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VERSE: Gn28-11c
RASHIS COVERED: Gn29-15b Gn28-11c Gn29-08a
==================== Gn28-11c =======================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main tasks is to explain
GRAMMAR the same way modern Hebrew books
explain GRAMMAR. We call this the Rashi GRAMMAR rule.
Rashi had three broad sub-rules in explaining GRAMMAR
(1) A major component of Hebrew GRAMMAR are the rules
governing conjugations of VERBS, or HEBREW ROOTS.
There are 7 grammatical modes with half a dozen
parameters: tense, person, gender, plurality,
connective words...
(2) Another component of GRAMMAR deals with
PREFIXES-SUFFIXES and other letters, or small words,
that indicate changes in meanings.This PREFIX-SUFFIX
subrule includes the rules governing the rules of
plural, gender, pronouns etc. We are still making
discoveries of PREFIX-SUFFIX rules today.
(3) Finally a more advanced part of GRAMMAR deals
with the rules of entire SENTENCES. The SENTENCE
rules includes the rules governing sentence order,
apposition, and compound sentences
Today we deal with the following rule
-----------------------------------------
The PAST tense in Hebrew means PAST PERFECT
That is, something that HAD HAPPENED
The FUTURE preceded by a PREFIX VAV means PERFECT
That is, something that HAPPENED
The past preceded by a prefix vav means FUTURE
----------------------------------------
EXAMPLE 1 Gn28-11c
------------------
Gn28-10:11 states
-------------------------
Jacob LEFT Beer Sheva
WENT to Charan
BUMPED into THE place
STAYED overnight
because the sun HAD set
TOOK stones of THE place
PLACED them by his head
-------------------------
Rashi
-------------------------
Notice the change of verb,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
sun HAD set
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This teaches that the sun
set suddenly (e.g. from a cloudy
day that made it suddently dark)
forcing Jacob to stay at THE place
--------------------------
A way to strengthen Rashi's point is
to reformulate the verse with
ORDINARY PAST
----------------------------
he WENT to Charan
he BUMPED into THE place
the SUN set
he TOOK stones of the place
----------------------------
It is the use of the PAST PERECT
(HAD SET) vs PERFECT (SET) that
drives Rashi to state that eg
it was a cloudy day and the sun
had already set.
Again: In Hebrew
- Ordinary past = Prefix vav+Future
- Past Perfect = had happened = Past
EXAMPLE 2 Gn29-08a
------------------
Gn29-08 states
---------------------------
They SAID
We can't [feed the flocks]
until the flocks GATHER
and OVERTURN the stone
---------------------------
We have translated this
sentence using conventional
English. Technically speaking
the capitalized verbs
- GATHER
- OVERTURN
refer to the SIMPLE PRESENT.
The SIMPLE PRESENT is very often
used do describe a HABITUAL ROUTINE
(For example: I GO TO SHULE EVERYDAY)
even thought this ROUTINE extends over
PAST PRESENT and FUTURE. English uses
the SIMPLE PRESENT even when connected
with the word UNTIL.
However in Hebrew when a ROUTINE HABIT
is described with UNTIL we use the
ABSOLUTE FUTURE
- UNTIL the flocks WILL GATHER (Yay OSe Fu)
In English a routine habit consisting
of a sequence of events is described
with the SIMPLE PRESENT. For example
----------------------------------
EVERY DAY I go TO SHULE AND daven.
----------------------------------
In Hebrew the sequence in a routine
is indicated by a PREFIX VAV+FUTURE
---------------------------------
Until the flock
- WILL GATHER (Yay O Se Fu)
- and THEN TURN THE STONE (Ve GolleLu)
----------------------------------
EXAMPLE 3: Gn29-15b
-------------------
Gn29-15 states
------------------------
Laban SAID to Jacob
Because you are my brother
you SHOULD WORK for nothing?
Rather tell me your wages
-------------------------
We have translated this
using conventional English:
The conjugation SHOULD
is called a MODAL--it indicates
something EXPECTED vs something
that WILL ABSOLUTELY HAPPEN.
Other examples of the modal are
- you SHOULD give to charity
The Hebrew text conjugates this
modal using the PREFIX VAV+PAST
conjugation.
In other words the three Rashis
reviewed here extend
the construction of
- VAV PREFIX + PAST
to indicate either
- the future
- sequence in a simple present describing routine
- modal.
