#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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| Rashi is Simple Version 2.0 |
| (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President |
| http://www.RashiYomi.Com |
| PERMISSION to reprint WITH this header if NOT for profit |
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VERSE: Dt32-11a
RASHIS COVERED: Dt32-11a Dt32-11b Dt32-11c Dt32-11d
====================== GOD CARRIES US ===========================
VERY BRIEF SUMMARY:
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Dt32-11 poetically describes how God carries us thru history.
God describes the 3 basic components of Gods Carrying us thru
history using poetic analogies & a few words.The stages are
-- AWARENESS OF THE TRIP:God tells us we have a journey
-- THE TRIP VEHICLE:God takes different people in different ways
-- THE PERILS:God tells us the perils of the journey
The description is communicated by analogy with eagle travel
-- AWARENESS OF TRIP The Eagle AWAKENS her young
-- TRIP VEHICLES Eagles HOVER at varying altitudes
-- TRIP PERILS Young are carried on Eagle WINGS
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TODAYS RASHI RULE: STYLE
TODAYS RASHI SUBRULE: POETRY
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RULE & SUBRULE:
------------------------------------
Many Rashis are based on MEANING or GRAMMAR. But some Rashis
are based on Style. One Biblical style is the Poetry style
in which the Bible describes an item by tersely listing
3-6 components of the item--each component tersely listed using
words with catchy nuances. It is because of this terse
description that we have called this method the Poetry method.
The proper Rashi method for understanding a POETRY passage is
to
- (a) identify the underlying unifying item
- (b) identify the 3-6 components of this item
- (c) create a cross-walk between
these 3-6 components and the Biblical verse stanzas.
Todays example below illustrtes this
STANDARD EXAMPLE & TODAYS LIST
------------------------------
We give 2 lists. The first list describes the general guidelines
for analyzing a poetic passage. The 2nd list applies these
guidelines to Dt32-11
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STEPS IN ANALYZING POETIC PASSAGE APPLICATION TO Dt32-11
=================================== =============================
Identify the unifying theme God CARRYING us thru history
Identify 3-6 components of theme Trip awareness;vehicle;perils
Identify key words in verse AWAKEN, HOVER, WINGS,CARRY
Identify nuances of key words HOVER=varying positions
Parallel components & verse phrases See the 2nd list below
Parallelism fills unknown meanings *1
NOTES
-----
*1 This is a main focus of the poetry technique. The
parallelism IN AND OF ITSELF has the right, justification
and power to suggest word meanings.
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======================= Dt32-11 =================================
We now apply the above 6 stages to this verse Dt32-11
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VERSE PHRASE ANALOGY POINT OF EMPHASIS
======================== ==================== ===================
Eagle awakening its nest God tells of journey Awaken<->swoop*1
Hovering over its nest Many appearances*2 Many altitudes*2
Takes young on wings God prophesies peril Young ON wings*3
Carrying young God carries us Thru history*4
NOTES
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*1 Rashi points out the interesting biological fact that
many birds SWOOP down on a nest rudely awakening the young
By contrast Eagles 1st ruffle the treetops so that their
young should be awakened when the mother bird comes.
The analogy is that God EXPLICITLY informs us of our
journey thru history rather than barging in on us*10
*2 The main point here is that the Eagle HOVERS at varying
altitudes (Some young birds feel more reassured if the
mother bird is at a high/low altitude). The analogy
would be that God appears to different people in
different forms to reassure them(Thus
- (a) in Exodus God appeared as a warrior defeating
- (b) God appeared as a King when He gave the Decalogue
- (c) God appeared Maternally when He gave the manna *11
*3 Again Rashi points out a biological fact: Most birds carry
young by the legs (A Frightening experience). But the
eagle carries its young on its wings shielding them from
the perils below. The analogy would be that God warns
us of perils in the journey thru history (Thus WINGS
would be a symbol of PROPHECY the same way WIND(SPIRIT)
is a symbol of PROPHECY)*12
*4 The Rashi Poetry methodology requires identification
of a unifying theme. We have identified this stanza
-- God CARRIES us -- as the unifying theme. We have
interpreted this to mean that God carries us thru history
----------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ------------------------
*10 Just to recap the VERSE & ITS MEANING we have
- VERSE: As an eagle AWAKENS its YOUNG
- RASHI: AWAKENS vs SWOOP DOWN. Other birds rudely
awaken by swooping. The AWAKENS 1st then comes to next
- MEANING: God informs by prophecy of our Journey thru
history so we shouldnt be shocked at what we get into
To strengthen this interpretation of Rashi please visit
http://www.RashiYomi.com/gn03-09a.htm which contains
14 examples of prophecy by God to people.
