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VERSE: Dt14-01A

RASHIS COVERED: Dt14-01a Dt14-22a

========================= Dt14-01a ==============================

SUCCINT SUMMARY:
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is the explanation of grammar
similar to the explanations we find in modern textbooks. We
call this the Rashi rule of GRAMMAR.

In todays posting we deal with the grammatical rules
governing DEVELOPMENT in paragraphs and chapters: Given
a paragraph or chapter THEME, what types of sentences can
exist in that paragraph or chapter and what are their
relations to the central theme? We call this the rashi
subrule of CONSECUTIVE PARAGRAPHS.

Rashi knew 4 means of relating consecutive sentences or
consecutive paragraphs in a paragraph or chapter:
- CAUSE
- CONTRAST
- ENABLEMENT
- UNIFYING THEME.
Today we study the CAUSAL and UNIFYING submethods.

EXAMPLE 1: Dt14-01a
----------------
The Biblical text states
------------------------------------------------------
[Moses said to the Jews]
(A) You (The Jews) are the CHILDREN of GOD
(B1) Don't scratch your skin out------------[for death]
(B2) Don't rip out hair [place bald patches]-for death
------------------------------------------------------

Rashi explains this verse by seeing clauses (B1) and (B2)
as the CONSEQUENCE (cause) of clause (A). Rashi states
------------------------------------------------------
- Non jews scratch skin and rip hair when someone dies
- but you are Gods children and should not do this
- Gods children should be nice
------------------------------------------------------

We can understand this better using the symbolism
of SCRATCHING SKIN and RIPPING HAIR. A person
in effect says:
------------------------------------------------
The deceased is no longer with
us--I have lost something permanantly--it is as
if I have lost a limb.
------------------------------------------------

Hence the person may scratch skin out (symbolizing
loss of body tissue) or rip hair.

However Jews believe that the soul lives on
and therefore the loss is a long temporary loss
not a permanant one. Hence Rashi reads the
verse as follows. The inserted bracketed
phrases show what Rashi has added.
----------------------------------------
(A) You (The Jews) are the CHILDREN of GOD
(A1) [We believe in the immortality of the soul]
(B0) [and therefore]
(B1) we Don't scratch your skin out [for death]
(B2) we Don't place bald patches-for death
-------------------------------------------

In a nutshell: Rashi's contribution to the
understanding of this verse is the observation
that the two verse halves are connected by
causality (SINCE you are Gods children THEREFORE
don't scratch out....)

LIST061a presents other paragraphs illustrating CAUSAL
connection.

EXAMPLE 2: Dt14-22a
-------------------
Verses Dt14-21 states-DONT EAT NON-SLAUGHTERED-SELL TO NON-JEW
Verses Dt14-21 states-DONT COOK CHILD LAMBS IN THE MOTHERS MILK
Verses Dt14-22:29 states-TITHE YOUR PRODUCE..GIVE TO SELF,LEVITE

Rashi (paraphrased) comments
-----------------------------------------
All three chapters emphasize the SOCIAL aspects of the KASHRUTH
laws
- True you can't eat ritually non-slaughtered meat but you
  SHOULD sell it to the non-Jew (Dont just throw it out)
- True you can slaugter and eat animals...but show respect
  for the animal family feelings--dont cook a child in the
  mother of the milk
- True you can harvest and eat but tithe and give to others
-----------------------------------------

In other words, Rashi sees a UNIFYING THEME in these three
consecutive paragraphs--the theme of CARING in KASHRUTH LAWS

LIST060a below presents other paragraph sequences with
a UNIFYING THEME.
================================================================
ITEM                     DETAIL
======================== =======================================
RASHI RULE CLASS:        GRAMMAR
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS:     CONSECUTIVE CHAPTERS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #9
SEE BELOW                LIST061a
A list of paragraphs     having a CAUSAL connection
-------------------      ------------------------------------
SEE BELOW                LIST060a
A list of paragraphs     having a UNIFYING theme
================================================================

