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VERSE: Dt28-53a
RASHIS COVERED: Dt28-53a Dt23-08a Dt23-08b Dt24-05a Dt28-54a
========================= Dt28-53a ==============================
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 3 means of relating consecutive sentences or
consecutive paragraphs in a paragraph or chapter:
- CAUSE, ENABLEMENT
- CONTRAST
- UNIFYING THEME.
Today we study the CAUSAL and CONTRASTIVE submethod.
EXAMPLE 1 Dt28-53a
------------------
(Rashi) Dt28-53a shows a clear CAUSAL connection
between the two parts of the sentence
------------------------------------------
- (A) You will eat your children for food
- (B) BECAUSE
- (C) of the straights God will impose on you
------------------------------------------
Rashi
---------------------------------------
The Hebrew letter BETH is translated
as BECAUSE and clearly indicates that
you will eat your children because of the
famine and straights God imposes on you
----------------------------------------
LIST061a summarizes this argument and brings further
examples of CAUSAL connection.
EXAMPLE Dt28-54a
----------------
Dt28-54a:55 shows a CONTRASTIVE development of its
sentence subparts
-------------------------------------------------
- (A) The SOFT / DAINTY person
- (B) [WILL NEVERTHELESS]
- (C) be STINGY towards his wife and brothers
from giving them leftover food of their
children which they will eat because of
the straights God brings on you
-------------------------------------------------
Rashi
-----------------------------------------
The Hebrew word used which LITERALLY translates
as SOFT / DAINTY seem to refer (as in the English
idiom) to a SOFT HEARTED person who indulges in
DAINTINESS and ELEGANCE, always GIVING to people.
NEVERTHELESS this soft hearted person will not
give leftover child-meat to even his wife and
brothers because of the great famine and he
will herd the food for himself
-------------------------------------------
We could have classified this using the
WORD TRANSLATION method since it appears
as a NEW IDIOM. But Rashi's main point is
the CONTRAST not the definition.
EXAMPLE Dt24-05a
-----------------
Dt24-01:05 contains two Biblical paragraphs.
It states as follows
---------------------------------------------
If man M1 marries woman W1, gets divorced and
W1 marries man M2 who then divorces her. M1
cannot remarry W1.
If man M3 marries a NEW WOMAN W2 then he is
exempt from the military ....
---------------------------------------------
Rashi explains the phrase NEW WOMAN by CONTRASTING
the two paragraphs
---------------------------------------------
Paragraph 1 spoke about a remarriage to ones
former divorcee (M1 remarrying W1) which is
permissable unless she married someone else
inbetween.
Therefore Paragraph 2 which speaks about marrying
a NEW WOMAN must, by CONTRAST, refer to marrying
a non-former divorcee
--------------------------------------------
Here Rashi exhausts the meaning of the phrase
NEW WOMAN using the PARAGRAPH CONTRAST method.
NEW WOMAN in the 2nd paragraph contrasts with
REMARRIAGE OF A FORMER DIVORCEE in paragraph 1.
Note we do not use the IDIOM, NEW MEANING method
here. For Rashi is not asserting that IN GENERAL
the Hebrew phrase NEW WOMAN means a NON-FORMER-
divorcee. Rather Rashi is asserting that in this
particular verse NEW WOMAN means non-former-divorcee.
-----------------------------------------
EXAMPLE Dt23-08a Dt23-08b
-------------------------
Dt23-04:07 Dt23-08:09 are two Biblical paragraphs
----------------------------------------------------------
-(A) Amonites and Moabite converts cannot intermarry
EVER even after 10 GENERATIONS
-(B) Don't DESPISE Egyptians/Edomites..even though
they hurt you they treated you nicely and you
can intermarry with their converts AFTER 3 GENERATIONS
----------------------------------------------------------
Rashi notes the obvious CONTRAST between the two paragraphs
-----------------------------------------------------------
- Amonites/Moabite converts CAN NEVER intermarry Jews
- Egyptians/Edomite converts CAN intermarry after 3 generations
(The given reason is that even though the Egyptians mistreated
you they nevertheless housed us while we were slaves)
Hence from this contrast we infer that the phrase
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Don't DESPISE Egyptians
- - - - - - - - - - - -
means
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Don't DESPISE Egyptians FOREVER
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-----------------------------------------------------------
Rashi also notes that the verse-given reasons
support the contrastive paragraphs
-----------------------------------------------
- The Amonites and Moabites hurt you
- and did nothing nice to you
- The Egypitans and Edomites also hurt you
- But the Egyptians provided shelter to you
as slaves and the Edomites are your brothers
Therefore there should be a CONTRAST--
- Amonites are hated without remedy
- Edomites are hated with remedy
-----------------------------------------------
LIST061b below summarizes these Rashi and presents
other examples of CONTRASTIVE SENTENCE development.
