Rashi-Is-Simple Mailing List
(C) Dr Russell Jay Hendel, 1999
Http://www.Shamash.Org/Rashi/Index.Htm
Volume 1 Number 16
Prodcued Mar, 08 1999
Topics Discussed in This Issue
------------------------------
v0308--Administrivia **** NEW FORM FOR LISTS *** MORE RASHIS**
v2a31-13 Rashi derives from OVERALL paragraph structure
v2b31-13 ACH=USUALLY--review of ALL 42 Biblical ACHs!
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
v0308 Administrivia
I thank everyone for all their helpful comments on form.
In addition to last weeks improvements I am changing the LISTS.
Instead of using ONE ROW per verse I am now using MANY ROWS per
verse.
This allows me to write FULL ENGLISH sentences vs Fragments so
that what I say can be fully understood easily.
Furthermore I can now dispense with the habit of repeating lists.
For example in this Volume I review ALL 42 EXAMPLES of ACH in the
Bible (and explain about 2 dozen of them). There is no need for me
to copy this posting over 2 dozen times and send out a digest.
Rather I shall list all the verses on the web site but have only
this one issue discussing the meaning and use of ACH.
This also lends depth to the analysis. The reader can review the
whole list, see all examples and find EXACTLY what they like and
dont like!! (Please feel free to send in disagreements)
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v2a31-13 ...and you..speak to the jews..observe my shabbath
------
RASHI TEXT:
----------
* Even though I commanded you about the building of the tarbenacle
nevertheless you should still observe my Shabbath (and not build
the tabernacle on the shabbath).
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
----------------------------------------
* This Rashi is derived from the OVERALL PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE of
the Biblical chapters. It is not (like many other Rashis) derived
from the INTERNAL SENTENCE STRUCTURE.
In other words many Rashis start from an observation about the
position of some word or the conjugation of some verb or the
superfluity of some phrase---in short, from some INTERNAL SENTENCE
ELEMENT.
On the other hand, it is often overlooked, but some Rashis by
contrast see NOTHING WRONG OR PECULIAR OR STYLISTIC in the sentence.
Instead there is something indicated in the general structure of
the biblical chapters.
In this case the paragraphs (according to the Mosaic method of
division) have a clear oddity as the following list shows:
PARAGRAPH VERSE VERSE TOPIC
START END
--------- ----- ----- -----
#1 2-30-11 2-30-16 Donations for temple building
#2 2-30-17 2-30-21 Making of the temple lavor
#3 2-30-22 2-30-33 Making of the annointing oil
#4 2-30-34 2-30-38 Making of the Ketoreth
#5 2-31-1 2-31-11 Bezalel appointed to build tmpl
#6 2-31-12 2-31-17 Observe the Shabbath
#7 2-31-18 2-32-6 The sin of the golden calf
Clearly Paragraphs
#1-#5 deals with the temple construction
#7 deals with a new topic (sin of the golden calf)
Paragraph #6 which deals with the Shabbath is out of place.
Why does the temple constuction paragraphs terminate with the
commandment to observe the Shabbath which occurs many other
times in Tnach.
Rashi makes the obvious observation---it is a stylistic method to
place at the end of a chapter things you expect are true but are
not.
So the sequence of 7 paragraphs reads:
Get donations, make th lavor, annointing oil, ketoreth--
use Bezalel to make these things because of his
expert craftmanship--but in your enthuiasm don't forget
to observe the Shabbath.
In other words, EVEN WHEN BUILDING THE MISHKAN OBSERVE THE SHABBATH
I have dealt with this at length because the commentary is on the
overall structure and not on any individual problem in the sentence
In teaching Rashi over the years I have seen many advanced students
in Rabbinic methods or in academic scholarship nevertheless have
problems with understanding Rashis based on general structure.
Therefore it is important to emphasize this principle.
