*2 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.


*3 Hi. Instead of writing personally & individually
   to each of my friends, most of which are on Rashi
   is Simple, I am simply wishing you all a very....
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  Russell http://www.RashiYomi.com/
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QUESTION
-----------
Hi. Rashi on Dt33-27 suggests that
-- MeONah comes from MaON with a hey
-- the HEY is like the SUFFIX meaning TO

But
-- the translation TO HIS HOME does not make sense
   in this verse

-- Every other place where the SUFFIX-HEY=TO occurs
   the accent is on the next to last syllable while
   here it is on the last syllable.


Anonymous

ANSWER
-------
Dear Anonymous,

This is completely answered in
http://www.RashiYomi.com/dt33-27a.htm

Briefly I suggest that
- our current Rashi text is CORRUPT
- the correct explanation of Rashi is that the suffix
  HEY in Dt33-27 is the the FEMININE HEY which can
  indicate a) EXTENSION, b) GREAT QUANTITY, c) INTENSITY

Hence Maon means DWELLING while MeONaH means HOME (an
intense form of dwelling). Sorry to take 3 years to
answer this question...the list for it is below.

Sincerely

Russell Jay Hendel; http://www.Rashiyomi.com/

*1 One verse refers to mourning on Aaron while
   the other verse refers to mourning on Moses

*2 See http://www.RashiYomi.com/all-18.htm
  ALL has 4 meanings--a) WHOLE, b) NO EXCEPTIONS
  c) ALL SUBGROUPS d) EVEN BORDERLINE CASES

  Here the word ALL refers to all subgroups: MALE
  & FEMALE

*3 The usual term for the Jews is the CHILDREN OF
   ISRAEL. Since these 2 verses contrast HOUSE of ISRAEL
   with CIHLDREN OF ISRAEL we infer the nuance that
   HOUSE OF ISRAEL includes the WOMAN while CHILDREN
   OF ISRAEL just refers to the men

   Rashi further defends this distinction as reasonable:
   -Moses was a lawgiver and had to act tough
   -Aaron was a Priest and frequently tried to bring peace
   between couples -- Hence everyone mourned him.

*1 ATTACK could denote just ONE attack, while
   a PLAGUE denotes ALOT OF ATTACKS

*2 To MEET could denote one meeting while CONGREGATION
   indicates ALOT OF MEETINGS at one time

*3 TO RIDE could denote one ride on a horse;
   A CHARIOT describes a utensil designed for
   ALOT OF RIDING

*4 The word E-R-Tz denotes LAND. By contrast
   A-D-M-H denotes HUMAN LAND--that is
   CULTIVATED LAND. Thus ADAMAH indicates
   the EFFECTS and EXTENSION of man.

*5 Tz-D-K indicates JUSTICE. CHARITY can
   be perceived as an EXTENSION of Justice
   Giving someone something they deserve
   but cant legally claim

*6 The QUEENs power is an EXTENSION
   of the Kings power

*7 Any object can be given; But a GIFT
   is a something specially wrapped--
   something the recipient will always
   perceive as being given--it is more
   PERMANANT.

*8 You can wish anyone well; but a BLESSING
   --like MAY GOD PLACE YOU LIKE EPHRAIM &
   MENASHEH--is a more PERMANANT FIXED
   structure

*9 The Me-On denotes either a LION-CAVE
   or a DWELLING. The Me-O-Nah is a
   more permanant form of this--it could
   indicate the more PERMANANT LAIR of the
   LION or it could indicate not just a
   dwelling but a PERMANANT home

*10 Our actual Rashi text reads as follows
    -------------------------------------
    A suffix HEY can be used to indicate
    the preposition TO. Thus MITZRAYIM
    means EGYPT while MITZRAYMAH means
    TO EGYPT
    -------------------------------------

    This question was raised to be by
    a fellow actuary and baal koray in
    Baltimore (Who wishes to remain
    anonymous).

    One obvious objection to the Rashi is
    that it is inconsistent with the
    meaning of the text.

    But a more serious objection to Rashi
    is that in every instance where the
    above Rashi rule is used the
    word is pronounced with accent on
    the next to last syllable while in
    Dt33-27d the accent is on the last
    syllable.

    I believe this argument of accent
    conclusively proves that Rashi could
    not have possibly held this opinion
    since Rashi is one of the few
    commentators that distinguishes meaning
    based on accent.

    The correct interpretation of Rashi
    is therefore based on an the SUFFIX
    HEY rule we enunciated above.

    Some people have taken me to task
    for not FIRST checking out Rashi
    manuscripts. Well that certainly
    is a welcome and proper procedure

    But my point is that the LISTS
    showing on the one hand the absurdity
    of the present Rashi text and on the
    other hand the cogency of the proposed
    Rashi text have intrinsic validty in
    and of themselves. The interesting
    question of whether we should require
    an additional check against manuscripts
    is a separate issue (Which we do not
    go into here on this list)

*1 Recall that the Givonim impersonated themselves
   so as to fall Joshua into making a treaty with
   them. Thus the phrase YOUR ENEMIES WILL FALSIFY
   THEMSELVES is a blessing that the enemies will
   fear the Jews.

*2 So the other verses JEWS STEP ON THE NECKS OF THE
   CONQUERED KINGS clarifies the word HIGH in Moses
   blessing AND YOU WILL STEP ON THE HIGH PLACES

   HIGH PLACES is a metaphor referring to the HIGH
   PEOPLE OF SOCIETY (The TOP or HEADS--the leaders)

-------------------------------------------
*10 Rashi makes a pun on Ex34-01 or Dt10-02
    and quotes God as saying
    ---------------------------------------
    Congratulations on breaking the tablets
    ---------------------------------------

    But Rashi did not derive the fact that
    God approved of breaking the tablets
    from a pun on Ex34-01 and Dt10-02

    Rather we derive Gods approval of Moses
    breaking the tablets from the EXPLICIT
    command to PLACE THE BROKEN TABLETS IN
    THE ARK.

    Thus God explicitly commanded to commemorate
    the breaking of the tablets. It is this explicit
    command that shows that God approved of the
    breaking.