In certain instances God is abrupt while in other instances
God is gradual so as not to frighten people (Like an Eagle
awakening its young) Here is a brief summary from gn03-09a
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NATURE OF GODS INTRODUCTORY SPEECH GODS GOAL
-------------------------------------------- ----------------
Gentle opening (eg WHere are you(Gn03-09) Repentance
Gentle opening (eg Samuel,Samuel(1Sa03-04) Prepare prophecy
Chatty style(e.g. leave COUNTRY,FATHER,CITY) Difficult request
Reassuring style(eg Dont worry Jacob(Gn46-03 Calm fears
Abrupt style(eg God said suddenly(Nu12-04) Punishment
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So Moses point is that God guides us thru History gradually
LIKE AN EAGLE AWAKENING ITS YOUNG
*11 Rashis presents a different Scriptural support for Gods
many appearances. Rashi cites Dt33-02
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- (Dt33-02) God came from Sinai
- He SunRose from Seir
- He appeared from Paran
- (Hab03-03) God came from the South
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Rashi then interprets SINAI, SEIR, PARAN as different
directions (East,West, North).
But this comment of Rashi on Dt32-11 contradicts Rashis
own interpretation on Dt33-02. Furthermore it is not
necessary to see Rashi as IDENTIFYING Dt32-11 with Dt33-02.
Rather Rashi was NOT IDENTIFYING but rather ILLUSTRATING.
The main points are
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VERSE - AN EAGLE HOVERS OVER NEST
RASHI - No one fixated position
(Giving the young alternative perceptions)
INTERPRETATION: God appears in many forms(warrior,
King, father, maternally) so as to give the Jews
alternative perceptions
----------------------------------------------------
Such a viewpoint makes Rashi reasonable. It is for
this reason I have deviated from the Rashi text
in supplying alternative scriptural supports.
*12 Again a recap would help
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VERSE Eagle takes YOUNG on WINGS
RASHI Other birds carry young from feet
Eagle carries young on WINGS
INTERPRETATION God warns us of perils of journey
thru prophecy
--------------------------------------------
At first glance I seem to have wildly deviated from Rashi
But in reality Rashi states
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Other birds carry young FROM their feet--thus
the young are exposed to perils of the road.
By contrast the eagle carries young ON its
wings protecting young from perils below
---------------------------------------------
Thus the emphasis in Rashi is that the Eagle(Symbolizing
God) protects the young from perils.
I have therefore SUPPLEMENTED Rashi by indicating HOW
God protects the young from perils.
Using the poetic equations
WIND = PROPHECY
WING = HOVER ON WIND = PROPHETIC WARNING
I suggest that God carries us on His Wings (on
prophecy) and warns us of Perils of journey.
Still another perspective is that
- the unifying THEME is: An Eagle(God) carrying us
- the DETAILS are: Awakening; hovering; on Wings
- the INTERPRETATION is:
- God tells us of Journey thru history- AWAKENING
- God takes us thru different vehicles - HOVERING
- God Shields us thru perils - BY TELLING US
Other interpretations are also possible & reasonable
For example:
- God tells us of Journey - AWAKENING
- God is always prepared to move on - HOVERING
- God Himself takes us on journey --- On His WINGS
Such multiple perspectives enrich our understanding
of the unifying theme of the verse
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RASHI RULE COVERED: EXAMPLE8
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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 15 Number 8
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 15 Number 8