Rashi-Is-Simple Mailing List
(C) Dr Russell Jay Hendel, 1999
http://www.shamash.org/rashi
Volume 4 Number 14
Produced Dec, 10 1999
Topics Discussed in This Issue
------------------------------
v4a10-31
NA=PLEASE=request for the not expected: eg a)EVEN THOUGH
*we* double crossed you PLEASE renew the treaty(1-26-28)
b) EVEN THOUGH *you* said 'keep what is yours' PLEASE
take it(1-33-10);c)EVEN THOUGH he was caught PLEASE let
him go(1-44-33).
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
***************************
*** READING TIPS ***
***************************
IF YOU ARE IN A HURRY WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS:
* VERSE:
* RASHI TEXT:
* BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
"HOW DO I FIND QUICKLY A SPECIFIC SECTION?"
ANSWER: Use your FIND menu
For example: FIND VERSE:
takes you to the beginning of the next section.
Similarly
FIND NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
takes you to the brief explanation of Rashi.
"IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO GO TO EACH VERSE AND POSTING?"
Yes. Use your FIND menu.
"FIND #*#*#*#" takes you to the next posting
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v4a10-31
======
v4-10-31 PLEASE don't leave us (Moses to Yithro)
v4-12-12 PLEASE don't let us die (Aaron to Moses)
v4-12-13 God, PLEASE, please cure her (Moses to God)
v4-16-8 PLEASE listen, Levites (Moses to Korach)
v5-3-25 PLEASE let me go to Israel (God to Moses)
RASHI TEXT:
===========
v4-10-31 PLEASE is a sign of ENTREATY. Moses said to
Yithro....'If you go back people might say
that you converted to get an inheritance
in Israel and when you found you couldn't
get the inheritance because you were a
convert you left'
v4-12-12 Aaron asked for mercy on Miryam "She is your sister"
v4-12-13 The Torah teaches manners. When you want to ask
someone for a favor you should begin with 2-3
words of supplication and only then ask
v4-16-8 He started to speak to them gently
Then when they started being obnoxious
He spoke to all of them (lest the rebellion spread)
When he started speaking gently to Korach he also
spoke to them with recognition of their distinguish
qualities ('Is it enough that God chose you...')
v5-3-25 PLEASE denotes a supplication
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
=========================================
We have seen in v4n13, v1b33-14 that
>NA = PLEASE= A REQUEST in the presence of the UNEXPECTED
We have seen that NA functions in one of 4 ways
#1) The person requesting asks for something he said he didn't want
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus the clearest example is the contrast between 1-11-7 and 1-18-21
Recall that God promised
>Not to destroy the world again, 1-8-21
Therefore in 1-18-21 where God speaks about destroying Sedom we have
>PLEASE Let me Go down (to investigate destruction)
while in 1-11-7, where God just speaks about breaking up a coalition
we have
> Let us Go down
Notice how the two verses of GOD GOING DOWN differ in that
one of them has the word PLEASE (PLEASE let me go down)
Thus the word
>PLEASE
emphasizes that God is going to destroy Sedom
>DESPITE the fact that he promised not to destroy the world
This
>Prior promise not to destroy the world
makes it
>UNEXPECTED that God would destroy Sedom
Hence we have the word
>PLEASE
{LIST1} presents the Genesis examples on NA=PLEASE from v4n12.
#2) The person requested from had said he wouldn't grant the request
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This is one of the more common forms of please. Thus Esauv said
>I will not take gifts from you, 1-33-9
and Jacob responds 1-33-10
>PLEASE Don't (say NO..accept the gift EVEN THOUGH you said no)
Similarly Esauv had
>hated Jacob (1-27-41)
and Jacob responds 1-33-11
>PLEASE like me (EVEN THOUGH you hated me)
In both cases the word
>PLEASE
comes to counteract something that was
>not EXPECTED
{LIST2} contains many examples of this type of PLEASE.
We have added to this list
>v4-10-31, PLEASE don't leave us (Moses to Yithro)
Indeed, we
>EXPECT YITHRO to leave
since he explicitly said
>4-10-30, No I will not go with you but return to my land
Thus the request to stay (which contradicts Yithro's intent to
leave) is preceded by a PLEASE. (Rashi also gives supportive reasons
for his request to Yithro--this is discussed in the COMMENTS ON
RASHIS FORM SECTION).
