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VERSE: Dt33-02b
RASHIS COVERED: Dt33-29a Dt33-02a Dt33-02b Dt33-02h
Dt33-03d Dt33-02c Dt33-02d Dt33-02e
===================== Dt33-29a ======================================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis tasks is the explanation of POETIC
passages. Most of the meaning of a poetic passage
can be obtained by using the following simple techniques
- BULLET the phrases in the poetic passage
- Identify the MAIN THEME of the passage
- How SHOULD that MAIN theme DEVELOP
- What phrases seem to coincide with this DEVELOPMENT
- Interpret the other phrases using the NEEDED DEVELOPMENT
Another way to look at this is to differentiate between
POETRY and PROSE.
- In PROSE we FIRST interpret the words and then combine
the words into sentences
- In POETRY we FIRST identify the sentences with the
main theme and then interpert the words based on the main them.
Using this basic approach of the
- THEME sentence
- SENTENCE 1st, WORDS 2nd
greatly facilitates the translation of a poetic passage.
EXAMPLE Dt33-02:06
------------------
Rashi first provides an overview of the
entire chapter of Dt33-02:29
---------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE GENERAL THEME DETAILS
----------- --------------------------- -----------------------
Dt33-02:05--Jewish nation accepts Torah
Dt33-06:26-- Blessings to each tribe
Dt33-27:29--Blessings to whole nation
---------------------------------------------------------------
Rashi comments (Dt33-29a Dt33-02a)
----------------------------------------------------------
Jews accepted the Torah and therefore the whole nation
deserves blessing---that is although each tribe has
its own strength, the strengths of each tribe are shared
by the nation as a whole.
----------------------------------------------------------
We next study Dt33-02:06. The
- GENERAL THEME is GOD GAVE ISRAEL THE TORAH
- We follow the outline above
we have BULLETED the phrases.
Each separate sentence is a separate BULLET.
Next we identify the MAIN THEME
------------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE BASIC THEME KEYWORDS IN VERSE OTHR VRS
------- ---------------------------- -------------------- --------
Dt33-02 GOD GIVES TORAH Sinai law of fire
God came from Sinai-Dt33-02b Nations receives God Ex19-17
Law of Fire (Dt33-02h)*10 God on Sinai in Fire Ex19-18
Dt33-03 HOLY JEWS ACCEPT TORAH YOLK Holy,accept
Holy Make yourself holy Ex19-10
Jews BEAR Gods word We DO then LISTEN Ex24-03
Jews BEAR Gods word-Dt33-03d We DO then LISTEN Ex24-07
Dt33-04 TORAH IS PERMANANT Torah=inheritance
Dt33-05 GOD IS KING;UNITED NATION King;United nation
United--Heads of nation Unified acceptance Ex19-08
United One voice--accept Ex24-03
United Nation camped as one Ex19-02
------------------------------------------------------------------
The CAPPED phrases indicate the main ideas
--------------------------------------
- GOD GIVES TORAH
- JEWS ACCEPT TORAH YOLK
- ACCEPT TORAH PERMANANTLY
- GOD IS KING; UNITED NATION
--------------------------------------
The KEYWORD column shows the KEYWORDS confirming our
interpretation. For example, the KEYWORDS, SINAI and
LAW OF FIRE indicate that we are talking about the
acceptance of the Torah.
The OTHER VERSE column shows OTHER VERSES that echo
the poetic metaphors used---for example Ex19-17 speaks
about MOUNT SINAI SMOKING BECAUSE GOD DESCENDED IN FIRE
thus confirming the metaphor in Dt33-02, LAW OF FIRE.
LIST110c,LIST110d summarizes this POETIC INTERPRETATION
LIST110d also examines the consequences of the above
interpretation on the obscure passages in Dt33-02:06
=================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== ========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: BULLETS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS POETRY
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #26
SEE BELOW LIST110c
List of phrases in Dt33-02:29--JEWS BLESSED:TRIBES BLESSED
------------------------ -------------------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST110d
List of phrases in Dt33-02:06--GOD IS KING TO TORAH JEWS
=================================================================
======================= LIST110c ================================
List of phrases in Dt33-02:29--JEWS BLESSED:TRIBES BLESSED
=================================================================
VERSE GENERAL THEME DETAILS
=========== =========================== =========================
Dt33-02:05 Jewish nation accepts Torah
Dt33-06:26 Blessings to each tribe
Dt33-27:29 Blessings to whole nation
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi comments (Dt33-29a Dt33-02a)
----------------------------------------------------------
Jews accepted the Torah and therefore the whole nation
deserves blessing---that is although each tribe has
its own strength, the strengths of each tribe are shared
by the nation as a whole.
