#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
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| Rashi is Simple Version 2.0 |
| (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000 |
| http://www.RashiYomi.Com |
| PERMISSION to reprint WITH this header if NOT for profit |
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VERSE: Dt32-36a
RASHIS COVERED: Ex34-09a Nu05-20a Dt32-03a Dt32-36a Gn40-14a
Gn43-07d Nu14-13b Gn31-52a Nu20-29c Ex23-33a
Dt10-12b Gn24-19a Gn24-33a
RULE:
====
The Hebrew word >KI< has 7 meanings.
--BECAUSE
--IF
--WHEN
--RATHER
--QUESTION
--THAT
--PERHAPS
The unifying function is any connection between two
sentences. The examples will illustrate the above
meanings. We do half the meanings today and half the
meanings in the previous issue, Volume 9 Number 4.
We finish next time (Volume 9 Number 6) with a grand
summary as well a complete answer to the question
>When do you have the right to go against the literal
meaning of Rashi--what resources do you need?< Indeed
although Rashi says there are 4 meanings to >KI< he
actually lists 7.
EXAMPLES
========
----------------------------------------------------
In the following examples the Hebrew word >KI<
means >WHEN< of >IF<*1 *2
----------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH >IF< or >WHEN<
======== =================================================
Ex34-09a God walk with us: then IF we sin you can forgive us
Nu05-20a ..and IF you have sinned...
Dt32-03a WHEN I call the name of God give praise *1
Dt32-36a WHEN God judges his nation..then He will say*1
Gn40-14a ..so that IF & WHEN you remember me I'll be saved*3
NOTES
=====
*1 There are of course many verses where >KI< means
>WHEN<. But these are 2 main verses where Rashi
makes a comment.
*2 I feel obligated to mention the important Malbim
that when a paragraph introduces a whole hypothetical
situation then
---the first >IF< of the paragraph uses the Hebrew >KI<
---the remaining >IFIM<
For example Lv04 is the chapter on >SIN OFFERINGS<
We then have the following sequence of sin offerings
---Lv04-01:12 >KI< (if) a High Priest sins
---Lv04-13:21 >IM< (if) the congregation sins
---Lv04-22:26 >ASHER< (if) the King sins
---Lv04-27:31 >IM< (if) the individual sins
---Lv04-32:35 >IM< (if) the individual sins
This is a peach of a principle which seems to have been
neglected. More can be said (like the anomalous >ASHER<
in Lv04-22) but the above will suffice for now.
*3 We follow the interpretation of the Sifsay Chachamim
commentary on Rashi who interprets Gn40-13:14 as one sentence
>In another 3 days Pharoh will remember you and restore you
(from prison) to your former post of personally serving him
(The restoration from prison will be so complete that) WHEN
(& if you do me a favor &) you mention me to Pharoh I will
be saved from Prison<
The strange construction >WHEN & IF< comes from the two
words >KI< = >WHEN< and >IM< = >IF< and is similar to our
English phrase >WHEN & IF<.
{END OF LIST}
----------------------------------------------------
In the following examples the Hebrew word >KI<
means >THAT<
----------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH >THAT<
======== ========================================================
Gn43-07d Did we know THAT he would request Benjamin
Nu14-13b Egypt will hear THAT you took the Jews out to die
Gn31-52a This monument symbolizes THAT I wont double cross you*1
Nu20-29c The Congregation saw THAT Aaron had died*2
Ex23-33a Lest they make you sin: THAT you serve their gods
Dt10-12b Does God ask(nothing)?RATHER THAT (KI IM) you fear him*3
Gn24-19a I will water your camels >UNTIL< they have drunk*4
Gn24-33a I will not eat >UNTIL< I have eaten*4
NOTES
=====
*1 In this verse it is the Hebrew word >IM< which means >THAT<
However we follow Rashi in making a LIST of a >GROUP< of
Hebrew words--->KI<, >IM<----each of which can mean
>IF< >THAT< >WHEN< etc.
*2 This is an answer to Dr Sunness question on this Rashi.
Dr Sunness had asked what this Rashi was saying
Rashi was simply explaining that >KI< means >THAT<, not
>BECAUSE<. Rashi also notes that the Aramaic translation
of this verse is in error since the verse does not say
>And the whole congregation saw BECAUSE?!?!? Aaron died<
(Rashi further elaborates on other suggested translations &
shows the error in translating them that way)
Note the terseness by which we analyze this Rashi. This
is because we have a LIST of all Rashis on this verse
to back up the meanings we give. Such a list facilitates
the explanation of any one example.
