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VERSE: Ex18-02a

================== Ex18-02a =====================

VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
------------------
One of Rashis 6 main methods is the method of
cross reference. In the cross reference method,
inferences are made based -- not on the internal
meaning or grammar of a verse, but rather -- on
relations with other verses.

A complicated method of CROSS REFERENCE occurs
when one verse seems to contradict an other
verse. In such a case we must MODIFY one of
the verses meaning in order to resolve the
contradiction.

Perhaps the most famous example of this
contradiction method occurs in Gn32-22a which
states that REUVEN SLEPT WITH BILHAH HIS
FATHERS MAID. This however is contradicted by
Gn49-04 which states that REUVEN PLAYED WITH
HIS FATHERS BEDS(Note the plural bedS). This
contradiction suggests that REuven didnt really
sleep with her--rather he inteferred with his
fathers beds (eg change the sheets from bed
to bed) because his father hanged out with
the maid of his favorite wife rather than
Reuvens mother (A full fledged wife). Thus the
Bible used exaggerating language.

Today we contrast Ex18-02 vs Ex04-20 which state
that MOSES LEFT MIDYAN WITH HIS WIFE (Ex04-20)
while Ex18-02 says that Jethro RETURNED HIS WIFE
TO MOSES AFTER HIS SEPARATION!!!!

This contradiction necessitates us to modify
the interpretation of Ex04-20 to mean that
Moses did take his wife but changed his mind
and let her return to Egypt while he fought
Pharoh.

For further examples of this contradiction
method visit the RashiYomi old calendar
at http://www.RashiYomi.com/calendar1.htm
The OTHER VERSE series was given in Dec 2000
=================================================
ITEM                     DETAIL
======================== ========================
RASHI RULE CLASS:        GRAMMAR
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS:     CONSECUTIVE CHAPTERS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #4
SEE BELOW                LIST240a
A list of verse pairs    contradicting each other
=================================================

=================== LIST240a ====================

A collection of verse pairs where one verse
contradicts an other verse. This contradiction
leads to modification of text meaning. This
method is in fact identical with the Rabbi
Ishmael method of contradictory (or
complementary) verses.
============================================================
VERSE     TEXT OF VERSE          MODIFICATION   OTHER VRSE
========= ====================== ============== ============
Ex18-02a  Moses returns to wife  He-d separated Ex04-20*7
Ex13-18c  Jews left Egypt armed  ARMED=20% left Ex13-17 *1
Gn27-42a  Rivkah was told        Thru prophecy  Gn27-41 *2
Ex32-05c  And aaron saw          Saw Chrs death Ex32-17:18*3
Gn35-22a  Ruben slept with Blhah Ruffled beds   Gn49-04 *4
Ex28-34a  Bells BETWEEN fruit    BETWEEN        Ex28-33:34*5
Ex28-33c  Bells BETWEEN fruit    BETWEEN        Ex28-33:34*5
Ex02-14a  Moses killed Egyptian  Justified      Ex02-11:12*6
Ex02-12b  Moses killed Egyptian  Justified      Ex02-11:12*6
Ex02-12a  Moses killed Egyptian  Justified      Ex02-11:12*6

NOTES
-----
*1 Ex13-17 says Jews were afraid of war. So God wouldnt have
   armed them. Therefore we interpret verse >An ARMFUL
   of JEWS LEFT Egypt< even though this interpretation
   of ARMED (as ARMFUL) is nonstandard.

*2 Previous verse explicitly says >And Esauv THOUGHT TO HIMSELF<
   Hence we interpret >And Rivkah was told< as >Rivkah was told
   thru prophecy<

*3 Ex32-17:18 explicitly says that Moses >heard not WAR CRIES
   and not MOURNING CRIES but TORTURE CRIES< from which we
   infer that someone was murdered.

*4 Gn49-04 explicitly says >For you PLAYED with your fathers
   BEDS< It is the PLURAL BEDS that gives rise to the
   reinterpretation that Reuven ruffled his fathers bedspreads
   so as to prevent his from living with his fathers maid(and
   insulting Leah who was a full fledged wife).

   There are still problems with Gn35-22 but the driving force
   behind Rashi is the EXPLICIT OTHER VERSE

*5 The point here is that the Hebrew >Tauv-Vauv-Coph< can
   equally mean >INSIDE< or >BETWEEN< Thus the verse could
   either mean >Bells INSIDE the POMEGRANATES< or
   >BELLS BETWEEN THE POMEGRANATES<.

   But the very next verse says >A Bell **AND** POMEGRANATE
   a bell AND pomegranate< showing that they were one BESIDE
   the other (so that the pomegranate fruits were between
   the bells).

   A further proof is repeating KEYWORD >SURROUNDING<. This
   keyword gives a bullet like effect showing that all
   items were SURROUNDING the garment hem (and none were
   inside others).
   ---make pomegranates      SURROUNDING the hem
   ---make bells             SURROUNDING
   ---BELLS and POMEGRANATES SURROUNDING

   This seems to decide the Rashi-Ramban controversy in favor
   of Rashi. Further details were given in the main posting.

*6 The point is that Ex02-11:13 presents two fights
   Each one sheds light on the other. Thus the OTHER VERSE
   here is the OTHER FIGHT

   We use the principle of CLIMAX to analyze the first fight
   ---Moses went out to study JEWISH SUFFERING
   ---Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Jew
   ---He saw this side and that side
   ---& Realized that the egyptian was not behaving like a mensch
   ---so he killed him

   So we see that Moses first >felt the Egyptian out<. Moses
   realized thru spiritual insight that the person was a
   tramp. This helped Moses realize who was right and wrong
   and led to Moses killing the Egyptian.

   The next day he also went out and
   ---he also saw a fight
   ---he also investigated sides: >Why do you hit each other<
   ---The person answered  >Who made you a judge--are
   you going to feel me out to kill me the way you killed the
   Egyptian<

   Thus the driving force behind Rashi are the two stories that
   shed light on each other.

   (In the main posting we show that the phrase >And he SAW THAT
   he wasnt a mensch< follows Biblical style. If you are looking
   to see if anybody is around and dont find anybody you would
   say >He saw AND BEHOLD no one was there<. However when
   something is noticed spontaneously (as thru intuition) the
   style is >SAW THAT<.(This principle is justified thru 2
   dozen Biblical examples)

   So the fact that >SAW THAT< is used vs >SAW, BEHOLD< shows
   that Moses spontaneously noticed something >There was no
   MAN there< . We translated this as >he wasnt a mensch<
   Rashi suggests a further nuance-->No good descendants would
   come out of him<

   Either way the point is that Moses realized that the Egyptian
   was wrong and had to be killed.

   For further details see the main posting. In that posting
   we discuss the Rashi Ramban controversy and show that Ramban
   disagreed with Commentators on Rashi not on Rashi himself.

*7 Thus although Ex04-20 states that Moses DID TAKE his
   wife with him back to Egypt, nevertheless, Ex18-02a
   makes it clear that Jethro brought her back to Moses
   from Midyan. Thus apparently there was a separation

   Rashi dresses this separation up in the obvious
   manner--Aaron probably made a comment to Moses:
   - We have enough slaves-are you bringing your
   - wife into this situation also? This could
   - lead Moses to bring her back
===========================================================
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Volume 16 Number 19


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 16 Number 19