----------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================
======================= LIST110d =================================
List of phrases in Dt33-02:06--GOD IS KING TO TORAH JEWS
==================================================================
VERSE BASIC THEME KEYWORDS IN VERSE*2 OTHR VRS
======= ============================ ==================== ========
Dt33-02 GOD GIVES TORAH*1 Sinai law of fire *3
God came from Sinai-Dt33-02b Nations receives God Ex19-17
Law of Fire (Dt33-02h)*10 God on Sinai in Fire Ex19-18
Dt33-03 HOLY JEWS ACCEPT TORAH YOLK Holy,accept
Holy Make yourself holy Ex19-10
Jews BEAR Gods word We DO then LISTEN*4 Ex24-03
Jews BEAR Gods word-Dt33-03d We DO then LISTEN*4 Ex24-07
Dt33-04 TORAH IS PERMANANT*1 Torah=inheritance
Dt33-05 GOD IS KING;UNITED NATION King;United nation
United--Heads of nation Unified acceptance Ex19-08
United One voice--accept Ex24-03
United Nation camped as 1*5 Ex19-02
NOTES
-----
*1 The CAPPED phrases indicate the main ideas
- GOD GIVES TORAH
- JEWS ACCEPT TORAH YOLK
- ACCEPT TORAH PERMANANTLY
- GOD IS KING; UNITED NATION
Based on this GENERAL THEME Rashi makes further comments
on UNKNOWN passages*10
*2 The KEYWORD column shows the KEYWORDS confirming our
interpretation. For example, the KEYWORDS, SINAI and
LAW OF FIRE indicate that we are talking about the
acceptance of the Torah.
*3 The OTHER VERSE column shows OTHER VERSES that echo
the poetic metaphors used---for example Ex19-17 speaks
about MOUNT SINAI SMOKING BECAUSE GOD DESCENDED IN FIRE
thus confirming the metaphor in Dt33-02, LAW OF FIRE.
*4 The inference is from an ALIGNMENT
-----------------------------
Ex24-03 Nation said we will DO
Ex24-07 nation said we will DO AND LISTEN
-----------------------------
So the verses emphasize that
- Jewish ACCEPTANCE
- PRECEDES knowledge of what they accept (DO, then LISTEN)
*5 All verbs in Ex19-02 are in the plural except one
-----------------------------------
- THEY(Jews) journeyed from Refidim
- THEY came to Sinai
- ...
- HE (Nation as whole) CAMPED
-----------------------------------
So emphasis is on JEWISH UNITY at time of RECEIPT OF TORAH
------------------------ LONGER FOOTNOTES ----------------------
*10 The following further Rashi comments are made
----------------------------------------------------
BIBLICAL TEXT: God shown forth from the land of Seir
----------------------------------------------------
Rashi states (Dt33-02c)
----------------------------------------------------
God had offered the Torah to the residents of Seir
(the descendants of Esauv) but they did not want it
(Only the Jews wanted the Torah)
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
BIBLICAL TEXT: God appeared from Mount Paran
----------------------------------------------------
Rashi states (Dt33-02d Dt33-02e)
----------------------------------------------------
God offered the Torah to residents of Mount Paran,
the Arabs, but they did not want the Torah
(Only the Jews wanted the Torah)
----------------------------------------------------
Here, Rashi, interprets the verses as referring to
events (offering the Torah to the Arabs) which are
NOT JUSTIFIED by other Torah verses.
However Rashi is justified using the Rabbi Ishmael
rule of CONTEXT. The reasoning is as follows and
is consistent with the way we interpret poetic
passages
-------------------------------------------------
The rules we have laid down for poetic passages are
as follows
- Identify what is ALREADY known in the passage
- See the BROAD outline of the passage
- See the STAGES of the passage
- Then, fill in the meaning of the remainder of
the passage using reasonable fill-ins and
the principles of development
Here we use the Rabbi Ishmael rule of CONTEXT
Because the CONTEXT of the poetic passage deals
with a specific topic therefore we are justified
in interpreting the unknown words and phrases as
dealing with the CONTEXT
--------------------------------------------------
Let us apply the principle:
- It is clear that Dt33-02:05 is dealing with
the receipt of the Torah by the Jews
- Hence we are justified in seeing the references
to the Arab nations (God came from Arab lands)
as possibly meaning that God offered them the
Torah but they refused.
- This is a reasonable interpretation of an unknown
passage based on the Rabbi Ishmael rule of
CONTEXT!
=================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 27 Number 17
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2005, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 27 Number 17