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               (C) RashiYomi Incorporated, 2001
               Written by Dr Russell Jay Hendel

                     Volume 11 Number 9
                    Produced August 23rd, 2001

       WARNING: USE FIX WIDTH FONTS (eg COURIER (NEW) 10)

`          Whats new and hot in this issue or on the web?

*1 Professional version has professionally made tables, use of
   bold, shading as well as inside-outside technology
   Professional version will be available Sunday night.

*2 Our CLIMAX Page illustrating the important Biblical principle
   of CLIMAX has been redone. For example Dt19-11 CLIMACTICALLY
   describes how murder takes place in 4 stages(Rashi Dt19-11a)
   - HATRED
   - STALKING, SPYING
   - CONFRONTATION
   - BLOWS & MURDER
   Read other examples of this at
   http://www.RashiYomi.Com/climax.htm

*3 The Torah uses a GENERAL-EXAMPLE-GENERAL style. It first says
   WHEN YOU DONT KNOW A LAW; it concludes WHEN YOU HAVE DISPUTES
   IN YOUR DISTRICT. In the middle it gives examples (Between
   BLOOD-BLOOD, LAW-LAW, etc). Following the Rabbi Ishmael Style
   rules Rashi interprets these examples as exemplifying the
   general principle (so LAW-LAW refers to civil disputes;
   BLOOD-BLOOD refers to questions about ritual impurity etc)

*4 Rashi connects this verse (HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE A PROPHET) with
   the Jeremiah-Chananyah Prophet Dispute in Jer27 thru Jer 29.
   Was Rashi being literal (this IS what the verse means) or was
   Rashi just giving a good example?

*5 Rashi informs us of dictionary meanings: SHOFAYT means JUDGE
   while SHOTAYR means POLICE. Is Rashi just reporting a
   dictionary tradition? Or can it be justified from the verses?

*9 Also see the following URL for Rashi texts in English
   ---------------------------------------------------
   http://aish.com/literacy/reference/
   Search_the_Chumash_with_Rashi_-_in_English.asp
   ---------------------------------------------------

#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc. 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#

#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, Inc. Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#*#*#

VERSE: Dt17-08b

RASHIS COVERED: Dt17-08b Dt17-08c Dt17-08d Dt17-08e

ANNOUNCEMENT
------------
In the coming digests I will not only be explaining Rashis. I
will also be showing how the rules we use are dynamic. Today
we review an example of the GENERAL-EXAMPLE-GENERAL style
rule, one of the principles of Rabbi Ishmael. We have explained
the Rabbi Ishmael rules as dealing with the issue of how
much EXAMPLES are to be generalized.

BACKGROUND
----------
Dt17-08 thru Dt17-12 discuss how Jews resolve unsettled
judicial matters by submitting their inquiry to the great
court in Jerusalem

THE TEXT
--------
The text uses a GENERAL-EXAMPLE-GENERAL style:
-First it says WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM (General)
-It concludes WHEN YOU HAVE DISPUTES IN YOUR CITY(General)
-In the middle it says BETWEEN COURT CASES etc (Examples)

THE RASHI
---------
It is the style that is the driving force in Rashi.
The GENERAL-EXAMPLE-GENERAL style requires us to generalize
the examples and perceive them as examples of the general case

Therefore the phrase BETWEEN BLOOD AND BLOOD could be
interpreted to mean
-- murder cases
-- the general theory of types of blood
or any of a number of similar interpretations.

Rashi however translates BETWEEN BLOOD AND BLOOD as
-- a rabbinic decision on blood status of a woman that affects
the couples permissability to each other (cf Lv15-19:33)
Again Rashi so interprets, BECAUSE of the style. The
GENERAL-EXAMPLE-GENERAL style requires perceiving the EXAMPLE
items in the verse as relating to and exhausing the GENERAL item
in the verse which is speaking about AN UNKNOWN LEGAL MATTER
.....WHICH AROSE BECAUSE OF DISPUTES So Rashi-is-Simple and
interprets the 3 example items as 3 types of court disputes!

