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VERSE: Gn19-02c
RASHIS COVERED: Gn19-02c Gn19-09b Gn19-11a
===================== Gn19-02c ==================================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Rashi frequently makes powerful inferences from the alignment
of ALMOST similar verses. The minor variations between these
almost similar verses suggests nuances and differences.or
even meaning.
EXAMPLE Gn19-02c vs Gn18-04
---------------------------
- Gn18-04 states Abraham offered WASHING and RESTING
- Gn19-02c states Lot offered INNING and WASHING
Rashi noting the reversed order conjectures that
because of the evil hostile nature of Sedom towards
strangers that Lot did not want the guests washing
immediately (Inn 1st, wash 2nd). That way if he got
caught doing hospitality he could say THEY JUST CAME
EXAMPLE Gn19-09b Gn19-11a
-------------------------
Recall that the Sedomites had come as a herd to rape the
Angels. The Sedomites sought to break into the house.
We now read the verses Gn19-06:11 as follows
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Lot left the house to dissuade the Sedomites from rape
- Lot closed the door of the house
- The crowd did not listen---they tried to break in
- The Angels brought Lot into the house
- While bringing Lot in some people entered the ENTRANCE
- But Angels (re)closed the [DOOR]
- Because the angels [HAD ALREADY BLINDED] the Sedomites in
the doors [ENTRANCE]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rashi makes his inferences based on
- the contrast of DOOR vs ENTRANCE
- use of the past perfect (HAD ALREADY BLINDED
So the picture we get is that after the angels brought Lot into
the house the people tried to break thru and grab the angels...
but the angels blinded them(that is those in the entrance of the
house)...and while they were groping the Angels re-closed the
door. The set of verses shows how evil the Sedomites were and
how brave Lot was in trying to defend his guests.
===================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== ==========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: ALIGNMENT
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS 2 CASES
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #10
SEE BELOW LIST313s
Align verses with Hospitality [Wash-inn vs Inn-wash]
------------------------ ----------------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST313t
Align verses with Lot Angels smit people in entrance;closed door
----------------- --------------------------
RASHI RULE CLASS GRAMMAR
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS VERB CONJUGATIONS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #9
SEE BELOW LIST703g
List of verses with PAST=past perfect(HAD ALREADY...)
===================================================================
======================= LIST313s ===========================
Align verses with Hospitality [Wash-inn vs Inn-wash]
============================================================
VERSE TALKING ABOUT WHOM HOSPITALITY ORDER-1 Number2
======== ==================== ===================== ========
Gn18-04 Abraham WASHING RESTING
Gn19-02c Lot INNING WASHING
Differs *1 *2 *2
NOTES
-----
*1 One verse speaks ab out Abraham while the other speaks
about Lot.
*2 Rashi noting the reversed order conjectures that
because of the evil hostile nature of Sedom towards
strangers that Lot did not want the guests washing
immediately (Inn 1st, wash 2nd). That way if he got
caught doing hospitality he could say THEY JUST CAME
============================================================
======================== LIST313t =================================
Align verses with Lot Angels smit people in entrance;closed door
===================================================================
Gn19-06 Lot left the house to dissuade the Sedomites from rape
Gn19-06 Lot closed the [DOOR] of the house
Gn19-09 The crowd did not listen---they tried to break in
Gn19-10 The Angels brought Lot into the house
------ While bringing Lot in some people entered the [ENTRANCE]
Gn19-10 But Angels (re)closed the [DOOR]
Gn19-11 Angels [HAD ALREADY BLINDED] Sedomites at [ENTRANCE]*1
NOTES
-----
*1 See LIST703g and Rashi Gn19-09b and Gn19-11a.
Rashi makes his inferences based on
- the contrast of DOOR vs ENTRANCE
- use of the past perfect (HAD ALREADY BLINDED)*10
--------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES --------------------------
*10 As shown in LIST703g in Hebrew
- The PAST PERFECT is indicated by the PAST tense, while
- The CURRENT PERFECT is indicated by the FUTURE TENSE with
a preceding VAV
Hence HKW = THEY had already smitten THEM
WI$LKW = THEY brought him INTO THE HOUSE
===================================================================
============================ LIST703g ==============================
List of verses with PAST=past perfect(HAD ALREADY...)*7
====================================================================
VERSE TEXT WITH PAST PERFECT WHY PAST PERFECT
======= ========================================== =================
Gn19-11 Angels HAD ALREADY SMIT people at entrance Shows breakin*8
Gn01-02 The earth HAD ALREADY been astonishing Previous worlds*1
Gn01-05 God HAD ALREADY called the darkness NIGHT Previous worlds*1
Gn04-01 Adam HAD ALREADY (sexually) known his wife Causal link*2
Gn21-01 God HAD ALREADY remembered Sarah Causal link*2
Gn25-34 Jacob HAD ALREADY given Esauv food No blackmail*3
Ex12-36 God HAD ALREADY given grace to the Jews Loaned twice*4
Gn37-36 And the MDANIM HAD ALREADY sold Joseph*5 Reversal of order
Ex24-01 And God HAD ALREADY told Moses to come up Reversal of order
Gn22-23 Bethuayl HAD GIVEN BIRTH to Rivkah*6 Rivkah 5 at Akydh
NOTES
-----
*1 The Genesis Rabbah Chapter 3, Braiitha 7 states
>God had created many worlds before this one
>He however destroyed them and it is only
>this world that pleased him.
