*1
RASHI (Gn39-03a)
----------------------------------------
GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH means that GODS NAME
WAS WITH JOSEPH. He spoke about God often
----------------------------------------

We can defend Rashi in two ways:
On a technical level we can point out that when he was
seduced he said, 'I can't sin to God'--it is rare for
people to mention God at a time like that.

On a more intuitive level we point out that Rashi
was using the GENERAL DETAIL GENERAL Rule. The GENERAL
THEME is that Joseph was SUCCESSFUL FROM GOD.

The DETAIL is that GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH.

Rashi, following the Rabbi Ishmael Style Guidelines
interprets this detail broadly; the detail has to
reflect the general principle that Joseph was a successful
man of God...So Rashi says 'Joseph spoke about God' since
successful people who owe their success to God speak
about God frequently.

*1 See LIST854e below for Biblical examples

*2 See LIST854c below for further Biblical examples

*3 Probably when people had a sexual fight (who did what)
they could SPREAD THE GARMENT to clearly prove their
point*10

*4 Many idioms in this list are examples of SYNECDOCHE,
the use of the (distinguished) PART to indicate the
WHOLE. Thus honey is a GOOD EXAMPLE of something
sweet, bread is a GOOD EXAMPLE of food, day(12
hours) is a GOOD EXAMPLE of the 24 hour period. Hence
almost all languages develop idioms: HONEY=SWEET,
BREAD=FOOD, DAY(12 HOURS)=DAY(24 HOURS).

Similarly in the above live SPEADING THE GARMENT
is a GOOD example of PROVING MATTERS (In sexual
disputes), the SUN SHINING is a good example of
CLARITY, GIFT OF HIS HAND is a good example of
a HIGH INCOME LEVEL.

*5 Cf However Lv15-08a Spit ON Him = Actually spit on him
The rule seems to be that SPIT ON HIM is literal
whereas SPIT ON FACE (use of FACE vs FULL PERSON) means
SPIT TOWARDS HIM

*6 eg If I am angry and mentally curse or if I
am angry and start ranting and raving without
however fully articulating everything on my mind
-- in these two cases I may have sworn IN MY MIND
but I have not sworn WITH MY LIPS (Explicitly)

*7 Contrast Ex20-03a OTHER GODS=GODS OF OTHER PEOPLE
vs Ex21-02a JEWISH SLAVE = SLAVE AND JEWISH

Technically the possessive --OF-- can mean
- OWNED BY (eg OTHER GODS = gODS of OTHERS)
- PROPERTY (eg JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE who is JEWISH)
- ASSOCIATED WITH (eg BELT OF GARMENT=Belt USED
with Garment)

Note Rashi proves the JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE WHO
IS JEWISH by citing an other verse Dt15-12 *11

*8 For the relationship between TIME and DESIGNATION
cf the English APPOINT-APPOINTMENT

*9 Cf Gn31-35 for the sister phrase PATH OF WOMEN
which also refers to HAVING PERIODS

*10 (The following comes from my article PSHAT & DRASH
TRADITION Winter 1980)

We must distinguish between
- HOW we know what the idiom means
- WHY the idiom means this

HOW we know what the idiom means comes from USAGE
It can usually be inferred from context. Thus
the Biblical verses here state
when a person slanders his newly married
wife...then the womens parents shall sue
him and SPREAD THE GARMENT before the judges
-------------------------------------

Hence SPREAD the GARMENT is simply an idiom
for PROVING ONES POINT.

By contrast the question of WHY the idiom
means what it does is something more
speculative--maybe I am right that frequently
in sexual fights a SPREAD GARMENT proved a
point. But maybe I am wrong...in such a case
I am still sure about WHAT the idiom means.
I am just not sure about WHY it means this.

Another example occurs at Lv23-40a and Lv23-40b.
I am certain that the ETHROG was called the
GORGEOUS FRUIT but I am not quite sure why. Rashi
offers two explanations

EXPLANATION 1:
The ethrog is an EVERGREEN and DWELLS YEARLY
(This uses a pun on EVERGREEN=HADAR vs
HODOR=GORGEOUS)

EXPLANATION 2
-------------
The TREE and FRUIT taste the same; Hence
the tree is Gorgeous.

EXPLANATION 3
-------------
Rav Hirsch offers a 3rd explanation. Rav
Hirsch reviews botanical classifications and infers
that the Ethrog is one of the more advanced
fruits in the tree Kingdom.

I am still not sure WHY the phrase GORGEOUS
FRUIT means ETHROG but I am sure that this
phrase was used to denote the ETHROG


*11
Here is another example:
GARMENT OF CAPTIVITY does NOT mean
- the GARMENT she wore WHEN captured
(That is the GARMENT with the PROPERTY that
it was worn at the time of capture) but rather means

- the GARMENT she put on in case she is captured
(That is the garment ASSOCIATED with the
possibility of CAPTURE)

Rashi explains that non-jewish women would have
special garments they wore in case they were
captured during a war in order to seduce their
captors and prevent themselves from being murdered.

*12 The Hebrew word A-Chu-Zah by itself can refer to
a plot of land (without any additional words):
------------------------------------------------------
Cf Gn47-11 Gave them a PLOT
Cf Lv25-46 These slaves shall be a PLOT for inheritance
Cf Nu27-04 Give us please a PLOT among our brothers
------------------------------------------------------

*13 So Abraham would stay over for a month or so
then journey then stay over for a month or
shorter or longer etc.