#3) PLEASE can indicate a request for something not deserved
------------------------------------------------------------
The clearest examples of this are 1-50-17
>PLEASE forgive us (even though we tried to kill you)
or 1-44-18
>PLEASE listen (even though Binyamin was caught stealing).
Since the thing requested is
>NOT DESERVED
therefore it is also
>NOT EXPECTED.
{LIST3} presents a list of such uses of PLEASE. We have added
to this list
>5-3-25 PLEASE let me go to Israel (EVEN THOUGH you said I won't)
>4-12-12 PLEASE don't let us die (EVEN THOUGH we slandered you)
Again Rashi gives reasons for the PLEASE in 4-12-12 which will be
commented on in the COMMENTS ON RASHIS FORM SECTION. Similarly
Midrashim explain how MOses asked to get out of a prophetic order
not to go to Israel (also cited in the COMMENTS ON RASHIS FORM
SECTION).
#4) PLEASE can indicate POLITE MANNERS
--------------------------------------
The clearest example of this is the contrast between 1-27-19 and
1-27-31. In both cases Jacob/Esauv ask Isaac to partake in the
dinner they prepared and then bless him. In 1-27-19 Jacob says
>PLEASE get up...eat...so that you can bless me
while in 1-27-31 Esauv says
> get up...eat...so that you can bless me
Note how the primary difference between the two verses is the word
>PLEASE.
This word
>PLEASE
denotes good manners. The idea of good manners is that when eg Jacob
wants Isaac to do something for him then Jacob is thinking of
himself, he is thinking of what Isaac can do for him. By saying
>PLEASE
Jacob acknowledges that Isaac may be thinking of himself. Since
Isaac is thinking of himself it is not EXPECTED that he will think
of Jacob also (while he is thinking about himself). By saying
>PLEASE
Jacob asks Isaac to think about Jacob EVEN THOUGH he is EXPECTED
to think about himself. Thus the reason the word
>PLEASE
denotes
>GOOD MANNERS
is because it emphasizes that the person doing us a favor has his
own life and may be thinking of himself versus us.
{LIST4} presents a list of examples where PLEASE indicates POLITE
MANNERS. We have added to this list
>4-12-13 God, PLEASE, please cure her
>4-16-8 PLEASE listen (Moses to Korach)
In both these verses RESPECT is being shown to the listener. Thus
as Rashi says on 4-12-13
>It is proper manners to show respect before requesting
(NOTE: The verse
>4-12-13 God, PLEASE, please cure her
has two
>PLEASES
The first
>PLEASE (God, PLEASE,...)
is the
>PLEASE of POLITENESS
while the second
>PLEASE (PLEASE cure her)
is the
>PLEASE EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T DESERVE)
Similarly in 4-16-8 even though Korach was rebelling against God
and Moses nevertheless Moses treated them with respect (PLEASE)
in order to settle the conflict. Additional comments are made
in the COMMENTS ON RASHIS FORM SECTION.
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
=========================
We make 8 comments
A) STATISTICAL METHODS (DIVIDE, HYPOTHESIZE, & CONQUER)
-------------------------------------------------------
Proper statistical methodology requires
>breaking a data set up into 2 pieces
>doing research on the 1st piece
>and then testing that research on the 2nd piece
So in this case
>we studied the PLEASE in Genesis (v4n12)
>we then formulated the 4 TYPES OF PLEASE
>we then tested these 4 TYPES on other Biblical books
This is proper Biblical methodology.
B) SMALL AND BIG PROOFS
-----------------------
Notice how several of the 4 types are first illustrated
by PAIRS of verses using the alignment method. Thus for
example the alignment of 1-27-19 and 1-27-31
>PLEASE get up ..eat ..so you can bless me
> get up ..eat ..so you can bless me
clearly shows that one person was POLITE mannered while
the other was not. Similarly the alignment of 1-11-7 vs 1-18-21
>PLEASE let me go down (to destroy)
> let us go down (to disperse the city)
clearly shows that PLEASE is used by DESTRUCTION (because had
previously promised not to destroy). Having learned something
by alignment the idea is then transferred to the other verses.
