*1  Here are the full set of verses
---------------------------------------------
Lv07-34 I have given BREAST and FAT to Priest
Lv03-03 Fat is offered on altar Fire
---------------------------------------------

Hence we read Lv07-30 as follows
--------------------------------------------------
Owner brings
the [for-the-altar] fire:
[namely] FAT on breast is brought
to WAIVE IT[that is the BREAST not the FAT]
before God.
--------------------------------------------------



*2 The Minchah Eating rights are as follows
- Sin offerings are never eaten by priests
- Ordinary Minchahs are eaten by Priests
- Minchahs with a Priest owner are not eaten

In short all MINCHAH EATING laws apply.

There is an ironic subtlety here.
The verse says
------------------------------
It will to the PRIEST as a MINCHAH
-------------------------------

Rashi literally says
---------------------------------------------------
If a PRIEST offered it no one would eat it
---------------------------------------------------

It thus APPEARS that Rashi is PUNNING on the
word PRIEST---
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It will be to a PRIEST OWNER like a MINCHAH
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

But this is not necessary. The verse simply
means
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It will be to the PRIEST [offerer] as a MINCHAH
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This implies
----------------------------------
- If it is an ordinary Minchah the
PRIEST OFFERER can eat it
- If it is a PRIEST OWNED Minchah
then no one eats it
----------------------------------

Thus Rashi was not PUNNING but rather
emphasizing one extreme case of the
simple meaning of the text.


*3
Ex25-01:03 states
-----------------------------------
Command the Jews to take DONATIONS
whoever wishes to DONATE.
And these are the DONATIONS you should take
...gold SILVER and COPPER
-----------------------------------

But Ex30-11:13 states
-------------------------------------
When you make a CENSUS people
should give HALF A SHEKEL of silver
-------------------------------------

This is further spelled out at Ex38-25:28
--------------------------------------------
The silver from the half shekels was so much
and so much and used to make the silver stands
for the boards and the curtain hooks
--------------------------------------------

We see the CONTRADICTION: Was the silver a VOLUNTARY
donation or a REQUIRED TAX?

Rashi answers by distinguishing TWO CASES of the silver
-----------------------------------------------------
- There was a REQUIRED TAX of HALF SHEKEL used for the
stands and curtain hooks
- There was an ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY TAX---the silver
gathered was used to make silver utensils in the
sanctuary
-----------------------------------------------------



*4 PUBLICLY: He disagreed so as not to further inflame
the brothers who hated Joseph

PRIVATELY: He agreed because he believed in the dream

*1 Rashi, Lv26-17h points out that the phrase
-------------
PLACE MY FACE
-------------
means
--------------
FULL ATTENTION
--------------
whether
- for good, to reward
- for bad, to punish.

*2 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

*3 A MOUTH LOTTERY refers to a lottery where you stick your
hand in and select an item WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE
ITEMS (In an open-box lottery you can see what you are
picking even though you see backs of cards. In a MOUTH
LOTTERY the box is covered except for a small MOUTH).
The MOUTH LOTTERY is more secure and fairer.
Hence the Rashi

The name MOUTH LOTTERY is because the box has only
a small mouth preventing you from seeing what is
inside.
---------------------------------------------------
MOUTH LOTTERY means that the LOTTERY speaks and says
this belongs to so and so
---------------------------------------------------

Of course, Rashi did not believe that LOTTERIES speak.
Rather Rashi refers to the SECURITY and FAIRNESS of
the lottery. In other words
- MOUTH LOTTERY refers to a small MOUTH on LOTTERY box
(not to a physical voice on the box)
- Since the MOUTH LOTTERY is secure it is AS IF it
screams and points to a correct fair choice

*4 Rashi is NOT explaining the meaning of the INDIVIDUAL WORDS
- GOOD
- PROPER
Indeed, GOOD can mean SOCIALLY GOOD also (See Gn26-29)
Therefore we have interpreted this Rashi as an example
of the IDIOM method.

