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  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
  |       http://www.RashiYomi.Com                           |
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VERSE: Dt04-32c

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
===============
To Ron Mitnick for his continued probing on the Rashi Ex26-15a
I also acknowledge a young Torah scholar in Baltimore (who
wishes to remain anonymous) with whom I had many stimulating
conversations about the word >THE<.

RULE
====
The word >THE< can be used in 4 methods
--to refer to something that immediately follows or followed
  eg Dt04-32c >Has anyone heard THIS GREAT THING-that God ...<

--to refer to a concept, story or thing mentioned ELSEWHERE
  eg Nu13-33a >We saw there THE Nefilim< -- cf Gn06-04

--to refer to the best known of a class
  eg  Dt01-07e >THE Mount< -- This refers to The Kings Mountain

--to refer to a qualitative best
  eg Dt05-18a >You will do the good and upright< -- ie compromise


EXAMPLES (More examples next time)
========

---------------------------------------------------------------
  The following verses uses both >THE< and >THIS<
  The verse speaks about >THIS THING< and refers to
  what is mentioned in the next verse*1
---------------------------------------------------------------

VERSE    TEXT OF VERSE WITH >THE< & >THING< and FOLLOW UP VERSE
======== ======================================================
Dt04-32c Has any one heard >THIS GREAT THING:<
         That a nation should be saved by miracles
DT04-44a >THIS is THE TORAH< that Moses placed before the Jews
         >THESE are the STATUTES that God spoke in Egypt:<*2
         I am the Lord thy God
Dt31-19a Read >THIS SONG< To the Jewish people:
         Harken, oh heavens and I will speak....
Dt01-01a These are THE WORDS that Moses spoke to Israel:
         God made you plentiful..how can I endure your complaints

NOTES
=====
*1 We could also include Nu01-17a >And Moses took THESE PEOPLE<
   The word >THESE PEOPLE< refers to the 12 Prince Heads
   mentioned in Nu01-01:16

*2 Rashi also uses the rule of Rabbi Ishmael dealing with
   contradictory verses, to explain Dt04-44:45
   For Dt04-44 mentions the 10
   commandments SAID BEFORE ENTRY INTO ISRAEL while Dt04-45
   mentions the 10 commandments mentioned AT SINAI

   Rashi resolves this contradiction according to the
   well known tradition that the 10 commandments were
   said twice--once in Sinai and once before entry in
   Israel.

   See http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ri-14.htm
   for further discussion of Rabbi Ishmaels methods.
{END OF LIST}





---------------------------------------------------------
  In the following verses >THE< refers to a known concept
  that is mentioned elsewhere
---------------------------------------------------------

VERSE    TEXT OF VERSE           REFERS TO THIS TERM MEANS..
======== ======================= ========= =================
Nu13-33a THE Nefilim*1           Gn06-04   Sons of Prophets
Nu04-13a THE Altar*2             Ex27-01   Copper Altar
Nu28-26a THE day of BIKURIM*3    Lv23-17   Shavuoth Holiday
Nu29-11a THE atonement offering  Lv16-03   Yom Kippur Holiday
Dt11-12a THE Year Beginning*4              Jewish New Year
Nu28-06a THE Olah of Mount Sinai Ex24-05   Receipt of Torah*5
Ex26-15a THE temple boards*6     Gn21-33   Abrahams altar trees
Gn01-31a THE Sixth day*7                   Shavuoth-6th of Sivan

NOTES
=====
*1 [This footnote partially answers Ron Mitnick who was
   concerned with the fanciful Legend brought by Rashi
   in Ex26-15a that Jacob planted trees for the Temple]

   The simple meaning of the text is that the word >THE NEFILLIM<
   refers to >THE NEFILLIM< mentioned in Gn06-04. Furthermore,
   the >NEFILLIM< in Gn06-04 are described as a gang of people
   that came from judges grabbing women.

   But the Hebrew word for JUDGES used there is E-L-O-H-I-M. So
   it seems reasonable to interpret this word as referring to
   prophecy. It then seems reasonable to interpret the verse
   that >THE STUDENTS OF PROPHETS HAD FAILED IN THEIR SPIRITUAL
   GOALS AND WERE NOW INSTEAD TAKING WOMEN<

   The Legend expresses this metaphorically >The NEFILLIM
   refers to the angels AZAZEL etc that FELL FROM HEAVEN<

   This is simply a metaphor. >ANGELS< means >PROPHETS<
   >FELL FROM HEAVEN< means >FALLEN FROM THE PROPHETIC PATH<
   >AZAZEL< literally means >HELL< a fitting name for such
   people.

   Thus NEFILIM refers to people who defected from prophecy
   (Cf the example of the Saul who later sought advice
   from witches).

