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VERSE: Gn24-60a
RASHIS COVERED: Gn24-60a Gn24-29a
========================= Gn24-60a ==============================
SUCCINT SUMMARY:
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is the explanation of grammar
similar to the explanations we find in modern textbooks. We
call this the Rashi rule of GRAMMAR.
In todays posting we deal with the grammatical rules
governing DEVELOPMENT in paragraphs and chapters: Given
a paragraph or chapter THEME, what types of sentences can
exist in that paragraph or chapter and what are their
relations to the central theme? We call this the rashi
subrule of CONSECUTIVE PARAGRAPHS.
Rashi knew 4 means of relating consecutive sentences or
consecutive paragraphs in a paragraph or chapter:
- CAUSE
- CONTRAST
- ENABLEMENT
- UNIFYING THEME.
Today we study the CAUSAL submethod.
EXAMPLE 1: Gn24-29a
------------------
Verse Gn24-29 states
--------------------------------
AND
-WHEN he saw the bracelets/rings on his sister and
-WHEN he heard the words of the servant
THEN he ran to the servant... and invited him in
--------------------------------
Rashi (paraphrased) comments
------------------------------------------------
The verse uses connective words like AND/WHEN
to emphasize that the sentence clauses are CAUSALLY
related. That is,
- BECAUSE he saw the rings and bracelets
- THEREFORE he ran to the servant & invited him.
-------------------------------------------------
The main argument of Rashi is GRAMMATICAL and based
on the connective words. However, we can find FURTHER
SUPPORT for Rashi by using the METONOMY principle.
METONOMY seeks meaning by reviewing related items.
In this case the word RAN (vs went/walked) indicates
enthusiasm. Laban was really enthusiastic because
of the possibility of wealth.
FURTHER SUPPORT for Rashi can also be obtained
from an OTHER VERSE. After agreeing to let Rivkah
marry Isaac, Gn24-53:55 states
----------------------------------------------
[after] giving many gifts to laban and bethuel
the servant requested permission to return home
with Rivkah to Isaac but Laban and Bethuel said
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
please stay with us a few months/a year
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
----------------------------------------------
Here also we see a possible interest in
obtaining more gifts.
Still further support can be obtained
by using the FORMAT / BULLET principle:
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Some Rashi comments deal with FORMATTING.
Modern authors FORMAT using such techniques as
BULLETS, PARAGRAPHING, BOLD, ITALICS and UNDERLINE.
The Biblical Author achieved these effects but thru
different means.
For example a modern author might hilight distinct
items using BULLETS. The Biblical Author hilights
distinct items using REPEATING KEYWORDS.
We call this the Rashi rule of FORMATTING with the Rashi
subrule of KEYWORDS AS BULLETS
Returning to example 1 above
EXAMPLE 1: Gn24-60a
------------------
Verse Gn24-29 states
--------------------------------
AND
-WHEN he saw the bracelets/rings on his sister and
-WHEN he heard the words of the servant
THEN he ran to the servant... and invited him in
--------------------------------
Note the repeated keyword WHEN WHEN.
Hence the Rashi
-------------------------------------
The verse BULLETS or EMPHASIZES two things
that Laban saw that made him interested
and enthusiastic in meeting Eliezer
- BULLET 1---WHEN he saw the bracelets
- BULLET 2---WHEN he heard the words of the servant
BULLET 1 corresponds to Eliezer's interest in WEALTH
(Bracelets and rings)
BULLET 2 corresponds to his interest in being blessed
Gn24-60 states
----------------------------------------------
Laban blessed Rivkah
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Our sister...multiply 10,000
- may your descendants conquer their enemies
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
----------------------------------------------
Rashi comments
---------------------------------------------
Laban here echoes the Biblical promises to
Abraham in Gn22-17
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You will have many children
your descendants will conquer their enemies
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
---------------------------------------------
Thus this Rashi sees Laban's interest in
acquisition not only of PHYSICAL wealth
but also of SPIRITUAL wealth, the blessings
to Abraham
SUMMARY
-------
We see here the interaction of 4 Rashi rules
- THE PARAGRAPH RULE shows that Labans interest
was because of the wealth
- THE METONOMY RULE shows that Laban became
enthusiasticon seeing the wealth
- The OTHER VERSE gives further support that
Laban wanted wealth
- THe BULLET rule shows that Laban was also
interested in inheriting the blessings of
Abraham.