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
------------------------
*
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
----------------------------------------------------------
* {Of the list of paragraphs in Ki Tisah according to the Mosaic
method of paragraphing (Repeated from above)}
PARAGRAPH VERSE VERSE TOPIC
START END
--------- ----- ----- -----
#1 2-30-11 2-30-16 Donations for temple building
#2 2-30-17 2-30-21 Making of the temple lavor
#3 2-30-22 2-30-33 Making of the annointing oil
#4 2-30-34 2-30-38 Making of the Ketoreth
#5 2-31-1 2-31-11 Bezalel appointed to build tmpl
#6 2-31-12 2-31-17 Observe the Shabbath
#7 2-31-18 2-32-6 The sin of the golden calf
NOTES:
------
Clearly Paragraphs
#1-#5 deals with the temple construction
#7 deals with a new topic (sin of the golden calf)
Paragraph #6 which deals with the Shabbath is out of place.
Why does the temple constuction paragraphs terminate with the
commandment to observe the Shabbath which occurs many other
times in Tnach.
CROSS REFERENCES:
----------------
*
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
----------------
*
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
--------------------------------------------------------------
* OVERALL STRUCTURE
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v2b31-13 ....Usually (ACH) observe my Shabbaths
------ v5-16-15 ..you will usually be happy
v4b26-55 mostly by lottery will the land be divided
v3a11-36 Usually ...a gathering of water will purify
v3a23-27 Usually on the 10th you will have atonement
v3-23-39 Usually on the 15th you will celebrate
v5a12-22 most of the slaughtered animal can be eaten
v4a31-22 most of the gold (utensils) will be purified by..
v1b7-23 most of Noach remained in the ark
v1-27-30 Esauv came when most of Jacob had exited
v1-29-14 You are mostly like a relative to me
v1-26-9 She is probably your wife
v4c31-23 usually the dipping in a Mikvah will purify them
v1-18-32 Perhaps I can pray to you one more time
RASHI TEXT:
----------
* ...Usually implies exceptions: In other words (certain)
temple services (e.g. communal sabbath offerings) are offered
on Sabbath (even though they involve Sabbath violations
because "(cerain) temple services have been excepted from the
obligation to observe the sabbath"
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
----------------------------------------
* As {LIST1} below shows "ACH means USUALLY" is a good translation
that captures the nuances of ACH in many verses. For example
USUALLY OBSERVE THE SHABBATH connotes the exceptions of communal
offerings on the Sabbath. Similarly USUALLY YOU WILL HAVE ATONEMENT
ON THE 10th of TISHRAY connotes an exception that you will not have
attonement in interpersonal sin. Similarly USUALLY YOU WILL BE
HAPPY connotes that most of Yom Tov you will be happy EXCEPT say
the 1st night (when you have just come home from work and have not
had time to get into the mood).
A perusal of the list shows many Rashis that can be explained by
this translation (ACH=USUALLY). This innocent looking Rashi seems
to have generated some controversy in other commentators on
v2b31-13 which is discussed in the COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM section
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
------------------------
* First let me explain Rashi and then let me review how certain
commentators were confused by Rashi. As we shall see there are
no problems.
v2a31-13: Rashi states that since Shabbath Observance is mentioned
after the tabernacle work it follows SHABBATH SUPERSEDES THE MAKING
OF THE TABERNACLE (and the tabernacle should not be built on the
Sabbath)
v2b31-13: Rashi derives from the statement USUALLY OBSERVE THE
SHABBATH that TABERNACLE WORK SUPERSEDES THE SHABBATH (Although
he doesn't explicitly state it this refers to the fact that
e.g. communal sabbath offerings are offered in the temple EVEN
on the Sabbath).
It is now easy to see how someone might get confused. Because
v2a31-13 says SABBATH SUPERCEDES THE TABERNACLE
v2b31-13 says TABERNACLE SUPERCEDES THE SABBATH.
This sounds contradictory but it is exactly what the law is--
for certain temple activities like the building of the temple
the sabbath CANNOT be overridden while for other temple activites
(like the offering of sacrifices) the sabbath MUST be overridden.
The SABBATH OVERRIDES TEMPLE is learned from the JUXTAPOSITION OF
PARAGRAPHS while the TEMPLE OVERRIDES SABBATH is learned from the
word USUALLY.
Now we understand the Rashi whose full text is as follows:
{Part a} Even though you are eager to build the temple do NOT do
it on the Sabbath.
{Part b} {USUALLY..but nevertheless} USUALLY DENOTES EXCEPTIONS..
