*1 Over the next year or so we will be writing modules for
   the 2-4 dozen basic Rashi skill competencies needed for
   learning Rashi. These modules will then be gathered into
   a workbook which can be used at home or in schools In
   the meantime each of these modules is usable in actual
   schools or home-schooling situations.

*2 This is an EMAIL LIST. It is YOUR LIST. If you have a question
   ask it. If you dont have a question, read my postings till you
   find something you dont like and ASK. If you dont find
   something you dont like you are not reading properly!

   My favorite story is what I told Rabbi Boncheck when he
   visited Shomrey Emunah
   -------------------------------------------------
   I write an EMAIL list. You wrote  a BOOK.
   The difference is that I can easily retract any
   mistakes. You will find that more difficult since
   the 1st version of the book will always be around

   Rabbi Boncheck nodded with a smile

   (I think this is the only thing we agreed on)
   --------------------------------------------------

*3 Rashi on Dt01-24a states that the Levites did not
   participate in the Spies. The RAAM, a noted Rashi
   commentator asks: But that is easily inferred from
   the list of spies which does not contain levites!!!!!!
   See our analysis of the Raams question and the
   sifsay chachamims answer below.

*4 Ron Mitnick asks the following question on Nu28-04

   Rashi states
   -------------------------------------------
   The chapter dealing with the DAILY OFFERING
   is repeated in Nu28 and Ex29-38:46---as Ex
   deals with the consecrtation offerings while
   Nu deals with the daily offerings
   -------------------------------------------

   Ramban asks
   --------------------------------------------
   But
   a) It says that the daily offerings are FOR
      ALL GENERATIONS (Ex29-38:46)

   b) How can Rashi act like Nu28 is extra when
      there are many inferences of nuances from it
   -----------------------------------------------

   We completely answer Ramban below in Nu28-04a

*1 ALL people (even judges who heard testimony) must stone
   the blasphemer

*2 ALL people cried at hearing the spies story (Even the
   leaders)

*3 Thru the GENERAL PARTICULAR GENERAL principle we learn
   that only dense-visible hair (like eyebrows) has to
   be shaved. This is learned by generalizing the examples
   in the verse ("head", "beard", "eyebrows")

   Thru the word "ALL" we learn that even non-dense or
   non-visible hair (like armpit hair or outer-arm-hair)
   should be shaved.

   Thus the two items--GENERAL-PARTICULAR-GENERAL and ALL
   teach us that ALL is shaved except NOSE-HAIR


*4 Neither foreigners nor Jewish Apostates can bring offerings

*5 Thus eg God smote the Firstborn of Egyptians and also the
   firstborn of other nations who were visiting Egypt

*6 Rashi GIVES AN EXAMPLE: Moses even commanded the 10
   differences between Monetary and Capital cases.

   There is no reason to suppose that Rashi EXHAUSTED the
   meaning of the verse in this interpretation.  Rather,
   it is the word ALL that motivated Rashi. We therefore
   perceive Rashis literal remarks -- the 10 differences
   between civil and Capital cases -- as being an EXAMPLE

*1 Rashi Nu13-03b shows that the nuances of the word ISH
   means a DISTINGUISHED PERSON. We are simply supplementing
   this observation with the explicit statement that God
   ordered Moses to send the PRINCES

*2 Rashi Nu13-02b derives this from the use of the indirect
   object TO which when used with a verb always denotes
   personal activity.

*3 Of course there is an added emphasis in Dt--1 per tribe
   TWELVE PEOPLE. But a more direct approach is the
   emphasis in Dt on PEOPLE WANTING TO KNOW WHICH CITIES
   TO CONQUER FIRST--HOW TO CONQUER (This request is absent
   in Nu).

   It follows that the SPYING is directly linked, in Dt,
   to CONQUEST. Hence since the LEVITES did not participate
   in CONQUEST or in division of land--see Dt18-01:02 or
   Dt10-08:09, Nu18-23:24, it follows that they did not
   participate in the SPYING*10

*10 It is interesting that on Rashis comment
    ------------------------------------------------
    The Bible states TWELVE TRIBES--ONE PER TRIBE---
    this teaches that the Levites did not participate
    in the SPYING.
    ------------------------------------------------

   The great Rashi commentator, RAAM, states that

   ------------------------------------------------
   But I could have simply counted the 12 tribes
   mentioned in Numbers 13...In other words I
   could have inferred this detail of Rashi from
   Nu13. Why then does Rashi state what he does
   ------------------------------------------------

   The Sifsay Chachamim, another great Rashi
   commentator brings this down and answers

   -----------------------------------------------
   From Nu13 I would infer that the Levites did
   NOT WALK TO ISRAEL TO SPY.

   From Dt01 I infer that the Levites did not
   agree INTELLECTUALLY WITH THE SPIES

   This is consistent with Rashis language that
   the LEVITES DID NOT FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE
   (Thus Rashi is not speaking about NOT GOING
   with the spies but not following advice)
   -----------------------------------------------

   I would go a step further. The above distinction
   -- NOT GOING vs NOT AGREEING -- can also be
   inferred from the nuances obtained by aligning
   the Parshah.