================= LIST060a ================================
List of verses of consecutive paragraphs with same theme
===========================================================
VERSE    COMMON THEME     1st Chapter      2nd Chapter
======== ===============  ===============  ================
-------  -------------    --------------   --------------
Dt14-20	 Caring in KSRTH  Sell to Non Jew  Cook kid &mother
Dt14-21  Caring in KSRTH  Cook kid &mother Tithe produce*3
-------  -------------    --------------   --------------
Lv19-25a Abstain->incrse  No fruit 4 year  More fruit 5th*2
Lv19-26a Abstain->incrse  No eat living    more nutrition*2
Gn22-23a Isaac-Rivkah     Akaydah          Rivkah-born*1
Ex18-01a Gods miracles    Exodus           Defeat of Amalek
Nu13-02a Slander          Miryam on Moses  Spies on Israel
Nu26-64a Entry to Israel  Census           Girl inheritance
Nu27-12a Entry to Israel  Girl inheritance Joshua and Moes
Nu15-41d Important Laws   Idolatry         Sabbath
Dt33-07a Repentance       Reuven           Judah
Nu08-02a Temple gifts     Gold vessels     Service
Ex17-08a God cares for us Water-Manna      Defeat of Amalek
Ex21-01a A Just life      The Altar        Monetary Law
Nu20-01b Atonement        Red Heiffer      Miryam's death

NOTES
-----
*1 Actual there are 3 paragraphs as follows
   - Gn22-01:19  Akaydah
   - Gn22-20:24  Birth of Rivkah
   - Gn23-01:--  Death of Sarah

   Rashi points out that the TOPIC SENTENCE of Gn22-20:24
   is the birth of Rivkah. Rashi also points out that
   the 3 paragraphs form a TEMPORAL SEQUENCE
   For further details see LIST690B

*2 The paragraph contains 7 examples illustrating the theme
   ABSTENTION INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY
-------------------- EXAMPLES ----------------------------
-1- Abstain 4 years from new fruit--increase fruit yield
-2- Abstain from blood=life source--increase nutrition
-3- Abstain from divining --        increase prediction
-4- Separate animal/human --        increase animality/human
-5- Abstain from early sex--        increase sexual awarenss
-6- Abstain from Sabbath work --    incresae productivity
-7- Abstain from seancing     --    Increase knowledge
----------------------------------------------------------

*3 Actual prohibition is cooking CHILD OF LAMB(or other
   Kosher animals) in MILK OF MOTHER. Rashis actual
   language is
   --------------------------------------------
   If you cook kid in milk of mother (violate
   the sanctity of womb) I will destroy the
   wheat germ in the womb of the wheat with strong
   winds
   --------------------------------------------
   Rashi is simply giving poetic expression to the
   unifying theme of CARING IN KASHRUTH in the chapters.
===========================================================
================= LIST061a ================================
A list of paragraphs     having CAUSAL connection
===========================================================
VERSE    TOPIC IN 1st CHAPTER  TOPIC IN 2nd CHAPTER
======== ===================== ============================
Dt14-01a Jews=Gods children    No self multilation on death
Dt01-42a God not with you      Hence:defeat;therefore:no go
Nu30-16b Annuls after AFFIRM   He bears punishment of sin*8
Ex14-25a Remove wheel          Heavy driving--God fights
Ex14-25b Heavy Driving         God fights*10
Ex13-17b Avoid NEAR-ROUTE      Nearness facilitates return
Gn35-01a Dinah is raped        Prophetic order to leave*6
Gn33-13c Young Sheep           IF pushed they will die*7
Gn29-01a God WITH Jacob        Jacob travelled SMOOTHLY*5
Nu06-02a Adulterous wife rite  Nazaarite from wine*1
Gn38-01a Brothers sell Joseph  Judah leaves brothers*1
Gn23-03c Abraham offers Isaac  Sarah dies*1
Gn02-20a Adam Eve are Naked    Snake gives Eve Apple*2
Lv10-02a Non-allowed sac       Death of Aarons sons*3
Lv10-02a Death of Aarons sons  No wine to serving priest*3
Lv10-03d Death of Righteous    God honored*4
Lv22-15a Dont eat Terumah      Dont DESCECRATE holies

NOTES
-----
*1 Thus "whoever see the humiliating Adulterous wife rite"
   will be so shocked that he will abstain from wine

   Similarly "Judah advised his brothers to sell Joseph"
   and so when they regretted it they blaimed him and he
   had to "separate from them."

   Similarly "Sarah died" from the shock that "Abraham
   offered Isaac."

*2 In other words because the snake saw Adam and Eve naked
   therefore he became Jealous and wanted Adam killed so
   he could marry Eve.

