#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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| Rashi is Simple Version 2.0 |
| (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President |
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VERSE: Gn15-05a
RASHIS COVERED: Gn15-05a Ex12-07c Ex14-24c
Ex34-33a Gn31-49a Ex16-31b
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
================
To Yosi Zoimen for bringing the Rashi on Gn15-05a to my
attention. Also acknowledgement to an anonymous Rabbi
who brought the so called YELLOW BOOK, the Shaaray Aaron
to my attention.
==== THEOSAURUS OF SEE: Some words mean WATCH,SPY,GAZE ====
A Good Example of a Rashi
-------------------------
Gn15-05a is a excellent example of WHAT NOT TO DO when
reading Rashi. It can be a grave mistake to simply
literally take what Rashi says! And this is NOT my opinon;
it is rather the opinion of well known commentaries!!!
In this posting I also present the difference in approach
between RashiYomi and the YELLOW BOOK (The Shaaray Aaron).
Gn15-05a is one of my best postings to date. It is a peach
of a Rashi.
Presentation on Rashis methods
------------------------------
A submission of mine was accepted for presentation this
fall on Rashis methods. At this presentation I shall
argue that a primary task of Rashi was making database
queries on anomalies and unusual patterns that arise
from different databases. (This presentation in HTML
slide form will be posted on the website.)
Thus Rashis task in explaining meaning is
not just to give a dictionary meaning but RATHER
RASHIS TASK WAS TO LINK A DICTIONARY MEANING TO AN
APPROPRIATE DATABASE. Let us see how this LINKING
TO A DATABASE applies to the Rashi on Gn15-05a which
deals with the word NEBAT which loosely means to SEE
The synonym (Theosaurus) Database
-------------------------------------------
The key to understanding Gn15-05a is to review synonyms
of the word TO SEE. Standard Theosaurii (SYNONYM
databases) yield the following entries as synonymous
with TO SEE:
---------------------------------------------------
LOOK EXAMINE SCRUTINIZE GAZE APPRAISE GLANCE
STARE ASCERTAIN SPY WATCH ASSESS SURVEY
OVERLOOK SCAN OBSERVE
----------------------------------------------------
Let us now apply this to Gn15-05a
THE RASHI ON Gn15-05a
------------------------------------------------------
Rashis approach is that it is a mistake
to simply translate a variety of Hebrew roots -- such
as NBaT, ShKaF, SeVeH, RaAH, TzaFeH -- as TO SEE.
Rashis contribution is that NEBAT doesnt just mean
to see, but rather NEBAT means TO ASSESS. By selecting
the right SYNONYM of seeing (assessment) Rashi makes a
contribution to our understanding of meaning. And Rashi
does this by reviewing the SYNONYM DATABASE for TO SEE.
THE YELLOW BOOK
---------------
The use of the Theosaurus (Synonym) Database also shows
that it is a mistake to create arbitrary
distinctions that have no backup in the theosaurus
database of synonyms. So for example if Rashi citing
a midrash Rabbah states that
--------------------------------------------------------
the Hebrew root NeBAT means looking from above to below
--------------------------------------------------------
then we must reject this as a literal meaning.
Consistent with this rejection we see that
--The Midrash Rabbah Commentary,MaHarzu rejected that
God tool Abraham off the planet(so he could see from
Above below)since EVEN MOSES & ELIJAH didnt leave the
planet.
--The Gur Aryeh commentary (Cited by the YELLOW BOOK)
finds a contradictory verse (where NBT is from below
to above)
--Footnote *1 shows MANY verses where NEBAT involves
seeing from BELOW UP.
--Furthermore using the SYNONYM database we see that
NEBAT is better translated, not as TO SEE, but rather
as TO ASSESS. (So God simply asked Abraham to assess his
heavenly merit vs his earthly merit).
Bottom line: The yellow book only cites one commentary
Gur Aryeh. It does not cite the Maharzu. It also does
not cite the many verses where NEBAT means to look
upward. The yellow book does not seek an adequate
resolution of the contradiction between the midrash
rabbah and the verses that contradict it (Which the
Maharzu commentary does do)
Finally the real difference in approach between
me and the yellow book, is that no attempt is made to
consult the synonym database and arrive at the
translation that NEBAT means TO ASSESS.
The idea of approaching Rashi thru semantic models
from synonyms in other languages was first advocated
in my Tradition Article, PESHAT and DERASH, WINTER
1980.
FURTHER INSIGHTS ON THIS VERSE
------------------------------
Finally footnote *1 contains a beautiful Midrash Rabbah
listing 7 methods of Repentance and explains the 3 opinions
cited by the Midrash Rabbah
Let us now look at the Rashis for synonyms of TO SEE. The
footnotes provide verse support for our translations.
The following list shows the SYNONYMS that best translate
the Hebrew roots. We also cite Rashi as well as indicate
what database queries support his claim.
