#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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VERSE: Gn16-08a

RASHIS COVERED: Gn16-08a Ex13-10a Ex21-21a Dt17-11a Dt22-17a Ex22-02a
                Dt25-09a Lv05-04a Lv16-21a Ex21-02a Lv13-39a
       Lv23-40a Ex28-08a Ex28-31a Dt16-17a Dt16-10a Dt21-13a Ex04-02a

=========================== Gn16-08a ===========================

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 6 main goals is to explain MEANING the
same way a dictionary explains meaning. Rashi however
had a variety of vehicles for explaining meaning.

One important vehicle is the explanation of IDIOMS.
An IDIOM is a COLLECTION of words whose meaning is NEW
and different than the meaning of its component words.

EXAMPLES
--------
- WHERE FROM THIS YOU means WHERE DO YOU COME FROM
- ON THE FACE OF means DURING THE LIFETIME
- FROM DAYS TO DAYS means YEARLY
- DAY DAY means 24 hour period
- THE SUN SHINES ON HIM means HIS POSITION IS CLEAR
- SPREAD THE GARMENT means PROVE THE  POINT

All IDIOMS in this list (except the first 2) occur
only once in the Bible.
=================================================================
ITEM                     DETAIL
======================== ========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS:        WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS      NEW MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW                LIST854d
LIST OF BIBLICAL         2-3 WORD IDIOMS
------------------------ ----------------------
SEE BELOW                LIST854e
LIST OF VERSES WITH      PHRASE from days days(means ANNUALLY)
------------------------ -------------------------------------
SEE BELOW                LIST854c
LIST OF VERSES WITH      PHRASE left and right (Means LITTLE BIT)
------------------------ -------------------------------------
SEE BELOW                LIST854f
LIST OF VERSES WITH      PHRASE where do you come from*1
------------------------ -------------------------------------
RASHI RULE CLASS:        DATABASE
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS      DATABASE
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #27
SEE BELOW                LISt605e
LIST OF VERSES WITH      God using conversational openers

NOTES
------
*1 Literally: WHERE FROM THIS YOU
=================================================================

======================= LIST854d ================================

A List of Biblical idioms..eg FROM DAYS DAYS=YEARLY
=================================================================
VERSE    BIBLICAL PHRASE         TRANSLATION           NOTES
======== ======================= ===================== ==========
Ex13-10a FROM DAYS DAYS          YEARLY                *1
Dt17-11a LEFT AND RIGHT          A LITTLE BIT          *2
Ex21-21a DAY OR DAYS             24 hours
Dt22-17a Spread the Garment      Prove your point      *3 *4
Ex22-02a If Sun shines on him    If it is Clear        *4
Dt25-09a Spit IN FACE            Spit TOWARDS HIM      *5
Lv05-04a Swear by lips           Verbally(Explicitly)  *6
-------- ----------------------- --------------------- ---------
Lv16-21a TIMED person            An APPOINTED person   *8
Ex21-02a JEWISH SLAVE            a slave AND Jewish    *7
Lv13-39a DULL WHITE              DULL WHITE
Lv23-40a GORGEOUS FRUIT          Ethrog                *10
-------- ----------------------- --------------------- ------------
Ex28-08a Belt OF his AYPHOD      Belt USED with AYPHOD *7
Ex28-31a the dress OF AYPHD      Aypohd USED with DRES *7
Dt16-17a GIFT OF HIS HAND        INCOME LEVEL          *7 *4
Dt16-10a TAX OF DONATION OF HAND INCOME LEVEL          *7 *4
Dt21-13a GARMENT OF CAPTIVITY    Worn in war to seduce *7

NOTES
-----
*1 See LIST854e below for Biblical examples

*2 See LIST854c below for further Biblical examples

*3 Probably when people had a sexual fight (who did what)
   they could SPREAD THE GARMENT to clearly prove their
   point*10

*4 Many idioms in this list are examples of SYNECDOCHE,
   the use of the (distinguished) PART to indicate the
   WHOLE. Thus honey is a GOOD EXAMPLE of something
   sweet, bread is a GOOD EXAMPLE of food, day(12
   hours) is a GOOD EXAMPLE of the 24 hour period. Hence
   almost all languages develop idioms: HONEY=SWEET,
   BREAD=FOOD, DAY(12 HOURS)=DAY(24 HOURS).

   Similarly in the above live SPEADING THE GARMENT
   is a GOOD example of PROVING MATTERS (In sexual
   disputes), the SUN SHINING is a good example of
   CLARITY, GIFT OF HIS HAND is a good example of
   a HIGH INCOME LEVEL.

