SUCCINCT SUMMARY:
-----------------
One of Rashi's 10 major goals is the explanation of GRAMMAR
the same way modern textbooks explain GRAMMAR. There are three
major GRAMMAR submethods:

(a) The goal of the ROOT submethod is to explain all
conjugations and meanings of Biblical roots.
Biblical roots are conjugated with letter prefixes and suffixes
to indicate (i) tense (ii) person (iii) gender (iv) plurality
(v) mode (vi) object (to whom the activity is done) and (vii)
mood. Each of these conjugations has a specific meaning.
Furthermore, these conjugations take on different forms for
roots with weak letters.

(b) The SENTENCE submethod deals with grammatical attributes
of sentences such as (i) word arrangement (Verb Subject vs
Subject Verb) (ii) sentence type  (interrogative, command)
(iii) compound sentences (iv) apposition and (v)
paragraph / sentence development.

(c) The MISCELLANEOUS grammatical methods deal with
(i) agreement (in gender and plurality), (ii) the construct
(iii) pronoun reference (iv) ellipsis (v) noun-verb transforms
(e.g. to dust) (vi) special word usage(e.g. how to use
numbers) (vii) suffix-prefixes (e.g. terminal HEY means
towards).

EXAMPLE: Gn33-14b
-----------------
VERBS indicate ACTIVITY. VERB MODALITY indicates
the relationship between INTENT and REALITY. For example
I WILL TRAVEL GENTLY indicates a future activity and is
called the INDICATIVE modality. By contrast I INTEND
TO TRAVEL GENTLY indicates not the travel itself but
the INTENT to travel. Declarations of intent are called
the JUSSIVE and COHORTIVE. In Hebrew they are indicated
by a terminal HEY at the end of the verb (In English
it is indicated by words like WISH, INTEND, EXPECT).

Hence Rashi interprets the text of Gn33-14b as follows
------------------------------------------------------
Let my lord, Esauv, please pass over before his servant;
but I INTEND to lead on slowly, according to the pace of
the cattle that goes before me and the pace the children
can endure, until I come to my lord, Esauv, at Seir
------------------------------------------------------

Rashi inferred this translation from the terminal HEY
suffixed to the verb in the Hebrew text.

LIST704b below gives other examples of the JUSSIVE/COHORTIVE

EXAMPLE Gn33-32b
----------------
In Grammar school we learn about 3 tenses: PAST, PRESENT
and FUTURE. Actually there are about a dozen tenses.
One such tense is the PROGRESSIVE PAST which indicates
a PAST activity that CONTINUED over time (instead of
being concentrated at one point in time).

-----------------------------------------------------
- I LIMPED indicates LIMPING at one point of time.

- I WAS LIMPING after leaving the city, indicates
that he was LIMPING for a few days (continued limping)
due to an injury.
-----------------------------------------------------

In English we indicate the PAST PROGRESSIVE using
the auxilliary verb WAS (WAS LIMPLING). In Hebrew
the PAST PROGRESSIVE is indicated thru the PRESENT tense.
That is the same CONJUGATION used for the PRESENT is
also used to indicate the PAST PROGRESSIVE (You can
always easily distinguish between them from context)

Hence Rashi interprets Gn33-32b as follows
----------------------------------------------
The sun rose quickly for Jacob as he left
Peniayl [where he wrestled with an angel] and
Jacob WAS LIMPING on his thigh
----------------------------------------------


LIST703i below contains several tenses with
indications of conjugation in Hebrew and English

List of verses using     JUSSIVE/COHORTIVE mood(I INTEND to...)

List of Rashis using     the 14 Tenses

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Rashi will very often take a verse whose
meaning is ALREADY understood and ADD a consequence
to the verse. We call this the SPREADSHEET
method since SPREADSHEETS are very often
used to derive consequences of otherwise
understood data.  The SPREADSHEET method
is also used when Rashi gives COMPUTATIONAL
or GEOMETRIC diagrams to clarify the meaning
of the verse.

EXAMPLE Gn35-11
------------------
Gn35-11 states
-----------------------------------
God said to Jacob=Israel
- Be fruitful and multiply
- a Nation
- and multitudes of nations
shall come from you
- Kings
shall come from your loins
-----------------------------------

Note: The meaning of this verse is
completely understood. God is blessing
Jacob that he will become a fruitful
nation with distinguished leaders.

However Rashi ADDS to this clear meaning
by applying it not only to the Jewish People
but also to Jacob himself. Rashi states
-----------------------------------
God said to Jacob=Israel
- Be fruitful and multiply: RASHI: Benjamin
- a Nation                  RASHI: Tribe Benjamin
- and multitudes of nations RASHI: Ephraim,Menashe
shall come from you
- Kings                     RASHI: King Saul
shall come from your loins
-----------------------------------

It is important to emphasize that ALL Rashi
is doing is showing the applicability of the
GENERAL verse to Jacob. Rashi does not dispute
the verse's straightforward meaning:
- Jacob=Israel will be a prolific nation
- with many distinguished leaders
- and many distinguished kingdoms
Rashi ingeniously shows that BESIDES the verse
applying to the NATION Israel it also applies
to the PERSON Jacob who would have more children
and more tribes and more kings.In delivering
this interpretation Rashi slightly stretches
the meaning of NATION to refer to TRIBES. This
can be justified but the driving force of Rashi
is not the MEANING OF WORDS but rather the
SPREADSHEET method which seeks to give CLARIFYING
examples to clearly understood texts.

LIST690q below summarizes this argument.

LIST690a below presents other Rashis using the SPREADSHEET
principle.

List of meanings of Gn33-11-to NATION ISRAEL/PERSON JACOB

List of Rashis using     Spreadsheets/Algebra

Lighting summary of Rashis with emphasis on Rashi rules*10