LIST061a below presents other paragraph sequences with
a CAUSAL connection.
LIST120f below presents the BULLET structure argument.
Since the METONOMY and OTHER VERSE argument that we
brought are at most SUPPORTIVE (but not main arguments)
we do not include corresponding lists.
================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =======================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: GRAMMAR
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS: CONSECUTIVE CHAPTERS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #9
SEE BELOW LIST061a
A list of paragraphs having a CAUSAL connection
---------------------- ----------------------------------
RASHI RULE CLASS: BULLETS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS KEYWORDS AS BULLETS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #26
SEE BELOW LIST120g
BULLETED structure of Gn24-29a (Laban wanted:Wealth&Blessings
================================================================
==================== LIST120g =====================================
BULLETED structure of Gn24-29a (Laban wanted:Wealth&Blessings
===================================================================
BULLET KEYWORD TEXT OF VERSE
======== ======= ==================================================
BULLET#1 WHEN he saw the BRACELETS/RINGS*1 on his sister and
BULLET#2 WHEN he heard the WORDS*2 of the servant
[THEN] he ran to the servant... and invited him in
NOTES
-----
*1 In other words Laban was interested in BRACELETS/RINGS=RICHES
*2 Eliezer mentioned ABRAHAM. Laban wanted Abraham's
blessings. Explicit support for this is seen in the
comparison of Gn24-60a and Gn22-17
- Gn22-17 God promises Abraham a) many children b)enemy conquest
- Gn24-60 Laban blesses Rivkah a) many children b)enemy conquest
In other words Laban wanted Rivkah to get Abrahams blessings.
===================================================================
===================== LIST061a ============================
A list of paragraphs having CAUSAL connection
===========================================================
VERSE TOPIC IN 1st CHAPTER TOPIC IN 2nd CHAPTER
======== ===================== ============================
Gn24-29a Laban saw BRACELETS Laban ran to get servant*11
Gn20-01a Lot incests daughters Abraham runs away from there
------- -------------------- --------------------------
Gn13-14a Lot / Abe separate God promises Abe Israel*9
Gn13-07a Fight of Abe-Lot Canaanites still in Israel*9
------- -------------------- --------------------------
Dt14-01a Jews=Gods children No self multilation on death
Dt01-42a God not with you Hence:defeat;therefore:no go
Nu30-16b Annuls after AFFIRM He bears punishment of sin*8
Ex14-25a Remove wheel Heavy driving--God fights
Ex14-25b Heavy Driving God fights*10
Ex13-17b Avoid NEAR-ROUTE Nearness facilitates return
Gn35-01a Dinah is raped Prophetic order to leave*6
Gn33-13c Young Sheep IF pushed they will die*7
Gn29-01a God WITH Jacob Jacob travelled SMOOTHLY*5
Nu06-02a Adulterous wife rite Nazaarite from wine*1
Gn38-01a Brothers sell Joseph Judah leaves brothers*1
Gn23-03c Abraham offers Isaac Sarah dies*1
Gn02-20a Adam Eve are Naked Snake gives Eve Apple*2
Lv10-02a Non-allowed sac Death of Aarons sons*3
Lv10-02a Death of Aarons sons No wine to serving priest*3
Lv10-03d Death of Righteous God honored*4
Lv22-15a Dont eat Terumah Dont DESCECRATE holies
NOTES
-----
*1 Thus "whoever see the humiliating Adulterous wife rite"
will be so shocked that he will abstain from wine
Similarly "Judah advised his brothers to sell Joseph"
and so when they regretted it they blaimed him and he
had to "separate from them."
Similarly "Sarah died" from the shock that "Abraham
offered Isaac."
*2 In other words because the snake saw Adam and Eve naked
therefore he became Jealous and wanted Adam killed so
he could marry Eve.
ALthough this sounds a bit wild there is strong supporting
evidence. Gn04-01 uses the past perfect form
"And Adam HAD BEEN FAMILIAR with his wife & they had
a child"
So the sequence of chapters is
"Adam was lonely"
"God makes Eve"
"Adam and Eve are naked"
------------------------"Snake tempts Eve"
"Adam has a child with Eve"
Thus the sequence of chapters (Naked--->child) is
clearly interrupted by the Snake story.