*5 Cf However Lv15-08a Spit ON Him = Actually spit on him
   The rule seems to be that SPIT ON HIM is literal
   whereas SPIT ON FACE (use of FACE vs FULL PERSON) means
   SPIT TOWARDS HIM

*6 eg If I am angry and mentally curse or if I
   am angry and start ranting and raving without
   however fully articulating everything on my mind
   -- in these two cases I may have sworn IN MY MIND
   but I have not sworn WITH MY LIPS (Explicitly)

*7 Contrast Ex20-03a OTHER GODS=GODS OF OTHER PEOPLE
   vs Ex21-02a JEWISH SLAVE = SLAVE AND JEWISH

   Technically the possessive --OF-- can mean
   - OWNED BY (eg OTHER GODS = gODS of OTHERS)
   - PROPERTY (eg JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE who is JEWISH)
   - ASSOCIATED WITH (eg BELT OF GARMENT=Belt USED
   with Garment)

   Note Rashi proves the JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE WHO
   IS JEWISH by citing an other verse Dt15-12 *11

*8 For the relationship between TIME and DESIGNATION
   cf the English APPOINT-APPOINTMENT

-------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ----------------

*10 (The following comes from my article PSHAT & DRASH
     TRADITION Winter 1980)

    We must distinguish between
    - HOW we know what the idiom means
    - WHY the idiom means this

    HOW we know what the idiom means comes from USAGE
    It can usually be inferred from context. Thus
    the Biblical verses here state
    when a person slanders his newly married
    wife...then the womens parents shall sue
    him and SPREAD THE GARMENT before the judges
    -------------------------------------

    Hence SPREAD the GARMENT is simply an idiom
    for PROVING ONES POINT.

    By contrast the question of WHY the idiom
    means what it does is something more
    speculative--maybe I am right that frequently
    in sexual fights a SPREAD GARMENT proved a
    point. But maybe I am wrong...in such a case
    I am still sure about WHAT the idiom means.
    I am just not sure about WHY it means this.

    Another example occurs at Lv23-40a and Lv23-40b.
    I am certain that the ETHROG was called the
    GORGEOUS FRUIT but I am not quite sure why. Rashi
    offers two explanations

    EXPLANATION 1:
    The ethrog is an EVERGREEN and DWELLS YEARLY
    (This uses a pun on EVERGREEN=HADAR vs
    HODOR=GORGEOUS)

    EXPLANATION 2
    -------------
    The TREE and FRUIT taste the same; Hence
    the tree is Gorgeous.

    EXPLANATION 3
    -------------
    Rav Hirsch offers a 3rd explanation. Rav
    Hirsch reviews botanical classifications and infers
    that the Ethrog is one of the more advanced
    fruits in the tree Kingdom.

    I am still not sure WHY the phrase GORGEOUS
    FRUIT means ETHROG but I am sure that this
    phrase was used to denote the ETHROG


*11
   Here is another example:
   GARMENT OF CAPTIVITY does NOT mean
   - the GARMENT she wore WHEN captured
     (That is the GARMENT with the PROPERTY that
     it was worn at the time of capture) but rather means

   - the GARMENT she put on in case she is captured
     (That is the garment ASSOCIATED with the
     possibility of CAPTURE)

   Rashi explains that non-jewish women would have
   special garments they wore in case they were
   captured during a war in order to seduce their
   captors and prevent themselves from being murdered.
=========================================================

==================== LIST854e =====================

List of verses where phrase FROM DAYS DAYS is
translated as ANNUALLY. Note there are only 5
such examples in all of Scriptures
===================================================
VERSE    TEXT OF BIBLICAL VERSE
======== ==========================================
Ex13-10a Observe Passover YEARLY
Ju11-40  Visit Yiftachs daughter YEARLY
Ju21-19  YEARLY Holiday party
1S01-03  YEARLY pilgrimage to Jerusalem
1S02-19  YEARLY visit to her son
===================================================