*5 These five examples show various idiomatic meanings of
the INFINITIVE of the verb TO SAY: TO SAY can mean
- TO SAY BACK: Request for response
- TO SAY OVER: To Transmit
- TO SAY OVER AND OVER: Rumor
See LIST955m for a separate summary

*6 Thus in Dt18-01
-------------------------------------
The PRIEST-LEVITES shall not inherit
from the conquest of Israel
-------------------------------------
the phrase PRIEST-LEVITES means
PRIESTS OR LEVITES.

Another occurrence of this phrase
occurs in Dt17-18.

In Dt17-09a Rashi does state
------------------------------------
The PRIESTS who are no longer Levites
------------------------------------

But I understand this to mean
------------------------------------
PRIESTS by itself means PRIESTS but
not Levites while LEVITES by itself
could mean LEVITES but not Priests--
PRIEST LEVITES means PRIESTS OR LEVITES*10
-------------------------------------

*7 Besides the fact that this sounds OK (WENT BY JOURNEYS=
STAYED BY SAME HOTELS) the verse gives support
---------------------------------------------
HE WENT BY HIS JOURNEYS...UNTIL HE RETURNED
TO HIS ORIGINAL PLACE WHERE HE BUILT AN ALTAR
---------------------------------------------

*8 In other words if
- the King slept with Sarah and then
- returned her to Abraham
perhaps he "had enough of her" and just "wanted to play."

But if he gives her a monetary gift then
- it is recognized that a miracle happened and his return
- is an apology for taking her.
- Hence the money prevents people EYEING Sarah(looking at
her as a 'rejected woman.'
This is covered in two Rashi (Gn20-16a Gn20-16b) which
are better understood as one Rashi.

*10 Dt17-09 states
---------------------------------------
[If you have a legal question then]
ask the PRIEST-LEVITES, the Judges of
the day
---------------------------------------

The law PREFERS that the great Sanhedrin
court in Jerusalem consist of PRIESTS.
Levites are a second choice (and Israelite
scholars are a third choice).

So it appears that Rashi's comment
--------------------------------------
Priests but not Levites
--------------------------------------
is literal.

But in Dt18-01 the prohibition of inheriting
conquested Israelie land applies to EITHER
Priests OR Levites.

Similarly I would interprtet Dt17-09 to mean
that EITHER Priests or Levites should preferably
be on the Great Sanhedrin. That is the Biblical
law.

But Rabbinically---since Priests are more
involved with the Temple there is a preference
for Priests to be elected to the great court
vs. Levites. This preference however is rooted
in logic not in the verse. The IDIOM, PRIEST-LEVITES
means PRIESTS or LEVITES as shown.

*11 See LIST854c for further examples where LEFT OR RIGHT
means a LITTLE bit. Rashi's actual language is
---------------------------------------------------
If you dont consent to the marriage then I will either
- go to the RIGHT (RASHI: The Ishmaelites)
- or the LEFT (RASHI: Lot-ites)
---------------------------------------------------

But in light of the examples in LIST854c this
Rashi should not be taken literally! Rather
Rashi should be interpreted broadly
----------------------------------------
My master prohibited marriages to Canaanites
So if you dont consent to the marriage
I will go to OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS OF ABRAHAM
- such as ISHMAEL his son
- or LOT his nephew
-----------------------------------------

There is temptation to interpret
-LEFT=LOT=weakness=(He committed incest with daughters)
-RIGHT=STRENGTH=Ishmael

However this SPECIFIC and FOCUSED interpretation of
LEFT and RIGHT is unsupported by the many other
examples in LIST854c below.

Notice this use of LISTS. We are only justified in
reading into Rashi what can be obtained from LISTS
We are not justified in reading extra!