*3 As explained above Rashi sees these two views as
complementary
- First they drank wine and got drunk
- While drunk they thought it permissable to offer
sacrifices which should not be offered
Hence they died for both crimes
*4 Rashi explains the Causal connection
- when the masses see that God EVEN kills the righteous
for sins
- then they are aware how they must also observe
Gods commandments
- This leads to more honor for God
*5 So GOOD NEWS facilitates/causes SMOOTH TRAVEL(Rashi)
*6 The full sequence of chapters is as follows
--------------------------------------------
- Gn31 God orders Jacob to return to his fathers house
- Gn32 But Jacob is afraid of Being with Brother Esauv
- Gn33 Jacob journeys instead to Succoth
- Gn34 Dinah gets raped
- Gn35 God tells Jacob to return to BethEl
-------------------------------------------
Rashi notes that
-----------------------------
If Jacob had IMMEDIATELY fulfilled the order
of Travelling to his fathers house he
wouldnt have stayed in Succoth and his
Daughter would not have gotten raped.
------------------------------
Thus Rashi sees a CAUSAL connection
between the chapters. Dinah was raped
because Jacob did not IMMEDIATELY fulfill
the prophetic order.
Note Rashi expresses the same theme
-------------------------------------------------
Because he delayed doing the prophecy immediately
therefore he was punished that certain bad
occurrences happened to him
-------------------------------------------------
Rashi expresses this same theme on Gn35-22a
where we find that Reuven inteferred with his
fathers marital life.
*7 Rashi can be better understood with the EXPORT-IMPORT LAW
of logic. The EXPORT-IMPORT law states that
----------------------------------------------------
IF [it rains] then if [I go out] THEN [I will get wet]
----------------------------------------------------
has the same meaning as
----------------------------------------------------
IF [it rains] and [I go out] THEN [I will get wet]
----------------------------------------------------
In other words Rashi identifies the two sentence forms
- IF p THEN IF q THEN r
- IF p & q THEN r
This identification of NESTED CONDITIONALS with a
CONJUNCTIVE HYPOTHESIS is called the EXPORT-IMPORT law.
The actual Biblical text reads
---------------------------------------------
The cattle is young
AND they will be pushed one day
AND they will die
---------------------------------------------
Rashi simply points out (Using EXPORT-IMPORT) that
we can interpret this as either
---------------------------------------------
[IF] The cattle is young
AND they will be pushed one day
THEN they will die
---------------------------------------------
or
---------------------------------------------
IF The cattle is young
IF they will be pushed one day
THEN they will die
---------------------------------------------
The above two translations use the well known Biblical
principle that the Hebrew letter VAV can refer to
any connective.
*8 In other words he
- 1st affirmed a vow of his wife
- then annuled it (which he had no right to)
- If she now sins (Because she was mislead into thinking
the vow is annuled)
- then HE bears the sin/punishment
In other words BECAUSE he misled her he must pay for
the sin.
*9 The causality of these verses reinforce each other
- Gn13-14 EXPLICITLY states that God promised Abe
Israel AFTER Lot separated from him
- Gn13-07 states that Abe and Lot faught WHILE
the Canaanites were still in the land.
So Rashi simply puts the two verses together
- Lot felt HE COULD USE ISRAEL land even though the
CANAANITES still owned it. Lot felt this way because
the land was promised to Abraham eventually. By contrast
Abraham refused to use the land UNTIL it was actually
given to him.
-------------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------------
*10 Rashi also states
--------------------------------------------------
The HEAVY DRIVING (that God made the Egyptians do
by removing chariot wheel) was a punishment for
their making HEAVY their hearts
--------------------------------------------------
I would strengthen these associations
--------------------------------------------------
The HEAVY DRIVING is a punishment for the HEAVY
work that the Egyptians placed on the Jews
--------------------------------------------------
These comments of Rashi or me also indicate
-- HEAVY DRIVING causes/facilitated
-- Egyptians seeing that God was fighting for them
Indeed: We know that one of the way God fights
is to punish people according to what they have done
(See Rashi on Ex18-11- Jethro said: Now I know that
God is the true God because He returns to people
what they have done)
Hence this particular punishment (making the
Egyptians drive heavy vs killing them) showed
the Egyptians (CAUSED them to be aware) that
God was fighting.
*11 Hence the Rashi
- Laban was interested in the possibility of becoming
rich from Abraham.
=================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 27 Number 25
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2005, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 27 Number 25