The Midrash Rabbah learns this from various sources
but the PAST PERFECT verbs brought here are the main
source. (For example the Midrash also learns this from
the phrase
>1-1-31 & God saw all he had made and
>BEHOLD it was good
which has the connotation of
>BEHOLD it was good this time but not the
>previous times
While this is supportive it is not conclusive. The
main argument is from the PAST PERFECT verbs as
indicated above
Although the TEXT of the Genesis Rabbah 3:7 does not
seem to indicate that the creation of previous worlds
is derived from the PAST PERFECT nevertheless I found
an explicit statement of this connection between the
PAST PERFECT and the creation of previous worlds in
the Soncino Translation of the Zohar, 16a.
*2 Rashi suggests that the PAST PERFECT (HAD DONE) allows
>rearranging the sequence of chapters
thereby indicating
>causal links.
For example the natural sequence
>1-2-26:28 Intimacy
>1-4-1 Pregnancy/birth
>1-3 Snake gets Eve to sin/expulsion from Paradise
is changed to
>1-2-26:28 Intimacy
>1-3 Snake gets Eve to sin/expulsion from Paradise
>1-4-1 Pregnancy birth
The changed sequence suggests a
>CAUSAL LINK
between
>INTIMACY & SIN OF SNAKE
In other words, because Adam and Eve were cohabiting before
everybody the snake (a nickname for a slimy person) desired
her and plotted to kill Adam (by having Eve give him the
forbidden food) whereby he could marry her. Although this
appears speculative it is bolstered by the use of the PAST
PERFECT which allows a rearrangement of order.
Similarly the sequence
>1-18:19 The 3 angels
>1-18 prophecy that Sarah will give birth
>1-19 Destrucion of Sedom/Saving of Lot
>1-21-1 Sarah gave birth
>1-20 Abduction of Sarah
>1-20-14:18 Sarah saved; Abraham prays for Avimelech
is reversed to
>1-18:19 The 3 angels
>1-18 prophecy that Sarah will give birth
>1-19 Destrucion of Sedom/Saving of Lot
>1-20 Abduction of Sarah
>1-20-14:18 Sarah saved; Abraham prays for Avimelech
>1-21-1 Sarah gave birth
The changed sequence suggests a
>CAUSAL LINK
between
>Abraham praying that Avimelech should give birth
>Abraham-Sarah having a child
Chazal in fact say
>Whoever prays for his friend
>gets answered first (if he needs the same thing)
*3 1-25-29:34 describes Esauv coming home hungry and asking
Jacob for food who in turn asks Esauv to sell him the birthright.
The verses (without proper translation) appear to say that Jacob
only gave the weary Esauv food AFTER he sold his birthright. In
other words he blackmailed him into selling his birthright.
However with the proper translation the verses says
>Esauv asked for food
>Jacob asked for the birthright
>Jacob HAD ALREADY given food to Esauv.
Thus there was no blackmail. It is curious that some major
midrashim do not mention this (I in fact learned the
interpretation of this verse from my 8-th grade Chumash
Teacher, Rabbi Nathan Belitsky who taught us at an early
age that there were grammatical methods to refute slander
on Biblical characters).
*4 In other words we read the verses that
>1-12-34 the Jews exodused form Egypt
>1-12-35 they loaned silver/gold vessels
>1-12-36 they HAD ALREADY been loaning vessels
I would imagine the simple interpretation is that eg
>as slaves they loaned utensils
>they acted like they lost them
>"I lost what you gave me; can you spare me another"
>and because God HAD ALREADY given them grace
>they ended up loaning more vessels
*5 This simple but elegant example was provided by Harry
Rashbaum in my Shomray Emunah Rashi class
*6 See LIST690b for a discussion
*7 To indicate the ordinary past the Bible uses
- the Hebrew letter VAV followed by
- the future tense
All examples in the above list use the pure past which
according to Rashi means HAD ALREADY (PAST PERFECT)
*8 See LIST313t and Rashi Gn19-09b and Gn19-11a. Rashi
interprets the text Gn19-06:11 as follows
We now read the verses Gn19-06:11 as follows
------------------------------------------------------------
- Lot left the house to dissuade the Sedomites from rape
- Lot closed the door of the house
- The crowd did not listen---they tried to break in
- The Angels brought Lot into the house
- While bringing Lot in some people entered the ENTRANCE
- But Angels (re)closed the [DOOR]
- Because the angels [HAD ALREADY BLINDED] the Sedomites in
the doors [ENTRANCE]
------------------------------------------------------------
Rashi makes his inferences based on
- the contrast of DOOR vs ENTRANCE
- use of the past perfect (HAD ALREADY BLINDED
===============================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 23 Number 19
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 23 Number 19