================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =======================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: GRAMMAR
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS: CONSECUTIVE CHAPTERS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #9
SEE BELOW LIST061b
A list of paragraphs having a CONTRASTING connection
---------------------- -----------------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST061a
A list of paragraphs having a CAUSAL connection
================================================================
===================== LIST061a ============================
A list of paragraphs having CAUSAL connection
===========================================================
VERSE TOPIC IN 1st CHAPTER TOPIC IN 2nd CHAPTER
======== ===================== ============================
Dt28-53a Fierce FAMINE You-ll eat children
Nu12-10a Prophecy cloud goes Miryam punished;leprosy*13
Nu08-19b Levites help priests No death to Jews*14
Ex33-08b pitches tent outside when he went outside
Gn41-48a Stored city food Stored it near its city*12
Gn41-44a I am Pharoh King Hence I grant you power
Gn24-29a Laban saw BRACELETS Laban ran to get servant*11
Gn20-01a Lot incests daughters Abraham runs away from there
------- -------------------- --------------------------
Gn13-14a Lot / Abe separate God promises Abe Israel*9
Gn13-07a Fight of Abe-Lot Canaanites still in Israel*9
------- -------------------- --------------------------
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.
*9 The causality of these verses reinforce each other
- Gn13-14 EXPLICITLY states that God promised Abe
Israel AFTER Lot separated from him
- Gn13-07 states that Abe and Lot faught WHILE
the Canaanites were still in the land.
So Rashi simply puts the two verses together
- Lot felt HE COULD USE ISRAEL land even though the
CANAANITES still owned it. Lot felt this way because
the land was promised to Abraham eventually. By contrast
Abraham refused to use the land UNTIL it was actually
given to him.
-------------------------- 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.
*11 Hence the Rashi
- Laban was interested in the possibility of becoming
rich from Abraham.
*12 Presumably each city had its own method of preserving
food (e.g. use natural nutrients in the fields).
Hence the second sentence of the verse HE STORED EACH
CITIES FOOD NEAR IT is seen as ENABLING the first
sentence HE STORED THE FOOD OF THE SEVEN YEARS
*13 (Rashi) "And the cloud departed from off the
Tent"ENABLES and ALLOWS "and behold
Miriam had become leprous."
An analogy would be King angry at one of his
subjects. The King would leave the room BEFORE
punishment began since it is disrespectful to
degrade a subject of the King in his presence.
Similarly God, the King, had to depart ("The cloud
departed")before Miryam could be punished.
*14 BECAUSE the Levites do the Temple work
there will be no need for Jews to enter the
Temple. This prevents a plague
But if they did enter the temple they would
be liable to a death penalty at the hands of
heaven. [See Nu18-07 for an explicit
statement that "strangers [non levites/priests]
coming near to the Temple die at the hands of heaven.]
--------------------------------------------------
=================================================================
======================== LIST061b =================================
A list of paragraphs having a CONTRASTING connection
===================================================================
# VERSE TOPIC IN 1st CHAPTER TOPIC IN 2nd CHAPTER
==== ========== ======================== ==========================
(--) Dt23-08a Amon NEVER intermarries Egypt DOES in3 generations
(--) Dt23-08b Amon NEVER intermarries Egypt DOES in3 generations
(--) Dt24-05a ...your former divorcee NEW WIFE-no former divorce
(--) Dt28-54a SOFT HEARTED person... STINGY because of famine
(--) Dt04-41a Moses will die Moses sets 3 refuge cities
(--) Dt05-04a Parents didnt see God You personally heard God
(--) Gn41-44b I am Pharoh=King You are Vice-King
(--) Gn25-23a Esauv HUNTER,in FIELD*11 Jacob SIMPLE,TENTS charity
(--) Nu31-03a War Midyan;THEN DIE Eager to go to war*0
(--) Lv19-30a Observe SABBATH [Even when]BUILDING TEMPLE
(--) Ex18-05a Jethro comes to DESERT comes to Mount of GOD
(--) Ex04-11a Moses cant speak Moses did speak-Ex02-11:14
(--) Ex04-11b Moses afraid of Pharoh God protected Mshe-Ex02-15
(--) Gn47-25a*8 20% Tax:80% Yours Thank you...Good deal
(--) Gn42-10a JOE: You are spies BROTHERS:NO-we are not.*7
(09) Lv26-01a Being a slave to Non Jew Prohibition of Idolatry*1
(10) Dt29-12a Curses We are before God*2
(11) Lv19-03c Fear Parents Watch Sabbaths*3
(12) Dt22-12a No Shaatnez Tzitzith*4
(--) Dt09, Dt10 Jews rebel against God But God still loves Jews*5
(--) Gn31-13d I will go GENTLY You will PASS ME*6
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi not only connects 2 paragraphs. He also connects
all Biblical paragraphs in this chapter. See
footnote *10 for further details
*2 Dt28 gives a long list of curses if the Jews violate
the commandments.
