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VERSE: Gn21-14c

================ KI has 7 Meanings ==============================

BACKGROUND
----------
One of the main goals of the Rashi website is to show how
Rashi presented multiple meanings of WORDS. You can review
the master word sheet at http://www.RashiYomi.COm/words.htm
where you can link to lists showing the meanings of words

THE TEXT
--------
Rashi explains that the word KI has 7 meanings. One of these
meanings is IF. You can find all 7 meanings at the url
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ki-11.htm

THE RASHI
---------
Rashi translates Gn24-14c as follows
------------------------------------------------------
And if a woman comes and waters my flock then
I will know IF (KI) you have shown mercy to find
a wife for Isaac
------------------------------------------------------
Rashi-is-Simple: Abraham asked Eliezer to find a
non-Canaanite woman; so finding a charitable woman
was not enough. Eliezer had to find a woman of proper
lineage.

THE RASHI-RAMBAM GOLDEN SERIES
------------------------------
By coincidence the Rambam cites this verse in Mishneh
Torah. Read footnote *10 for an exciting discussion
on the formulation of the Rashi Rambam conflict based
on simple dictionary usage.


THE LIST
--------
In the following examples the Hebrew word >KI<
means >WHEN< or >IF< *1 *2
=================================================================
VERSE    TEXT OF VERSE WITH >IF< or >WHEN<
======== ========================================================
Ex34-09a God walk with us: then IF we sin you can forgive us
Nu05-20a ..and IF you have sinned...
Dt32-03a WHEN I call the name of God give praise *1
Dt32-36a WHEN God judges his nation..then He will say*1
Gn40-14a ..so that IF & WHEN you remember me I'll be saved*3
Gn24-14c And by that Ill know IF you dealt nicely with me*10



NOTES
-----
*1 There are of course many verses where >KI< means
   >WHEN<. But these are 2 main verses where Rashi
   makes a comment.

*2 I feel obligated to mention the important Malbim
   that when a paragraph introduces a whole hypothetical
   situation then
   ---the first >IF< of the paragraph uses the Hebrew >KI<
   ---the remaining >IF< s of the paragraph use the Hebrew >IM<

   For example Lv04 is the chapter on >SIN OFFERINGS<
   We then have the following sequence of sin offerings
   ---Lv04-01:12  >KI<    (if) a    High Priest   sins
   ---Lv04-13:21  >IM<    (if) the  congregation  sins
   ---Lv04-22:26  >ASHER< (if) the  King          sins
   ---Lv04-27:31  >IM<    (if) the  individual    sins
   ---Lv04-32:35  >IM<    (if) the  individual    sins

   This is a peach of a principle which seems to have been
   neglected. More can be said (like the anomalous >ASHER<
   in Lv04-22) but the above will suffice for now.


*3 We follow the interpretation of the Sifsay Chachamim
   commentary on Rashi who interprets Gn40-13:14 as one sentence

   >In another 3 days Pharoh will remember you and restore you
   (from prison) to your former post of personally serving him
   (The restoration from prison will be so complete that) WHEN
   (& if you do me a favor &) you mention me to Pharoh I will
   be saved from Prison<

   The strange construction >WHEN & IF< comes from the two
   words >KI< = >WHEN< and >IM< = >IF< and is similar to our
   English phrase >WHEN & IF<.

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

*10 Rambam Idolatry 11:4 states that
   --------------------------------------------------
   It is prohibited to  makes SIGNS for oneself: That
   is it is prohibited to say: IF such and such
   happens I will do such and such the way Eliezer
   Abrahams servant did
   --------------------------------------------------

   Thus Rambam interperts the word KI in Gn21-14c as
   meaning THAT
   ----------------------------------------------------
   If a woman comes and waters my flock then I will
   know THAT she is the destined wife of Isaac
   ----------------------------------------------------

   So of course it is prohibited: Since Eliezer had not
   yet checked if the women was from the proper family
   as Abraham had asked him.

   But Rashi interprets the word KI as meaning IF
   ---------------------------------------------------
   Gn24-14 If a woman comes and waters my flock then I
   will know IF she is the destined wife of Isaac (that
   is provided she comes from the proper family)
   ---------------------------------------------------

   So according to Rashi, Eliezer did nothing wrong.
=================================================================

RASHI RULE USED: WORD MEANINGS
---------------------------------------------------
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However they frequently contain additional information & lists
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Volume 12 Number 1


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#