*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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*4 Dt33-28a Check it out! This is a must for those who
   believe that Rashi may sometimes cheat & give a little
   sermonics.

*1 Dt33-25 was spoken to the tribe of Asher whom lived on
   the border of Israel. Moses describes this border as
   SECURE like the IRON-COPPER lock of a door.

   Thus Moses uses the method of naming by FUNCTION: The
   SECURE border is called a LOCK since both the border
   and LOCK have the same FUNCTION--to keep people out.

*2 This double reference (IRON COPPER) is not further explained
   by Rashi. I would simply suggest (in lines with modern
   metallurgy) that such a substance would be both HARD
   as IRON but as FLEXIBLE as COPPER (Today we would use
   ALUMINUM that has these 2 properties of HARD/FLEXIBLE)

*3 Rashi derives the meaning of the root D-V-A from the
   root D-V. D-V refers to BIRD DUNG and D-V-A refers
   to economic flow. Both verbs have the same ACTIVITY
   FORM (A small but rapid continuous change of state)

*1 In this approach the 2 verse halves are PARALLEL
   - the first half speaks about the STRENGTH of ISRAEL
   - the 2nd half speaks about the STRENGTH of the PERSON

*1 Again, the 2 verse halves are seen as parallel
   - Your LAND is strong and secure
   - Your PERSON is strong (Even in old age)

   However in this list the ETYMOLOGY of D-V-A is from
   letter reversal. D-V-A comes from D-A-V--to groan.

   Thus we name D-V-A, OLD AGE, by the root with the
   letters reversed, D-A-V, TO GROAN. That is, we
   name OLD AGE, by HOW IT FEELS. The HOW-IT-FEELS
   method is one of the 8 methods of naming objects.

   Another common English example is the word HARDSHIP
   which comes from HARD, denoting how the HARDSHIP feels

*1 The etymology would be by FUNCTION FORM. Both economic
   flow and bird dung have a smooth, small easy flow

   Other examples of naming by function form are
   - SURFing the net
   - brainSTORM

*2 This etymology would be solely based on the verse
   alignment (It is brought by Radack)

*3 This etymology would be based on letter reversals
   and based on how something feels. D-V-A would come
   from D-A-V, to groan and would denote old age by
   how it feels Both Rashi and Radack mention
   the D-A-V D-V-A connection

*1 Actually the Hebrew root Ayin-Yud-Nun can also mean
   SIMILAR (since the EYE beholds SIMILARITY).

   However I have deliberately mistranslated the word
   so as to emphasize that I am only seeking OBVIOUS
   HINTS from the verse

*2  The references to WHEAT OIL & DEW clearly echo
    the blessing of the Patriarch Isaac
    -----------------------------------------------
    Gn27-28 May God Give you from the DEW OF HEAVEN
            and from the fatness of the earth
            a MULTITUDE OF WHEAT & OIL
    -----------------------------------------------

    Thus we use the technique of OTHER VERSES...Moses
    was clearly referring to this other verse where
    Isaac blessed Jacob using the keywords WHEAT OIL
    and DEW

    The astute reader will probably claim
   --------------------------------------------
   Surely you joke: The phrases OIL WHEAT & DEW
   occur all over the place. You have no right
   to pick JUST ONE VERSE and base on an interpretation
   on it. Surely this is the height of homily
   --------------------------------------------

   This is a typical reaction of an unlearned mind to
   Rashi--people think Rashi was presenting one opinion
   or making coincidental associations.

   But Rashi was the King of Databases. We can do a
   a simple search on the words DEW WHEAT & OIL

   Amazingly the word DEW only occurs 10 times in
   the whole Bible. Check it out: The 10 times
   are at Dt33-28 Ju06 2Sam1-21 1King17-01
   Job38-28 Song05-01 Prv03-20 Ps110-03
   Isa26-19 isa18-04

   Similarly the phrase WHEAT & OIL only occurs
   8 times in the BIble (And all of them are in
   connection with the richness of Israel).Check
   it out:  Gn27-28 Dt28-51 Dt33-28 2King18-32
   Isa36-17 Hos07-14 2King31-05 2King32-28

   So indeed the only verse which mentions  BOTH
   DEW, WHEAT & OIL would be Isaacs blessings

   Indeed Rashi-is-Simple and is King of Databases
   -Praised be Him who chose them and their learning-

*3 Rashi does not make this comment but it is obvious
   The Hebrew word EL normally means TO but can also
   mean ON. See http://www.RashiYomi.com/words.htm
   for examples of the multiple meanings of prepositions

*4 The translation TORRENT DEW comes from our analysis
   in http://www.RashiYomi.com/dt32-02b.htm. There we
   showed that the root Ayin-Resh-Pay has 3 meanings
   - ARF means NECK
   - ARF means TO NECK=to slaughter (cut at neck)
   - ARF means TO TORRENTIALLY DOWNPOUR since
     a neck slaughter results in a gushing of blood

*10 The idea of approaching meaning in 2 stages--the first
    general and intuitive and the 2nd analytic and detailed
    in mentioned by me in my article

    Peshat & Derash: A New Intuitive Analytic Approach
    TRADITION, Winter 1980

    The idea of understanding perception as happening
    in stages--first intuitive and then detaild--is
    consistent with modern neurological research on how
    the eye and brain process information (Technically
    neurology has identified 3 stages--but the intuitive-
    detailed approach is the same)

*1 The word isolated can have either GOOD or BAD connotations
   Thus LAMENTATIONS01-01:-How is Israel sitting ALONE
   where ALONE denotes a victim of disaster

   By contrast, many verses praise ISOLATION as a means
   of achieving religious inner strength. Here are some
   examples including examples from Jacob
   ----------------------------------------------
   Nu23-09 They are a nation that can dwell ALONE
   Nu23-03 & he walked ALONE(to obtain prophecy)
   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   Gn32-04 Jacob was ALONE(sojourned) with Laban
   Gn35-05 The journeyed ALONE & no one bothered them
   Gn32-24 Jacob wrestled ALONE with angel (& won)
   Dt26-05 Only 70 Jews came to Egypt..they became a nation
   ----------------------------------------------

   All of the above verses have a theme of STRENGTH WHILE
   ISOLATED OR SMALL (They say it in different ways) But
   the point is the same: The Jews can have an inner
   strength despite their being isolated and despite
   their small number

   The last 4 verses all refer to Jacob

*2 Isaacs blessings to Jacob occur in
    -----------------------------------------------
    Gn27-28 May God Give you from the DEW OF HEAVEN
            and from the fatness of the earth
            a MULTITUDE OF WHEAT & OIL
    -----------------------------------------------

    This verse mentions WHEAT OIL & DEW. Only a
    handful of verses in the Bible mention these
    terms and therefore this link is deliberate
    (See the preceding list for lists of verses)

    In light of the unifying theme I would say
    that the blessings of Isaac which are blessings
    of FOOD SECURITY fit into the unifying theme of
    the verse of ISOLATED BUT SECURE