Dt29-12 says "You are all STANDING before God today" In
other words despite the curses for disobediance you are
still here before God(The implication being that no
matter how angry God gets he will not destroy you)
A further support for this theme can come from the
General-particular-General form
Dt28 GENERAL: Curses for disobediance
Dt29-12 PARTICULAR: You are standing here before God
Dt29-19 GENERAL: Curses for disobediance
Thus the General-Particular-General form shows that Gods
curses still allow us to "Stand before him"--in other
words they are educative curses not punitive.
*3 In other words (always) "Observe the Sabbaths"
DESPITE a request to the contrary "By your parents"
This can happen if eg your parents ask you to
desecrate the Sabbath. You must observe the
Sabbath even if your parents request to
the contrary.
And this can be generalized to all Torah laws(that
they take precedence over your parents request)
*4 Wear Tzitzith DESPITE the fact that they may have Shaatnez
Wool and linen together (In the priestly garments made of
Linen the Tzitzith were made of wool--thus the commandment
of Tzitzith OVERRIDES the prohibtion of wearing wool and
linen)
*5 More specifically Rashi (Dt10-12a) states
---------------------------------------------
Despite the 5 rebellions that the Jews did
against God, nevertheless, God still loves
the Jews. In fact Dt10-12 states that all
the Jews need do to earn this love is to
revere God
---------------------------------------------
*6 Rashis point is that Jacob did not ask Esauv
----------------------------
Past me and leave me behind
----------------------------
Rather Jacob suggested contrast
------------------------------------------------
- I must go at a gentle pace
- you go at a normal pace
------------------------------------------------
A logical consequence of this contrast is that
Esauv would pass Jacob and leave him behind.
*7 The full Biblical text shows two rounds of dialogs
between Moses and Joseph
The Biblical text states as follows
----------------------------------------------------
Gn42-09 1 JOE: You are Spies
Gn42-10:11 1 BROHTERS: NO(Contrast)--We are simple people
Gn42-12 2 JOE: NO(Contrast) you are spies
Gn42-13 2 BROTHERS: We are 12 sons;we came for food
----------------------------------------------------
*8 Gn47-25b and Gn47-25a both deal with the contrast of offer
vs Thank you.
*9 Rashi makes a point of the contrast
----------------------------------------
Even though he was going to die after the war
nevertheless he was eager to perform the war
--------------------------------------------
---------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ----------------------
*10
On a superficial level Rashi seems to be connecting 2
verses.
Avoid idolatry DESPITE your being a slave to a non jew
(who encourages its violation). Do not think "I will
worship idols now and when I am free I will go
back to believing in God"
On a profound level Rashi sees a unifying theme to this
whole chapter. The chapter encourages observing the
shimitah laws which encourage abstaining from agriculture
once every 7 years so that people can devote themselves
to God and study. If one violates these laws he is
progressively punished. Here is the sequence of
punishments
{LIST} {Paragraphs in BEHAR}
-------------------------------------------------------
VERSE LAW
------------ ------------------------------------------
Lv25-01:12 Observe the 7 and 50 year Land sabbaticals
Lv25-13:24 If not you will have to sell your MOVABLES
Lv25-25:28 If not you will have to sell your LAND
Lv25-29:34 If not you will have to sell your HOUSE
Lv25-35:38 If not you will have to LOAN
Lv25-39:46 If not you will have to become a SLAVE
Lv25-47:54 If not you'll become a NONJEWISH SLAVE
Lv26-01:03 If not you'll be tempted to IDOLATRY
---------------------------------------------------------
Thus Rashi does not merely teach juxtaposition of verses
but he also teaches juxtaposition of ALL paragraphs in
the chapter.
*11
Rashi comments
------------------------------------------------------
The verse CLEARLY contrasts HUNTER vs SIMPLE and
FIELDS vs TENTS. Thus the SITTING IN TENTS spoken
about here is not e.g. the tents of hunters but
rather the tents of scholars (or charity givers)
------------------------------------------------------
I have added the explanatory words [or charity givers]
to show that Rashi's point is one of CONTRAST not
one of IDENTIFICATION. Rashi literally says
-------------------------------------
TENTS refers to the tents of Shaym
alluded to in the verse Gn09-27
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
God will give beauty to Yefeth
and Yefeth will dwell in the TENTS OF SHAYM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-------------------------------------
Presumably these are tents of either scholars
or tents of charity givers. Rashi's main
point is not the identification of WHOSE
tents Jacob dwells in but rather the
TYPES of tents that Jacob dwells in--
charity or learning tents vs hunter tents.
*12 Rashi cites Gn41-40 to support this interpretation
-------------------------------------------------
Pharoh said to Joseph; I give you power over all Egypt
But my throne shall surpass your power
-------------------------------------------------
*13 - The 6 refuge cities became operational as a unit
- That is, no refuge city gave asylum till all did
- Hence if Moses was dying his setting aside 3
cities did not have any effect
We conclude that Moses set aside the cities simply
because of religiousity and his love of performance
================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 30 Number 21
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2006, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 30 Number 21