LIST703g below presents several Rashis
illustrating the PAST PERFECT rule along
with Rashis illustrating the use of the prefix VAV
======================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =============================
RASHI RULE CLASS: GRAMMARr
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS VERB CONJUGATIONS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #9
SEE BELOW LIST703g
List of verses with PAST=past perfect-HAD ALREADY
======================================================
============================ LIST703g ==============================
List of verses with PAST=past perfect(HAD ALREADY...)*7
====================================================================
VERSE TEXT WITH PAST PERFECT WHY PAST PERFECT
======== ========================================== =================
Gn28-11c He STAYED over because the sun HAD SET Already set*10
Dt10-10 I had STAYED on mount 40 days*9 Refers to opening
Gn19-11 Angels HAD ALREADY SMIT people at entrance Shows breakin*8
Gn01-02 The earth HAD ALREADY been astonishing Previous worlds*1
Gn01-05 God HAD ALREADY called the darkness NIGHT Previous worlds*1
Gn04-01 Adam HAD ALREADY (sexually) known his wife Causal link*2
Gn21-01 God HAD ALREADY remembered Sarah Causal link*2
Gn25-34 Jacob HAD ALREADY given Esauv food No blackmail*3
Ex12-36 God HAD ALREADY given grace to the Jews Loaned twice*4
Gn37-36 And the MDANIM HAD ALREADY sold Joseph*5 Reversal of order
Ex24-01 And God HAD ALREADY told Moses to come up Reversal of order
Gn22-23 Bethuayl HAD GIVEN BIRTH to Rivkah*6 Rivkah 5 at Akydh
------- ---------------------------------------- ----------------
Gn29-08a Until shepards WILL gather &WILL ROLE ston Afterwards*11
Gn29-15b Because youre relative you WILL Work for 0 In future*12
NOTES
-----
*1 The Genesis Rabbah Chapter 3, Braiitha 7 states
>God had created many worlds before this one
>He however destroyed them and it is only
>this world that pleased him.
The Midrash Rabbah learns this from various sources
but the PAST PERFECT verbs brought here are the main
source. (For example the Midrash also learns this from
the phrase
>1-1-31 & God saw all he had made and
>BEHOLD it was good
which has the connotation of
>BEHOLD it was good this time but not the
>previous times
While this is supportive it is not conclusive. The
main argument is from the PAST PERFECT verbs as
indicated above
Although the TEXT of the Genesis Rabbah 3:7 does not
seem to indicate that the creation of previous worlds
is derived from the PAST PERFECT nevertheless I found
an explicit statement of this connection between the
PAST PERFECT and the creation of previous worlds in
the Soncino Translation of the Zohar, 16a.
*2 Rashi suggests that the PAST PERFECT (HAD DONE) allows
>rearranging the sequence of chapters
thereby indicating
>causal links.
For example the natural sequence
>1-2-26:28 Intimacy
>1-4-1 Pregnancy/birth
>1-3 Snake gets Eve to sin/expulsion from Paradise
is changed to
>1-2-26:28 Intimacy
>1-3 Snake gets Eve to sin/expulsion from Paradise
>1-4-1 Pregnancy birth
The changed sequence suggests a
>CAUSAL LINK
between
>INTIMACY & SIN OF SNAKE
In other words, because Adam and Eve were cohabiting before
everybody the snake (a nickname for a slimy person) desired
her and plotted to kill Adam (by having Eve give him the
forbidden food) whereby he could marry her. Although this
appears speculative it is bolstered by the use of the PAST
PERFECT which allows a rearrangement of order.
Similarly the sequence
>1-18:19 The 3 angels
>1-18 prophecy that Sarah will give birth
>1-19 Destrucion of Sedom/Saving of Lot
>1-21-1 Sarah gave birth
>1-20 Abduction of Sarah
>1-20-14:18 Sarah saved; Abraham prays for Avimelech
is reversed to
>1-18:19 The 3 angels
>1-18 prophecy that Sarah will give birth
>1-19 Destrucion of Sedom/Saving of Lot
>1-20 Abduction of Sarah
>1-20-14:18 Sarah saved; Abraham prays for Avimelech
>1-21-1 Sarah gave birth
The changed sequence suggests a
>CAUSAL LINK
between
>Abraham praying that Avimelech should give birth
>Abraham-Sarah having a child
Chazal in fact say
>Whoever prays for his friend
>gets answered first (if he needs the same thing)
*3 1-25-29:34 describes Esauv coming home hungry and asking
Jacob for food who in turn asks Esauv to sell him the birthright.
The verses (without proper translation) appear to say that Jacob
only gave the weary Esauv food AFTER he sold his birthright. In
other words he blackmailed him into selling his birthright.
