FULL-DEFICIENT:3 methods:#7 of 12
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# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# May 25, 2000 #
# Rashis 62-63 Of 7800 (0.8%) #
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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
>SLE P (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 SLE P
the proper midrashic response would be
>He tried to get a good night SLE P
but
>did not succeed.
The argument would be
>Since the word SLE P 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 former units we have given 3 examples where
>DEFICIENT spelling = DEFICIENT or BAD PERSON
>FULL spelling = GOOD person
We
>Esauv is a bad person (Gn25-24b), Deficient spelling
>Both Tamars children were good (Gn38-27b),Full spelling
>Yaakov's FULL symbolism includes Redemption( Lv26-42a)
In this unit we give two more examples
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EXAMPLE 13: Gn23-16a
-----------
>Gn23-16a
>> And Abraham PAYED Ephron
>RASHI:
>Although Ephron's name occurs 8 times in this Parshah
>this verse Gn23-16 is the only time it is spelled
>deficiently.
>
>It is spelled deficiently to show that Ephron was a
>deficient person.
>
>He initially promised the field for nothing(Gn23-11
>But in the end he asked for the most fluid currency
>(Gn23-16)
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EXAMPLE 14: Dt01-13g
----------
>Dt01-13
>...Bring qualified men..& I will PLACE them
>on you(as Judges)
>RASHI:
>...The word
> PLACE
> is spelled DEFICIENTLY.
>
>This deficient spelling indicates that the
>PLACEMENT itself(of Judges) was deficient
>Why? Because becoming a judge is not only a privilege
>but also a responsibility. For example if a judge
>negligently misjudges a case or negligently and
>incorrectly decides that something is Kosher or
>non-kosher, then it is the judge that bears the
>responsibility and gets punished (and hence the
>PLACEMENT as judges is deficient since the Judge may
>get punished as a result of the appointment!)
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ANSWERS: #12) The 7 fully spelled occurences of Ephrons
name are Gn23-08, Gn23-10(Twice), Gn23-13,
Gn23-14, Gn23-16(1st occurence), Gn23-17
The 2nd occurence of Ephron in
Gn23-16 is deficient
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