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  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
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VERSE: Dt09-04a

RASHIS EXPLAINED: Dt09-04a Dt09-05a


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: This is my oldest Rashi is Simple question.
                 It was asked by a 7th grade girl in Maimonidees
                 in 1971.

We will need 2 rules to understand these verses

RULE:
-----
The Hebrew word KI has 6 possible meanings.
These are listed in http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn41-49a.htm:
-BECAUSE
-EXCEPT
-THAT
-IF
-RATHER
-QUESTION
In a compound sentence KI can very often mean RATHER to
contrast the 2 parts of the sentence



EXAMPLES
--------
(1) KI can mean BECAUSE as in  Gn18-15
She denied laughing BECAUSE she was afraid

(2) KI can mean EXCEPT as in Gn31-16a
He ate our possessions EXCEPT what God left us

(3) KI can mean RATHER as in Gn18-15
And they said, No! Rather we'll stay on street *1

(4) KI can mean IF as in Ex34-09a
IF the Jews are stiff necked then forgive them

(5) KI can mean THAT as in Gn43-07d
Did we know THAT he would ask us to bring him  *2

(6) KI can indicate a QUESTION as in Gn29-15a
Is being a relative an excuse to charge you nothing

NOTES
-----
*0 Note that all 6 are based on Rashis ..thus this expands
on the traditional notion that there are 4 meanings to KI.
Actually KI can denote any CONNECTIVE of 2 parts of a sentence

*1 RATHER & EXCEPT can be perceived as similar concepts

*2 IF and THAT are similar (in Hebrew) but not in English




RULE:
-----
There are 3 types of reasons
--CAUSATIVE
--CONTRIBUTIVE
--HELPING/ACCELERATING (or CATALYST)


APPLICATION: Dt07-04:06 repeat the same thing 3 times: "God did
            not give Jews Israel because of Jewish righteousness"

            Thus (as is explicitly stated) the Torah rejects
            Jewish Righteousness as EITHER
             a) a cause for conquest of Israel
             b) a contributing factor or
             c) even a helping/accelerating factor.

            Here are the details.



EXAMPLE  Why did God give us Israel?
-------

1) CAUSATIVE: (Suggested Reason)
               BECAUSE "We Jews are Righteous:"

               But the Torah rejects this reason (Dt07-04)

              "Dont say 'Because I am righteous' (*1)
               RATHER SAY 'Because the inhabitants were wicked"


2) CONTRIBUTORY: (A 2nd suggested reason)
                 BECAUSE "We Jews are Righteous" AND
                 "The inhabitants are wicked"
                  In other words two things were needed to
                  allow us to conquer the land:

                 But the Torah rejects Jewish Righteousness
                 as EITHER a cause or contributory reason(Dt07-05

                 "Your righteousness wasn't a (contributing)cause
                  RATHER
                  The cause was 'the inhabitants wickedness'
                  AND (A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE WAS)
                  'The promise of gift God made to the Patriarchs
                  *2

3) ACCELERATING: Perhaps then the REASON God gave us the land
                 was because of 'the inhabitants wickedness'
                 and 'the promise God made to the Patriarchs';
                 but nevertheless 'Our righteousness helped
                 accelerate the conquest of the land'

                 The Torah rejects Jewish Righteousness as an
                 accelerating factor (Dt07-06)

                 "Your righteousness couldn't have been a
                  reason since you are a stiff necked nation"


NOTES
-----
*1 So in this sentence the Hebrew work KI means RATHER
*2 Notice how we apply the Rashi of Dt07-04 to Dt07-05.Why?

   Dt07-04 states "Do not say 'My righteousness caused conquest'
                  when in fact it is because of'their wickedness'
                  that God is sending them away from YOU."

   Rashi states on this verse "Don't say 'My righteousness'
   and 'their wickedness' caused this.

   In other words Rashi, IF HE WAS COMMENTING only on this verse,
   is reading it as follows

   "Do not say 'My righteousness enabled conquest AND ALSO
    the wickedness of these nations enabled MY conquest'"

    The trouble with this reading of Rashi is that it violates
    grammar--For the sentence does not read
           "Because of their wickedness God
            is sending them away from ME"

    But rather
                  "Because of their wickedness God is
                   sending them away from YOU".

   Thus the last clause is not part of the thought:
             'Because of MY righteousness and their wickedness
              God is sending them away from ME'
    but rather a contrast:

           Don't say "Because of MY righteousness God
            is bringing me here" RATHER

            "their wickedness is why God is sending
             them away from YOU"

    In other words the phrases ME vs YOU implies that
    the 3 verses state as follows

    Dt07-04 Don't say MY RIGHTEOUSNESS, rather THEIR WICKEDNESS

    Dt07-05 Don't say (THEIR WICKEDNESS AND) MY RIGHTEOUSNESS
            rather THEIR WICKEDNESS and PROMISE TO PATRIARCHS

    Dt07-06 Your righteousness couldn't have helped at all
            in conquest of land because you are stiff necked
            and not righteous
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Volume 7 Number 6


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