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VERSE: Dt33-07b
RASHIS COVERED: Dt33-07b Dt33-07c Dt33-07d Dt33-07e
======================== Dt33-07b ==============================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Some Rashi comments deal with FORMATTING.
Modern authors FORMAT using such techniques as
BULLETS, PARAGRAPHING, BOLD, ITALICS and UNDERLINE.
The Biblical Author achieved these effects but thru
different means.
For example a modern author might hilight distinct
items using BULLETS. The Biblical Author hilights
distinct items using REPEATING KEYWORDS.
We call this the Rashi rule of FORMATTING with the Rashi
subrule of KEYWORDS AS BULLETS
Rashi could also infer from the general PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
(without any keywords). We call this the the Rashi rule of
FORMATTING with the Rashi subrule of PARAGRAPHS.
The use of the FORMATTING principle is especially common
in POETIC passages. In a poetic passage, EVEN if there
is no repeating keyword, each stanza represents a separate
distinct item. We have advocated the following method for
understanding BIBLICAL POETIC PASSAGES
- Identify those stanzas whose meaning is understood
- Identify the UNIFYING meaning of the WHOLE passage
- Identify the STAGES of this UNIFYING meaning
- Read these identified STAGES into the text of each STANZA
Note that unlike
------------------------------------------------
- PROSE where we first identify the
word / grammer meanings and then
determine the meaning of the whole
- in POETRY the meaning of the whole comes
first and then determines the meaning of the
individual stanzas and their words/grammar.
------------------------------------------------
Many people react negatively to this approach
since we are READING MEANING into the words
to fit our theory of the WHOLE. However this
is the nature of POETRY in all languages.
There in fact may be controversy on the UNIFIED
MEANING giving rise to different interpretations
of the poetic passage.
EXAMPLE Dt33-07
---------------
There are two UNIFYING MEANINGS, or APPROACHES,
to this passage
- It is speaking about JUDAH as military leader
- It is speaking about SHIMONs inheritance in
Israel which was on JUDAHs land
APPROACH 1---Judah as Military leader
-------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Rashi thru
- a UNIFYING THEME
- OTHER VERSES
- ROOT DERIVATIONS
identifies four stages to MILITARY LEADERSHIP
- PRAYER
- NO CASUALTY
- FIGHTING HANDS (POWER)
- VICTORY
Here are some details
STAGE 1:
- PRAYER:(Text) Hear Judah's voice
STAGE 2:
- NO CASUALTY: (Text)He returns [from war] to his nation
(Rashi) cf. Nu10-35:36 for use of RETURN to indicate
military no-casulaty
STAGE 3:
- HE HAS FIGHTING HANDS
(Rashi:) The Hebrew Resh-Beth can come from the root
Resh-Yud-Bet to FIGHT
STAGE 4:
- HE WILL BE A HELP FROM ENEMIES
APPROACH 2 is based on the DATABASE approach
-------------------------------------------
- There are 12 tribes
- But only 11 of them receive blessings
- Shimon does not receive a blessing
- Presumably because of Shimon's open sexual sins
with non-jewish nations mentioned in Nu25
and the resulting plague
which cost 24,000 casualty.
SUMMARY: Rashi thru
- a UNIFYING THEME
- OTHER VERSES
- ROOT DERIVATIONS
identifies four stages to MILITARY LEADERSHIP
- PRAYER [for Shimon]
- LET SHIMON REMAIN JEWISH
- JUDAH IS SPACIOUS TO SHIMON
- CAN GIVE HIM LAND and help him
Here are some details
- PRAYER: Listen to Judah's prayer [on Shimon]
- SAVE SHIMON: Bring him [that is SHIMON] to his nation
- JUDAH IS SPACIOUS [and can give from his land to Shimon]
(Rashi: We interpret the word Resh-Beth from the
root Resh-Beth-Beth, spacious)
- AND CAN HELP HIM [Shimon] FROM HIS ENEMIES [sin]
(Rashi: cf Jo19-09--Explicit statement that Shimon's
portion is by Judah)
LIST108k below summarizes this PARAGRAPH structure
with both APPROACHES
==================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: BULLETS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #26
SEE BELOW LIST108k
PARAGRAPH structure of Dt33-07 - Prayer-NoCasualty-Power-Victry
=================================================================
======================= LIST108k ================================
PARAGRAPH structure of Dt33-07 - Prayer-NoCasualty-Power-Victry
=================================================================
TEXT OF Dt33-07 Means:Victory Means: Save Shimon
====================== ============= ============================
JUDAH's PRAYER For VICTORY For SHIMON*1
BRING HIM to nation No Casualty*2 Bring Shimon to Israel*2
Judah is RESH-BETH FIGHTER*3 SPACIOUS*3
Will SAVE from enemies Save JEWS*4 Save SHIMON*4
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi uses the DATABASE method
- There are 12 tribes
- Only 11 of them are mentioned in Dt33
- Shimon is left out
- Presumably because of open sexual liasons and
intermarriage between Shimon and Non Jews
- It is as if Moses "excommunicates" Shimon
because of his intermarriage
- Hence Rashi interprets the passage as Judah's
prayer that Shimon should be allowed back into
the Jewish fold [Jo19-09 explicitly states that
Shimon's portion was in Judah's lot]
*2 The issue is what does the phrase
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
COME TO HIS NATION
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
mean.
FOR THE MILITARY INTERPRETATION
-------------------------------
The OTHER VERSE Nu10-35:36 shows that the METAPHOR
RETURN HOME, in a military context means NO CASUALTY
(Similar metaphor's exist in English)
FOR THE SHIMON INTERPRETATION
-----------------------------
Rashi interprets literally....
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bring HIM = SHIMON to our nation
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here the emphasis is that he is still Jewish despite
his involvement with Non-Jewish women.
*3 The issue is how the Hebrew word RESH BETH in interpreted
FOR THE MILITARY INTERPRETATION
-------------------------------
Resh-Beth is seen as coming from the root Resh-Yud-Beth
which means FIGHTER, an apt word for a military context
FOR THE SHIMON INTERPRETATION
-----------------------------
Resh-Beth is seen as coming from the root Resh-Beth-Beth
which means SPACIOUS The idea is that JUDAH has a
SPACIOUS inheritance in Israel and as indicated in Jo19-09
can give Shimon some of his land.
*4 The issue here is WHO is saved
FOR THE MILITARY INTERPRETATION
-------------------------------
Judah saves the JEWS from their enemies
FOR THE SHIMON INTERPRETATION
-----------------------------
Judah saves SHIMON from excommunication. Judah allows
SHIMON to have an inheritance in Israel in his spacious
portion (Jo19-09 explicitly states that SHIMON's portion
is in the lot of JUDAH)
=================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 30 Number 25
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2006, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 30 Number 25