C) RASHI's COMMENTS ON please AGREE WITH halachah
-------------------------------------------------
Jewish law (eg Rambam Prayer 1:1-3) explicitly states
that when praying one should use the following form
>Praise God and only then
>make ones requests and then
>Thank God for all his goodness
The first phase of
>Praising God
is consistent with what Rashi learns on 4-12-13 from
the first few words of Moses prayer
>Almighty, Please....Please cure her
Thus the
>Praise of God (Almighty, Please)
precedes the actual prayer
>Please cure her.
D) SUPPLEMENTING A please WITH A REASON
---------------------------------------
We have already seen in v4n12 that since
>PLEASE = A REQUEST FOR SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
it follows that REASONS must be given why the UNEXPECTED
thing should be granted. Rashi frequently supplies these
reasons. Some examples might be 1-44-33
>Let me (Judah) be in prison vs Binyamin (who really stole)
BECAUSE
>I (Judah) surpass Binyamin in strength, service etc
Similarly when Joseph's brothers request 1-49-17
>PLEASE forgive us (for trying to kill you)
Rashi supplements Joseph's forgiveness with 3 of the half dozen
reasons listed in the Genesis Rabbah
>If 10 of you couldn't kill 1 of me how can I kill 10 of you
>People thought I(Joe) was a slave till you came down...if
>I kill you they will think I am still a slave
Clearly these reasons are not in the text nor do they emanate
from grammar. Rather they are good guesses which enhance the
meaning of the text. Very often they are based on nuances of
the text but the focus of the Rashi should be on the word PLEASE--
the various supportive reasons to the PLEASE should be seen as
good guesses which show how the conversation could have evolved.
We will now use this principle of reason on several of the new
Rashis.
E) SUPPORTIVE REASONS FOR MIRYAM
---------------------------------
4-12-12..please don't let her die of Leprosy--even though we
slandered you and deserve it--after all she is you sister.
Thus the supportive reason for forgiving Miryam even though
she slandered Moses is
>because she is your sister
F) SUPPORTIVE REASONS FOR 5-3-25 Moses desire to go to Israel
-------------------------------------------------------------
Chazal suggest that Moses interpreted 5-1-37:38 to mean that
>I can't go in to Israel as leader, but rather
>Joshua will lead them into Israel
So Moses prayed to go in as an ordinary lay person.
G) SUPPORTIVE REASONS for 4-10-31 Jethro should stay with Jews
--------------------------------------------------------------
Moses said "If you don't want to stay for yourself then stay
for appearance---how will it look if you leave---people will
say you left because you couldn't get a cut in the land"
As already commented this is conjecture. The main observation
of Rashi is that Moses said PLEASE which indicates that he tried
to get Jethro to go back on his statement that he wouldn't go.
The emphasis on
>people will say you didn't join us because you are
>a convert and can't inherit the land
seems to come from the previous verse 4-10-31
>No I(Jethro) will go back to my LAND and PLACE
But in reality there is nothing peculiar about this verse
The main thrust is conceptual not grammatical...Moses was
asking Jethro to stay "Because of appearances" if he personally
did not want to go. The MIDRASHIM (Rabbah, Tanchuma etc)
frequently give many extra nuances to such requests..it is
important therefore to distinguish between the GRAMMATICAL
aspects of Rashi and the HYPOTHETICAL aspects of Rashi.
H) Supportive Reasons by request to stop Korach rebellion(4-16-8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
First Rashi simply points out that even though THEY were rebelling
nevertheless it was proper procedure to begin the request to stop
with a
>PLEASE listen.
Rashi's other comments do NOT come from the shift of person in the
verse
>1-16-8 and God said to KORACH
> listen the SONS OF LEVI
Such a shift is NOT peculiar. It is normal to address either the
leader or the group.
Rather Rashi's comments come from the overall structure of the
Parshah
>4-16-8:11 Moses speaks(gently) to Levites
>4-16-12:14 Moses speaks to Dathan-Aviram(who answer harshly
>4-16-15 Moses is insulted
>4-16-16:19 Moses confronts them rather than risk losing more
Thus Moses first 4-16-8:11
>speaks gently to Levites (using PLEASE)
>acknowledges their high status ('God chose you...')
Moses then tries to speak to Dathan-Aviram 4-16-12:14
>who answer harshly.