However with the proper translation the verses says
>Esauv asked for food
>Jacob asked for the birthright
>Jacob HAD ALREADY given food to Esauv.
Thus there was no blackmail. It is curious that some major
midrashim do not mention this (I in fact learned the
interpretation of this verse from my 8-th grade Chumash
Teacher, Rabbi Nathan Belitsky who taught us at an early
age that there were grammatical methods to refute slander
on Biblical characters).
*4 In other words we read the verses that
>1-12-34 the Jews exodused form Egypt
>1-12-35 they loaned silver/gold vessels
>1-12-36 they HAD ALREADY been loaning vessels
I would imagine the simple interpretation is that eg
>as slaves they loaned utensils
>they acted like they lost them
>"I lost what you gave me; can you spare me another"
>and because God HAD ALREADY given them grace
>they ended up loaning more vessels
*5 This simple but elegant example was provided by Harry
Rashbaum in my Shomray Emunah Rashi class
*6 See LIST690b for a discussion
*7 To indicate the ordinary past the Bible uses
- the Hebrew letter VAV followed by
- the future tense
All examples in the above list use the pure past which
according to Rashi means HAD ALREADY (PAST PERFECT)
*8 See LIST313t and Rashi Gn19-09b and Gn19-11a. Rashi
interprets the text Gn19-06:11 as follows
We now read the verses Gn19-06:11 as follows
------------------------------------------------------------
- Lot left the house to dissuade the Sedomites from rape
- Lot closed the door of the house
- The crowd did not listen---they tried to break in
- The Angels brought Lot into the house
- While bringing Lot in some people entered the ENTRANCE
- But Angels (re)closed the [DOOR]
- Because the angels [HAD ALREADY BLINDED] the Sedomites in
the doors [ENTRANCE]
------------------------------------------------------------
Rashi makes his inferences based on
- the contrast of DOOR vs ENTRANCE
- use of the past perfect (HAD ALREADY BLINDED
*9 Here is the structure of the Dt10-01:10
-----------------------------------------------
Dt10-01:05 God told me to make 2nd tablets-
I did so and placed them in Ark
(Dt10-06:09 We journeyed; Aaron died;
Levites separated for God)
Dt10-10 I HAD STAYED in mount 40 days
-----------------------------------------------
Rashi:
-------
Dt10-10, I HAD STAYED IN MOUNT, refers to
BEGINNING/OPENING of chapter Dt10-01:05 when God told
me to make second tablets.
------------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ------------
*11
Gn29-08 states
---------------------------
They SAID
We can't [feed the flocks]
until the flocks GATHER
and OVERTURN the stone
---------------------------
We have translated this
sentence using conventional
English. Technically speaking
the capitalized verbs
- GATHER
- OVERTURN
refer to the SIMPLE PRESENT.
The SIMPLE PRESENT is very often
used do describe a HABITUAL ROUTINE
(For example: I GO TO SHULE EVERYDAY)
even thought this ROUTINE extends over
PAST PRESENT and FUTURE. English uses
the SIMPLE PRESENT even when connected
with the word UNTIL.
However in Hebrew when a ROUTINE HABIT
is described with UNTIL we use the
ABSOLUTE FUTURE
- UNTIL the flocks WILL GATHER (Yay OSe Fu)
In English a routine habit consisting
of a sequence of events is described
with the SIMPLE PRESENT. For example
----------------------------------
EVERY DAY I go TO SHULE AND daven.
----------------------------------
In Hebrew the sequence in a routine
is indicated by a PREFIX VAV+FUTURE
---------------------------------
Until the flock
- WILL GATHER (Yay O Se Fu)
- and THEN TURN THE STONE (Ve GolleLu)
----------------------------------
EXAMPLE 3: Gn29-15b
-------------------
Gn29-15 states
------------------------
Laban SAID to Jacob
Because you are my brother
you SHOULD WORK for nothing?
Rather tell me your wages
-------------------------
We have translated this
using conventional English:
The conjugation SHOULD
is called a MODAL--it indicates
something EXPECTED vs something
that WILL ABSOLUTELY HAPPEN.
Another example of the modal is
- you SHOULD give to charity
The Hebrew text conjugates this
modal using the PREFIX VAV+PAST
conjugation.
In other words the three Rashis
reviewed here extend
the construction of
- VAV PREFIX + PAST
to indicate either
- the future
- sequence in a simple present describing routine
- modal.
===============================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 28 Number 5
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2005, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 28 Number 5