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VERSE: Gn39-06a
============================== Gn39-06a ==================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis major goals is the explanation of the
meaning the same way a dictionary explains meaning.
We call this the Rashi rule of WORD MEANINGS.
Rashi had 10 vehicles to explain word meanings. One
such rule was the IDIOM rule--here Rashi does not explain
the meaning of an INDIVIDUAL word but rather Rashi shows
how a COLLECTION of words has a meaning which is distinct
from the meaning of the INDIVIDUAL words. We call this
the Rashi subrule of NEW MEANINGS.
EXAMPLE Gn39-06a
----------------
The Biblical text states
--------------------------------------
His master did not know with him a bit
--------------------------------------
Rashi comments
-----------------------------------
His master did not check up on him
-----------------------------------
In other words the phrase DID NOT KNOW WITH HIM A BIT
is an IDIOM which means HE DID NOT CHECK UP ON HIM.
LIST854d below presents a collection of similar multi-
word idioms which Rashi explains.
=========================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== ================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: WORD MEANING
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS NEW MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW LIST854d
List of 2-3-word Biblical idioms
=========================================================
======================= LIST854d ================================
List of 2-3-word Biblical idioms
=================================================================
VERSE BIBLICAL PHRASE TRANSLATION NOTES
======== ======================= ===================== ==========
Gn24-27b God showed WAY God enabled SUCCESS *15
Gn39-06a Didnt KNOW with him BIT Didnt CHECK UP on him
Gn24-49a I will turn to RIGHT to ARABS *16
Gn24-49b I will turn to LEFT to LOTS nations *16
Gn14-17a EQUAL-valley LEVEL valley *14
Ex22-02b He has BLOOD Guilty of BLOODSHED
Nu35-27a He doesnt have BLOOD Not a MURDERER
Gn34-03a SPEAK ON ONES HEART Convince, reassure LIST854f
Gn23-04b PLOT OF GRAVE Burial Plot *12
Gn18-11b WAY OF WOMEN Having Periods *9
Ex13-10a FROM DAYS DAYS YEARLY *1
Dt17-11a LEFT AND RIGHT A LITTLE BIT *2
Ex21-21a DAY OR DAYS 24 hours
Dt22-17a Spread the Garment Prove your point *3 *4
Ex22-02a If Sun shines on him If it is Clear *4
Dt25-09a Spit IN FACE Spit TOWARDS HIM *5
Lv05-04a Swear by lips Verbally(Explicitly) *6
Gn12-09a WALK-JOURNEY Stay-Go-Stay-Go... *13
-------- ----------------------- --------------------- ---------
Lv16-21a TIMED person An APPOINTED person *8
Ex21-02a JEWISH SLAVE a slave AND Jewish *7
Lv13-39a DULL WHITE DULL WHITE
Lv23-40a GORGEOUS FRUIT Ethrog *10
-------- ----------------------- --------------------- ------------
Ex28-08a Belt OF his AYPHOD Belt USED with AYPHOD *7
Ex28-31a the dress OF AYPHD Aypohd USED with DRES *7
Dt16-17a GIFT OF HIS HAND INCOME LEVEL *7 *4
Dt16-10a TAX OF DONATION OF HAND INCOME LEVEL *7 *4
Dt21-13a GARMENT OF CAPTIVITY Worn in war to seduce *7
NOTES
-----
*1 See LIST854e below for Biblical examples
*2 See LIST854c below for further Biblical examples
*3 Probably when people had a sexual fight (who did what)
they could SPREAD THE GARMENT to clearly prove their
point*10
*4 Many idioms in this list are examples of SYNECDOCHE,
the use of the (distinguished) PART to indicate the
WHOLE. Thus honey is a GOOD EXAMPLE of something
sweet, bread is a GOOD EXAMPLE of food, day(12
hours) is a GOOD EXAMPLE of the 24 hour period. Hence
almost all languages develop idioms: HONEY=SWEET,
BREAD=FOOD, DAY(12 HOURS)=DAY(24 HOURS).
Similarly in the above live SPEADING THE GARMENT
is a GOOD example of PROVING MATTERS (In sexual
disputes), the SUN SHINING is a good example of
CLARITY, GIFT OF HIS HAND is a good example of
a HIGH INCOME LEVEL.