This shows there are exceptions to the requirement of Shabbath
observance in the work of the temple (visually...offerings).
Having explained Rashi we move on to the commentators.
BAAL HATURIM gives both the PART a and PART b of Rashi (but he
does not explicitly mention the derivation).
The RAMBAN did not DISAGREE with Rashi...but rather he explicitly
says "I do not know what Rashi is referring to". RAMBAN then shows
that one obvious interpretation of Rashi must be rejected --Rashi
could not be learning that you build the temple except for Shabbath
since USUALLY always denotes a limitation in the sentence it
occupies not in the previous sentence. So the Ramban shrugs his
shoulders and says he doesn't understand.
The SIFSAY CHACHAMIM thinks that Rashi holds that USUALLY can
connote exception in what precedes it (But he gives no other
examples and therefore his approach should not be taken seriously)
(In passing in my list below I show that in COMPOUND sentences
ACH can mean EVEN THOUGH which does limit what precedes it...but
this occurs IN ONLY TWO VERSES and they are both compound sentences
with the ACH in the middle...notice how the use of lists adds
depth to what appears reasonable.
The way I have explained it Rashi Is Simple...USUALLY DENOTES
EXCEPTION---so the Sabbath need not be observed for some temple
acts while the paragraph juxtaposition denotes the opposite
that some temple acts (like construction) are not superceded
by the sabbath.
The language of Rashi is also clear: USUALLY observe Shabbath..
this denotes limitation in Shabbath observance in (certain)
works of the Temple.
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
----------------------------------------------------------
*
VERSE# TEXT EXCEPTION SOURCE
----- ---- --------- ------
5-28-29 You'll USUALLY be mugged Occasionally you won't be My own
by your enemies The exception adds depth
(The verse describes and realism (Saying you
the punishments that will always be mugged is
will befall the jews exaggerating--saying you
if they violate Gods will usually be mugged is
will) realistic in a hostile
environment)
5-16-15 You'll USUALLY be happy Except for the 1st night Rashi
On yom tov (When you just come home
from work and are not
necessarily in the mood)
4-26-55 USUALLY by lot Except for Kaleb,Joshua Rashi
will people receive who received their
inheritance in Israel inheritance by decree
and not by lot
2-31-13 USUALLY observe Except for communal Rashi
the Shabbath sacrifices that are
offered on the Sabbath
2-21-21 USUALLY if a slave that Except if the master hit Rambam*
is smitten survives 24 him with a lethal object;
hours then the master for then even if he
who smote him does not survives 24 hours the
get a death penalty master does get the death
penalty (while if he just
smote him with his hand
he would not get the
death penalty)
2-12-16 USUALLY on yom tov you Except for animal SOULS Mechilta
can prepare that which That is, you can prepare
is eaten by SOULS food eaten by human SOULS
but not food eaten by
ANIMAL souls(You can't
cook for animals on
Yom Tov) *****
3-11-4 USUALLY these animals Except if a Kosher animal
will be prohibited.. gave birth to a non Kosher
Camels, Pigs,.. animal (e.g. a cow gave
birth to a camel-the camel
is Kosher) Rambam
Forbiddn
Foods 1:4
3-11-36 USUALLY springs and EXCEPT if they are not
pits will be (Me)Tahor directly connected to
land**** Rashi
3-21-23 USUALLY the priests Except for repairs(then
are not allowed to they can go in ) Sifray
go to the Parochet
3-23-27 USUALLY on the 10th Except if you haven't
you will have repented Rashi
atonement
3-23-39 USUALLY on the 15th Except if they fall on
you will offer the Shabbath (then offer
Holiday offerings them after the 15th) Rashi
3-27-28 USUALLY the cherem to There are certain
God will be holy exceptions if a priest
or levite make the cherem Sifray
5-12-22 MOST of the slaughtered Except for their fat
animal can be eaten which cannot be eaten Rashi
profanely (without (i.e. even though
temple purity) profane animals do not
have to be eaten in
purity nevertheless the
prohibitions on eating
their fat remains)
4-31-22 MOST of the utensil ... Except for their rust Rashi
shall be immersed and ..in other words when
then it will be Tahor immersing a utensil to
make it pure you do NOT
immerse the WHOLE utensil
as is but rather first
remove rust and other
obstructions attached
1-7-23 And MOST OF NOAH Except for Lion Bite. Rashi
remained in the ark In other words Noah was
busy serving all the
animals food and at one
point he served the lion
late so the lion got
angry and smote or bit him
So when Noah left the ark
he couldn't take that
"piece of him" that was
bit. So MOST of Noah
left the ark (but not
the piece smitten/bitten
by the lion).
