#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President             |
  |       http://www.RashiYomi.Com                           |
  | PERMISSION to reprint WITH this header if NOT for profit |
  ------------------------------------------------------------


VERSE: Gn25-20c

RASHIS COVERED: Gn25-20c Gn26-15a

===================== Gn25-20c ============================

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Rashi-s goal in a verse is frequently to shed meaning
by examining OTHER VERSES.

EXAMPLE 1
---------
Rashi critically examines the meaning of Aleph-Resh-Mem.
Apparently cities (NY, Chicago etc) can have suburbs called
the ARAM (ARAM-NY, ARAM-CHICAGO). Apparently these refer
to UNDEVELOPED HIGHLANDS. They are also called PADAN from
PDH to redeem--since people in debt can start aNEW
and redeem their former debts

EXAMPLE 2
---------
The Bible tells us that the Philistines had closed up
the wells that Abraham dug. Why? Rashi illumines this verse
by a similar situation by the Egyptians. The Egyptians were
concerned about the Jewish birth rate--the Jews might
multiply and take over. Similarly the Philistines were
concerned about water availability since it was a red flag
for troops to pass thru their land. In both cases the good
(of children or water) was overrided by a paranoic concern
that could have been dealt with otherwise.
===========================================================
ITEM                     DETAIL
======================== ==================================
RASHI RULE CLASS:        OTHER VERSES
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS      INFERRED MEANING
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #5
SEE BELOW                LIST250b
List of verses with      ARAM as a word before city names
----------------------   ------------------------------
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS      FURTHER DETAILS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #1
SEE BELOW                LIST210a
List of verse pairs with 1 verse illuminating another verse
===========================================================

======================= LIST250b ==========================
List of verses with ARAM. The list suggests that ARAM
is an ATTRIBUTE of CITIES e.g. NY vs NY-HIGHLANDS*10
===========================================================
VERSE   City #1          City #2        City #3
======= ================ ============== ===================
Nu23-07 Aram (by itself)
1C19-06 Aram-Naharaim    Aram-Maacah    Aram-Tzovah
P060-02 Aram Naharaim                   Aram Tzovah
1C18-05                  Aram Darmeseck Help King of Tzovah
1C18-05                                 Tzovah (by itself)

NOTES
-----

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

*10 ARAM would come from the root ROM = HIGH.
    Thus when the word ARAM is placed before a city it
    would refer to the HIGHLANDS.

    In Gn25-20c the word PADAN is placed before the city
    name. Rashi gives two explanations. The 2nd explanation
    is that PADAN means the FIELDS. So PADAN would be
    like ARAM, the HIGHLANDS.

    I would suggest that certain cities had virgin land
    on their outskirts. People in debt could come and
    develop these lands and start over again. Thus
    I would suggest that PADAN comes from the root PDH
    to REDEEM since people could REDEEM their lives

    In summary: Both PADAN and ARAM are words that
    are SOMETIMES added before the name of a city.
    It would seem that they should be translated as
    THE HIGHLANDS--fertile land where people could
    start over again.

    Note how we have very few verses. It is not
    fully possible to be CERTAIN of the meaning of
    these words. We made a shrewd guess based on the
    roots involved. The shrewd guess seems reasonable

    Thus this Rashi is a good example of what to do
    when you dont have enough evidence.
===============================================================

=================== LIST210a ==================================
 We present a list of verses where
 further details of the verse are presented
 from other verses.

 The classical example is the Passover Hagaddah
 example: The verse Dt26-05d, ONLY A FEW JEWS
 WENT DOWN TO EGYPT, is illumined by Gn46-27
 which states that 70 PEOPLE WENT DOWN TO EGYPT.

 Thus the technique of OTHER VERSES teaches
 us that A FEW JEWS(Dt26-05d) means 70(Gn46-27)
===============================================================
VERSE    TEXT OF VERSE            OTHER VRSE DETAILS
======== ======================== ========== ==================
Gn26-15a Philistines closed wells Ex01-10    Prevent inflows*7
Gn23-02a Abraham CAME             Gn21-33:34 CAME from BeerShva
Gn23-02b Chevron=CITY OF 4        Ju01-10*12 City of 4 Giants
Gn23-09a Chevron=Cave of Doubles  Gn49-29:31 Doubles=Couples*12
Gn23-15a $400 between US?So what? Gn23-06    Abe distinguishd*6
Gn18-04c Guests rest under TREE   Gn21-33    Shady fruit tree*5
Dt32-12a Gd by himself gave peace Ju11-23*4  Conquest=gODS act
Dt32-12b No other gods with Him   2K18-33*4  Conquest=gODS act
Dt29-09b All Jews here, TRIBES,*3 Nu02-02    Each Jew has tribe
Lv01-12a the THANK YOU OFFERING   Ps127-01   4 Thank Yous
Lv01-05a Slaughter Sacrifice      2Chr30-17  A Levite Can
Dt26-05d A FEW Jews came to Egypt Gn46-27    70 people came
Gn21-23b I treated you NICELY     Gn20-15    I gave you LAND
Dt25-13b Dont have big STONES     Lv19-36    Big STONE WEIGHTS
Gn26-05e because ABRAHAM OBEYED   Gn22-18    He offered Isaac
Nu24-07c Jews greater than AGAG   1S15-33*2  AGAG,King Amalayk
Lv21-18a Blemish priests no-serve Mal01-08   It is disgusting*1
Ex13-17c Jews afraid of war       Nu14-42    Defeat of Jews
Ex17-10b Chur                     1Ch2-18:19 Kalevs son
Ex35-30a Chur                     1Ch2-18:19 Kalevs son
Ex24-14c Chur                     1Ch2-18:19 Kalevs son