*1 God designated the Moon for holidays even though holidays were
   not proclaimed till Ex12

*2 God blesses the Sabbath at creation even though the double
   manna blessing doesnt happen till Ex16

*3 The rivers surrounded the countries of KUSH and ASSHUR.
   But these countries werent so named for another 1000 years
   (See Gn10-07:11 where the people founding these countries were
   born)

*4 See http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn10-25a.htm which
   discusses how the grammar of the verses indicates that
   SPLIT was named by what happened at the end of his life*10

*5 Moses and Aaron were judged at this place several 100
   years later. (Rashi cites Oonkelos who suggests that
   it was not necessary to cite the prophecy of future
   judgement since it is reasonable that this was a place
   of courts where people came for judgement cases)

*6 It says that Moses came to the mountain of God even though
   the 10 commandments and the revelation of God on this
   mountain did not happen for several years.

*7 The spies cut a cluster of grapes to bring back to the
   Jews as an example of Israeli fruit. Hence the river is
   named by what the spies WOULD DO--they would cut a CLUSTER
   OF GRAPES

*10 Roughly speaking the text says as follows
    ---------------------------------------------------
    His name was SPLIT because the world was split up(eg Gn11-09)
    But his brother had ALREADY HAD children who lived in the
    EAST (home of the tower of Babel which caused the split up)
    ---------------------------------------------------

    The past perfect(HAD ALREADY HAD) suggests that the
    SPLITTING up happened after the tower of Babel (In other
    words SPLIT was named by what happened at the end of his
    life) See the url cited above for more details.

*1 Rashi would interpret this phrase as follows
   ----------------------------------------------------------
   WHENEVER you build a Temple--such as the Temples in Shiloh
   or King Solomons--you are required to have a consecration
   ceremony for 7 days during which you will offer 2 lambs
   per day.
   ----------------------------------------------------------

   Such an interpretation is consistent with Ex25-09
   --------------------------------------------------------
   Build the temple utensils like I am showing you...and
   perform similarly (in the future when you build temples)
   --------------------------------------------------------

   In other words ALL ASPECTS OF BUILDING THE TEMPLE--the
   utensils and the consecration ceremony--apply to future
   temples that were built

*2 The literal Hebrew is I(GOD) WILL MEET WITH YOU but
   throughout the Bible this is a reference to prophecy.

   At any rate Ex29 clearly links the OFFERING OF
   2 LAMBS PER DAY with the EVENT OF GOD PROPHESYING
   AND DWELLLING AMONG THE JEWS.

   Hence we infer two reasons for offering 2 lambs per day
   -- As a means of consecrating the temple and bringing
      holiness and prophecy to the Jewish people (Ex29)

   -- As a means of sanctifying our daily life by
      offering lambs every day (Nu28)*10

*10
   Ron Mitnick asks the following question on Nu28-04

   Rashi states
   -------------------------------------------
   The chapter dealing with the DAILY OFFERING
   is repeated in Nu28 and Ex29-38:46---as Ex
   deals with the consecrtation offerings while
   Nu deals with the daily offerings
   -------------------------------------------

   Ramban asks
   --------------------------------------------
   But
   a) It says that the daily offerings are FOR
      ALL GENERATIONS (Ex29-38:46)

   b) How can Rashi act like Nu28 is extra when
      there are many inferences of nuances from it
   -----------------------------------------------

   We completely answer Ramban above

   The distinction between 2 lambs per day FOR THE
   CONSECRATION OFFERING vs FOR THE DAILY OFFERING
   answers the Rambans 1st question.

   The CONSECRATION OFFERINGS applied
   - to all generations whenever we built a temple
   - had a purpose of bringing prophecy to the people

   The DAILY OFFERINGS applied
   - AFTER the temple was consecrated
   - had a goal to sanctify our mundane life

   As to Rambans second question I would simply say that
   there are two issues
   -- why are there many nuances in the sentences
   -- why place these sentences in a SEPARATE PARAGRAPH
   In other words Rashi would agree that the nuances in
   Nu28 were needed to infer many laws. BUT RASHI HELD
   THAT THESE EXTRA NUANCES COULD HAVE BEEN INSERTED IN
   Ex29.

   Rashis real question is why repeat the whole PARAGRAPH?
   (Rambans point is about the individual PHRASES not
   about the whole paragraph)

   Finally I would close this answer to Rons question by
   pointing out that we seem to have one of Rabbi Ishmaels
   rules here

   ----------------------------------------------------
   If a law                          (DAILY OFFERING)
   belongs to a group                (OFFERINGS)
   and went out of that group        (CONSECRATION Ex29)
   then you dont have the right
   to restore it to the group
   until the Bible does so
   explicitly
   ------------------------------------------------------

   Hence the BIble had to RESTATE the daily offerings
   in Nu29 which deals with the group of all periodic
   offerings. Otherwise inferences about PERIODIC
   offerings would not apply to the daily offering.

   The reason they would not apply is because the daily
   offering was special in that it was used for the
   consecration offerings.

   YASHER COACH RON for an excellent question