   Thus although the Rashi is a bit fantastic nevertheless
   Rashi is based on a solid simple meaning; and when
   the legend is properly interpreted it seems reasonable.

   To sum up Rashi has two components
   ---a simple component--that THE NEFILLIM references Gn06-04
   ---a reasonable supplement--that these NEFILLIM were
      defected prophets
   A person who doesnt fully believe the reasonable component
   should instead focus on the simple component. In my
   TRADITION article (Winter 1980) I call this the principle
   of STAGES.

*2 There are 2 altars--the copper altar and the gold altar
   The copper altar is referred to as >THE ALTAR< while
   the gold altar is not so referred. Hence Rashi cleverly
   interprets the verse as referring to the COPPER ALTAR.
   (Cf Ex27-01 vs Ex30-01--notice how it is the COPPER
   ALTAR that has the word >THE< while the Gold altar
   does not have THE! Rashi bases himself on GRAMMAR not on LOGIC
   As the Rav (Soloveitchick) has said >When learning
   Chumash it is best to avoid the stormy waters of
   philosophy and stick to the placid waters of grammar<)

*3 The sole reason for believing that this holiday
   mentioned in Nu28-26 is Shavuoth is because of use
   of the identical word >BIKURIM< in Lv23-17.

*4 I know of no explicit Biblical verse that identifies
   the holiday of the >seventh month with the shofar blowing<
   as the New Year. Nevertheless the word >THE< in Dt11-12
   refers to this known holiday

*5 Rashi actually mentions 2 possibilities for the
   >Mount Sinai Olah<
   ---The Olah offering offered at receipt of the 10 commandments
   ---The Olah offering offered when the Temple was consecrated
   (See Ex24-01:18 & Ex29-38:46)

   Thus the important point is that >THE< refers to a known
   offering connected with SINAI. Rashi does not commit himself
   to which one. (Also see the Sifsay Chachamim who points out
   that the verse should really be read with the word >LIKE<:
   >LIKE the olah offering offered at Mount Sinai<)

*6 As I commented in http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n11.htm,
   --the word >THE< in >THE TEMPLE BOARDS< refers to known
   boards which apparently refers to the trees that Abraham
   planted for an altar(Gn21-33). The Midrash then rightfully
   assumes that Isaac and Jacob continued this tradition.
   This is a reasonable but not necessary continuation of
   the simple meaning of the text and resembles the Legend
   of fallen angels mentioned above in footnote *1.

   I believe this LIST gives cogency and believeability to this
   approach

*7 The phrase >THE 6th< would refer to the day known as
   >THE SIXTH<. This refers to the Jewish Holiday of Shavuoth
   which always falls on the 6th of Sivan.

   This derivation resembles the other derivations in the LIST
   such as >THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR< which refers to the
   Jewish New Year.

   I believe this LIST gives cogency and believeability to this
   approach.

   I now interpret Genesis 1 based on this Rashi, that the
   6th day refers to Shavuoth. First recall that I have
   suggested that Genesis 1 explains that what was created
   6000 years ago was Prophecy not the physical world. For
   a complete reference see http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gen-1.htm

   Pre-Day-1:The earth world has people of DARKNESS &
             CONFUSION. The emotional world is watery and
             not solid

   DAY-1:    God says >Let there be the lights of prophecy<
             and Adam, the first prophet is created

   DAY-2:    God creates the physical and spiritual world; God
             also creates the rain cycle. This refers to the
             destruction of the physical world of the generation
             of the flood

   DAY-3:    The PLANT world is a universal metaphor for learning
             since all knowledge is organized in a taxanomic
             manner. Thus on Day-3 God created the yeshiva world
             referring to the famous Yeshivas of Shem and Ever

   DAY-4:    God created the SUN--the fire visions of prophecy.
             This refers to the creation of the patriarchs who
             had fire visions. They also LIT the world since they
             told others of their fire visions. (Apparently ADAM
             may only have had the HOLY SPIRIT--that is the
             spiritual capacity to see things in dreams but not
             in fire visions)

   DAY-5:    God creates the great Dinosaur nations like Egypt
             which rule thru the power of the >herd<

   DAY-6:    God creates the pinacle of prophecy--Moses, who is
             also called Adam. Moses is the father of all
             prophets and is given the Torah on the holiday of
             the 6th. Moses ruled over all ANIMAL prophets and
             over all LEARNING (Grass).

   DAY-7:    God rests. The 3-stage creation of prophecy is
             complete
             --stage 1--Adam who had dreams
             --stage 2--The Patriarchs who had fire dreams
             --stage 3--Moses who had mosaic prophecy.

        Praise be Him Who chose them and their learning


RASHI RULE USED: SPECIAL WORDS
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 9 Number 14


#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
Volume 9 Number 14