================== LIST854c =====================================

The phrase LEFT AND RIGHT means ANY LITTLE
NEARBY BIT and can refer either
-negatively - nothing at all
-positively - spreading out nearby
=================================================================
VERSE      TEXT OF VERSE(Meaning of LEFT/RIGHT capped)
========== ======================================================
Dt05-29:30 Watch laws;Dont deviate A LITTLE;walk in WHOLE path*1
Dt17-11a   No haugtiness; observe law; dont deviate even a LITTLE
2C34-02    He walked in path of King David;didnt deviate A LITTLE
Pr04-24:27 remove crookedness;go straight;dont deviate A LITTLE*2
Jo01-07:08 Strengthen;Dont deviate A LITTLE;Murmur Torah always*3
---------- ------------------------------------------------------
Gn13-09    If you go on right/left I will go NEARBY*4
Is54-01:03 More children;Wider tents;Spreadout NEARBY*5

NOTES
-----
*1 The rest of verse is consistent with this emphasis of
   DEVIATION EVEN A LITTLE (eg walk in WHOLE PATH)*10

*2 The rest of verses are consistent with this emphasis
   of DEVIATION EVEN A LITTLE (eg remove CROOKEDNESS;
   go STRAIGHT)

*3 The rest of verses are consistent with this emphasis
   of DEVIATING EVEN A LITTLE (eg STRENGTHEN, MURMUR ALWAYS
   IN WORDS OF TORAH)

*4 These two verses illustrate nuance of EXPANSION*11

*5 These two verses illustrate nuance of EXPANSION in
   NEARBY communities (more CHILDREN, WIDER TENTS,...)

------------------ LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------------------

*10 Rashi-s actual language is
    -------------------------------------
    Obey the law even if it calls LEFT, RIGHT
    -------------------------------------

    Such an interpretation however is simply a clever
    pun.

    AS THE OTHER VERSES IN THIS LIST SHOW THE REAL
    MEANING OF THE PHRASE left and right IS A LITTLE
    BIT and this is consistent with Rashis other comments

*11
   (Rashi points out that this interpretation of nearby
   is consistent with the fact that Abraham came to
   Lots help when he needed it (Gn14))
=================================================================

================== LIST854f ===================
List of verses where the phrase
- WHERE FROM THIS YOU
means
- WHERE DO YOU COME FROM

The list shows
- the verse
- who asked (or could have asked the question)
- to whom it was asked
===============================================
VERSE    WHO ASKED     TO WHOM
======== ============= ========================
Gn16-08a Angel         Hagar*1
Ju13-06  Manoachs wife angel
1S25-11  Nabal         His workers
2S01-03  David         Person who killed King
2S15-02  Abshalom      Litigants
Jb02-02  God           Satan

NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi makes a further stylistic note:
   When God enters into (prophetic) conversation
   with someone He very often uses conversational
   openers to calm the person down. See
   LISt605e for more examples of the
   conversational opener method.
===============================================


=================== LIST605e =================================

Database query: Conversation between God and others
- Many conversations begin with OPENERS to calm people down
- Conversations that are punishment begin coldly
==============================================================
VERSE    WHO   TO WHOM    TEXT OF OPENER
======== ===== ========== ====================================
Gn16-08a Angel Hagar      Where are you coming from
Ex04-02a God   Moses      What do you have in your hand
Gn04-09  God   Kayin      Where is your brother*3
Gn03-09  God   Adam       Where are you*3
Nu22-09  God   Bilam      Who are these people visiting you*3
Isa39-03 God   Chizkiyahu Who are these people
Ez37-03  God   Ezekiel    Can the bones live
1S03-04  God   Samuel     Samuel Samuel*6
Gn46-03  God   Jacob      Don't worry Jacob
Gn15-01  God   Abraham    Don't worry Abraham
------   ----  -----      ---------------------
Gn12-04  God   Miriam     God said SUDDENLY to Miriam*4 *7
Nu23-04  God   Bilam      God  HAPPENED on Bilam *2     *7
Gn03-14  God   Snake      You are cursed....*1          *7
Gn31-24  God   Laban      Be warned against *5          *7

NOTES
-----
*1 Note that God spoke to Adam, Eve and the snake after the
   sin in Gan Eden. To Adam and Eve he used a conversational style
   ("Where are you") while with the snake there was no "conversational
   opener" Hence we classify the dialogue with the snake as "sudden"
   and "cold"

*2 All of Nu22 Nu23 and Nu24 show that Bilam wanted to curse the
   Jews--hence the prophecies that the Jews would be blessed were
   said suddenly to him

*3 Rashi

*4 Said when God punished Miriam for slandering Moses

*5 Said when God warned Laban from starting a fight with Laban

*6 Repetition of names denotes endearment

*7 These 4 examples use COLD LANGUAGE to introduce a punishment
   by God
===================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 19 Number 7


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 19 Number 7