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  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
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VERSE: Dt33-06a

RASHIS COVERED: Dt33-06a Dt33-06b Dt33-06c

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.


THE TEXT OF THE VERSE: Dt33-06

>May Reuben Live
May he not die
May his people be counted<

Let us now apply the 6 categories of the guidelines to this verse

THE UNIFYING PRINCIPLE: Clearly the unifying principle is that
>Reuben should continue to exist<


THE WORDS: All >words< in the verse have a clear and known
meaning


SPECIAL NUANCES: It is important to emphasize that NONE of the
words in the verse have special nuances. Thus the phrase >May
Reuben Live< or >May he not die< do not have special nuances. Our
point here is that if Rashi does derive special nuances then it
was not the >meanings< of the words that suggested these nuances
but rather the >overall structure of the verse<

THE PARALLEL STRUCURE: In this particular verse there are 3
>verbs< which clearly define 3 phrases (which are presented in
the table below).


THE SUBCATEGORIES OF CONTINUING EXISTENCE: Rashi suggests that
the subcategories of continuing existence are as follows

{LIST1}The 3 subcategories of >continuing existence<
====================================================
* existing physically
* existing spiritually (having a spiritual component)
* being recognized as an equal (ie being counted)


THE ONE-TO-ONE CORRESPONDENCE:

{LIST2}The 1-1 correspondence between the 3 verse phrases
in Dt33-06 and the categories of continuing existence*1
========================================================
VERSE                   Category of >continuing existence<
====================    ==================================
May Reuben live         May he >physically< exist
May Reuben not die*2    May he have a >spiritual< component
may he have number      may he be >counted< & recognized

NOTES
*1 I think it clear that the individual words >live< or >die<
do >NOT< correspond to the concepts of >physical< and >spiritual<
existence. Rather what motivated Rashi to make this
correspondence is the >principle of climax< which demands that 3
or more phrases be interpreted in a climatic manner. It is this
principle, CLIMAX, which creates the correspondence and therefore
it is a mistake to read the correspondence into the meanings of
the words

*2 Actually the verse says >May Reuben live AND not die< To
emphasize the parellelism we have translated this
as >May Reuben live and May Reuben not die<


RULE USED: EXAMPLE9
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Volume 7 Number 23


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