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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