REFERENCES: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/example7.htm

Here is the GENERAL-EXAMPLE-GENERAL outline

*1 Is the blood pure or ritually impure? (This could affect
   whether a couple must separate (cf Lv15-19:33))

*2 e.g. Should a plaintiff be awarded damages in a lawsuit
   (These types of cases are discussed in Ex21-22 thru Ex22-26)

*3 Should a person be declared a ritually (im)pure because of
   leprosy plagues (Lv13---Lv14)

RASHI RULE USED: EXAMPLE7

#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, Inc. Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#*#*#

VERSE: Dt18-21a

ANNOUNCEMENT
------------
In the coming digests I will not only be explaining Rashis. I
will also be showing how the rules we use are dynamic. Today
we bring a verse where Rashi should not be interpreted
literally but rather perceived as a good example.

BACKGROUND
----------
The Torah is discussing the laws of prophecy. The Torah
indicates how you recognize a prophets status.

THE TEXT Dt18-21
----------------
And when you inquire: HOW WILL WE KNOW WHAT GOD SAYS?
(Answer) What the prophet says in the name of God that
doesnt happen, that is the statement that God did not
prophecy--the prophet lied and you should not be afraid of him

THE RASHI
---------
The Torah is simple enough. But on the Biblical phrase
-------------------------------------------------------
AND WHEN YOU INQUIRE: HOW WILL WE KNOW WHAT GOD SAYS?
-------------------------------------------------------
Rashi says
-----------------------------------------------------------
YOU ARE DESTINED TO ASK WHEN JEREMIAH AND CHANANYAH
DISPUTE PROPHECIES, HOW DO WE KNOW WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH
(The reference is to Jer27 thru Jer29 which contains a
dialogue between the prophet Jeremiah and a false prophet
Chananyah ben Azaryah)
-----------------------------------------------------------

There are two approaches to Rashi
APPROACH 1
----------
Rashi should be interpreted literally! There is something in
the verse which foreshadows the Jeremiah-Chananyah dispute.*10

APPROACH 2
----------
Rashi was simply giving an example of the verse. He gave this
example by using dramatic language (YOU ARE DESTINED TO ASK)
But there is nothing in the verse that suggests or hints
at a particular incident.

THE LIST
--------
It is the position of this email list that the proper respect
for Rashi is obtained by perceiving Rashis like this as
examples. We bring in the list below some other Rashis
where it is preferable to interpret Rashi as an EXAMPLE
rather than as LITERALLY EXHAUSTING the meaning of the verse.The
footnotes *10 review and refute attempts by other Rashi
commentators to defend the literal interpretation of Rashi

REFERENCE: Hendel, R PESHAT AND DERASH: A NEW INTUITIVE
& ANALYTIC APPROACH, Tradition Winter 1980

I call this the method of ARCHETYPICAL EXAMPLES
Those who want an offprint should request one
by an email to RJHendel@Juno.Com WITH YOUR HARD
MAIL ADDRESS.

Here is the LIST of Rashis where Rashi should be perceived
as talking about an example.

*10 Shockingly the noted Rashi commentator Sifsay Chachamim
    tries to derive a literal interpretation of Rashi from
    the phrase AND WHEN YOU INQUIRE. The Sifsay Chachamim says
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    The phrase AND WHEN indicates the future. So it indicates
    that at some future time the Jews will ask HOW WILL WE KNOW
    WHAT GOD REALLY SAYS
    ----------------------------------------------------------

    But this is clearly rediculous for 2 reasons
    - Even if the argument was correct how do we know the verse
      points to the specific controversy between Jeremiah &
      Chananyah

    - The Hebrew phrase VKI does not necessarily mean AND WHEN
      It can equally mean AND IF. Thus contrary to the Sifsay
      Chachamims premise there is NO HINT in the verse on what
      will happen

    We conclude that the proper approach, respect and honor to
    Rashi is NOT to interpret him literally: Rather the proper
    approach and RESPECT for Rashi is obtained by interpreting
    this Rashi as an example

*11 This is not a Rashi but rather a Midrash Rabbah on Song
   of Songs 4-1. The verse says WOW YOURE BEAUTIFUL BABY WOW
   YOUR BEAUTIFUL.