============================================================
ROOT SYNONYMS OF TO SEE RASHI DBase-1 DBase-2
===== ======================== ======== ======== ========
RaAH To see
NeBT To assess/examine Gn15-05a verses*1
ShKF To spy/gaze/scrutinize Ex14-24c Verses*2 Words*2
TzFeH To scan/survey/overview Gn31-49a Words*3
TzFeH To scan/survey/overview Ex16-31b Words*3
SeVeH Place a MASK on Ex34-33a Roots*4
NOTES
=====
*1 Rashi seems to say that NEBAT means looking from ABOVE
to below. But In The following verses
--the SEEING is from BELOW TO ABOVE
--the translation TO ASSESS fits better
-------------------------------------------------------
1King19-06 He ASSESSED & above his head was a cookie
Nu21-09 ASSESS the copper snake(it is inanimate)&live
Ps34-06 I ASSESS to God--I stream to him my prayers
Isa22-11 You make defences but dont ASSESS the Maker
Gn15-05 ASSESS your heavenly (vs earthly) merit
--------------------------------------------------------
As Maharzu explains God did not take Abraham off the
planet (indeed even Moses and Elijah never left the
planet). Rather God said to Abraham ASSESS HEAVEN..ASSESS
THE STARS...In other words other nations base themselves
on astrology (stars) while you have in your past already
relied on God (eg Abrahams wife Sarah was saved from Rape
by Avimelech because he was a prophet Gn20).
The commentators in Breishit Rabbah 44:12 make 3 comments
on Gn15-05.
---------------------------------------------------------
--Some commentators look at the phrase AND HE BROUGHT
HIM OUTSIDE which they interpret to mean that God showed
Abraham the ways of the astrolegers (The Yefay Toar
defends this based on the language of OUTSIDE but we
neednt go into that here).
--the other commentators Agree that God told Abraham to
ASSESS HEAVENLY (not astrological) INFLUENCE. But they
differ how Abraham was to implement this.
---One school holds that God asked Abraham to see that
he ALREADY was on a high heavenly level and had nothing
to worry about. Abraham was already beyond the influence
of the stars.
---The 2nd school suggests that God commanded Abraham
to repent from Astrology and become spiritual. This
Midrash Rabbah (44:12) lists the 7 famous methods which
help annul bad decrees
-------------------------------------------
REPENTANCE PRAYER CHARITY CHANGE-NAME
CHANGE-PLACE GOOD-DEEDS FASTING
-------------------------------------------
*2 As we look thru the following verses which contain the
Root SHKF we see that the LOOKING is done more in the
sense of SPYING/GAZING
-------------------------------------------------------
Gn26-08 Evimelech SPIED till he saw them making love
2King9-30 Izevel SPIED from the window to seduce Yehu
Dt26-16 SPY from Heaven (God,Protect us from enemy)
-------------------------------------------------------
This uses the VERSE Database. We can also use the WORD
database which contains words from the same root.
Here are some entries
---------------------------------------------------
Ex12-22 MASHKOF=The ROOF OF THE DOORWAY (Since you
can spy from the roof). Rashi additionally
suggests that the door continually bangs
the door roof (like a spy PINGING the enemy)
1King6-4 Spy Windows (Open on the outside but closed
on the inside. You can SEE FROM them but
cannot SEE INTO them)---These windows were
used in the temple which symbolized Gods
Providence over the world. He can see us
but we cant see Him. Alternatively the
light of the temple goes out to the world
but the light of the outside is not needed
(does not go into the) temple
---------------------------------------------------
*3 In the previous examples we brought support for
Rashi from the verse database. In this example
we bring support for Rashi from the WORD DATABASE--
that is from the database of words with similar
roots. Here are some other words with root TzFeH.
We claim the underlying unifying meaning is a
-------------------------------------------------
MOTION that OVERLAYS A LARGE SURFACE AREA WITHOUT
DWELLING TO MUCH ON ANY ONE SPOT.
-------------------------------------------------
Hence we have
----------------------------------------------------
TzaPiCith -- The honey wafer -- OVERLAYED with honey
TziPuy------ An OVERLAY of say wood
Hope ------- To OVERLAY a large terrain of time
and focus on the distant future
Prophecy --- To OVERLAY a large terrain of time and
see the distant future
WatchTower - Enables someone to OVERSEE a large
amount of terrain
----------------------------------------------------
Hence we have translated TzFEH as OVERVIEW/SCAN/SURVEY
(We used Radack, Book of Roots for this list--this
books provides us with the ROOT-WORD database)
*4 A very rare root (Samech-Vav-hey) with 2 weak letters.
Rashi interprets it as a mask (which covers the face
but has peeping holes for the eyes. (It is in our list
because in Aramaic the root SVH means to see).
It is very hard to justify something that occurs once
But the sister root--Samech-Ceth-Hey--which also
begins with a Pay and has two weak letters, means
to DRAG --- DRAGGING and SLIDING ON A MASK seem to
go together so perhaps there is weak support for this.
============================================================
RASHI RULE USED: SYNONYMS
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website
Volume 10 Number 21
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 10 Number 21