Lighting summary of Rashis with emphasis on Rashi rules*10

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Rashi frequently makes powerful inferences from the alignment
of ALMOST similar verses. The minor variations between these
almost similar verses suggests nuances and differences.or
even meaning.

EXAMPLE Gn17-15 Renaming of Abraham vs Sarah
--------------------------------------------
Gn17-15 You dont call your   wife Sarai -------------- cause Sarah is name
Gn17-05 Others wont call you ---- Abrm  Rather Abraham cause leader
Differs *1                    *2         *3            *3

Note the 4 differences
-1- Abraham-s renaming is from others;Sarahs renaming is from Abraham
-2- Abraham renamed to world;  Sarah renamed to husband
-3- Abrahams rename and reason are two things:ABRAHAM because he is LEADER
-3- Sarahs rename and reason are one and the same...Sarah is no longer
MY PRINCESS (English translation of Sarai) but rather THE PRINCESS(Eng
translation of Sarah) because Sarah is now Princess to all of Abrahams
children (See for example Gn20-12 where God told Abraham to give in to
Sarah in decisions about Abrahams other son---Ishmael)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
----------------
The idea for the above posting came from Yitz who said he just noticed
the difference in phraseology in the renaming of Abraham and Sarah. I
explained to him that difference in phraseology is a Rashi method called
ALIGNMENT. I also explained that by reviewing ALL differences one can
usually UNDERSTAND the reasons for the minor differences. Yitz is one of
the newest members to the Rashi-is-Simple family. Welcome!

Align verses with        Renaming of Abraham(to world) vs Sarah(To household)

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 5 main goals is to explain meaning the same
way a dictionary explains meaning. Rashi had a variety
of vehicles to explain meaning. For example: Rashi believed
- that CONJUGATION is governed by THREE letter roots while
- MEANING is governed by TWO letter roots

EXAMPLE ALEPH in a root means THINGS (Gn18-08b)
--------------------------------------------------
-The droplet (AGL) is a thing (ALEPH) that is round(GLL)
-The dust (ABK) is a thing(ALEPH) coming from pulverizing(BKK)
-Cream(XMA) is a thing(ALEPH) coming from warming(XM)
-Wing(ABR) is a thing(ALEPH) used for fleeing(BRX)
-A lost article(ABD) is a thing(ALEPH) isolated(BD) from owner
-A bottle(AGN) is a thing(ALEPH) that is protected/Corked(GN)
-Stones (ABN) are things(ALEPH) used for building (BNH)

List of roots with       ALEPH=Thing(CREAM=THING from WARMING)

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 5 main methods is the explanation of words
the same way the dictionary explains words. Rashi gave
special attention to connective words like BECAUSE, ALSO,
ON, etc.

Today we review the Hebrew word ALSO which is used in 3 ways

EXAMPLE Gn17-16b
-------------------
Gn17-16 states
------------------------------------------------
I will bless her and will ALSO give her a child
------------------------------------------------

Here the world ALSO refers to Sarah-s extraordinary NURSING
capacity which is mentioned in Gn21-27 (Sarah is now nursing
CHILDREN (the plural connotes that she was nursing more than
her son)).

NURSING is perceived as a DERIVED category from CHILD. Thus
here the word ALSO refers to a DERIVED item. Other such usages
of ALSO are presented in the list below.

List of verses with      ALSO used in three ways*10

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis main methods is the skillful use of
ALIGNMENT to illustrate nuances. The minor differences
between ALIGNED verses powerfully suggests explicit concepts

EXAMPLE Gn18 and Gn19
---------------------
To make a very long story short Gn18 and Gn19 describes the
3 angels that visited
- Sarah to tell her she will have a child
- Sedom, to destroy it
- Lot, to save him from Sedom.
Throughout two Biblical chapters the angels are referred to
in a variety of forms. From the alignment of the several
dozen references to the angels we can infer numerous nuances.

More specifically
- From the use of SINGULAR in 3 verses but the use of PLURAL
in all other verses we infer that ANGELS are assigned only
one task...hence one angel told Sarah she was having a
child, another angel saved Lot and another angel destroyed
Sedom

- The speaker is alternatively referred to as GOD, ANGELS,
MEN. Since these men did angelic things (save a person, give
a person a baby, destroy a city) we infer that in fact
they were ANGELS, emissaries of God and that Gn18 was told
in a vision to Abraham. The simplest explanation that
the angels are called men to Abraham was because he too
had angelic status (Similar to MOses who is called an Angel)
SInce he was on their level they are called men.

THe full appreciation of these Rashis is achieved by reviewing
several dozen sentences only 3 of which have singular and
similarly by reviewing the continuous back and forth use of
GOD ANGELS MEN. Thus this posting is an excellent example
of the ALIGNMENT method.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
---------------
This posting came from a post-dinner discussion with Yossi
Wetstein who asked me about the Rambams view on these chapters.
Yossi has made other contributions to this list--for example
he suggested the SUCCINCT SUMMARY section which we now use in
every issue.

List of verses with      3 Angels that visited Abe,Sarah,Lot