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BACKGROUND
----------
Jacob was giving his final orders to his son Joseph

THE VERSE
---------
Gn47-29c Jacob says to Joseph: PLACE YOUR HAND ON MY LAP

RASHI
-----
The identical phrase, PLACE YOUR HAND ON MY LAP, is also used
in Gn24-02 except that the Bible explains there that this act
of placing hands on a lap is a prelude to an oath. We are
therefore justified in interpreting Jacobs request in the same
way: He asked Joseph to take an oath

THE METHOD
----------
Rashi uses the method of alignment. On our alignment page we
have identified 4 methods of alignment. In this case Rashi uses
the principle that ALIGNMENT CAN INDICATE SAMENESS, so that
PLACING ONES HAND ON THE LAP means taking an OATH

THE REFERENCE
-------------
The alignment page is at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/align-58.htm
Over 150 Rashis on alignments are analyzed there.

A FURTHER PERSPECTIVE
---------------------
We can also classify this using the Rabbi Ishmael rules.
Rabbi Ishmael suggested that if a phrase is used in the Bible,
usually without explanation, but IS explained in one verse,
then that one verse can be perceived as explaining the general
meaning for all the verses.Here are the URLS
- http://www.RashiYomi.com/lv09-07d.htm.
- http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h5n20.htm

THE LIST
--------
Here is the ALIGNMENT of the two verses.

BACKGROUND
----------
- Jacob had 11 children.
- All 11 had the status of tribes.
- The grandchildren then belonged to their tribes
- However Josephs 2 children each had the status of tribes.

THE METHOD
----------
We all tend to be conversational and not careful about
repeating phrases when we talk. The Bible does this also. For
example in Gn46-02 God says JACOB JACOB. Rashi says THE REPEATED
NAME SIMPLY DENOTES ENDEARMENT. The Talmud states THE BIBLE
SPEAKS IN HUMAN TERMS (and eg can repeat now and then)

But sometimes the Bible wants us to be picky on each word and
phrase. It can do this by using the ALIGNMENT METHOD. If two
verses are almost identical except for a few words then we
regard the differences as deliberate--in modern notation we would
use footnotes to indicate this type of emphasis.

THE REFERENCES
--------------
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/rules-01.htm discusses this FOOTNOTE
method.

http://www.RashiYomi.com/align-58.htm presents over 150
examples of Rashis on alignment.

THE VERSE
---------
By aligning 2 verses we see that God promised Jacob
3 distinct things after he left Laban (Gn35-11, Gn48-04)
-- A GROUP will come from you
-- MANY GROUPS will come from you
-- KINGS will come from you.
Again the justification of itemizing each item is because of
the ALIGNMENT which shows the repetition was deliberate.

THE INTERPRETATION
------------------
Who do these phrases refer to?
-- Clearly JOSEPH was a KING
-- Clearly BENJAMIN was born right after this prophecy;
But Benjamin was a whole tribe and hence can be called
a GROUP
-- We have left the phrase MANY GROUPS which refers to
Josephs 2 children.
Based on this prophecy each of Josephs children were made into
tribes.

THE LIST
--------
The alignment of the two verses is below. As can be seen
the alignment points to a deliberate itemization of 3 items.
The footnotes clarify further

REFERENCE:
----------
http://www.RashiYomi.com/gam-9.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/words.htm

BACKGROUND
----------
In the above URL we analyze the Hebrew word GAM which means
ALSO. ALSO indicates something EXTRA. It can be used in 3 ways
(a) an extra object of a verb or
(b) a derived object or
(c) the same relational structure.
We repeat here the list of places where GAM means an EXTRA OBJECT
We add Gn50-18a to the bottom of the list.

THE LIST
--------
The LIST is a bit compact but probably can be understood with
a little bit of thought. For example the first row states that
in Ex19-22a (THE VERSE) the Bible states that THE PRIESTS ALSO
WILL SEPARATE (THE TEXT). The last column indicates that the
word ALSO here extends to the FIRSTBORN (In other words THE
PRIESTS WILL SEPARATE and THE FIRSTBORN ALSO). Please see the
verse for more details.

THE NEW ADDITION
----------------
Gn50-18a states that JOSEPHS BROTHERS ALSO ASKED FORGIVENESS FROM
HIM FOR TRYING TO MURDER HIM. The word ALSO echoes back to
Gn50-16---initially the brothers sent MESSENGERS TO ASK FOR
MERCY. Then they ALSO asked for mercy.

BACKGROUND
----------
The Hebrew word KI has 7 meanings: IF, WHEN, PERHAPS/LEST,
RATHER, THAT, BECAUSE and it indicates a QUESTION

THE REFERENCES
--------------
You can find many verses with these meanings at
- http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ki-11.htm
- http://www.RashiYomi.Com/words.htm

THE TEXT
--------
Gn50-19 (Josephs brothers ask for clemency for their attempted
murder). Joseph responds: PERHAPS, I AM IN PLACE OF GOD? (The
question is rhetorical--in other words, it is not his place
to judge what happened)

THE LIST
---------
In the following examples the Hebrew word KI
means PERHAPS or equivalantly LEST. As can be seen this usage
is very rare. The new entry is at the bottom. The main posting
contains numerous footnotes which we did not repeat here (See
the URLS above)

BACKGROUND
----------
Gn48 and the preceding verses in Gn47 discusses Jacobs last days

THE TEXT-Gn48-01
----------------
When Joseph heard that his elder father was sick he visited him
with his 2 children

THE RASHI
---------
Why did Joseph take his two children to Jacob?
ANSWER: To get a blessing

THE RASHI RULE
--------------
Rashi may seem a little obvious. Actually Rashi is using the
rule of OVERALL STRUCTURE.  This rule focuses not on an
internal problem in the verse but rather on the global
cohesiveness of the entire chapter.

THE LISTS
---------
We have 2 lists.
- In the first list, below, we outline the entire chapter
of Gn48. Note how the end of the chapter which deals
with Jacobs blessing on his grandchildren, ties in with
the middle of the chapter where Jacob says he wants to
bless them. Rashi simply also ties it in with the
beginning of the chapter which leads us to LIST2

- In the 2nd list we show that it is normal to receive
blessings and advice from dying people. Hence it would
be normal for Joseph to take his children for blessings.

In this second list we document that many people received
blessings and advise from people who were about to die.

Thus Rashis comment that Joseph brought his children
for a blessing is reasonable.

REFERENCE
---------
This list comes from the following URLs
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt01-03a.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h2n22.htm

BACKGROUND
----------
Hebrew grammar is based on 3 letter roots. Each 3 letter root is
assigned a meaning. Malbim advanced the idea that the meaning of
the 3 letter root depends on the prepositional connective used

THE TEXT
--------
Jr39-11 Nvuchadnetzar COMMANDED ON Jeremiah in the hand of
Nvuzaradan that Jeremiah should be respected

THE 3 CASES
-----------
-- There is the person who is commanded (Nvuzaradan)
-- There is the person whom the command applies to (Jeremiah)
-- Sometimes a king commands by delegated messengers.

Those who know Grammar will recognize that Nvuzaradan is the
DIRECT OBJECT of the command while Jeremiah is the INDIRECT
OBJECT. The messengers would be the extended SUBJECT

THE RULE
--------
- Use preposition ETH for the person RECEIVING the command
- Use preposition ON for WHOM the command is about
- Use preposition TO when MESSENGERS are used.

THE LIST
--------
The list below contains many verses and Rashis illustrating
this rule. In this list the column labeled P refers to the
PREPOSITION used (AL means ON, EL/L means TO)