*5 Cf However Lv15-08a Spit ON Him = Actually spit on him
The rule seems to be that SPIT ON HIM is literal
whereas SPIT ON FACE (use of FACE vs FULL PERSON) means
SPIT TOWARDS HIM
*6 eg If I am angry and mentally curse or if I
am angry and start ranting and raving without
however fully articulating everything on my mind
-- in these two cases I may have sworn IN MY MIND
but I have not sworn WITH MY LIPS (Explicitly)
*7 Contrast Ex20-03a OTHER GODS=GODS OF OTHER PEOPLE
vs Ex21-02a JEWISH SLAVE = SLAVE AND JEWISH
Technically the possessive --OF-- can mean
- OWNED BY (eg OTHER GODS = gODS of OTHERS)
- PROPERTY (eg JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE who is JEWISH)
- ASSOCIATED WITH (eg BELT OF GARMENT=Belt USED
with Garment)
Note Rashi proves the JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE WHO
IS JEWISH by citing an other verse Dt15-12 *11
*8 For the relationship between TIME and DESIGNATION
cf the English APPOINT-APPOINTMENT
*9 Cf Gn31-35 for the sister phrase PATH OF WOMEN
which also refers to HAVING PERIODS
-------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ----------------
*10 (The following comes from my article PSHAT & DRASH
TRADITION Winter 1980)
We must distinguish between
- HOW we know what the idiom means
- WHY the idiom means this
HOW we know what the idiom means comes from USAGE
It can usually be inferred from context. Thus
the Biblical verses here state
when a person slanders his newly married
wife...then the womens parents shall sue
him and SPREAD THE GARMENT before the judges
-------------------------------------
Hence SPREAD the GARMENT is simply an idiom
for PROVING ONES POINT.
By contrast the question of WHY the idiom
means what it does is something more
speculative--maybe I am right that frequently
in sexual fights a SPREAD GARMENT proved a
point. But maybe I am wrong...in such a case
I am still sure about WHAT the idiom means.
I am just not sure about WHY it means this.
Another example occurs at Lv23-40a and Lv23-40b.
I am certain that the ETHROG was called the
GORGEOUS FRUIT but I am not quite sure why. Rashi
offers two explanations
EXPLANATION 1:
The ethrog is an EVERGREEN and DWELLS YEARLY
(This uses a pun on EVERGREEN=HADAR vs
HODOR=GORGEOUS)
EXPLANATION 2
-------------
The TREE and FRUIT taste the same; Hence
the tree is Gorgeous.
EXPLANATION 3
-------------
Rav Hirsch offers a 3rd explanation. Rav
Hirsch reviews botanical classifications and infers
that the Ethrog is one of the more advanced
fruits in the tree Kingdom.
I am still not sure WHY the phrase GORGEOUS
FRUIT means ETHROG but I am sure that this
phrase was used to denote the ETHROG
*11
Here is another example:
GARMENT OF CAPTIVITY does NOT mean
- the GARMENT she wore WHEN captured
(That is the GARMENT with the PROPERTY that
it was worn at the time of capture) but rather means
- the GARMENT she put on in case she is captured
(That is the garment ASSOCIATED with the
possibility of CAPTURE)
Rashi explains that non-jewish women would have
special garments they wore in case they were
captured during a war in order to seduce their
captors and prevent themselves from being murdered.
*12 The Hebrew word A-Chu-Zah by itself can refer to
a plot of land (without any additional words):
------------------------------------------------------
Cf Gn47-11 Gave them a PLOT
Cf Lv25-46 These slaves shall be a PLOT for inheritance
Cf Nu27-04 Give us please a PLOT among our brothers
------------------------------------------------------
*13 So Abraham would stay over for a month or so
then journey then stay over for a month or
shorter or longer etc.
*14 Rashi regards these LEVEL VALLEYS as sort of STADIUMS where
the Royal family had entertainment (Similar to practices today)
This is hinted at in the verse
---------------------------------------------
...to the LEVEL VALLEY ...to the ROYAL VALLEY
---------------------------------------------
Rashi also conjectures that this STADIUM type valley was a place
where the Royal families acknowledged Abrahams existence--since
he had defeated several Kings.
We need not see these as two disparate conjectures...we can
simply suppose that the LEVEL VALLEYS were used for BOTH
- Royal family sport events
- meetings with other kings.
*15 The idiom GOD SHOWED ME THE WAY or GOD SHOWED ME THE PATH
is common in several languages
*16 The idea that LEFT and RIGHT denote extremes in a political
spectrum is common in many languages. The LEFT-RIGHT distinction
has been identified with
- commoner-aristocracy
- poor-rich
- socialism-conservative
- equal outcomes-equal methods
- for change-for status quo
Here Rashi identifies LEFT RIGHT with
- LOT-ISHMAEL
The origin of the etymology is not clear. Some use a
historical approach: In the French parliament the
commoners sat on left while aristocrats sat on right.
I would say more simply that the LEFT HAND is CLUMSY
while the RIGHT HAND is MATURE. This explains the
various idioms: We have
- left=clumsy=poor=need to change
- right-mature=rich=happy with status quo
Since LOT was into materialism (Cf Gn13-10)
while Ishmael was more mature spiritually (Cf Gn16-11)
the LEFT RIGHT distinction corresponds
to LOT-ISHMAEL
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Volume 24 Number 5
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 24 Number 5