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  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
  |       http://www.RashiYomi.Com                           |
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VERSE: Dt32-07a

RASHIS COVERED: Dt32-07a Dt32-07b Dt32-77c
                Dt32-07d Dt32-07e Dt32-07f

BACKGROUND: Dt32-05 thru Dt32-06 and Dt32-08 thru Dt32-09
speak about the fact that people shouldn't be wicked but
rather they should belong to God. In Dt32-07 Moses
admonishes people to learn this from History.

RULE: We have frequently indicated that POETIC verses are
governed by the Rabbi Ishmael rule of CONTEXT. Very often poetic
verses REPEAT the same theme several times. In interpeting these
verses the following guiding principles are helpful:

GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING POETIC VERSES
* First, find the overall UNIFYING principle
* Next, try and recognize the WORDS that YOU do KNOW
* Further try and find the SPECIAL NUANCES in the words you know
* Then infer the meanings of other words using PARALLEL STRUCTURE
* Try and find all SUBCATEGORIES of the UNIFYING theme
* Make a ONE TO ONE CORRESPONDENCE between the subcategories of
  The unifying theme and repeated stanzas of the verse based on
  the nuances you recognize in the repeated words.

EXAMPLE: Dt32-07

The actual verse states as follows

{LIST}

     PARALLEL STRUCTURE OF DT32-07 *1
---------       ------------    -------------
REMEMBER        The days        of the world
UNDERSTAND      the years       of generations
ASK             Your Father     & he'll TELL you
                Your Elders     & they'll STATE it

NOTES
*1 The first two phrases are parallel to each other
   Similarly the last two phrases are parallel
   Finally note how there are 4-5 phrases of
   Communication: REMEMBER, UNDERSTAND, ASK, TELL,STATE

Let us now apply the 6 guiding principles from the above rule.

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE:
As can be seen all 4 phrases in the verse state that
You can see Reward and Punishment in History.

WORDS YOU KNOW: All words in the verse have well
known meaning.

SPECIAL NUANCES: The 4 phrases use the 5 words,
REMEMBER, UNDERSTAND, ASK, STATE,TELL.

PARALLELISM: As can be seen from the TABLE below, the
first 2 phrases are parallel (Similar) The last
two phrases are also similar.

SUBCATEGORIES OF STUDYING HISTORY: 1 to 1 CORRESPONDENCE:
The subcategories of "Studying history"  are presented compactly
in the following TABLE.

{LIST}

 CORRESPONDENCE OF STUDY HISTORY & DT32-07
 -----------------------------------------
Dt32-07                 HOW TO STUDY HISTORY
----------              ------------------------------------
REMEMBER                Study history*1
UNDERSTAND              Bad generations get punished*2
                        Good generations get rewarded*2
ASK                     Ask Prophets to confirm principles*3
STATE                   Ask Rabbis-Sages for guidance*4


NOTES
*1 The word REMEMBER vs the word UNDERSTAND has as emphasis
   On the past. Rashi suggests some obvious examples from
   History. The generations of the flood or of Sedom
   And Amorah are clear examples of generations dying
   Because they rebelled against God.

*2 The word UNDERSTAND vs the word REMEMBER has no special
   Emphasis in time. Hence (as the Sifsay, Chachamim, points
   Out) while REMEMBER refers to the PAST, UNDERSTAND refers
   To both the PAST and FUTURE.  The request is to understand
   Both the good and bad throughout history as coming from God
   As acts of Reward and punishment

*3 We emphasize that the word FATHER doesn't necessarily
   Mean PROPHET anymore than the word TELL means guiding
   Principles. However
   The CONTEXT demands that some new aspect of studying
   History be attached to this phrase---since one of the
   Meanings of FATHER is PROPHET (as listed by the RADACK
   In the book of ROOTS), therefore, because of the
   Principle of CONTEXT Rashi interprets this & the
   Next phrase (FATHER-ELDER) To refer to asking prophets
   And Rabbi-Sages.

*4 Interestingly, Rashi points out that the Biblical sentence
   "Ask the Rabbis and they will TELL YOU" links back to
   The beginning of the verse "REMEMBER HISTORY" "UNDERSTAND
   THE GENERATIONS" We have emphasized this parellilism
   Thru a table.


SUMMARY: The verse simply says to Learn about God thru
history. The nuances of the verse evoke an image of the
4 aspects of learning history: a) Record/remember history
b) Understand relationships in history (evil deeds lead
to decay while good deeds lead to growth c) Prophets
confirm these principles d) Rabbis and Sages guide you.


RULE USED: EXAMPLE8
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website

Volume 7 Number 18


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