#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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VERSE: Dt25-09b
RASHIS COVERED: Dt25-09b Dt25-10a Dt25-11a Dt25-12a
============================ Dt25-09b ==========================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
A famous Rashi technique is the skillful use of PARAGRAPH
STRUCTURE to infer MEANING.
EXAMPLE Dt25-09:12
------------------
The structure of Dt25-09:12 is clearly as follows
- DO NOT have UNJUST weights
- DO --- have --JUST weights
- -------------------------- IN ORDER that it be good
Rashi: We can make inferences
- If you have just weights you will have good
- If you dont have just weights you will not have good
NOTE: These inferences can be made SOLELY on the basis
of Paragraphc structure. One need not try to extract
these meanings from the nuances of the words. A major
contribution of this email list is the emphasis on
STRUCTURAL aspects of Biblical inference (in contrast
to other methods concentrating principally on nuances
of words and grammar)
Rashi (Continued):
- the contrasting verses shows us that the Biblical phrsae
STONE-STONE:BIG-SMALL contrasts with the Biblical phrase
JUST FAIR STONES--hence STONE STONE BIG-SMALL refers to
unjust weights. Again the inference is made from structure
- Finally the contrasting verses shows us that BIG-SMALL
refers to UNJUSTNESS--e.g. having a double standard where
you use BIG weights for one customer and small weights
for someone else.
===============================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== ======================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: BULLETS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS BULLETING
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #26
SEE BELOW LIST106y
List of paragraph items dealing with JUST vs UNJUST weights
---------------------- ---------------------------------
RASHI RULE CLASS: WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS NEW MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW LIST854z
List of 2-3 word Biblical idioms
===============================================================
========================= LIST106y =============================
List of paragraph items dealing with JUST vs UNJUST weights
================================================================
Class Do vs Dont Stone vs Msure Fair vs Crooked Reward
====== ============= =============== ================== ========
Dont Dont possess STONE-STONE Big-Small*1 '
Dont Dont possess MEASURE-MEASURE Big-Small '
Do Do-- possess STONE Complete and Fair '
Do Do-- possess MEASURE Complete and Fair '
Reward In order that '*2 ' LiveLong
NOTES
-----
*1 The contrast of COMPLETE AND FAIR vs STONE-STONE BIG SMALL
shows us that
- STONE STONE refers to MEASURES and WEIGHTS
- BIG-SMALL refers to UNJUST WEIGHTS
The details are not given but can easily be guessed at
(Eg having a double standard where you use BIG weights
for one customer and small weights for another)
(Dt25-13a, Dt25-14b)
*2 The emphasis IN ORDER THAT implies that
- if you observe weights you will live long
- if you dont observe them you will not live long
(Dt25-14a,Dt25-15a)
================================================================
======================= LIST854z ================================
A List of Biblical idioms..eg FROM DAYS DAYS=YEARLY
LIST854z continues LIST854d
=================================================================
VERSE BIBLICAL PHRASE TRANSLATION NOTES
======== ======================= ===================== ==========
Dt25-14b STONE-STONE:Big-Small Dbl standard weights *13
Dt14-19a BIRD INSECT flys
Dt23-02b CUT POURER castrated
Lv01-15c BLOOD BE SQUEEZED Squash animal on wall *7
Ex30-27f BY ITSELF BY ITSELF Equally for each one
Ex30-04a SIDE OF SIDES Corner *6
Ex14-05b CHANGE OF HEART Changed his mind
Gn43-29a FIND GRACE Wish(ed) you well *5
Gn24-57a ASK HER MOUTH Discuss/get opinions *4
Ex12-06d BETWEEN THE EVES NOON *3
Gn37-03a SON OF OLD AGE Youngest *1
Gn37-26b COVER BLOOD Conceal murder *2
Ex21-21a DAY OR DAYS 24 hours
Lv13-39a DULL WHITE DULL WHITE
Lv16-08a PLACE A LOT Have a lottery *9
Lv13-20a SHALLOW APPEARANCE DEEP wound *8 *11
Lv13-03b DEEP APPEARANCE DEEP wound *8 *11
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi points out 3 equally possible meanings
- Youngest son (Son born while father was ELDERLY)
- Wisest son (ELDER=WISDOM)
- Son who resembles father (despite old age he still
looks like son)
*2 This is an example of a DOUBLE METONOMY
Blood is ASSOCIATED with life and COVER is
associated with denial. Hence COVER-BLOOD=conceal-murder
*3 NOON is the midpoint between EVE and DAWN. Hence
NOON is the BETWEEN THE EVES.