1-23-13 Listen to MOST of what I Abrahm wanted to pay full My Own
have to say price (Field and yield?);
Ephron wanted him to pay
nothing. In the end they
compromised by Abraham
paying the price of the
field but not the price of
the yield. The verse
indicates this compromise
by the word MOST. "At least
accept MOST of what I
offered--visually, the
price of the field itself.
I inferred this idea from
the juxtaposition of
1-23-9 vs 1-23-12 (FULL
value vs FIELD value)
1-27-30 Esauv came when MOST "Jacob left" at the Rashi**
of Jacobs exit was same time that Esauv
completed came
1-29-14 You are MOSTLY like MOSTLY=Only for a month
a relative (Laban's I will take you in for
statement to Jacob) nothing (like a relative)
but only for a month and
then you must start work Rashi
1-26-9 She is PROBABLY your You don't play like that
wife with your sister My Own
1-34-15 Only with this PROBABLY simply denotes
1-34-22 (Circumcision) will intention without total
1-34-28 we PROBABLY make a committment (the way a
deal with you business person
negotiates) My Own
1-44-28 He was PROBABLY eaten Jacob was never certain
by a live animal that Joseph died***
4-31-23 Utensils that are In other words we are Rashi
used over the fire NOT saying: "Fire
should be Kashered by utensils in Fire BUT
firing them EVEN THOUGH non fire utensils dip
they also need dipping in water." Rather we
in the Mikvah are saying "Fire
utensils in Fire AND in
water BUT not fire
utensils in water only."
THe ACH here means
EVEN THOUGH (they go
into water also)
1-20-12 She is my sister on There is no special General
my fathers side EVEN extra derivation here;
THOUGH she is not my rather there is contrast
sister on my mothers (sister by my father's
side side) vs my mother. So
ACH here means EVEN
THOUGH
1-18-32 PERHAPS JUST 1 more time Abraham was asking God to Rashi
(Abraham in the famous spare the 5 Sedomite
petitionary prayer to cities if there were 10
spare Sedom) righteous people. He was
also toying with the idea
of asking God to spare
the cities if 9 righteous
could be found. However
he decided against this
since initially he asked
God to spare the 5 Sedomite
cities if there were 50
people (10 @ city) and
then he asked to spare if
there were 45 people (9
@ city). So he didn't
bother to reuse the 9
theme for the 5 cities
as a whole (Rashi further
explains that he didn't
ask God to spare them
for the sake of 8
righteous people since
Noach and his sons and
wives were 8 and they
could not effect the
sparing of the world.
2-10-17 Please forgive me So Pharoh himself was My Own
PERHAPS JUST THIS ONE aware of his "pattern" of
MORE TIME of asking for forgiveness
(Pharoh's statement and then retracting about
to Moses) letting the people go
after he got what he
wanted
NOTES:
------
# The following verses with ACH did not have RASHIS and
did not (at least to me) have obvious iterpretations with
ACH meaning USUALLY
5-18-20 5-14-7 4-36-6 4-18-17 4-18-15 4-14-9 4-1-49 1-9-4 1-9-5
1-27-13 3-27-26 4-12-2 4-22-20 2-12-15 4-18-3
Of the 42 verses in the Bible with ACH we have
MEANING NUMBER OF VERSES PERCENT
------- ---------------- -------
Unknown 15 1/3
USUALLY 13 1/3
MOST OF 6 1/6
Probably, 7 1/6
even though
perhaps just
once #*
NOTE: #* A construction like ACH HAPAAM clearly creates a new
meaning--since HAPAAM means JUST THIS ONCE, ACH HAPAAM seems
to mean PERHAPS JUST THIS ONCE (like the proverbial ONE MORE)
Nevertheless there are only 2 such verses.
