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VERSE: Gn24-49z
RASHIS COVERED: Gn24-49z Gn24-49a Gn24-49b
======================== Gn24-49a ============================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main methods is the explanation of meaning
the same way a dictionary explains meaning. We call this
the WORD MEANING method.
Rashi will sometimes explain IDIOMS. An IDIOM is a
collection of words, which together means something
different than its component parts. Thus the
IDIOM endows NEW MEANING to the collection of words.
Very often the IDIOMATIC meaning is closely related
to the individual words. We call this the NEW MEANING
submethod of the WORD MEANING method.
EXAMPLE Gn24-49a
----------------
Recall that
- Abraham prohibited Eliezer from taking a CANAANITE wife
for Isaac
- Eliezer was negotiating with Abraham's family in Charan
- Eliezer in Gn24-49 states
---------------------------------------------------
Now tell me if you consent to this marriage;
IF NOT I will go TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT(to seek a wife)
---------------------------------------------------
Rashi comments
----------------------------------------------
LEFT OR RIGHT means TO OTHER NEARBY RELATIVES
such as ISHMAEL (Abraham's son) or LOT(Abraham's
nephew)
----------------------------------------------
In summary Rashi interprets LEFT OR RIGHT to
mean NEARBY. In general LEFT OR RIGHT means
A LITTLE BIT. (Footnote #11 in LIST854x below
gives further details on Rashi)
LIST854x below gives other examples of Rashis
explaining IDIOMS, NEW MEANINGS.
LIST854c below gives other examples of verses
where the Biblical phrase LEFT OR RIGHT
means A LITTLE BIT
==================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS NEW MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW LIST854x
List of Biblical idioms(eg FROM DAYS DAYS=YEARLY)
----------------------- --------------------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST854c
List of verses with Phrase LEFT OR RIGHT (means LITTLE BIT)
==================================================================
======================= LIST854x ================================
List of Biblical idioms..eg FROM DAYS DAYS=YEARLY
LIST854x continues LIST854d LIST854z LIST854y
=================================================================
VERSE BIBLICAL PHRASE TRANSLATION NOTES
======== ======================= ===================== ==========
Gn24-49a If not I go LEFT/RIGHT I go to NEARBY people *11
Gn27-16a This will COVER THE EYE Prevent EYEING you *8
Gn13-03a went by HIS JOURNEYS Lodged at SAME HOTELS *7
Dt33-14a SUNNED wheat FULLY RIPE wheat
Dt33-14b Monthly EXPELS Monthly TURNOVER
Dt33-15a 1st of OLD MOUNTS VINTAGE ANCIENT MOUNT
Dt33-15b ETERNAL hills EVERgreen Hills
------- ------------------- --------------------- -----
Dt32-20b NO-NATION DESPICABLE nation
Dt32-21c TURNING generation TURN-A-COATS
Dt17-09a PRIEST-LEVITES Priests or Levites *6
------- ------------------- --------------------- -----
Dt13-13b when you hear a RUMOR TO BE SAID over&over *5
Ex35-04a God commandsTo TRANSMIT TO BE SAID over *5
Nu12-13b Prayed/Demands RESPONSE TO BE SAID back *5
Nu27-15b Prayed/Demands RESPONSE TO BE SAID back *5
Ex20-01c God said:Asked RESPONSE Affirm will keep *5
------- ------------------- --------------------- -----
Dt12-28b Do the MORAL & PROPER Spiritual/Social good *4
Dt12-28c Do the MORAL & PROPER Spiritual/Social good *4
------- ------------------- --------------------- -----
Nu26-54a MOUTH OF LOTTERY Closed Jar Lottery *3
Nu21-20c HEAD OF THE CLIFF TOP of the CLIFF *2
Nu13-20b DAYS OF GRAPE 1st FRUIT GRAPE HARVEST SEASON
Nu13-32a Land EATS INHABITANTS PLAGUE RIDDEN LAND
Lv25-23b Dont STICK THE SALE Dont sell PERMANANTLY No redeem
Lv26-17a PLACE FACE*1 Total attention/focus to punish
Lv13-12a HEAD to FOOT Whole body
Gn37-26b COVER BLOOD conceal MURDER
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi, Lv26-17h points out that the phrase
-------------
PLACE MY FACE
-------------
means
--------------
FULL ATTENTION
--------------
whether
- for good, to reward
- for bad, to punish.
*2 NOTE: The Hebrew word HEAD can mean both
- BEGINNING
- TOP
However in this verse
- the HEAD OF THE CLIFF contrasts with
- the VALLEY in MOAB
Hence HEAD means TOP
*3 A MOUTH LOTTERY refers to a lottery where you stick your
hand in and select an item WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE
ITEMS (In an open-box lottery you can see what you are
picking even though you see backs of cards. In a MOUTH
LOTTERY the box is covered except for a small MOUTH).
The MOUTH LOTTERY is more secure and fairer.
Hence the Rashi
The name MOUTH LOTTERY is because the box has only
a small mouth preventing you from seeing what is
inside.
---------------------------------------------------
MOUTH LOTTERY means that the LOTTERY speaks and says
this belongs to so and so
---------------------------------------------------
Of course, Rashi did not believe that LOTTERIES speak.
