#*#*#*#*#  (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