SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 5 main goals is to indicate paragraph
structure. The modern author can indicate paragraph
structure thru either
- indentation or
- white space: blank lines surrounding the paragraph.

One method by which the Bible indicates paragraph
structure is to use a THEME-DETAIL-THEME style--that is
- a THEME sentence is stated,
- followed by some DETAILS of that theme and concluding
- with a repetition of the THEME sentence.
Thus the opening and closing THEME sentence form
brackets indicating a paragraph unit.

Recall that in modern writing, the details of
a paragraph develop the theme sentence of the paragraph.
Since the THEME-DETAIL-THEME structure
indicates a biblical paragraph, therefore the
DETAILs are seen as the DEVELOPMENT of the paragraph THEME.
Since the DETAILS are seen as the DEVELOPMENT of the
PARAGRAPH THEME it follows the DETAILS should be
SLIGHTLY GENERALIZED so as to resemble the THEME.

We call this Rashi method the THEME-DETAIL-THEME
or GENERAL-DETAIL-GENERAL submethod of the
RABBI ISHMAEL STYLE method. The name RABBI ISHMAEL
STYLE method reflects the fact that the
THEME-DETAIL-THEME structure is mentioned
among the 13 exegetical rules of Rabbi Ishmael.

What have we contributed to the Rabbi Ishmael
Style rules? Rabbi Ishmael simply states that
THE DETAILS SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY GENERALIZED LIKE THE
THEME. We have ALSO explained the reason for this
using a LITERARY MODEL. Since the entire THEME-
DETAIL-THEME unit is PERCEIVED as a paragraph,
therefore like any other paragraph in literature
the DETAILS ARE SLIGHTLY GENERALIZED LIKE THE THEME.


EXAMPLE Gn21-16a Gn21-16c
-----------------------------------------
Gn21-16 discusses the anguish of Hagar
wandering in a desert without water with
a sick son who needed water
-----------------------------------------------------------
She sat OPPOSITE child
                               At an arrow shots distance
                               Because she said
                               I don't want to see
                               the childs death
She sat OPPOSITE, crying
-----------------------------------------------------------

Normally OPPOSITE means NEAR AND OPPOSITE
However in this case OPPOSITE is a paragraph THEME
which is modified by paragraph DETAILS which clearly
state AT AN ARROW SHOTS DISTANCE. Hence the Rashi
----------------------------------------------
OPPOSITE here means OPPOSITE BUT FAR AWAY
----------------------------------------------

LIST461a below summarizes this argument.

List of clauses in  Gn21-16--Hagar watches as child dies

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is to give the meaning of
words the same way the dictionary gives meaning. We
call this the Rashi method of WORD MEANING.

All languages allow words to acquire
NEW MEANINGS. Rashi frequently used a
universal principle of all languages---METONOMY.
METONOMY refers to the capacity to name an item
by a related item (such as naming a PEOPLE, Americans,
by the LAND they live in, America)

Some standard METONOMYS name words by their
- FORM (e.g. the PENTAGON)
- FUNCTION (e.g. the UNITED NATIONS)
- FEEL (e.g. HARDship)
- SUBSTANCE (e.g. a GLASS, or GLASSES)
We call this the FFF (Form Function Feel) principle.

The examples below illustrate these techniques.

EXAMPLE 1: Gn14-17b STADIUM
--------------------------------------------
Gn14-17b mentions the FLAT-VALLEY. Rashi
explains that FLAT-VALLEY is an IDIOM meaning
STADIUM or AMPITHEATER.

In this instance Rashi named the STADIUM
by its FORM--the STADIUM has the form of a
FLAT VALLEY

EXAMPLE 2: Gn21-20a ARCHER
------------------------------------
- The Hebrew root Kuph-Shin-Tauv means BOW
- The Hebrew root RESH-BETH-BETH means RAIN
- The IDIOM RAIN, OF BOW means a PROFESSIONAL ARCHER
-------------------------------------

In this instance the PROFESSIONAL ARCHER
is named by the FORM
of the ACTIVITY of the PROFESSIONAL ARCHER.
A barrage of arrows from a PROFESSIONAL ARCHER
appears to have the same FORM as a RAIN STORM.

LIST871z presents these and
other IDIOMS based on metonomy, synechdoche, and FFF.

List of idioms using METONOMY/SYNECHDOCHE(Meaning by relation)
LIST871z continues LIST871d LIST871c LIST871b LIST871a

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashi's 10 major methods is the WORD MEANING
method. When using the WORD MEANING method Rashi
explains WORD MEANINGS similar to what a dictionary
will do.

Rashi had 10 vehicles of NAMING WORDS. One such vehicle
was the SPECIAL CONNECTIVE WORD subrule. SPECIAL CONNECTIVE
WORDS include words like TO, FOR, BECAUSE, IF, THEN, ALSO.
SPECIAL CONNECTIVE WORDS are words that are frequently
used to either modify the meaning of whole sentences or
connect disparate sentences.

EXAMPLE Gn20-02b
----------------
In the following verse we have translated ALEPH LAMED as
meaning CONCERNING
----------------------------------------------
Abraham said CONCERNING Sarah his wife
She is my sister
-----------------------------------------------

LIST004c below presents other examples of verses where
ALEPH LAMED means CONCERNING.

A list of verses Where AYIN-LAMED-means CONCERNING

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
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.)


EXAMPLE Gn10-20a
----------------
Gn10-20a presents the genealogy of Cham, one of
Noach's 3 children
---------------------------------------------------------
BULLETED structure of    Gn10-20a (Diverse Chamite nations)
---------------------------------------------------------
These are the sons of Ham, '        '
                          BY       their families,
                          BY       their tongues,
                          IN       their countries, and
                          IN       their nations.
---------------------------------------------------------


Rashi comments on the bulleted list
--------------------------------------------------------------
Despite the diversity of
- different nations
- different languages
- different countries
- different families
they were nevertheless all descendents and students of Cham,
who was hot-headed and excessively sexually oriented.(In
fact his name CHAM means HEAT)

In other words we should not be fooled by their diversity
since they were all Chamite in nature.
---------------------------------------------------------------

LIST120v below summarizes this argument

BULLETED structure of    Gn10-20a (Diverse Chamite nations)

Lighting summary of Rashis with emphasis on Rashi rules*10