   The Midrash comments on the repeated phrase:
   YOUR BEAUTIFUL YOUR BEAUTIFUL by giving a list
   of 10 areas where Jews are doubly beautiful: For example
   Jews do commandments in the House and Jews do
   commandments in the Field (HOUSE-FIELD indicates a double
   beauty). Similarly Jews are beautiful in THIS WORLD
   and Jews are beautiful IN THE NEXT WORLD (again a double
   beauty).

   In my article PESHAT AND DERASH I suggest that the Midrash
   is NOT EXHAUSTING the meaning of the verse with these
   10 examples (ie literal interpretation) but rather
   the Midrash is simply giving Good examples.

   I call this the method of archetypical examples.

RASHI RULE USED: REASONS/IMPLICATIONS/EXAMPLES

#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, Inc. Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#*#*#

VERSE: Dt16-18a

RASHIS COVERED: Dt16-18a Dt16-18b

ANNOUNCEMENT
------------
In the coming digests I will not only be explaining Rashis. I
will also be showing how the rules we use are dynamic. Today
we bring a simple Rashi -- Rashi points out the difference
between JUDGE and POLICE. However we study this Rashi
dynamically

BACKGROUND
----------
The Torah commands us to appoint Judges and Police in each
district

THE TEXT
--------
Appoint Judges and police in each district

THE RASHI
---------
The word JUDGES refers to Judges while the word POLICE refers
to POLICE (that is the Hebrew word SHOFAYT means Judges
while the Hebrew SHOTAYR means Police)

THE LIST
--------
Rashi seems straightforward enough. But Rashi seems to report
a TRADITION of a dictionary meaning. The approach in this
email list has always been ANALYTICAL. In the LIST below
we explore how the derivation of meaning can be DEFENDED
from verses.

Towards this end recall that
--the JUDGE makes decisions & adjudicates BETWEEN people while
--the POLICE oversee performance.
Let us see if there are verses which clearly delineate what
each term means*10

*1 If you read the whole chapter 2Ch01-11 it says that
   -- King Yehoshafat appointed JUDGES to settle disputes
   -- and appointed POLICE to help implement Judgements
   Thus the POLICE are clearly seen as IMPLEMENTERS & OVERSEE-ERS

*2 He commanded them to see that the daily production schedules
   were met. In any event these POLICE were linked with task
   masters; their job was to IMPLEMENT orders & hence they were
   police

*3 By law newlyweds, people who opened a new vineyard, built a
   new house, or scardycats were all exempt from fighting.

*4 Thus in this verse I am certain that SHOFAYT means JUDGE
   because another word for JUDGE (DAYAN) is used.

   I also am sure of the translation because of the preposition
   BETWEEN. You never POLICE BETWEEN PEOPLE (Rather you POLICE
   A SITUATION). By contrast, you do JUDGE BETWEEN 2 disputants

*5 This verse introduces Ex21 which lays out the Legal code
   for settling disputes in cases of damages or watcher
   negligence.

*6 Here the emphasis is on the preposition BETWEEN. You
   dont POLICE BETWEEN PEOPLE but you do JUDGE BETWEEN PEOPLE
   (Because there are two sides and you have to adjudicate
   between them).

*7 Here the inference is based on context. The verse seems
   to be giving something praiseworthy.  It is not
   praiseworthy to POLICE the poor; but it is praiseworthy
   to JUDGE the poor.

