*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 See posting Dt03-23c for a delightful discussion of this
   point as well as a reference

*1 Thus "whoever see the humiliating Adulterous wife rite"
   will be so shocked that he will abstain from wine

   Similarly "Judah advised his brothers to sell Joseph"
   and so when they regretted it they blaimed him and he
   had to "separate from them."

   Similarly "Sarah died" from the shock that "Abraham
   offered Isaac."

*2 In other words because the snake saw Adam and Eve naked
   therefore he became Jealous and wanted Adam killed so
   he could marry Eve.

   ALthough this sounds a bit wild there is strong supporting
   evidence. Gn04-01 uses the past perfect form
        "And Adam HAD BEEN FAMILIAR with his wife & they had
        a child"
   So the sequence of chapters is
        "Adam was lonely"
        "God makes Eve"
        "Adam and Eve are naked"
        ------------------------"Snake tempts Eve"
        "Adam has a child with Eve"
   Thus the sequence of chapters (Naked--->child) is
   clearly interrupted by the Snake story.

*1 In the merit of our following "Judicial process" we will
   be able to "win wars"

   Similarly after Miryams death there was no water. Thus
   we have that in the merit of "Miryam" the Jews had water


*2 Again a close examination of the BIblical text shows a
   past perfect

        "And God punished Avimelech and his household"
        "And Abraham prayed for Avimelech & his household"
        "But God HAD ALREADY VISITED Sarah with a child"

   In other words Sarah had already had a child.
   The Bible deliberately juxtaposes "sarah having a child"
   with "Abraham praying for Avimelechs household to have a
   child" to teach us
        "That whoever is a kind person and
        prays for others will have their own
        needs met first"

*3 Amalek decided that the death of a righteous person
   would demoralize the people and make winning a war easier

*1 On a superficial level Rashi seems to be connecting 2
   verses.

   Avoid idolatry DESPITE your being a slave to a non jew
   (who encourages its violation). Do not think "I will
   worship idols now and when I am free I will go
   back to believing in God" See *10 for a deeper reason

*2 Dt28 gives a long list of curses if the Jews violate
   the commandments.

   Dt29-12 says "You are all STANDING before God today" In
   other words despite the curses for disobediance you are
   still here before God(The implication being that no
   matter how angry God gets he will not destroy you)

   A further support for this theme can come from the
   General-particular-General form

        Dt28    GENERAL:    Curses for disobediance
        Dt29-12 PARTICULAR: You are standing here before God
        Dt29-19 GENERAL:    Curses for disobediance

  Thus the General-Particular-General form shows that Gods
  curses still allow us to "Stand before him"--in other
  words they are educative curses not punitive.


*3 In other words (always) "Observe the Sabbaths"
   DESPITE a request to the contrary "By your parents"

   This can happen if eg your parents ask you to
   desecrate the Sabbath.  You must observe the
   Sabbath even if your parents request to
   the contrary.

   And this can be generalized to all Torah laws(that
   they take precedence over your parents request)


*4 Wear Tzitzith DESPITE the fact that they may have Shaatnez
   Wool and linen together (In the priestly garments made of
   Linen the Tzitzith were made of wool--thus the commandment
   of Tzitzith OVERRIDES the prohibtion of wearing wool and
   linen)

*5 Actually the two verses state as follows
   ----------------------------------------------------------
   We then moved to PEOR [where the Jews sinned with harlots]

   But now Jews [simply] listen to the statutes & commandments
   that I give you this day in order that you shall live
   -----------------------------------------------------------

   Rashi emphasizes that these two verses are linked by contrast
   -----------------------------------------------------
   DESPITE your sins in Peor
   NEVERTHELESS if you simply do Gods word then you will
   earn eternal life
   ------------------------------------------------------

*10

   On a profound level Rashi sees a unifying theme to this
   whole chapter. The chapter encourages observing the
   shimitah laws which encourage abstaining from agriculture
   once every 7 years so that people can devote themselves
   to God and study. If one violates these laws he is
   progressively punished. Here is the sequence of
   punishments

   {LIST} {Paragraphs in BEHAR}
   -------------------------------------------------------
   VERSE        LAW
   -----------  ------------------------------------------
   Lv25-01:12   Observe the 7 and 50 year Land sabbaticals
   Lv25-13:24   If not you will have to sell your MOVABLES
   Lv25-25:28   If not you will have to sell your LAND
   Lv25-29:34   If not you will have to sell your HOUSE
   Lv25-35:38   If not you will have to           LOAN
   Lv25-39:46   If not you will have to become a  SLAVE
   Lv25-47:54   If not you'll become a  NONJEWISH SLAVE
   Lv26-01:03   If not you'll be tempted to    IDOLATRY
   -------------------------------------------------------


   Thus Rashi does not merely teach juxtaposition of verses
   but he also teaches juxtaposition of ALL paragraphs in
   the chapter. As such this example would belong to the
   next category

*1 Rashi only comments on these paragraphs. But clearly
   the unifying theme of Moses departing applies to all

*1 This is brought for contrast. Is05-06 contains a COMMAND
   -- COMMAND
   -- TO the clouds
   -- FROM giving dew

   This contrasts with e.g. dt28-08 where God
   - ASSIGNS
   - WITH YOU Blessings

   The connectives (WITH YOU vs TO and FROM) indicate that
   the meaning is ASSIGN vs COMMAND.*10

*10 Rashis actual comments on this verse are
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    And God said to Moses: ASSIGN Joshua the task of leadership
    RASHI: That is, Moses: Tell Joshua about the hardships
    of leadership and how the nation isnt always (immediately)
    receptive.
    ------------------------------------------------------------

    This comment of Rashi is consistent with the translation
    of the Hebrew word TSAV as ASSIGN but does not follow from
    the translation COMMAND

    In other words to ASSIGN SOMEONE TO A POST means to tell
    him what that position involves--its hardships and
    rewards.

*1 See the next LIST for an elaboration on this concept of
   SPIRITUAL Leader

*1 As we showed in the first list in this posting, Joshua
   was assigned to be BOTH the Military leader as well as
   the Spiritual leader.

   Without the Spiritual leading the Jews couldnt win a war.
   Rashi brings in Jos07 as an example*11 of how lack of
   spiritual leadership lead to a defeat from inferior forces

*10 For a brief but compact introduction to symbolism read
    http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gen-1.htm

    The justification for translation these verses as
    symbolic is Judaisms extreme abhorance of idolatry
    which includes associating Gods providence with physical
    objects. LOOKING UP AT A SNAKE couldnt, to a Jewish mind,
    be the cause of a cure.

    By contrast, LOOKING UP has verbal associations with
    PRAYER (cf Isa38-14 MY EYES LIFT UP TO HEAVEN).

    As I show in that article, one is obligated to use
    symbolic methods precisely when
    - a literal translation is unacceptable
    - the words used have clear symbolic meanings elsewhere
      in the Bible.

    The Talmuds explanation (brought down by Rashi) is
    similar to mine
    -------------------------------------------------
    Does raising hands lead to winning a war?
    Rather it means that when Jews looked heavenward
    they won and otherwise they didnt
    -------------------------------------------------

*11 My novelty in this Rashi is interpreting the Jos07 example
    as ONE EXAMPLE of Rashis general point.