Finally for those into Talmudic flavor note that
- all the other verses speak about LEFT/RIGHT
- Gn24-49 speaks about LEFT OR RIGHT (Hebrew Aleph-Vav)
Perhaps then the ALEPH VAV gives extra emphasis
But 2S02-19 shows that LEFT/RIGHT and LEFT OR RIGHT
both mean the same thing---A LITTLE BIT

*12 See LIST854m

*13 Notice the terminal hey on the Hebrew word
Aleph-Mem-Vav-Tauv-Hey--indicating the
JUSSIVE mode (mode of hope). Thus the
word is translated IF ONLY I COULD DIE

Hence the proper way of interpreting
this phrase is, similar to the English
idiom, IF ONLY I COULD DIE (How happy I
am)

Rashi SUPPLEMENTS the explanation of
this idiom by explaining it
------------------------------------
If I died now I would be comforted
knowing I saw you
------------------------------------

Rashi cites the Targum. However the
Targum's explanation should be seen
as secondary to the primary
explanation of the Rashi as an
idiomatic expression with a given
meaning (in other words you don't have
to explain idioms to understand them--
the idiom means what it does because
of usage)

*14 Rashi gives a second explanation
---------------------------------
If only I could die THIS TIME
---------------------------------

Rashi states
---------------------------------
I thought I would die in both this
world and the next---but now I see
I at most lost this world but not
the next since your dreams have
become prophecies and indications
that I am destined to the next world
---------------------------------

Rashi's second explanation does
not CONTRADICT or REPLACE the
first explanation.

Rather Rashi's two explanations
address TWO ISSUES in the verse
-------------------------------
The Hebrew word Aleph-Mem-Vav-
Tauv-Hey means IF ONLY I
COULD DIE which is an idiom
indicating HAPPYNESS
-------------------------------

However the Bible modified
the idiom
-------------------------
IF ONLY I COULD DIE
-------------------------
by adding the word THIS TIME

----------------------------
IF ONLY I COULD DIE THIS TIME
-----------------------------

Rashi sees this modification
of the idiom as indicating
a subtle nuance
--------------------------
I will only die THIS time
that is ONCE but not twice
--------------------------
alluding to the fact that
Jacob thought he would go
to hell for misleading
Joseph but now he sees he
at most lost this world but
is destined to the next world

*1 This is the Literal translation of name. It corresponds
to te reason explicitly given in Nu11-34

*2 No reason is given for name. But from Nu11-35 and Nu12-16
we know that Miriam slandered Moses and was punished with
Leprosy

*3 HotCoal is the literal translation of name. We are told
- HotCoal was the place after Hazertoh (Nu33-18)
- Paran was the place after Hazeroth (Nu12-16)
- The spies slandered Israel after Hazeroth(Nu13, Nu14)
Hence the Rashi
------------------------------------------------
Paran Desert is the same as HotCoal. It is called
HotCoal because of the heated slanderous words
uttered against Israel*10
------------------------------------------------

*10 Rashi actually cites the Hebrew version of the English
pun
------------------
heated words
------------------
However we believe the proper way to approach Rashi
is simply to indicate that this is a universal pun
in all languages.

*1
Rashi interprets the relationship between
- death of High priest
- freedom of prisoner
using the SYMBOLISM method. Here Rashi symbolically interprets the
priesthood by identifying the priesthood with its FUNCTION

- The FUNCTION of the priesthood is to atone / prevent NEGLIGENT sin
Most sin offerings are offered because of sinful negligence
- The negligent murderer committed murder thru negligence
- Hence the BLOOD avenger may wish to kill the negligent murderer
- But when the High Priest dies people can argue that the High
Priest died because of his sins of not fully correcting
negligence. Consequently the High Priest was equally responsible
for the negligent sin of murder. Therefore the blood avenger
will not desire to kill him (Because he is no longer the
sole cause of the murder).

*2 Tefillin must be written on a Kosher animal symbolizing that
the contents of the tefillin is food for thought.

*3 The Temple Table symbolized in a variety of procedures the
PHYSICAL side of life. For example SLAUGHTER of offerings
was done on the same side of the Temple that the table was in
symbolizing the SLAUGHTER/CONTROL of our physical desires.
More will be said in other digests on this symbolism.

*4 See Nu11. The Shofar was used to announce migration of the
Jewish camp while the Jews were in the desert. Hence the
use of the Shofar on the Jewish New Year symbolizes
migration spiritually to a new world.

*5 The topic of offering symbolism will be dealt with in other
digests in greater detail. Here we simply note that
- OXEN symbolize COWORKERS with God;
- RAMS symbolize LEADERS;
- SHEEP symbolize followers.

*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