*4 The context is the proposed marriage of 15 year old
Rivkah to Isaac from another country. The offer had
been made by the servant of Abraham to Rivkahs family
The Biblical text states: Let us(her parents)
ASK HER MOUTH
This is the ONLY time in the Bible that this
phrase occurs(The verb ASK occurs frequently).
Apparently this phrase means
- Lets DISCUSS or LETS GET AN OPINION*10
Such an interpretation is appropriate for a marriage
decision
*5 FIND-GRACE can equally mean I WISH YOU WELL or
YOU WERE WISHED WELL. Rashi points out that GRACE
by itself has this same connotation (Without the
full phrase FIND GRACE). See LIST854g for further
details
*6 Tzade-Lamed-Ayin means SIDE (and hence can refer
to the RIBS). Thus Ex30-04 speaks about the SIDE
OF SIDES--that is the CORNER.
*7 Actually the idiom consists of two parts
- SQUEEZE the blood
- use of the passive (Blood is SQUEEZED)
Hence the idea that the slaughtered animal is
pushed against the altar wall until the blood
oozes forth.
*8 In other words the WHITE PATCHES on the skin
appear to be a DEEP WOUND (rather than a superficial
skin discoloring) *11
*9 The Bible uses a variety of phrases to indicate
lotteries such as
- SHOOT A LOT Jo18-06
- THROW A LOT Jo18-08
- RAISE A LOT Jo18-11
- PLACE A LOT Lv16-08
- CAST A LOT Is34-17 *12
---------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ---------------
*10 Hence the Rashi on Gn24-57b: The Biblical text
states that Rivkah responded: I WILL GO.
But Rashi, surprisingly states: I WILL GO WHETHER
YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
Why did Rashi read such an emphasis into the simple
question and answer
------------------------------------------
PARENTS: Rivkah, Will you go with this man
RIVKAH: I will go.
------------------------------------------
The answer is that the Bible says
------------------------------------------
PARENTS: We will DISCUSS THE MATTER with her;
get her opinion
PARENTS: Rivkah, Will you go with this man
RIVKAH: I will go.
------------------------------------------
Thus the context shows that Rivkah was not
INTERESTED IN A DISCUSSION--she had already
made up her mind
*11 Rashi appears to say the following
---------------------------------------
ALL WHITE appears deep; like the SUNLIT
part appears deeper than the SHADE
---------------------------------------
But the sunlit part does NOT appear deeper than
shade. Hence we interpret this Rashi as follows
--------------------------------------------
[The skin whiteness is not speckled but]
ALL WHITE; [it appears] deep like a BURN
appears deeper than just on SURFACE OF SKIN
---------------------------------------------
By comparing the capped words in these two
interpretations of Rashi we infer that we interpret
- ChaMMaH as meaning BURN vs SUNLIT
- SHADE as referring to non-burnt skin (vs shade)
We also interpret
-- [The skin is] ALL WHITE (not speckled); It appears...
vs
-- ALL WHITE APPEARS DEEP
(This is a change in punctuation)
*12 Superficially these phrases seem to be the same
However Rashi on Lv16-08 states that PLACE A LOT
means CASTING A LOT and PLACING the WINNING/LOSING
TICKETS on the winners/losers.
*13 Rashis literal langauge is
------------------------------------
Dont have BIG-SMALL stones with one
contradicting the other
------------------------------------
I however have translated the Biblical text as meaning
-----------------------------------------------
Dont have DOUBLE STANDARD STONES--big small;
(and you use them depending on the customer)
-----------------------------------------------
I believe these two translations are the same--
- Rashi emphasized the "MECHANICS" of the act
- I emphasized the NEW MEANING
aspect of the Biblical words
You need both aspects to fully understand Rashi
=========================================================
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Volume 23 Number 4
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 23 Number 4