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               (C) RashiYomi Incorporated, 2003
               Written by Dr Russell Jay Hendel

                     Volume 19 Number 1
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OVERVIEW OF HILIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE
(C) Dr Hendel, Jan-03

Whats new and hot in this issue?
ITEM WHATS NEW & HOT IN THIS ISSUE
HONONYMS Rashis on 2 words from same CLASS of MEANING*1
METONOMY Words can also refer to ANY related item*2
COMMENTS
*1 eg WINE-LIQUOR or STOVE-OVEN

*2 eg ALTAR FIRE can refer to WOOD, ANIMAL PARTS, OFFERINGS..
Rashis covered in this issue
(C) Dr Hendel, Jan-03

VERSE RULE BRIEF DESCRIPTION
======== =============== =======================================
Nu06-03a WORD MEANINGS Shin-Caph-Resh means AGED Wine
Nu28-07c WORD MEANINGS Shin-Caph-Resh means AGED Wine
Lv10-09a WORD MEANINGS Shin-Caph-Resh means AGED Wine
Lv07-30b WORD MEANINGS FIRE OF GOD=FIRE RELATED=Offerings,wood
Ex29-18b WORD MEANINGS FIRE OF GOD=FIRE RELATED=Offerings,wood
Dt18-01c WORD MEANINGS FIRE OF GOD=FIRE RELATED=Offerings,wood
Lv03-11a WORD MEANINGS FIRE OF GOD=FIRE RELATED=Offerings,wood
Lv04-35b WORD MEANINGS FIRE OF GOD=FIRE RELATED=Offerings,wood
--------- ---------------- -----------------------------------
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VERSE: Nu06-03a
RASHIS COVERED: Nu06-03a Nu28-07c Lv10-09a
Nu06-03a
(C) Dr Hendel, Jan-03


SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 6 main goals is to explain word meanings the
same way the dictionary explains word meanings. Rashi had
a variety of focuses and subgoals when he explained meaning.

For example Rashi would particularly focus on what I
will loosely call ALMOST-HONONYMS--that is two words
(like WINE and LIQUOR) which refer to two distinct items
in the same class.

EXAMPLE
-------
- The word Yud-Yud-Nun means WINE
- The word Shin-Caph-Resh means AGED WINE
ITEM DETAIL
RASHI RULE CLASS: WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS NEW MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW LIST950d
2 words in WINE CLASS
LIST950d
(C) Dr Hendel, Jan-03


The two words Yud-Yud-Nun and Shin-Caph-Resh both
refer to WINE like objects. One means WINE while
the other means AGED-WINE (With a greater capacity
for intoxication)*10 We present below verses with
these words
VERSE TRANSLATION OF VERSE(translated words capped
Nu06-03a Let him abstain from WINE and AGED-WINE*13
Lv10-09a Priests should not drink WINE and AGED-WINE
Nu28-07c Make an AGED-WINE libation before God
Gn09-21 Noach drank from the WINE and GOT DRUNK*1
Gn19-33 They fed him WINE and slept with him*1
COMMENTS
*1 These verses clearly show that WINE can intoxicate
Thus the word WINE is both
- GENERIC referring to any WINE, as well as
- SPECIFIC referring to AGED-WINE

Hence we are justified in referred to WINE - AGEDwine
as a hononymic pair.*12


LONGER FOOTNOTES

*10 A comparison of the exact wording in the 3
Rashis is insightful
- Lv10-09a Wine when intoxicating
- Nu28-07c Not new wine (for it must be intoxicating)
- Nu06-03a OLD Wine because it intoxicates

Note that Rashi only explicitly identifies the
meaning of Shin-Caph-Resh as AGED WINE in Nu06-03a

In Nu28-07c Rashi explains that Shin-Caph-Resh is
not new wine*11

In Lv10-09a Rashi explains that Shin-Caph-Resh refers
to wine that intoxicates but doesnt explicitly
identify it with Aged wine.

