*1 The remaining Levite service (WATCHING TEMPLE) is
inferred not thru the technique of OTHER VERSES
but rather thru the technique of ALIGNMENT and
CHAPTER STRUCTURE.  Therefore see the next
posting in this digest
-- http://www.RashiYomi.com/nu03-10b.htm
for the completion of the review of the derivation
of the 3 levite services (SONG,TEMPLE GUARD,HELP)

*10 Both Nu08-16a and Nu03-09a speak about
---------------------------------------
The LEVITES being GIVEN GIVEN to the
Priests to help in their work
---------------------------------------

Rashi comments as follows
--------------------------------------
- They are GIVEN to help GUARD temple
- They are GIVEN to SING in Temple
--------------------------------------

It is very tempting to see Rashi as
inferring the above from the repetition
of the word GIVEN. We even have a Rashi
rule and series about REPEATED WORDS.
Indeed REPETITION can denote INTENSITY
and as such it can mean EITHER physically
GIVEN (Sucy as to help guard) or
emotionally GIVEN (Such as to help in Song)

But this is incorrect reasoning!!!

The proper technique to use here is the
method of OTHER VERSES. For the method of
OTHER VERSES simply asks the question
----------------------------------
What do other verses tell us
about Temple service
----------------------------------

The answer is very simple--The other
verses brought in the lists of this
posting and the next posting show
3 distinct Levite services
- Singing in temple
- (Honor) Guarding the temple
- Helping out in Temple procedures

Thus the method of other verses
yields the inference that LEVITES
GIVEN TO PRIESTS refers to singing
and guard AND THIS IS TRUE WHETHER
THE WORD given IS DOUBLED OR NOT

(After seeing the force of the
above argument the reader will
ask---so why is the word GIVEN
doubled then..to which I answer
--- I dont know AND ALSO Rashi
does not comment on this)

*1 List314a is found in posting
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu10-03b.htm

*10 Thus each posting contains many verses
supporting the thesis that the Levites
do that particular service

I have not found a clear statement in Jewish
law that Levites are obligated to do 3 distinct
services. The Rambam (See Book of Commandments
Positive Commandments #22 and #23) seems to
group HELP and SING as one commandment (Which
indeed it might be) but nevertheless they are
two distinct types of service

*10 Rashi seems to say differently on this verse
The verse and Rashi are as follows
--------------------------------------------
God separated the Levites to bear the ark;
to stand-serve before him (RASHI: These
are the priests who state the priestly
blessing) and to bless him(RASHI: The
levites bless in song)
--------------------------------------------

I however would first suggest that there
is no need to see Rashi as uprooting
a perfectly straightforward verse
from its grammatical setting.

The verse in bullet form quite simply states
-----------------------------------------
God separated the Levites
- to bear the ark
- to stand-serve before him
- to bless him
-----------------------------------------

So the verse is CLEAR---the verse is
speaking about the LEVITES (not the
priests) who both stand-serve and bless.

However Rashi is telling us WHEN
it is best for the Levites to sing song
and bless God. The best time is while
the Priests give their priestly blessing

At such times the Levites would STAND-SERVE
as an honor guard. They would then sing
songs of praise.

So Rashi was not interpreting the
different phrases of the verse as
referring to different groups of
people (priests levites) but rather
Rashi simply told us when these events
happened.

In fact the PRAISE-BLESSING is
connected (in time) with the PRIESTLY
BLESSING showing that in the temple
the Levite-s singing was connected with
the priestly blessing. (I however
have not found an explicit statement
of my approach in the Jewish Law books)

The notion of an honor guard for the
priests during their blessing is
consistent with the other guard
duties of the Levites.

I believe this is the simplest approach
to Rashi and does not require grammatical
surgery

*1 In the old days all learning (which is what
the verse speaks about) was done standing

*2 In these verses we only have the word SERVE
but it is obviously connected with some
type of standing (eg COME SERVE or ALTAR SERVE
--etc in both cases STANDING MOTION is implied)

Also see *10

*10 The technical rule is the Rabbi Ishmael rule
of inferring meaning

If several verses use the term COLORED BALL
and one verse uses the term RED-COLORED-BALL
then we infer that the term COLORED BALL
means RED

So too here: Many verses speak about SERVICE
They we have 4 pivotal verses speak about
STAND-SERVE. Hence we infer that SERVICE
means HONORED SERVICE (Service while standing)

*1 Rashi inteprets this to refer to the Levite HONOR GUARD
We in fact DO bring this verse when we discuss the honor
guard in the lists of the next posting. But in light
of the other verses an additional simple meaning is that
Levites help out in procedures (like slaughter of
sacrifices) that procure atonement for the Jews

*1 Hence Rashi on Lv03-10b---Priests are responsible for altar
matters like sprinkling of blood, offering organs etc

*2 The alignment suggests that the LEVITES SERVE by GUARDING
temple against unwanted intrusion by non-priest and non-levite
Jews(That is the word SERVE aligns with GETTING NEAR TEMPLE)

Both Rashi (Nu03-08a) and Rambam point out that the
Levites did not just guard temple against unwanted invasion
-- they also performed an honor guard

*10 Rashi states
----------------------------------------------
AND THEY WILL BEAR THEIR SIN---that is, the
Levites will bear sin if non-Levite Jews enter
----------------------------------------------

Thus Rashi seems to identify the phrase THEY with
the LEVITES who will bear sin

But the simple meaning of the text is that it refers
to the JEWS not the levites.

Indeed all PLURAL references are to the Jews while
singular references are to the Levites. In fact
the verse says

------------------------------------------
The JewS should not come near temple
for THEY would then die
But each Levite HE Should serve in temple
(for otherwise) THEY will die
------------------------------------------

In other words this phrase seems to refer to
the death of Jews who transgress and come near
TEmple.

I would therefore suggest that Rashi indeed
took the verse this way
- If the Levites watch then the Jews will bear sin
The contrapositive of this is that
- If the Levites do not watch & warn Jews then
the Levites will bear sin

So Rashi was indeed accepting the simple grammatical
meaning of the text and simply showing the other
side of the implication

*1 For purposes of this analysis LEVITES GIVEN and
I HAVE TAKEN THE LEVITES are considered the same

*2 From alignment we infer that the Hebrew M-AyTH=FROM
has the same meaning as FROM MIDST

*3 Same word