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VERSE: Gn24-07b
RASHIS COVERED: Gn24-07b Gn24-07c Gn24-62b Gn25-01a Gn25-06a
=============== RASHI USES TECHNIQUE OF OTHER VERSES ===========
BACKGROUND
----------
Sometimes Rashi is based NOT on INTERNAL GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS
but rather on the content of OTHER VERSES.
REFERENCE
---------
We have presented 6 methods by which Rashi will use OTHER VERSES
Visit url http://www.RashiYomi.Com/other-20.htm. The verses
in this posting are examples of METHOD 3 OF OTHER VERSES:In this
method,Rashi uses OTHER VERSES to provide further details to a
verse
THE TEXT
--------
In Gn24-07 Abraham states:
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GOD WHO TOOK ME FROM my fathers house & FROM my birthplace
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THE RASHI #1
------------
Notice the two lower case phrases in the above verse
- my fathers house
- my birthplace.
Rashi links these 2 phrases to 2 broad areas of Abrahams life
-- Abraham was BORN in OOR CASDIM (birthplace) (Gn11-31)
-- Abraham MOVED to CHARAN (fathers house) (Gn12-05)
-- God ordered Abraham to leave CHARAN also*10
THE LIST
--------
A summary of this correspondence is exhibited in the LIST
below
================================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE Text in Gn24-07
======= ======================================= ================
Gn11-31 Terach left OOR CASDIM & came to CHARAN Place of birth*1
Gn12-05 Abraham leaves CHARAN Place of father
-------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES --------------------------
*10 Some people approach Rashi by counting words.
If there are extra words it justifies a Rashi. Our point of
view is that extra words justify a Rashi ONLY WHEN THERE IS
SUPPORT IN THE TEXT FOR BEING PICKY ON THE EXTRA WORDS
Hence Rashi is justified in seeing the KEYWORDS: BIRTHPLACE &
FATHERS RESIDENCE, as LINKING to these OTHER VERSES. Rashi is
not being picky on extra words; rather Rashi is linking to
OTHER VERSES each of which describe broad parts of Abes life
================================================================
=================== RASHI USES TECHNIQUE OF OTHER VERSES =======
BACKGROUND
----------
Gn16 thru Gn20 relate the following about Abraham & Hagar
-- Gn16-14 Hagar sees an Angel in BEER LACHAI ROI
-- Gn16-14 BEER LACHAI ROI is between KADESH & BARED
-- Gn17 This parenthetical chapter discusses Circumcision
-- Gn18,19 These 2 parenthetical chapters discuss Sedom/Amorah
-- Gn20-01 Abraham journeyed from THERE (= BEER LACHAI ROI)
-- Gn20-01 Abraham journeyed SOUTHWARD
-- Gn20-01 Abraham went to GRAR between KADESH & SHUR
THE TEXT
--------
Gn24-62 speaks about
-- Isaac was staying in the SOUTH
-- Isaac coming from BEER LACHAI ROI
THE RASHI
---------
Rashi uses the technique of other verses:
-- Isaac was staying in the SOUTH where Abraham his father lived
-- Isaac journeyed to nearby BEER LACHAI where Hagar lived
Thus the basis of Rashis comments was the OTHER VERSES.
THE LIST
--------
The list below compactly summarizes the coincidences which
motivated Rashi to state that Isaac visited Hagar. The
footnote *10 gives an advanced discussion of the consequences
of this observation.
THE LIST
--------
We summarize the above discussion in the following list which
shows the linkings between Gn24-62, Gn20-01 and Gn16-14
================================================================
BEER LACHAI ROI SOUTH BETWEEN KADESH & SHUR/BARED
================== =============================================
Hagar sees Angel*1 Abraham journeys from BEER LACHAI to SOUTH*2
Isaac goes there*3 Isaac, Abrahams son, was staying in SOUTH*4
NOTES
-----
*1 Gn16-14
*2 Gn20-01
*3 Gn24-62
*4 Gn24-62
------------------ LONGER FOOTNOTES ---------------------------
*10 Rashi analyzes further: What was Isaac doing by Hagar?