   ALthough this sounds a bit wild there is strong supporting
   evidence. Gn04-01 uses the past perfect form
        "And Adam HAD BEEN FAMILIAR with his wife & they had
        a child"
   So the sequence of chapters is
        "Adam was lonely"
        "God makes Eve"
        "Adam and Eve are naked"
        ------------------------"Snake tempts Eve"
        "Adam has a child with Eve"
   Thus the sequence of chapters (Naked--->child) is
   clearly interrupted by the Snake story.

*3 As explained above Rashi sees these two views as
   complementary
   - First they drank wine and got drunk
   - While drunk they thought it permissable to offer
     sacrifices which should not be offered
   Hence they died for both crimes

*4 Rashi explains the Causal connection
   - when the masses see that God EVEN kills the righteous
     for sins
   - then they are aware how they must also observe
     Gods commandments
   - This leads to more honor for God

*5 So GOOD NEWS facilitates/causes SMOOTH TRAVEL(Rashi)

*6 The full sequence of chapters is as follows
   --------------------------------------------
   - Gn31 God orders Jacob to return to his fathers house
   - Gn32 But Jacob is afraid of Being with Brother Esauv
   - Gn33 Jacob journeys instead to Succoth
   - Gn34 Dinah gets raped
   - Gn35 God tells Jacob to return to BethEl
   -------------------------------------------

   Rashi notes that
   -----------------------------
   If Jacob had IMMEDIATELY fulfilled the order
   of Travelling to his fathers house he
   wouldnt have stayed in Succoth and his
   Daughter would not have gotten raped.
   ------------------------------

   Thus Rashi sees a CAUSAL connection
   between the chapters. Dinah was raped
   because Jacob did not IMMEDIATELY fulfill
   the prophetic order.

   Note Rashi expresses the same theme
   -------------------------------------------------
   Because he delayed doing the prophecy immediately
   therefore he was punished that certain bad
   occurrences happened to him
   -------------------------------------------------

   Rashi expresses this same theme on Gn35-22a
   where we find that Reuven inteferred with his
   fathers marital life.

*7 Rashi can be better understood with the EXPORT-IMPORT LAW
   of logic. The EXPORT-IMPORT law states that
   ----------------------------------------------------
   IF [it rains] then if [I go out] THEN [I will get wet]
   ----------------------------------------------------

   has the same meaning as
   ----------------------------------------------------
   IF [it rains] and [I go out] THEN [I will get wet]
   ----------------------------------------------------

   In other words Rashi identifies the two sentence forms
   - IF p THEN IF q THEN r
   - IF p & q THEN r
   This identification of NESTED CONDITIONALS with a
   CONJUNCTIVE HYPOTHESIS is called the EXPORT-IMPORT law.

   The actual Biblical text reads
   ---------------------------------------------
   The cattle is young
   AND they will be pushed one day
   AND they will die
   ---------------------------------------------

   Rashi simply points out (Using EXPORT-IMPORT) that
   we can interpret this as either
   ---------------------------------------------
   [IF] The cattle is young
   AND they will be pushed one day
   THEN they will die
   ---------------------------------------------
or
   ---------------------------------------------
   IF The cattle is young
   IF they will be pushed one day
   THEN they will die
   ---------------------------------------------

   The above two translations use the well known Biblical
   principle that the Hebrew letter VAV can refer to
   any connective.


*8 In other words he
   - 1st affirmed a vow of his wife
   - then annuled it (which he had no right to)
   - If she now sins (Because she was mislead into thinking
     the vow is annuled)
   - then HE bears the sin/punishment
   In other words BECAUSE he misled her he must pay for
   the sin.

-------------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------------

*10 Rashi also states
    --------------------------------------------------
    The HEAVY DRIVING (that God made the Egyptians do
    by removing chariot wheel) was a punishment for
    their making HEAVY their hearts
    --------------------------------------------------

    I would strengthen these associations
    --------------------------------------------------
    The HEAVY DRIVING is a punishment for the HEAVY
    work that the Egyptians placed on the Jews
    --------------------------------------------------

    These comments of Rashi or me also indicate
    -- HEAVY DRIVING causes/facilitated
    -- Egyptians seeing that God was fighting for them

    Indeed: We know that one of the way God fights
    is to punish people according to what they have done
    (See Rashi on Ex18-11- Jethro said: Now I know that
    God is the true God because He returns to people
    what they have done)

    Hence this particular punishment (making the
    Egyptians drive heavy vs killing them) showed
    the Egyptians (CAUSED them to be aware) that
    God was fighting.
=================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 27 Number 3


#*#*#*#  (C) 2000-2005, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 27 Number 3