*14 Rashi regards these LEVEL VALLEYS as sort of STADIUMS where
the Royal family had entertainment (Similar to practices today)
This is hinted at in the verse
---------------------------------------------
...to the LEVEL VALLEY ...to the ROYAL VALLEY
---------------------------------------------

Rashi also conjectures that this STADIUM type valley was a place
where the Royal families acknowledged Abrahams existence--since
he had defeated several Kings.

We need not see these as two disparate conjectures...we can
simply suppose that the LEVEL VALLEYS were used for BOTH
- Royal family sport events
- meetings with other kings.

*15 The idiom GOD SHOWED ME THE WAY or GOD SHOWED ME THE PATH
is common in several languages


*16 The idea that LEFT and RIGHT denote extremes in a political
spectrum is common in many languages. The LEFT-RIGHT distinction
has been identified with
- commoner-aristocracy
- poor-rich
- socialism-conservative
- equal outcomes-equal methods
- for change-for status quo
Here Rashi identifies LEFT RIGHT with
- LOT-ISHMAEL

The origin of the etymology is not clear. Some use a
historical approach: In the French parliament the
commoners sat on left while aristocrats sat on right.

I would say more simply that the LEFT HAND is CLUMSY
while the RIGHT HAND is MATURE. This explains the
various idioms: We have
- left=clumsy=poor=need to change
- right-mature=rich=happy with status quo

Since LOT was into materialism (Cf Gn13-10)
while Ishmael was more mature spiritually (Cf Gn16-11)
the LEFT RIGHT distinction corresponds
to LOT-ISHMAEL

*1 (Rashi Gn39-06c)
It is natural when you get promoted to supervisor
status to attend more to grooming. Excessive preoccupation
with Grooming encourages SEDUCTION.

Here Rashi uses the principle of CLIMAX to study how
attempted seduction is enabled.

*1 Z&P differs from ordinary anger in that it is CONTINUAL.
- So a person who blows up once is ANGRY
- A person who blows up and continuously walks to and
and fro, complaining is in a state of Z&P

*1 The land could not be sown in 7th year. Hence the seed of
the 6th year lasted 3 years*10 as follows
- for eating in 6th year from April thru September
(The year began in September---Jewish New year)
- for eating in 7th year all year
- for seeding in 8th year (From September to April)

The whole effect of 6th year seed ceased when the April
harvest was gathered in September (=September of 9th year)

*2 Hence the fire did not burn their clothes
The idea that the FIRES mentioned in Dt05
or Ex20 was the FIRE OF PROPHECY vs REAL
FIRE is supported by many verses and
themes (Dt05-21). There are other Biblical
supports for this idea but this will suffice
for now.*11

*3 The Hebrew word Caph-Nun-Ayin-Nun can equally mean
- a third world rif-raf, a heathen (Cf Gn24-03,Gn10-06)
- A merchant (cf Pr30-24,Ho12-08, Is23-08).*12


Next recall that in Gn24-03 Abraham, Judah's grandfather,
prohibited his progeny from intermarrying with Canaanites.

Therefore to resolve the contradiction between Abraham's
order--not to marry Canaanites--and the Biblical verse--
which states that Judah married a Canaanite--Rashi interprets
the term CANAANITE broadly as meaning a merchant. In this
way Judahs marriage to the daughter of a merchant did not
contradict his grandfathers prohibition against marrying
Canaanites.

*10 Rashi points out that sometimes the Jubillee would
come out during the 6th-8th year and hence there would
be 4 years dependent on 6th year. Thus Rashi views the
Biblical statement of 3 years dependence on 6th year
as a TYPICAL (But not exhaustive) case. For other
examples of TYPICAL CASES see LIST401a.

*11 It does not detract from the greatness of the
miracle of revelation that the FIRE means FIRE
OF PROPHECY.

For Judaism does not view Gods greatness in His
ability to make a mountain smoke with Fire.

Rather Judaism views Gods greatness in His
ability to make people burn with Spiritual Prophecy

*12 Apparently because the people of the land CANANN were
merchants they were always on the go...hence the usual
social embarassment that prevents sin did not apply to
them which is why they became corrupt.

*1 Some adult humor: Amusingly---she did not openly
bathe in the Nile---rather she
bathed in a bath house that was located
near the Nile- This is made clearer by the rearrangement


*2 Some adult humor here The wife in effect teased her husband
------------------------------------------------------
The slave YOU BROUGHT TO PLAY WITH ME (did) come to me
------------------------------------------------------

Her delerately ambiguous language was designed to provoke
her husbands anger. She in effect said
---------------------------------------------------------
You knew his obsession with his appearance. You gave him
power. You must have expected this to happen
---------------------------------------------------------

*10 The explanation of the list should be clear
- The first column gives the NUMBER of the RASHI RULE used
All Rashi rules may be found with examples at
http://wwww.Rashiyomi.com/workbook.htm

- The second column gives the LIST ID (eg LIST210z) which
contains many examples of a particular Rashi technique and
includes the example presented in the third column

- The third column gives a lightning summary of the Rashi
with particular emphasis on the Rashi rule used.

All lists may be found at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lists.htm