Moses who is insulted (4-16-15) then decides 4-16-16:19 that it is
>better to confront them rather than risk losing more people
>who might join them
Thus Rashi was simply commenting on the shift in mood in the Parshah
(first concilitary and then confrontational). Thus the method used
here is OVERALL STRUCTURE (there is nothing bothersome about the
grammar).
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
===========================================================
{LIST1} {In this LIST a person requests something that
>THEY THEMSELVES
have previously said or shown they didn't want or
wouldn't do. EG EVEN THOUGH I(God) promised not
to destroy the world NEVERTHELESS PLEASE let me
destroy SEDOM. The point is since God promised
not to destroy the world we do NOT EXPECT Him
to destroy Sedom, hence the word NA, denoting
the NOT expected}
VERSE EVEN THOUGH... PLEASE...
======== ======================================= ===================
v1c38-25 I denied these items to you acknowledge them
v1-12-11 I say you're my beautiful wife say your my sister
v1-18-21 I promised not to destroy the world*2 let me destroy Sdm
v1a22-2 I promised to make Isaac a great nation sacrifice him
v1b19-2 I greeted you as lords come the back way*3
v1b26-28 I(we) double crossed you renew the treaty*4
{LIST2} {In this list a person requests something that
>The person they are talking to
either said or showed by action they wouldn't do
EG Jacob claimed he was Esauv so that his father
should bless him. But Jacob showed by his actions
>using Gods name all the time
that he really wasn't Esauv. So Isaac said
>EVEN THOUGH you claim to be Esauv
>you act like Jacob SO PLEASE Let me
>test you
Since Jacob was putting on an act and claiming
to be Esauv we do not EXPECT him to consent to
the test...hence the word NA, denoting the NOT
expected}
VERSE EVEN THOUGH... PLEASE...
======== ======================================= ===================
v1-27-21 YOU claim to be Esauv let me test you
v1a33-10 YOU said keep what is yours take what I present
v1a33-14 YOU want to travel with me go ahead without me
v1b33-10 YOU hate me begin liking me
v1c19-18 YOU promised me life *5 don't send me to hills
v1-18-3 YOU, God, came to me, wait for me
v1a19-2 YOU are strangers, be my lords *6
v1b27-3 YOU eat traif food prepare Kosher *7
v4-10-31 YOU say you won't go to Israel*10 go to Israel with us
{LIST3} {In this list a person requests something that either
>really belongs to someone else
or
>something he doesn't deserve.
For example, Binyamin had been caught stealing.
Joseph took him as a slave. He really deserved
it. So Judah says
>PLEASE LET HIM GO
The word PLEASE means that since he deserves it
the letting him go would be contrary to what
is expected}
VERSE EVEN THOUGH... PLEASE...
======== ======================================= ===================
v1-50-17 we deserve to die forgive us
v1b24-17 you worked for this water give me a little
v1b40-14 Pharoh wouldn't help a slave remember me to him
v1c44-33 he was caught let him go
v5-3-25 God told him he couldn't go to Israel*11let him goto Israel
{LIST4} {In this
>NA = PLEASE
For example Abraham says
>PLEASE TAKE SOME WATER
The clearest example of this use of please comes by
contrasting
> 1-27-19 PLEASE Get up father (Yaakov)
to
> 1-27-31 Get up father (Esauv)
The reason
>NA = PLEASE
is because the person requesting is
>Thinking of himself
By saying
>PLEASE
the person shows consideration
>FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S NEEDS
For example when Judah wanted to visit a prostitute he is
thinking of his own needs. When however Judah says
>PLEASE PREPARE yourself for the prostitution
He shows that he is considerate for her feelings also.}
VERSE TEXT
======== ==========================================================
v1-27-22 PLEASE get up (1-27-19) vs GET UP (1-27-31)
v1-38-16 Please PREPARE yourself for the prostitution*8
v1a18-4 Please let water be taken to you*9
v4-12-12 Please don't let us die of leprosy (Aaron to Moses)*12
v4-12-13 GOD, PLEASE....Please cure her*13
v4-16-8 Please listen (Moses to Korach and his mob)*14
FOOTNOTES
---------
*1
To illustrate the LIST, note that Judah slept with
Tamar and promised her payment with a sheep. He in
turn gave his signet ring as a surety. Yet she refused
to return this signet ring. Then when she had to
acknowledge that she got pregnant from him she said
>EVEN THOUGH I have denied these items are
>yours PLEASE acknowledge them.