Rather Rashi refers to the SECURITY and FAIRNESS of
the lottery. In other words
- MOUTH LOTTERY refers to a small MOUTH on LOTTERY box
(not to a physical voice on the box)
- Since the MOUTH LOTTERY is secure it is AS IF it
screams and points to a correct fair choice
*4 Rashi is NOT explaining the meaning of the INDIVIDUAL WORDS
- GOOD
- PROPER
Indeed, GOOD can mean SOCIALLY GOOD also (See Gn26-29)
Therefore we have interpreted this Rashi as an example
of the IDIOM method.
*5 These five examples show various idiomatic meanings of
the INFINITIVE of the verb TO SAY: TO SAY can mean
- TO SAY BACK: Request for response
- TO SAY OVER: To Transmit
- TO SAY OVER AND OVER: Rumor
See LIST955m for a separate summary
*6 Thus in Dt18-01
-------------------------------------
The PRIEST-LEVITES shall not inherit
from the conquest of Israel
-------------------------------------
the phrase PRIEST-LEVITES means
PRIESTS OR LEVITES.
Another occurrence of this phrase
occurs in Dt17-18.
In Dt17-09a Rashi does state
------------------------------------
The PRIESTS who are no longer Levites
------------------------------------
But I understand this to mean
------------------------------------
PRIESTS by itself means PRIESTS but
not Levites while LEVITES by itself
could mean LEVITES but not Priests--
PRIEST LEVITES means PRIESTS OR LEVITES*10
-------------------------------------
*7 Besides the fact that this sounds OK (WENT BY JOURNEYS=
STAYED BY SAME HOTELS) the verse gives support
---------------------------------------------
HE WENT BY HIS JOURNEYS...UNTIL HE RETURNED
TO HIS ORIGINAL PLACE WHERE HE BUILT AN ALTAR
---------------------------------------------
*8 In other words if
- the King slept with Sarah and then
- returned her to Abraham
perhaps he "had enough of her" and just "wanted to play."
But if he gives her a monetary gift then
- it is recognized that a miracle happened and his return
- is an apology for taking her.
- Hence the money prevents people EYEING Sarah(looking at
her as a 'rejected woman.'
This is covered in two Rashi (Gn20-16a Gn20-16b) which
are better understood as one Rashi.
--------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -----------------------------
*10 Dt17-09 states
---------------------------------------
[If you have a legal question then]
ask the PRIEST-LEVITES, the Judges of
the day
---------------------------------------
The law PREFERS that the great Sanhedrin
court in Jerusalem consist of PRIESTS.
Levites are a second choice (and Israelite
scholars are a third choice).
So it appears that Rashi's comment
--------------------------------------
Priests but not Levites
--------------------------------------
is literal.
But in Dt18-01 the prohibition of inheriting
conquested Israelie land applies to EITHER
Priests OR Levites.
Similarly I would interprtet Dt17-09 to mean
that EITHER Priests or Levites should preferably
be on the Great Sanhedrin. That is the Biblical
law.
But Rabbinically---since Priests are more
involved with the Temple there is a preference
for Priests to be elected to the great court
vs. Levites. This preference however is rooted
in logic not in the verse. The IDIOM, PRIEST-LEVITES
means PRIESTS or LEVITES as shown.
*11 See LIST854c for further examples where LEFT OR RIGHT
means a LITTLE bit. Rashi's actual language is
---------------------------------------------------
If you dont consent to the marriage then I will either
- go to the RIGHT (RASHI: The Ishmaelites)
- or the LEFT (RASHI: Lot-ites)
---------------------------------------------------
But in light of the examples in LIST854c this
Rashi should not be taken literally! Rather
Rashi should be interpreted broadly
----------------------------------------
My master prohibited marriages to Canaanites
So if you dont consent to the marriage
I will go to OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS OF ABRAHAM
- such as ISHMAEL his son
- or LOT his nephew
-----------------------------------------
There is temptation to interpret
-LEFT=LOT=weakness=(He committed incest with daughters)
-RIGHT=STRENGTH=Ishmael
However this SPECIFIC and FOCUSED interpretation of
LEFT and RIGHT is unsupported by the many other
examples in LIST854c below.
Notice this use of LISTS. We are only justified in
reading into Rashi what can be obtained from LISTS
We are not justified in reading extra!
Finally for those into Talmudic flavor note that
- all the other verses speak about LEFT/RIGHT
- Gn24-49 speaks about LEFT OR RIGHT (Hebrew Aleph-Vav)
Perhaps then the ALEPH VAV gives extra emphasis
But 2S02-19 shows that LEFT/RIGHT and LEFT OR RIGHT
both mean the same thing---A LITTLE BIT
================================================================
================== LIST854c =====================================
List of verses with Phrase LEFT OR RIGHT (means LITTLE BIT)
=================================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE(Meaning of LEFT/RIGHT capped)
========== ======================================================
2S02-19 Asahel persued ABNER--he didnt deviate A LITTLE BIT
Gn24-49a If you dont consent I will go to NEARBY families*6
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,...)
*6 Literally I WILL DEVIATE A LITTLE BIT
Rashi explains (DEVIATE A LITTLE BIT to NEARBY family
members such as ISHMAEL, Arabs son, or LOT, Abraham's
nephew). (In most Rashi editions Rashi's comments
takes up 2 Rashi comments; Gn24-49a, Gn24-49b)
------------------ 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))
=================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 28 Number 1
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2005, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 28 Number 1