VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
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We give today a brief but succinct description of what
we have called the CLIMAX method. This is a very
important Rashi method and is not understood. To
make things clear I again employ the golden style of
the Rambam

POINT 1
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Know that Rashi, is frequently associated with explaining
- meaning of words
- grammatical form

POINT 2
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However many Rashis focus not on meaning or grammar
but rather on style. The difference between meaning,
grammar and style is easy to define. Meaning and grammar
are attributes of the sentence; by contrast, style is
an attribute of the paragraph.

POINT 3
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The writings of such people as Dr Leibowitz and Rabbi
Boncheck (to name a few) has unfortunately encouraged
(greatly and with success!) Rashi methods of the
sentence. But alas, Rashi methods of the paragraph are
equally important.

POINT 4
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One powerful method of paragraph writing is the
DETAIL-THEME method. In this method the paragraph
lists a collection of examples (or Details) of a
general theme and then CLIMAXES the paragraph with
the THEME sentence. We call this the CLIMAX method.

POINT 5
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The Rabbi Ishmael style guidelines call this the
DETAIL-GENERAL method The Rabbi Ishmael rules
requires that we see the details and theme as an
integrated whole--one paragraph. Therefore we are
justified in seeing the details as but examples of the
general theme. We are also justified in extending the
details to other similar details which illustrate the theme.
Hence the Rabbi Ishmael rule: The detail-theme method
requires generalizing the paragraph to examples of a
similiar nature.

POINT 6
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Lv26 contains many many examples of this detail-theme
style.  Lv26-03 is a particularly good example. It states
- WALK IN my statutes
- WATCH ..my commandments
- DO......them

POINT 7
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We see this as a 3 sentence paragraph whose theme
is at the end. That is the sentence or paragraph
is describing DOING GODS COMMANDMENTS

POINT 8
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However the details of the paragraph develop this
general theme. In order to DO or OBSERVE Gods commandments
properly we need to
-- WALK in Gods statutes
-- WATCH Gods commandments
Note that we are NOT told what these phrases mean. What
for example does it mean to WATCH the commandments? What
does it mean to WALK in them?

POINT 9
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In analyzing paragraphs we are often helped in using
OTHER VERSES. Here we find about a dozen Torahitic verses
which speak about WATCHING WATCHES on the commandments
(See url http://www.RashiYomi.com/nu03-07a.htm). We see
that these dozen verses are using WATCH in the sense of
VOCATIONAL STANDARDS and PROFESSIONAL ATMOSPHERE. To
watch commandments is to MAKE THEM ONES VOCATION--that is,
set professional standards for their observance and train
people in their usage.

POINT 10
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We can now FULLY appreciate Rashi. Let us reexamine the paragraph
-- WALK IN MY STATUTES ?
-- VOCATIONALLY STANDARDIZE COMMANDMENT PERFORMANCES
-- OBSERVE THE COMMANDMENTS
Rashis point is now crystal clear. We infer the meaning of
the unknown phrase WALK IN MY STATUTES not from the dictionary,
and not from grammar and not from other verses. Rather we infer
the meaning of this unknown phrase from the CLIMACTIC NATURE
OF THE PARAGRAPH. That is we fit a meaning to WALK IN STATUTUES
that makes the paragraph CLIMACTIC. That is, the paragraph
leads us to the definition and not vice-verse.


POINT 11
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How so? We ask what meaning of WALK IN STATUTUES would make
WALK-STANDARDS-OBSERVE a meaningful development. It
immediately follows that WALK must mean LEARNING so that we
have the well known trilogy -TRAIN-SET-STANDARDS-OBSERVE.

POINT 12
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Notice the differnece between the PARAGRAPH methods of Rashi
vs the SENTENCE methods of Rashi. In the sentence methods
we would eg examine other verses determine meaning and
then, after learning the meaning, we would interpret the
verse. But in the paragraph approach we first see the
paragraph as a whole and then after seeing the paragraph
as a whole we infer the meaning of the words. That is, the
meaning of the paragraph  forces a meaning to its individual
components. Hence we see that the paragraph method of Rashi
is distinct and different then the sentence method

POINT 13
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Do not think that the sentence method would lead to the
same conclusion. For indeed, if we examine other occurences
of WALK IN we would see that WALK IN means OBSERVANCE not
learning. Thus we indeed see that PARAGRAPH FIRST-MEANING-SECOND
is a new distinct method.

POINT 14
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Note how this analysis vastly enriches our understanding
of the whole verse. For the verse is not just speaking
about BLIND OBSERVANCE of Gods commandments. It is
rather speaking about MATURE OBSERVANCE--an observance
that comes sprouts from learning and professional standards
Thus indeed the paragraph method has ADDED to our understanding
of the theme.

POINT 15
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Many other examples are presented below. Whoever understands
this distinction between the sentence and paragraph will
immediately have his or her eyes opened and understand all
types of Rashi that they did not understand before.

Rashi uses the paragraph climax method to infer how
to observe commandments
- STUDY/TRAIN
- MAKE STANDARDS
- OBSERVE

A beautiful climactic description
of PEACE. Peace comes from
-natural blessings (rain plenty)
-emotional blessings (saiety security)
-Peace

A beautiful climactic description of fear
- INNER FRIGHT (Nightmares)
- NATURAL FRIGHT (Wild animals)
- HUMAN FRIGHT (Site of war)*1

Rashi climactically develops the meaning of the NEW CONVENANT
mentioned in Jer31-30
-- GODS ATTENTION ON US (constant miracles)
-- Many children
-- Leaders in culture: Science and arts
-- Permanant God-man relationship