Note how the 4 meanings are related: USUALLY=MOST OF THE TIME.
PROBABLY also means MOST OF THE (PAST TIME).
The question arises as to how the reader should read these verses.
Certainly one is not expected to accept everything. Rather however
go thru the example quickly with a pencil and paper and jot down
how many YOU AGREE WITH. If there is a sufficient number then
the thesis is proved. Perhaps the reader can then suggest a better
explanation for the verses they disagreed with (from mine).
In summary the thesis is proved if the reader agrees with a good
subset of the examples (though not necessarily ALL or even MOST)
* Rambam, Murder 2:10-14 explains that
--if a person hit his servant then
---if the servant dies immediately the
master is liable (for his murder)
---if the servant survives 24 hours
the master is not liable (2-21-21)
---except when the "hit" was with a lethal
object (like a steel hammer) in which case
EVEN if he survives 24 hours the master IS
liable for murder
The Rambam prefaces the last exception with the words
"IT APPEARS TO ME that if he hit his servant with
a lethal object"
The Rambam in justifying this "IT APPEARS TO ME" derives it from
the previous verse "...when he smites his servant with the ROD"
(since the ROD is non lethal).
However it would appear to me that the FULL justification for
the IT APPEARS TO ME would come from the word USUALLY in 2-21-21
implying that there are EXCEPTIONS (indeed, by comparing with
Monetary Torts 1-1 it would follow that without the USUALLY I would
say that the Bible is simply taking a TYPICAL EXAMPLE (When he
smites with a ROD) and their is no justification in reading
something further into it---hence I believe that the Rambam
derived what he did from the word USUALLY
I note in passing that I have studied laws of Murder thoroughly and
hence was familiar with this derivation. If I knew other sections
of law equally well then I could probably explain the other ACHS
in this list.
I therefore invite any readers familiar with these sections of laws
to offer GOOD CONJECTURES as to what exceptions the ACH represents.
***** The verse literally says
(talking about forbidden acts on Yom Tov)
USUALLY that which is eaten by souls
IT ALONE will be made for YOU
As Malbim on the mechilta brilliantly points out there are FOUR
words denoting limitation here
USUALLY
IT
ALONE
FOR YOU
Malbim points out that "When there are multiple limitations in one
verse the Mechilta/Sifra will often list THAT MANY limitations
and furthermore the MEchilta/Sifra will simply say there is a one
to one correspondence (Between WORDS denoting limitation and
ACTUAL things limited) without being picky on which LIMITATION
goes with each word.
Following this lead I have associated USUALLY with the law that
"Food for HUMAN SOULS can be prepared on Yom TOv while
Food for ANIMAL SOULS can NOT be prepared on Yom Tov"
This follows the opinions of Rabbi Yosi Haglili and Rabbi Akiva
in the Sifra who claim that
"USUALLY food for SOULS will be OK to be made on Yom Tov"
implies
EXCEPT for ANIMAL SOULS (You cannot prepare food for them
on Yom Tov).
** See Sifsay Chachamim who cites the RAAM
*** See Rashi on 1-37-35 (Also see Dr Aviva Zornberg's book on
Genesis---she cites several authorities who see nuances in this
verse that Jacob was not sure....My own opinion is that Dr
Zornberg's citations could be strengthened by using the USUALLY
in our verse
**** There are opinions that the fact that
DRAWN WATER does not Metaher is a Biblical status not a
Rabbinic Status. Therefore this Derash is a bit Shaky.
I am also not committed to saying that Rashi believed
this (even though he appears to say this). It would appear
from Rashi that if rainwater fell into a giant vat that is
movable (even if it had the proper volume) then it would NOT
be Metaher. But I have included this for purposes of
illustration.
CROSS REFERENCES:
----------------
* Numerous--see above
Sifray
Rambam
Dr Zornberg's book on Genesis
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
----------------
*
This translation ACH=USUALLY first occured in my article
PSHAT and DERASH, TRADITION, WINTER 1980
Finally I acknowledge person in my chumash class who asked
the question.
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
--------------------------------------------------------------
* WORD MEANINGS
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
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----------------------
e.g. v5b2-1 means as follows:
The "v" means verse
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The "b" means The second rashi on that
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Seir)
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