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VERSE: Ex04-03a
RASHIS COVERED: Ex04-03a Ex04-08a
=========================== Ex04-03a ============================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
An advanced Rashi method is the use of symbolism to explain
Biblical chapters. The general guidelines for symbolic
interpretation are compactly presented in my essay GENESIS
ONE SPEAKS ABOUT THE CREATION OF PROPHECY NOT THE CREATION
OF THE WORLD which may be found at URL
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gen-1.htm We call this the Rashi
method of SYMBOLISM / symbolism.
As pointed out in the above essay, Rav Hirsch emphasized
that one cannot whimsically apply symbolic methods. Rather
the Biblical text must demand or require the use of symbolism.
At http://www.rashiyomi.com/ex04-10b.htm we have shown that
the phrase LISTEN TO VOICE vs LISTEN emphasizes LISTENING TO
NUANCES. Since the Bible uses the phrase LISTEN TO VOICE there
is an explicit Biblical emphasis that the Bible wanted us to
interpret the signs God gave with nuances, that is,symbolically.
We now examine the Rashis:
EXAMPLE Ex04-03:08
-------------------
The background is as follows. God had asked Moses to be a leader
to get the Jewish people out of Egypt. Moses complained: BUT THEY,
THE JEWS,WONT LISTEN TO ME---THEY WILL DENY THAT I SAW GOD. God
then gave him two signs. The Biblical text states
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(Sign 1) God said to Moses what is in your hand
Moses answsered: A stick
GOd said: Throw it to the ground
Moses threw it to the ground and it became a snake
....
(Sign 2) God said to Moses place your hand in your bossom
Moses placed his hand in his bossom and when he took it out
is was leprous-white.
...
God said if they dont believe the first sign they will believe
the second sign
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Following Rav Hirsch we interpret signs based on their Biblical
usage. We have as follows
- The ROD symbolizes RULERSHIP (e.g. Gn49-10)
- The SNAKE symbolizes SLANDER (E.g. Ec10-11, Gn03)
- SNOW WHITE SKIN symbolizes punishment for slander
(e.g. Dt24-08:08,Nu12)
(We lightly sketched Biblical support for these symbols: We
could spend more time and fully develop these symbols but
this will not be done here)
I would therefore interpret the signs symbolically as follows
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* Moses held ROD--Moses was going to be LEADER
* Moses thru rod down and it became a SNAKE
=Leadership very often requires seeing the bad and
uncooperative in people
* Moses placed hand in bossom and it became leprous
= God punished Moses for slandering Jews (Moses said
they will not believe me)
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Using the above we can understand Rashi who comments
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The Jews will believe the second sign rather than
the first sign since there is a history of leaders
being punished for hurting the Jews as we find in
several stories in Genesis
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Much much more could be said on this or any other symbol
We have only indicated the basics to explain why Rashi
is using this approach and the direction the symbols
should be taken in.
LIST975m below summarizes the symbolism
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ITEM DETAIL
======================== ===========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: SYMBOLISM
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS SYMBOLISM
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #29
SEE BELOW LIST975m
List of symbolism in Moses punishment for slandering Jews
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========================= LIST975m =======================================
List of symbolism in Moses punishment for slandering Jews
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ITEM SYMBOL SUPPORT
=================== ========================================= ============
ROD Leadership Gn49-10
SNAKE SLANDER*1 Ec10-11,Gn03
LEPROUS SKIN Punishment on slander*2 Dt24-08,Nu12
----------------- -------------------------------------- ------------
Moses held ROD Moses was going to be LEADER
ROD becomes SNAKE LEADERSHIP requires SEEING BAD in people
Moses hand LEPROUS Moses PUNISHED for SLANDER*10
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi Ex04-03a
*2 Rashi Ex04-08a.*10
--------------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ----------------------------
*10 Rashi explains that the Jews would more likely listen to the second
sign rather than the first sign since Jewish history has a long
list of leaders who were punished for hurting the Jews Hence the
fact that God would punish Moses if he got of line gave the Jews
a sense of security (Rashi mentions e.g. Gn12-17 and Gn20-18 as
examples of leaders punished)
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Volume 24 Number 13
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 24 Number 13