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  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
  |       http://www.RashiYomi.Com                           |
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VERSE: Gn31-53a


RASHIS COVERED: Gn31-53a Gn31-53b Gn31-53c


RULE
====
The Hebrew word >ELOHIM< fundamentally means >HEAD, LEADER<
and can have any of 5 specific meanings:

(1) E-Lo-Hi-M can mean GOD:
    ----------------------
Gn01-01 >In the Beginning GOD created the heaven and earth<



(2) E-Lo-Hi-M can mean gOD
    ----------------------
Ex12-12 >Against all the gODS of Egypt I will do justice<



(3) E-Lo-Hi-M can mean JUDGES
    -------------------------
(3d) Ex07-01a "You(Moses) will be a JUDGE to Pharoh"






(4) E-Lo-Hi-M can mean LEADERS
    --------------------------
(4b) Ex04-16c >And you(Moses) will be to him(Aaron) a LEADER<





(5) E-Lo-Hi-M can mean PROPHET
    --------------------------
2Sam07-23 >..A Nation should have PROPHET/ANGELS redeem them<


REFERENCE:
=========
See http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn04-28a.htm for a full discussion





Hence sometimes the word >ELOHIM< can refer to a pagan god while
at other times it can refer to the one God. In Gn31-53 Rashi
clarifies whether the proper translation is >god< or >God<


BACKGROUND
==========
Recall that Jacob had fled from Laban because of his unfair
employment practices. Laban finally caught up with him and made
a treaty. Gn31-53 mentions that they took oaths to seal
the treaty. The actual verse states
>The God of Abraham, the god of Nachor will judge between us
 The God of their fathers---Jacob swore by the Fearful one
 of Isaac his father<

{LIST}
Rashi is simple. He simply identifies for each occurence of
God/god whether it is >Big G< or >small G<. Here is the
classification and why Rashi selects >Big G< or >small G<
=============================================================
Gn31-53         Big/Small  Why
=======         =========  ===
God of Abraham  God        Abraham believed in the one God *1
god of nachor   god        Abrahams family was idolatrous  *1
god of family*2 god        Abrahams family was idolatrous  *1

NOTES
=====
*1 See Jos24-2:3 for an explicit statement of this
*2 >god of their fathers< refers to the god of Terach the
   father of Abraham and nachor---according to Jos24-2:3
   Terach was originally an idolater.
{END OF LIST}


NOTE: The determination of whether the translation should
be >god< or >God< is not dependent on tradition but rather
on logical argument (See Gn18-02)


In the above example Rashi determines the meaning of God/god
using the >CONTEXT< of the verse. Rashi finds support for
his ideas in explicit statements in other verses (Jos24-2:3)


Finally note that Rashis point is possibly strengthened by
alignment of the two verses

--------------------------------------------------------------
Gn28-07 And Jacob listened                      & WENT TO ARAM
Gn28-10 And Jacob          LEFT BEER SHEVA      & WENT TO CHRAN
                            *a
--------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES
-----
*a So only Gn28-10 mentions Jacob leaving Beer Sheva. But
   Notwithstanding the above comparison the real point comes
   from the fact that not only in Gn28-07 is the phrase
   >LEFT< missing, but also in >ALMOST ALL BIBLICAL VERSES<
   is this phrase missing. The real point is that only in 3
   verses is the style >LEFT-CAME< mentioned and in all of
   them there is an emphasis BOTH on the LEAVING and COMING.


RASHI RULE USED: WORD MEANINGS
---------------------------------------------------
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 8 Number 10


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