*10 The reader may think this is easy. Shockingly the Hebrew word
    SHOTAYR (Police) only occurs 25 times in the Bible. Proving
    meanings or nuances is rarely straightforward in the Bible*11


*11 For those who still think that translation is a
    straightforward task consider the verse
    -----------------------------------------------------
    Ex02-14 Who made you a governor and JUDGE? Will you
    kill me the way you killed the Egyptian?
    -----------------------------------------------------
    But killing people is something that POLICE do, not
    JUDGES. So we see that no matter how much we prove
    there might be exceptions that criss cross nuances.
    This is part of the richness and challenge of language

RASHI RULE USED: SYNONYMS

#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, Inc. Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#*#*#

VERSE: v9-8-23a

From: "John D. Loike" 
To: Russell J Hendel 
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 10:24:06 -0400
Subject: Re: Volume 11 Number 3


Hi Russell,

I hope you have been getting my e mails.
Last week there was a milestone Rashi.
When he discusses the reasons why drinking blood is
prohibited he presents two opposing reasons.
Either drinking blood is so
desirable that a special law is required
or that drinking blood is so
disgusting that you obtain reward even for
something that no one would ever
engage in. Then a few sentences later
Rashi reviews the prohibition of
drinking blood and only brings the
second reason. One could use this as
support of those theorists that the second
answer of Rashi is the more
favorable. How often do we find two answers
and then proof that Rashi
supports one or the other?

[JOHN: Read posting Dt18-21a in this weeks digest:
Russell Hendel]

Regards- John



Still waiting for responses to
my other questions.
[I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION OF man man.
See Digest Volume Volume 10 Number 17
v9-6-24a. However your question in
Volume 11 Number 2 is still open]

by the way I
would love an analysis of the term
Ekev which I find Rashi's explanation
quite difficult especially in light
of what others claim including Onkelus.

#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, Inc. Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#*#*#



          THE 6 RASHI RULE CLASSES(Version 3.2 Dec 15 2001)
                http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rules-01.htm
          Copyright Dec 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President

========================================================
THE DICTIONARY RULE: Rashi can function as a dictionary.
                     He presents 2-6 meanings of words
         REFERENCE: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/words.htm
========================================================
* EXAMPLE 1: AL means ON. AL can also mean
      - WITH (Eat Passover WITH matzoh Ex12-09e)
      - IN   (Place the Matzoh IN the basket Ex29-03)
      - TO   (The boards shall be even from bottom TO top Ex26-24c)
      - NEAR (His borders will be NEAR Tzison Gn49-13b)
      - AFTER(Offer Peace offerings AFTER the daily Lv03-05a)

* EXAMPLE 2: KI means IF,PERHAPS,RATHER,BECAUSE,WHEN,THAT
   Gn18-15a Gn24-33a

* EXAMPLE 3: YDA means FAMILIAR, not KNOW (eg Dt34-10a)
	   eg Gn04-01 Adam was FAMILIAR with his wife

* EXAMPLE 4: ON THE FACE OF means DURING THE LIFETIME
            Nu03-04a Gn11-28a Ex20-03c Dt05-07a

===========================================================
THE GRAMMAR RULE: Rashi comments on RARE or SIMILAR usages
        REFERENCE:http://www.RashiYomi.Com/grammar.htm
===========================================================

* EXAMPLE 1: BA-ah means CAME;ba-AH means COMING(Gn46-26a)


* EXAMPLE 2:THE SENTENCE: 0.2% of Biblical sentences are 2verses
 -(Dt11-07:08) It was not your fathers who saw this;rather you

* EXAMPLE 3: Hitpael has different rules if 1st root letter is
   Tzade (USE: Ni-Tz-Ta-Dack not Ni-Th-Tza-Dack--Gn44-16a)

================================================================
THE CITATION RULE: Rashi enriches meaning by citing OTHER verses
         REFERENCE:http://www.RashiYomi.Com/other-20.htm
================================================================
* EXAMPLE 1: Dt26-05d We went down to Egypt with A FEW PEOPLE
	    ENRICHED by Gn46-27: We went down with 70 people

* EXAMPLE 2: Lv01-05a Non-priests may SLAUGHTER offerings
	    This law DERIVED from explicit statement in 2Chr30-17

