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  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
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VERSE: Gn42-02a

COMMENT
=======
One of the fundamental principles of this email list is that
all explanations brought by Rashi are the simple meaning of
the text and follow grammatical rules. In particular we
show that Rashi never used fanciful methods of explanation
like numerical coincidences or gematriahs. This posting is
a peach of a Rashi since it affords us the opportunity to show
that Rashi never believed in Gematria except as a memory device

RULE
====
When going from place to place
(a) The ordinary term used is >COME< >MOVE<
(b) You however may use the term >COME UP< or >GO DOWN< if
    one of the places has more importance >TO YOU<

APPLICATION
===========
{LIST}
The following LIST shows a variety of verses referring to
motion between >EGYPT< and >ISRAEL<.  Notice how normal
usage is >MOVE<. However since >ISRAEL< is more important
to the Jews we find the terms >GO DOWN FROM ISRAEL< vs
>GO UP TO ISRAEL< when referring to the Jews.
===============================================================
VERSE   MOVE/DOWN  TEXT OF VERSE
======= =========  =============================================
Gn45-17 MOVE       Pharoh asks Jews to >MOVE< the food to Israel
Gn45-18 MOVE       Pharoh asks Jews to >MOVE< to Egypt
Gn12-10 WENT DOWN  Abraham >MOVED DOWN< from Israel to Egypt
Gn42-02 GO   DOWN  Jacob asks children to >GO DOWN< to Egypt
Gn45-09 COME DOWN  Joseph invites Jacob to >COME DOWN< to Egypt
Gn46-04 GO DOWN    God promises to >GO DOWN< with Jacob to Egypt
Gn46-04 GO UP      God promises to >BRING UP< Jacob from Egypt
Gn03-08 GO UP      God says He will >BRING UP< Jews from Egypt
{END OF LIST}

RASHI
=====
Rashis actual language on Gn42-02 is >Jacob told his children
to GO DOWN to Egypt: This hints at the 210 years of exile
since the gematria of GO DOWN is 210!<

We first explain this Rashi by explaining >Gematria<
Gematria assigns numerical values to letters of the alphabet
Thus >A< gets 1, >B< gets 2 etc.

Each word is assigned the numerical value of the sum
of the numerical values of its letters. For example
the word >ABE< gets assigned the number 8 since >A<
is the first letter (and gets a value of 1),
>B< is the second letter (and gets a value of 2) and >E< is
the fifth letter (and gets a value of 5). Hence >ABE< gets
assigned the value 8 (1+2+5).

Hence an appropriate Gematria on the word >ABE< is >Circumcision
is done on the 8th day because the Gematria of ABE is 8 and the
commandment of circumcision was given to the Patriarch ABE<

Clearly the above derivation is just a clever nursery rhyme to
help us remember. Everyone knows that babies get circumcised
on the 8th day because God ordered circumcision on the 8th day
No one seriously takes the Gematria as the >REASON< or the
>SOURCE< for the commandment. Such a memory device would have
extreme power before the advent of the printing press since
the Gematria is punchy and compact and facilitates memory.

In a similar manner as the above >LIST< shows, the Jews feel
their primary home is >ISRAEL<. A >MOVE< to Egypt is a >DESCENT<
for the Jews. This is in fact explicitly stated in the Convenant
of the cut pieces: >Your progeny will be foreigners in a land
not belonging to them (Gn15-13).<

Thus Jacob used the term >DESCENT< because Israel is the Jewish
home. Jacob was simply reminding his sons that even though there
is food in Egypt it still was not a place for the Jews whose
real home is Israel.

That is all Rashi meant.

The clever coincidence that >GO DOWN< in Hebrew Gematria is 210
which so happens to be the number of years the Jews were enslaved
is just an amusing accident which helps people remember. The
logical status of this gematria is no different than my Gematria
on ABE=8.

Indeed we see Rashis genious. For everyone now knows this Rashi
and how the word >GO DOWN< hints at the exile. (By contrast if
I had written Rashi and used the above LIST I doubt anyone
would remember the Rashi.)

RASHI RULE USED: SYNONYMS
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
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Volume 8 Number 17


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