Rashi suggests that
- Isaac went to bring back Hagar to Abraham after Sarahs death
(Recall that Sarah did not like Hagar--see Gn21-10)
- Indeed the next chapter, Gn25-01 says Abraham remarried
- But Abrahams remarried wifes name was KETURAH
(So Rashi conjectures that KETURAH was HAGAR)
This Rashi should not be regarded as a proven fact. But rather
it should be regarded as a reasonable conjecture. It is
important to emphasize that what motivated Rashi was the
explicit Biblical verse that Isaac went to HAGARS TOWN
In summary:
- It appears that Isaac went to Hagars town
- We could reasonably argue that Isaac wanted Abraham & Hagar
to get back together after Sarah, Hagars enemy, died
- This hypothesis necessitates saying that KETURAH=HAGAR*11
- It also necessitates saying that the CONCUBINES mentioned
in Gn25-06 was really only ONE CONCUBINE - HAGAR*12
- Again: This is a reasonable conjecture: However in light
of all the verses that must be twisted to adjust to this
conjecture we should not consider it a proven fact*13
*11 This is the Rashi on Gn25-01a
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Keturah is Hagar. She was called Keturah (from the
root KTR for incense) since she was a SIMPLE UPRIGHT
person (like the form of incense). For example, Hagar
never had relations with a man again after separating
from Abraham
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Again I emphasize that this is a (reasonable) conjecture.
There is nothing in the verse that PROVES that Keturah
is HAGAR. And nothing is bothering Rashi. Rather the
driving force comes from Gn24-62 which says that Isaac
visited Hagars town, presumably to bring her back to
Abraham after Sarah, Hagars enemy, died
*12 This Rashi, Gn25-06a has caused the greatest confusion
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RASHI: The Biblical text says AND TO THE CONCUBINES
ABRAHAM GAVE PRESENTS. So it seems to talk about
many concubines. But CONCUBINES is DEFICIENT and
refers to ONE CONCUBINE(HAGAR)
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Here is the catch. The word DEFICIENT sometimes refers
to DEFICIENT SPELLING. This has led people to conjecture
that the word CONCUBINES in Rashis text was spelled
deficiently. An absurdity! We have never found such a
text. Moreover the Rashbah in Yoreh Dayah 275 explicitly
notes that we have a Mesorah that there are only 2
fully spelled PILAGSHIM in Tnach. So Rashi couldnt
believe that this is spelled deficiently.
Rather the simple meaning of Rashi is that the plural
word CONCUBINES refers to a DEFICIENT PLURALITY of only
ONE Person, Hagar, who behaved like SEVERAL WOMEN.
I again emphasize that the driving force motivating Rashi
to interpret CONCUBINES as deficient is Gn24-62
which says that Isaac came to Hagars town(Presumbably
to bring her back to Abraham).
Another support (That there was only one Concubine)
is the fact that Gn25 lists the estate division of
Abraham: But we only find Isaac and the Concubines
sons mentioned---we do not find Ishmael mentioned.
This supports interpreting Keturah as Hagar.
This simple explanation answers the Rashbahs objection
See footnote *13 for a summary
*13 See Midrash Rabbah 61:4. One Rabbi (see Maharzu, it is
not clear who) expressed the opinion that Keturah is Hagar
Immediately he got asked
-- but she is called Keturah
-- it says that Abraham gave gifts to the concubineS
The answers are as given above
-- Keturah = Hagar because she was as nice as incense(KTRTH)
-- the concubineS refer to one concubine (Hagar) who
could behave like multiple people
If one looks at other paragraphs in Chapter 61 one sees
that others held that Keturah and Hagar were distinct.
There are also many rishonim who hold this way.
Thus we see there are difficulties. Nevertheless it is
a reasonable conjecture BECAUSE of Gn24-62 which says
that Isaac went to Hagars town (Presumably to bring her
back). Thus the Bottom line is that we should regard
this Rashi as possible conjecture driven by Gn24-62.
The conjecture requires reinterpretation of many verses.
================================================================
RASHI RULE USED: OTHER VERSES
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Volume 12 Number 2
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 12 Number 2