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VERSE: Gn33-11a

=============================== Gn33-11a ================================

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 5 main goals is the explanation of meaning similar to the
way a dictionary explains meaning. We call this the Rashi rule of
WORD MEANING.

Rashi had 10 major vehicles by which to explain meaning. A major subrule
of MEANING is when Rashi paints a UNIFYING meaning to disparate meanings
of one root. We call this the method of UNIFYING MEANINGS.

Todays example is a peach of commentary showing the great intricacy
in explaining meaning

EXAMPLE Gn33-11a
----------------
The Biblical text states
-------------------------------------
Esauv, Please take from me, Jacob,
the BLESSING (BRK) brought to you
-------------------------------------

Rashi explains that
------------------------------------
The Hebrew root BRK besides meaning
BLESSING can also mean GIFT.
------------------------------------

Rashi says no more although he does give supportive verses.
But we can fully understand Rashi by using the resources provided
by other Jewish commentators.

First we use the RADACK who in his book ROOTS gives all meanings of
the root BRK.  Second we borrow from the writings of Rabbi Hirsch
who suggests that the meaning KNEE is UNIFYING Let us examine

BRK MEANS
- KNEE
- TO KNEE THE CAMELS (= to make them rest on knees)
- POND - because you get on your knees to sip from a pond
- BLESS - Rav Hirsch argues that just as you EYE a scene, or
          SMELL a situation or HAND an object so too you can
          KNEEIZE A PERSON IN HIS PATH OF LIFE--here KNEEIZE
          simply means to LEND THE PERSON A KNEE...the KNEES
          fucntion is to facilitate movement so that KNEEIZING
          A PERSON means BLESSING HIM--facilitating travel on
          his path in life
From the meaning of BLESS we get 3 other meanings

- CURSE   The PIEL grammatical mode can NEGATE a meaning--hence curse
- GREET   FREQUENTLY you greet with a BLESSING (Hope all is well with
          you)
- GIFT    You frequently BLESS by giving a GIFT and BLESSING for more

Here we have used the principle of METONOMY which states that an
item (GREET GIFT) can be named by something RELATED TO IT.
============================================================================
ITEM                     DETAIL
======================== ===================================================
RASHI RULE CLASS:        WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS      UNIFIED MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW                LIST863O
List of verses with      Root BRK meaning KNEE--bless,pond,curse,greet,bless
============================================================================

=============================== LIST863O ===================================
List of verses with      Root BRK meaning KNEE--bless,pond,curse,greet,bless
============================================================================
VERSE    Meaning Text of verse(with CAP)   Relationship to KNEE
======== ======= ========================= =================================
Is45-23  KNEE    all KNEES will bow to you KNEE
Gn24-11  TO KNEE He KNEED the camels       Made them rest on their knees
Is07-03  POND    The upper pond            On your KNEES to sip from pond
Gn24-01  BLESS*1 God blessed Abe with all  BLESS=KNEE-ize ones path in life
------   ------  ------------------------  --------------------------------
Jb02-09  CURSE*2 Curse God and die         PIEL tense=Negation of BLESS
Gn47-07  GREET*3 Jacob GREETED Pharoh      You frequenty GREET by BLESSING
Gn33-11a GIFT*4  Take the GIFT I gave you  You frequently BLESS by GIFTING

NOTES
-----
*1 (Rav Hirsch) Just as you
   - EYE a scene, or
   - SMELL a situation, or
   - HAND an object
   So too you can
   - KNEE-ize a PERSON ON HIS PATH IN LIFE

   Here KNEE-ize means to LEND THE PERSON A KNEE. Since the
   - LEG moves
   - KNEE facilitates movement
   therefore, TO KNEE means to FACILITATE the persons movement
   on his path in life--that is, to BLESS him.

*2 The PIEL MODE often NEGATES a meaning. So the PIEL of BLESS is CURSE

*3 You FREQUENTLY greet by giving a blessing (eg HOW ARE YOU...MAY YOU
   BE WELL or HAPPY THANKSGIVING). Here we use the METONOMY principle
   of meaning which states that an item can be named by something
   FREQUENTLY RELATED to it.

*4 You FREQUENTLY bring GIFTS when you bless someone (E.g. at a wedding)
   Here we use the METONOMY principle which states that an item can
   be named by something FREQUENTLY RELATED to it.

   Rashi and Radack both list several verses where BRK means GIFT:
   - Gn33-11 Take the Gift I give you
   - 2K05-15 Take the gift from your servance
   - Is66-03 Bringing GIFT offerings from theft(Radack)

===========================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 24 Number 3


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