*1 Kindly revu the first line in the Table
The left side column talks about the case
---------------------------
when you go over to conquer
---------------------------

The right side column talks about the case
-----------------------
when you dwell securely
-----------------------

So the left side deals with Shiloh, the place
of the Temple tent during the 14 years in which
the Jews conquered the land while the right side
deals with Jerusalem when the Jews dwelt securely
and had conquered their enemies
(See Rashi on Dt12-05a Dt12-09a Dt12-11b
Dt12-09c Dt12-09d all of which echo this theme*10
For further details of Rashi see footnote *11)

*2 (Dt12-04a) Notice the paragraph structure
-----------------------------
Dt12-01 - Observe These laws
Dt12-02 Destroy all worship places
Dt12-03 -A- pulverize altars
Dt12-03 -B- break monuments
Dt12-03 -C- burn idol trees
Dt12-03 -D- slice their idols
Dt12-03 -E- erase idol names*2
Dt12-04 Dont do similarly to God
---------------------------------

Notice how the last line DONT DO SIMILARLY TO GOD
is a GENERAL THEME that summarize the DETAILS
in A-E. Hence the 3-4 explanations of Rashi

DONT DO SIMILARLY TO GOD
- dont break Gods altar (A)
- dont erase Gods name (E)

Other comments are
- dont sin, earn exile and lose your altar(A)

Finally we can focus on the beginning and ending
lines of the paragraph
- DESTROY ALL NON JEWISH WORSHIP PLACES
- DONT DO SIMILARLY TO GOD (that is dont worship
God in every place but rather in a central
location)

So Rashis basic idea is to focus on the DETAIL-THEME
nature of the paragraph -- there are 4 (maybe more!)
possible inferences but the basic idea is the
DETAIL-THEME format

*10 This 2 column format is the subject of the Rashis
in Dt12-11b,Dt12-09c and Dt12-09d
The two columns deal with Shiloh (During conquest)
and Jerusalem (After conquest).

Some Rashi commentators go deeper and try and
explain the nuances of PEACE/INHERITANCE as
meaning SHILOH/JERUSALEM respectively (That is
PEACE=SHILOH and INHERITANCE=JERUSALEM) However
Rashis main point is that Dt12 naturally
divides into two columns as shown. We have
given our own explanation at
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex23-15a.htm


*11 Rashi notes that there were 4 places that
the Temple resided
- Shiloh when they 1st conquered Israel - Jr07-12,Ju21-19
- Nov -- 1S21-01:09
- Givon -- 1K03-04
- Jerusalem

From the fact that the Bible only talks
about prohibiting Private altar worship in
- Shiloh--time of conquest and
- Jerusalem--time of security
Rashi infers that the private personal
Bamah altars were permitted in Nov and Givon
(Because the Bible only prohibits them in
Shiloh and Jerusalem)

The prohibition of private altar worship
anyplace is mentioned in Dt12-08 and
Dt12-13 in the LIST106b. It is also frequently
mentioned in the Bible such as at 1K03-02

Perhaps more simply Rashi infers that private
altar worship was permitted in Nov and Givon
from the explicit statement in 1K03-02. This
uses the method of OTHER VERSES.

QUESTION
---------

Hi Russell,


I am taking a class
on the relationship of the Holocaust
and establishment of the state of Israel,
as seen through the eyes of Teichtal,
the Rav and others.

We started the class with a look at
several psukim, among which
were Dvarim, 30:3 and the Rashi
on that Pasuk.

The instructor, Rabbi Moshe Simkovitch,
mentioned that the second opinion that Rashi offers
(that redeeming the Jews from the exile is so hard
that G-d has to take them by the hand etc.)
seems to have no source is the Talmud, Midrash or any other
place that he could find.

Where did Rashi take this second opinion from?

Kol Tuv,

Yaela Baine

ANSWER
------
Yaela

Here is a very brief answer.

Rashis first comment is on the DOUBLE VERB-NOUN
---------------------------------------
God will RETURN YOUR RETURNING PEOPLE
---------------------------------------

This comment comes from the Sifrah (In passing
Rashi also makes a comment on the mode of the
verb...but Rashis basic thrust was to explain
the double VERB-NOUN).

Rashis 2nd comment is on the unusual TRIPLE
(or QUADRUPLE repetition). Here is the verse

--------------------------------
God will
- RETURN
- YOUR RETURNING PEOPLE
- and have mercy
- and he will RETURN
- and GATHER you from the nations
--------------------------------

In other words besides explaining the
phrase RETURN THE RETURNING we must also
explain the whole sentence
- RETURN THE RETURN AND RETURN AND GATHER

The statement RETURN and RETURN and GATHER
sounds as if God is gathering each one (Hence
RETURN AND RETURN). This immediately reminds
one of the verse cited by Rashi
------------------------------
God will pluck each individual Jew
from the exiles one by one
------------------------------

More can be said but Rashis 2
comments explain two different
aspects of the poetic construction
of the verse

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