NOTES
-----
*1 Lv21-18 says
   - Blemished priests dont serve BECAUSE blemished
   - priests dont serve

   Mal01-08 amplifies this
   - Would you give a blemished animal to your governor?
   - Would he like it? Would he grant your favor?

*2 Rashis approach to the verse is literal--Bilam was
   a prophet and he foresaw the defeat of Amalayk by
   the Jews.

   Therefore the next phrase in the verse--
   ---------------------------------------
   His(Jewish) Kingdom will be higher than AGAG
   and his (Jewish) reign will go higher
   ---------------------------------------
   This next phrase (GO HIGHER) would refer to
   the Kings after Shaul--to David and Solomon
   who had greater Kingdoms and greater victories
   than Shaul*10

*3 So the point of the verse is that not only
   were the nation of individual Jews there but
   that each Jew had his/her very own tribe.

   Already the Patriarch Jacob laid down the
   modern idea that Jews must be able to live
   with people they are compatable with.

   In fact the layout of tribes given by
   Jacob (Gn49) and Moses (Nu02) are basically
   the same (See http://www.rashiyomi.com/gn50-13a.htm)
   Thus Rashi borrowed the idea of JEWS BY TRIBE
   and applied it to Dt29-09

*4 Thus we see these other verses as indicating
   that reference to gOD should be interpreted as
   CONQUEST BY gOD. Hence the verse reads
   ---------------------------------
   God by Himself gave the Jews rest
   There were no other gods
   ---------------------------------
   In other words the Jews did not lose battles
   and achieved prosperity without political
   alliances.*11

*5 We could also refer to Gn18-01 THE HEAT OF THE DAY
   Thus a requirement for guests was to have SHADY
   trees where they could rest. Gn21-33 describes
   Abrahams trees as being of the AYSHEL variety
   which indicates peace and tranquility (from
   adequate food and shade)

*6 Gn23-06 states about Abraham YOU ARE A PRINCE OF GOD
   Gn23-10 states about Eprohn HE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE CITY
   So the two verses indicate that Both Eprohn and Abraham
   were distinguished people. And it is normal when
   distinguished people bargain that they make light of
   large sums.

*7 Here is the point:
   - If a land has OPEN wells then maurading troops would
     be attracted to go thru that land. Hence the
     Philistines closed the wells because of their
     paranoic concerns

   - Similarly Pharoh enslaved the Jews because they
     were reproducing quickly; he was paranoically
     worried about a takeover.

   In both cases the good (of wells/people) was cancelled
   by a paranoic concern.

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

*10 It is also possible to have a poetic approach to
   these verses. Thus
   - AGAG from GAG would refer to the ROOF nations,
   that is, nations who think that they are self
   sufficient (Their own ROOF) and dont need God.

   The ROOF nations include AMALAYK under King AGAG
   They would also include the MAGOG kingdom under
   king GOG (See Ez38) which the Jews will defeat
   in Messianic times.

   The second phrase in the verse
   ---------------------------------------
   His(Jewish) Kingdom will be higher than AGAG
   and his (Jewish) reign will go higher
   ---------------------------------------
   would therefore refer to King Messiah

*11
   The use of words to refer to RELATED ITEMS is
   a literary device call SYNECHDOCHE or METONOMY

*12 Actually Ju01-10 and Nu13-22 speak about the 3 children
    of THE GIANT. So Rashi suggests that the 3 children+
    father=4 giants.

    Rashi however cites Gn49-29:31 showing that 3 couples
    were buried in Chevron (Abe-Sarah, Isaac-Rivkah,Jacob-Leah)
    Rashi conjectures (reasonably) that Adam-Chava were also
    buried there making the total 4.

    How are we to take this second explanation of Rashi? After
    all isnt the explicit reference to the 4 giants sufficient?

    It would appear to me that the simplest explanation is
    that
    - The cities name was Chevron
    - It was known for the 4 giants and was nicknamed DURING
      THEIR LIFETIME as the CITY OF 4
    - However (and this is Rashis point) there would be no
      need to retain the name of CITY OF 4 after their death
    - The fact that 4 important couples were buried there
      facilitated keeping the name CITY OF 4

    In summary
    - CITY OF 4 was a sort of joke nickname because of 4 giants
    - but the name CITY OF 4 LATER became an important name
      because of the 4 couples

    Additional support to this explanation is that the city
    is also called the CAVE OF DOUBLES (referring to the
    couples buried there).
==============================================================
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website

Volume 19 Number 20


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 19 Number 20