*3 I think this is the best way to interpret this verse, based
on Rashi:
>What does God ask of you?<
This is interpreted rhetorically--does God ask nothing?
The verse then continues
>Rather (God asks) that you fear him<
This is consistent with the Talmudic statement that
>God does everything for man except for enabling man to fear
Him which man must do himself<
*4 These verses appear as anomalies in this list. There are
two difficulties with its inclusion. First of all the Hebrew
work >IM< is used, not the Hebrew word >KI<. But we have
already explained that we follow Rashi in the construction
of this LIST and present >GROUPS< of words---KI, IM---each
of which can mean >IF<, >WHEN< etc
A more serious problem is including a verse with the
word >UNTIL< in a LIST of verses with >THATUNTIL<
* I travelled northward UNTIL New York
* I travelled UNTIL I ran out of Gas
* I travelled UNTIL the exhaustion of the Gas.
In English all 3 of these sentences use the word >UNTIL<
In Hebrew the first and last sentence would use the Hebrew
word >AD< which means >UNTIL<
However the second sentence would include the abstract pronoun
>THAT< in order to introduce the subordinate sentence. Thus
the Hebrew translation of the 2nd sentence above would read
* I travelled UNTIL THAT I ran out of Gas.
This sounds strange to an English speaking person but is
perfectly normal in Hebrew. Thus the rule is
* Use UNTIL with a single sentence or with an infinitive
* Use UNTIL THAT with a subordinate sentence. This rule
is justified by the LIST below which also contains statistics
{END OF LIST}
{LIST}
The 3 usages of >AD< = >UNTIL<. Footnotes make comments about
statistical frequency and usage.
===================================================================
VERSE SUBORDINATE SENTENCE? TYPE OF UNTIL NOTE
======= ===================== ============= ====
Gn06-07 Ill destroy from Man UNTIL Animal AD *1
Gn08-05 water dwindled UNTIL the 10th AD *1
Gn11-31 travelled UNTIL Charan AD *1
Gn08-07 waters waved UNTIL their DRYING AD *1
Lv22-04 UNTIL (THAT) he purifies himself AD ASHER *2
Gn27-44 UNTIL (THAT) the anger assuages AD ASHER *2
Gn28-15 UNTIL (THAT) I do what I promised AD ASHER *2
Gn29-08 we cant UNTIL (THAT) we gather AD ASHER *2
Gn33-14 UNTIL (THAT) I come to Sayirah AD ASHER *2
Gn24-19 UNTIL (IF) they finish drinking AD IM *3
Gn24-33 until (IF) I speak AD IM *3
Is30-17 until (IF) they are destroyed AD IM *3
Rut2-21 until (IF) they finish the harvest AD IM *3
NOTES
=====
*1 >AD< occurs 1000 times in the Bible.
It is used in
--simple phrases (Eg MAN UNTIL ANIMAL)
--or in phrases with infinitives(eg until the DRYING)
*2 >AD ASHER< occurs about 50 times
>AD ASHER< vs >AD< is used:
--when an entire subordinate sentence is present
It sounds strange because the construction >UNTIL THAT<
is not used in English
*3 >AD IM< occurs only 4 times in the Bible
>AD IM< like >AD ASHER< means >UNTIL THAT< and is used
--when an entire subordinate sentence is present
Rashi therefore notes that the idea of equating
>AD IM< and >AD ASHER< follows from identifying
>IM< and >ASHER<
Rashi notes that >AD IM< = >UNTIL THAT< = >AD ASHER< in
his commentary on Both the Bible and prophets.
We conjecture that >AD IM< vs >AD ASHER< seems to have
a connotation of >UNTIL, PLEASE GOD IF< eg
>I will not eat >UNTIL, Please God IF< I have spoken<
However it is difficult to present further proof (with
only 4 examples). There are methods for justifying this
but it would take us too far afield.
{END OF LIST}
REFERENCES:
===========
For many examples see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n1.htm
For further special cases see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Nu20-29c
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h6n24
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n8
Also the last part of this series at
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n4.htm
RASHI RULE USED: UNIFYING MEANING
---------------------------------------------------
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 9 Number 5
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
Volume 9 Number 5