Thus our LIST approach which requires a simultaneous
review of all relevant Rashis seems productive

*11 Rashi seems to be using the RabbiIshmael Method of
contradictory verses here. Indeed compare the following
--------------------------------------------------
- Nu28-07 Make a libation of AGED-WINE
- Lv23-12 its libation is WINE
- Nu15-05:10 sacrificial libation shall be of WINE
--------------------------------------------------

Thus we are simultaneously told to make the libation
- wine
- aged-wine

So Rashi is Simple--ANY wine is OK except brand new
wine (which has little intoxicating ability (That is
Rashi resolves the contradiction (Wine-AGEDwine) by
only excluding the weakest type of wine.

*12
Such pairs occur frequently (eg BREAD-FOOD, HONEY-SWEET,
DAY(12 HOURS)-DAY(24 HOURS), MAN-PERSON etc).

This is a routine example of METONOMY and SYNECHDOCHE
(using the part (BREAD,HONEY,DAY,MAN) to refer to the
whole (FOOD,SWEET, DAY, PERSON).

(I am indebted to my sister for pointing out that
the hononymic attribution is dependent on the
synechdoche)

*13 A very important subtlety is the following:
The root Shin-caph-resh means to get drunk

Hence it MIGHT appear that Rashi derives the
mean of AGED-WINE from the root Shin-Caph-resh
which means TO GET DRUNK

Unfortunately this is not true. Rather the meaning
of Shin-Caph-Resh as referring to AGED WINE is true
indepedent of any other meaning of the root. The
source of the translation is dictionary usage-this
is the way people use these words

Of course one we ALREADY know this dictionary usage
we are entitled to relate this usage to the obvious
fact that Shin-Caph-resh as a Biblical root means
to get drunk.

Our point however is that the translation Shin-Caph-Resh
as AGED-WINE is dependent on usage and need not require
further support from other meanings of the root.

*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2003, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#
VERSE: Lv07-30b
RASHIS COVERED: Ex29-18b Dt18-01c Lv03-11a Lv04-35b Lv07-30b
Ex29-18b
(C) Dr Hendel, Jan-03


SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 6 main goals is the explanation of meaning
the same way a dictionary explains meaning. Rashi had
a variety of vehicles to explain meaning -- one of them
was the use of METONOMY -- that is a word could refer to
any item that was RELATED to its original meaning

EXAMPLE
-------
It is well know that a climax of many sacrifices
was placing the animal or vegetable on the altar FIRE.
Hence the word FIRE can METONOMICALLY refer to
- the WOOD used to make the fire
- the ORGANS offered on the fire
- the SACRIFICES in general
This rich variety of FIRE-RELATED items makes this
a particularly good example of METONOMY.
ITEM DETAIL
RASHI RULE CLASS: WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS NEW MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW LIST871b
Verses with FIRE meaning FIRE RELATED ITEMS
LIST871b
(C) Dr Hendel, Jan-03


A list of verses where FIRE means FIRE-RELATED ITEMS
This illustrates METONOMY.
VERSE MEANING OF FIRE
Ex29-18b The ANIMAL PARTS offered on the altar fire*1
Dt18-01c SACRIFICES in general*2
Lv04-35b Fires of ALTAR WOOD*3
Lv07-30b The FAT offered on the altar*4
Lv03-11a ANIMAL PARTS offered on altar fire*5
COMMENTS
*1 Note: Not all animal parts were offered on the fire
For example the blood was thrown or spilled on the
altar

*2 The verse states that the priests/Levites will have
no inheritance in Israel since their inheritance is
the FIRES OF GOD = The Sacrifices

*3 The verse states
----------------------------------
...bring these on the FIRE OF GOD
----------------------------------
(that is on the WOOD OF THE ALTAR
that supports the fire)

*4 The fat is explicitly called the FIRE-FAT
(Lv10-15)

*5 The Biblical phrase BREAD OF FIRE generally
refers to the animal parts placed on the
altar fire
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End of Rashi is Simple Digest
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