SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is the explanation of
meaning the same way a dictionary explains meaning.
We call this the Rashi method of WORD MEANING.
Today we examine two meaning submethods of Rashi.


EXAMPLE: NAMING BY FORM/FUNCTION/FEEL
-------------------------------------
Rashi frequently identifies meaning by focusing
on the FORM and FUNCTION or FEEL of words. For example:
Both the UNITED NATIONS and PENTAGON are institutions
that protect but the PENTAGON is named by its FORM,
while the UNITED NATIONS is named by its GOAL and
PURPOSE to unite nations. Similarly words like
HARDship and inFLAMMATION name events by how they FEEL.

EXAMPLE: BURNING snake venom
----------------------------
Nu21-06a refers to the
----------------
BURNING snakes.
----------------

Rashi explains
---------------------------------
The venom of a snake bite feels
like a BURN
---------------------------------

LIST819a below presents several examples of naming by FEELing

EXAMPLE: PROVIDING A UNIFIED MEANING for VERSES
----------------------------------------------------------
The root Ayin-Pay-Lamed only occurs about a dozen times in Tanach.
This is a peach of an example of how to infer meaning of rare
verses
- Rashi states (Nu14-44a) it means STRONG
- Radack however states it means HIGH--Radack explains
Rashis STRONG as HIGH OF HEART (Strong willed)
- Also: Rashi himself explains the meaning HEMMOROIDS as
HIDDEN (1S05-06)

Let us summarize: By looking at Rashi on SEVERAL verses and
by looking at SEVERAL commentators we have the meanings
- STRONG
- HIGH
- HIDDEN

This example shows
- the danger of simply reading one verse with commentary and
thinking that understanding has been obtained
- the necessity of checking several verses and commentaries

We suggest the basic meaning THICK/IMPENETRABLE. Hence we have
- thick/impenetrable fortress
- thick hemmoroids
- (Nu14-44a) thick impenetrable storming of enemy
Such a wild storming is frequently unorganized indicating
spontaneousness and lack of leadership(Rashi's 2nd explanation)

Note Rashi's STRONG is a misnomer--Rashi really meant something
HARD and THICK, not necessarily strong. This is consistent
with usages in other verses.

LIST864a below summarizes this approach with sample verses

List of verses with      Root Ayin-Pay-Lamed=thick / impenetrable

List of words            named by FEELING(e.g. HARDship)

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is the explanation of
meaning the same way a dictionary explains meaning.
We call this the Rashi method of WORD MEANING.

Rashi had 10 vehicles by which to explain words.
Rashi frequently explains not, word meaning, but rather
phrase meaning. That is each particular word in the
phrase may have a known meaning but the collection of
words  together form a NEW IDIOMATIC MEANING.
We call this the NEW MEANING or the IDIOM SUBMETHOD.

EXAMPLE: Nu21-20c
-----------------
Verse Nu21-20c states
--------------------------------
And from Bamoth in the valley that is
in the country of Moab, to the HEAD OF THE CLIFF,
which looks toward Jeshimon
--------------------------------

Rashi explains the idiom the HEAD OF THE CLIFF
----------------------------------
the TOP OF THE CLIFF
----------------------------------

NOTE: The Hebrew word HEAD can mean both
- BEGINNING
- TOP
However in this verse
- the HEAD OF THE CLIFF contrasts with
- the VALLEY in MOAB
Hence HEAD means TOP

LIST854x below presents other examples of Biblical idioms.

List of Biblical idioms..eg FROM DAYS DAYS=YEARLY
LIST854x continues  LIST854d LIST854z LIST854y

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main methods is the explanation of meaning
the same way a dictionary explains meaning. We call this
the WORD MEANING method.

Rashi had 10 vehicles to explain meaning. The SYNONYM
submethod takes words with known meanings and shows the
similarity and nuances in each term.

EXAMPLE: Nu21-20d
-----------------
- HAR is a mountain
- PISGAH is a cliff
They both designate something high.

LIST955z below presents other Rashis focusing on
Biblical synonyms

List of                  Synonym pairs
LIST955z continues LIST955a

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
A powerful but simple Rashi method is the CITATION or CROSS-
REFERENCING of an OTHER VERSE for the purpose of adding
FURTHER DETAILS to a verse we are studying.  We call this
the Rashi METHOD of OTHER VERSES and the Rashi submethod
of FURTHER DETAILS

EXAMPLE Nu20-16b
----------------
Nu20-16b states
--------------------------------
God sent an ANGEL to redeem
us and save us from Egypt
--------------------------------

The reference to ANGEL REDEEMER is clarified by
an OTHER VERSE Ex23-20
------------------------------------------
Behold: I (God) send an angel before you
to watch you on your journey and to bring
you to the promised land
------------------------------------------

Thus the ANGEL REDEEMER is Moses who took us out
of Egypt, led us thru the wilderness and brought
us to the promised land.

EXAMPLE Nu21-24a
----------------
Nu21-24 states
-------------------------------------
The city BRAZEN is the border of AMON
-------------------------------------

Rashi explains the name BRAZEN by citing
an OTHER VERSE Dt02-19
-------------------------------------------
God tells Moses: Don't get near Amon
because if there is a war I will not let
you keep their territory since I have given
it to the children of Lot as an inheritance
-------------------------------------------

Hence the name BRAZEN refers to the fact that the city
and national land it borders is protected by a PROPHETIC
DECREE.

LIST210x presents many examples of verses illumined by
other verses

List of verses pairs     with one verse illuminating another
LIST210x CONTINUES LIST210a LIST210z LIST210y

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
The traditional approach to Rashi emphasizes
- word meaning
- grammar
- dealing with problems and anomalies such
as extra words.

In this list we have also advocated skillful use of
FORMATTING style. For example we suggest that repeated
keywords are the modern equivalant of BULLETS. A
repeated Keyword is heard the same way a modern
reader hears a list of bullets.

We call this the Rashi rule of BULLETS with the Rashi
subrule of KEYWORDS AS BULLETS

EXAMPLE - Nu20-15b
------------------
The Biblical text states as follows
----------------------------------------------------------
The Egyptians were bad
- TO us
- TO our fathers
----------------------------------------------------------

Here the KEYWORD, TO, acts as a bullet. Rashi comments
-----------------------------------------------------------
Just as
- we suffered in Egypt, so too
- out fathers suffered on their death bed since
they prophetically knew of the suffering that would
happen to us.
-----------------------------------------------------------

LIST120b summarizes this argument.

BULLETED structure of    Nu20-15b

Lightning summary of Rashis with emphasis on Rashi rules*10