to indicate
    HOW MANY subordinates worked under the CHIEF
-------------------------------------------------------------

VERSE           TEXT
-------         ------------------
Dt01-15         CHIEFS over a 1000
Dt01-15         CHIEFS over a 100
Ex18-21         CHIEFS over a 1000
Ex18-21         CHIEFS over a 100
Ex18-21         CHIEFS over   50
Ex18-21         CHIEFS over   10
Isa3-03         CHIEFS over   50
2Kn1-10         CHIEFS over   50

SUMMARY
-------
A popular English translation of the Hebrew word 'SR' is
OFFICER or GENERAL since the word frequently occurs in
military situations. Hence if you know nothing else it is
natural to interpret 'SR 1000' to mean OFFICER OVER A THOUSAND
In such a case you do not need Rashi


However if you were familiar with other Biblical usage of
'SR' you would know that it almost always means CHIEF OF
SOME ACTIVITY or else it refers to CHIEFS FROM SOME PLACE
Because of these other occurences it becomes natural to
think that eg the phrase CHIEF (of) 50 really means CHIEF
OF ARMS since the Hebrew word for 50 can also mean ARMS


Therefore Rashi ingeniously, consistenly and meticuously
makes it clear that we have a 3rd usage of SR in these
verses: In these verses the phrase 'SR' identifies the
CHIEF or MASTER by HOW MANY work under him. So Rashi
on each Biblical phrase 'CHIEF 1000' 'CHIEF 100' CHIEF 50...
says the same thing: 'CHIEF over a 1000'


It is Rashis like this that led me to call Rashi the
King Of Databases.

RULE USED: WORD MEANINGS
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website

Volume 7 Number 3


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