FULL-DEFICIENT:3 methods:#4 of 12
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# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# May 21, 2000 #
# Rashis 56-57 Of 7800 (0.5%) #
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# Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, #
# (c) 1999-Present, Dr. Hendel #
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In this series we will review all Rashis on
>FULL &
>DEFICIENT SPELLINGS
A person completing this module will be able him or herself to
naturally produce the same interpretations as Rashi and Chazal.
We 1st illustrate the meaning of these terms using simple English
examples. There are two methods
METHOD 1
--------
The word
>SLEEP
can be spelled
>SLEP (deficiently spelled without the extra e)
>SLEEP (fully spelled with all e's)
In METHOD 1 if a verse said
>He tried to get some SLEP
the proper midrashic response would be
>He tried to get a good night SLEP
but
>did not succeed.
The argument would be
>Since the word SLEP is spelled deficiently
>we learn that the sleep itself was deficient.
In other words in METHOD 1 we transfer the
>deficiency in the SPELLING (SLE P)
to a
>deficiency in the OBJECT or ACTIVITY spoken about(Can't sleep)
METHOD 2
--------
The word
>KITE
can be spelled
>KIT (Deficiently--it is missing (deficient) 1 letter e)
or
>KITE (Fully with the E)
In METHOD 2 we interpret the deficiently spelled word as a pun.
We actually give the sentence a double meaning. Thus if a sentence
said
>The father bought his son a KIT to fly in the park
Then since KITE is spelled KIT, we would midrashically interpret
this to mean
>The father bought his son a KITE
>The father also bought his son a KITten!
Rashis position is that this interpretation of FULL vs DEFICIENT is
a grammatical rule and is part of the intended meaning of the
sentence.
In this unit we look at how the same DEFICIENTLY spelled word
>Y-Sh-V
has BOTH methods applied to it.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
EXAMPLE 7: Gn18-01
---------
>Gn18-01 >And God appeared to Abraham ..who was SITTING
>(near) the tent door during the heat of the day
>RASHI: >The Hebrew word Y-Sh-V is written deficiently
>Thus the oral text says
>He was SITTING near the tent door
>But the written text says
>He HAD BEEN SITTING near the door
>
>The two spellings thus suggest a PUN
>
>The simplest way to resolve this is to
>assume that when Abraham saw God, he began
>to get up (and hence HE HAD BEEN SITTING)
>
>But because he was sick, God motioned to
>him to sit down (so HE WAS SITTING).
In other words the DEFICIENT spelling indicates that
Abraham began to get up and then quickly sat down.
Kindly see {NOTES *1} and {NOTES *2} for some deep ideas
on this Rashi.
EXAMPLE 8: Gn23-10a
---------
EXAMPLE 7 used the PUN approach to FULL-DEFICIENT spellings
We now give another approach to a deficiently written Y-Sh-V.
Recall that the alternate approach is to assume that
the
>DEFICIENCY in the SPELLING
indicates a
>DEFICIENCY in the CONCEPT.
>Gn23-10a And EPHRON was SITTING among the Chittites
>RASHI The word SITTING is spelled DEFICIENTLY
This shows that EPHRONS "sitting"(his
citizenship) was DEFICIENT...he had
received it that day (but before hand
he was a non citizen).
They did this out of respect for Abraham
(So that he shouldn't have to buy a
burial plot from a non citizen).
NOTE: We have interpreted
>SITTING AMONGST = CITIZENSHIP
>DEFICIENCY IN SITTING=NON CITIZEN
Another interpretation of Rashi is that
>SITTING AMONGST = JUDGESHIP(Member of BENCH)
>DEFICIENCY IN SITTING=Non Judge
The details of whether SITTING refers to citizenship
or Judgeship is secondary to HOW Rashi interprets
the deficiency.
---------------------------------------------
|Homework Exercise 6 |
|-------------------- |
|Tomorrow we will analyze Gn09-12. |
| |
|>And God said to Noach this is the sign |
|>(I will place the rainbow in the cloud) |
|>that I will give to ALL GENERATIONS |
| |
|Why is the word |
| >ALL GENERATIONS |
|spelled DEFICIENTLY. |
| |
|What could be DEFICIENT in ALL GENERATIONS?|
|Tomorrow we will see Rashis solution |
| |
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-------------------{LISTS and other technicalities}----------------
NOTES
=====
*1 Note the elegance of the deficient spelling in Example 7.
In effect the word
>Y-Sh-V-WRITTEN deficient; SPOKEN full
creates a
>NEW MEANING.
We have
>YShV = HAD BEEN SITTING
>YoShV= SITTING
But
>'Read YoShv Written Yshv'=Got up and sat down
Thus an intrinsically new meaning is created.
*2 A beautiful insight into HOW Rashi created his Rashis can
be obtained by reviewing the Midrash Rabbah. The Midrash
Rabbah notes that
>just as God stood while Abraham sat
so too every day in synagogue we have
>the congregation sits while saying the Shma but
>God stands
The reason for disparity is because it explicitly says
>and you shall read these words ...while you sit
In other words, the Torah should be studied under ordinary
life circumstances.
So too..if Abraham was sick then it would be unnatural to stand
and therefore Abraham was serving God in HIS circumstances.
Rashi however does not cite this Midrash Rabbah. Rather Rashi
gives as an example
>In the future God will stand in courtrooms while
>the Judges sit (just as God stood but Abraham sat here)
Thus Rashi only took the IDEA from the Midrash Rabbah but not
the exact details.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*