SUCCINCT SUMMARY
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Some Rashi comments deal with FORMATTING.
Modern authors FORMAT using such techniques as
BULLETS, PARAGRAPHING, BOLD, ITALICS and UNDERLINE.
The Biblical Author achieved these effects but thru
different means.

For example a modern author might hilight distinct
items using BULLETS. The Biblical Author hilights
distinct items using REPEATING KEYWORDS.

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

Rashi could also infer from the general PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
(without any keywords). We call this the the Rashi rule of
FORMATTING with the Rashi subrule of PARAGRAPHS.

The use of the FORMATTING principle is especially common
in POETIC passages. In a poetic passage, EVEN if there
is no repeating keyword, each stanza represents a separate
distinct item. We have advocated the following method for
understanding BIBLICAL POETIC PASSAGES
- Identify those stanzas whose meaning is understood
- Identify the UNIFYING meaning of the WHOLE passage
- Identify the STAGES of this UNIFYING meaning
- Read these identified STAGES into the text of each STANZA

Note that unlike
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- PROSE where we first identify the
word / grammer meanings and then
determine the meaning of the whole

- in POETRY the meaning of the whole comes
first and then determines the meaning of the
individual stanzas and their words/grammar.
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Many people react negatively to this approach
since we are READING MEANING into the words
to fit our theory of the WHOLE. However this
is the nature of POETRY in all languages.

The important thing in a poetic interpretation is to
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- identify clearly every general THEME
- then try to ASSOCIATE as many EXAMPLES as possible
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Again many people react negatively to this. The
important point to remember is that Rashi is not
- EXHAUSTING/IDENTIFYING the meaning
of the verse with his comments
- but ILLUSTRATING the meaning of the verse
We call this the ILLUSTRATION-EXHAUSTION principle.

If one takes the Rashi comments as ILLUSTRATIONS
one will have a richer appreciation of Rashi.

EXAMPLE Dt33-17
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Rashi interprets Dt33-17 as
- speaking about the greatness of the Josephine tribes
- they had LEADERSHIP, BEAUTY, and MILITARY might

As usual Rashi ILLUSTRATES (but does not exhaust) the
meaning of the verses with EXAMPLES from OTHER VERSES
- LEADER: The ELDEST of OXEN--e.g. A LEADER known for PRODUCTIVITY
e.g. Joshua was Josephine and LEAD the conquest of Israel
- BEAUTY: BEAUTY is HIS-----------------e.g.
e.g. Joshua received the BEAUTY and LUSTRE of PROPHECY (Nu27-20)
- MILITARY: He possesses RAM horns
- - With these horns he conquers the ENDS OF THE EARTH
(Rashi: e.g. Joshua conquered Israel with alliances
to many lands--Rashi cites Jr03-19;  I would supplement
with Ez38-12. Also note that the Book of Joshua is filled
with references to foreign alliances--e.g. Jo10-33,Jo11-01:08)
- - These conquests are the 10,000s conquered by Ephraim
(e.g. Joshua, an Ephraimite conquered many nations)
- - These conquests are the 1000s of Menasheh
(e.g. Gideon conquered the 2 kings mentioned in  Ju08-10)

LIST108m below summarizes this PARAGRAPH structure
with copious footnotes

PARAGRAPH structure of   Dt33-17 a)Leader b)Beauty c)Military

Lighting summary of Rashis with emphasis on Rashi rules*10