* EXAMPLE 3:Why does Rashi say that Chur is Miriams son(Ex17-10b)
	    DERIVED from possible interpretation of 1-Chr18-19

* EXAMPLE 4: Gn35-22a Reuven Slept with Bilhah(Fathers concubine)
	    Gn49-04  Reuven PLAYED with fathers BEDS
        CONCLUSION: Reuven inteferred with fathers personal
	life(ruffled bedspreads); Bible condemns Reuven by
	exaggeration; he is accused of incest which he didnt do

=================================================================
THE 3 RABBI ISHMAEL RULES: They govern style(broad vs literal)
REFERENCE:http://www.RashiYomi.com/example1.htm thru example9.htm
=================================================================

* EXAMPLE 1: Simple sentences are always GENERALIZED
            ---------------------------------------
	    Dt25-04a Dont MUZZLE an OX while it is THRESHING
	    Rabbi Ishmael: Dont STOP any ANIMAL from eating
			   while DOING ITS WORK
					
* EXAMPLE 2: GENERAL-EXAMPLE style always interpreted LITERALLY
            --------------------------------------------------
 Nu05-12d (GENERAL) If a women DESECRATES her marriage
	   (EXAMPLE) and commits ADULTERY
	   Rabbi Ishmael: Nu05 only applies to ADULTERY.
	   It does not apply to other marriage DESECRATIONS
			
* EXAMPLE 3: GENERAL-EXAMPLE-GENERAL style intepreted SIMILARLY
            --------------------------------------------------
 Lv05-21b (GENERAL) If a man DENIES under oath
	  (EXAMPLE) ..denies a deposit,loan,theft,wages,lost item
	  (GENERAL) or ANY DENIAL which he denies
 RABBI ISHMAEL: These laws apply to any SIMILAR Example
 * The law applies to partnerships, movables and monetary objects
 * The law does not apply to real-estate or slander

=================================================================
THE CLIMAX RULE: The Bible should be interpreted in such a manner
                that it reflects CLIMACTIC development to a goal
             REFERENCE: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/example9.htm
=================================================================
 EXAMPLE 1: Dt19-11a If a man HATES, SPIES, CONFRONTS & KILLS
 RASHI: Bible identifies 4 stages to murder(Capped)

==============================================================
THE FORMATTING PRINCIPLE: Bible had its own method to mimic
                          bold, bullets, footnotes, paragraphs
==============================================================

* BOLD: Bible REPEATS words to obtain BOLD emphasis effect
          http://www.RashiYomi.Com/doubl-14.htm
  --------------------------------------------------------------
  EXAMPLE 1:(Ex12-09c) COOK COOK it in water (So COOKED is bold)
  INFERENCE: Prefered to COOK it in water;
         But COOK It at all costs(Even if you dont have water)

* BULLETS: Bible indicates bullets by REPEATING KEYWORDS
  --------------------------------------------------------
 Who am I
 - THAT I should go to Pharaoh
 - THAT I should take the Jews out of Egypt (Ex03-11a)
 --------------------------------------------------------
 RASHI: Repeated word THAT creates BULLET effect
 - Pharoh was a difficult king (Bullet one)
 - Jews were not yet ready for freedom (Bullet two)

* FOOTNOTES: The Bible indicates FOOTNOTES by ALMOST DUPLICATING
	     verses but making small minor changes
                http://www.RashiYomi.Com/align-58.htm
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  EXAMPLE: Ex20-03a
  VERSE        PHRASE #1       PHRASE #2       PHRASE #3
  -------      ---------       ---------       ------------------
  Ex20-03      Dont            POSSESS  the gods of others
  Ex20-04      Dont            MAKE     idols

  RASHI: So both POSSESSion & MAKING of idols are prohibited
  ---------------------------------------------------------------

                           End of Rashi is Simple Digest

#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, 2001 Inc. Dr. Hendel President #*#*#*#*#