In this case the
>NOT BEING EXPECTED
was because TAMAR
>kept on DENYING OWNERSHIP
Now by contrast she
>Wants ownership
This is something
>NOT EXPECTED
We summarize this in the list by stating
>EVEN THOUGH I denied these items to you
>NEVERTHELESS PLEASE acknowledge them
Hence the two columns marked
>EVEN THOUGH
and
>PLEASE.
*2 Note the contrast that by the tower of Babel it simply says
>1-11-7 Let us prepare to Go Down
while by Sedom and Amorah it says
>1-18-21 Let us PLEASE prepare to Go Down
*3
{LIST6} {Of verses where it uses the Hebrew word
>SOOR = Get out of here
The phrase
>Get out of here
Always occurs with the preposition FROM
>Get out FROM here
In two cases the preposition TO is used
>Get out TO here
And in both of them it means STEATHILY
In one case Jud4-18 Yael asked General Sisra to
get out of running and come to her tent for
protection while in the other case Lot asked
the strangers to get out of the street and come
to his house lest the townspeople hurt them.
There are also some occurences of the verb SOOR
without any preposition (but they are not in this
LIST)}
VERSE PREPOSITION TEXT
======== =========== ============================================
4-16-26 FROM Get out of here FROM the wicked people
Ps6-9 FROM Get out of here FROM ME all sinners
Ps139-19 FROM And murderers should get out of here FROM ME
1S15-6 FROM Get out of here FROM the Amalek lest you die
Jud4-18 TO Get out of here TO ME
1-19-2 TO Get out of here TO ME
*4 Some people MIGHT think that Rashi is saying that we should NOT
interpret the verse as
>Let there please be a treaty between us, between me and you
but rather as
>Let the treaty between us be between me and you
In other words the phrase
>TREATY BETWEEN US
is not
>RELATIONAL (Let there be a treaty between us)
but rather
>ADJECTIVAL (Let the treaty between us be between you and us
However such an approach must be rejected since there is no list
to back up the assertion that
>TREATY BETWEEN US
is adjectival. Rather the simple meaning of the sentence comes
from the word
>PLEASE---
which denotes something not expected. In this case since
>Avimelech continously double crossed Isaac(1-26-19:22)
therefore when Avimelech says
>let us make a treaty
it is
>unexpected.
As to the wordiness of the verse
>treaty between us
>between you and me
this is explained by Avimelech's guilt (an emotion which causes
wordiness). Finally Rashi brings in the previous convenant of
Abraham and Avimelech to show a possible argument by how
Avimelech argued to renew the treaty. There are about half
a dozen rashis with NA where LOGICAL ARGUMENTS are brought.
*5 v1c19-18 and v1b19-18 say the same thing
*6 There are two ways to interpret this phrase
>Please my lords, please come to my house (APPOSITIONAL)
vs
>Please BE my lords; please come to my house
The reason this ambiguity is possible is because
>the verb to BE is elliptical in Hebrew
I would suppose what led Rashi to his interpretation
is the double
>PLEASE
one for each sentence.
*7 Although the meaning of NA is clear in this sentence
>EVEN THOUGH you eat traif PLEASE make Kosher for me
Nevertheless we have left this Rashi out since Rashi assumes
>NA = TO SHARPEN A KNIFE
which is a mishnaic use of Hebrew not a Biblical use of
Hebrew. Hence although I am including this verse in the
list of NAs in Genesis, I am deferring analyzing the
Rashi until such time as we can defend the meaning of
>SA = TO SHARPEN
*8 According to Rashi
>HVH = To Prepare
While according to OOKELOOS we can have
>HVH = To give
There are only 12 occurences of HVH in the whole Bible.
Rashi comments on at least 4 of them that
>HVH = To prepare
Consequently I have only brought this example for purpose of
the list of occurences of NA. We will comment on the 12
occurences of
>HVH
in a future issue.
*9 The usage of NA here is
>NA = PLEASE (the polite form of the word)
Rashis actual comment is on PASSIVE use of the verb. Not
>TAKE SOME WATER
But
>LET WATER BE TAKEN FOR YOU
This explains Rashis comment
>LET THE WATER BE TAKEN BY MESSENGER
In fact {LIST8} shows that this verb is the only passive
one in this section
*10 Rashi gives a supportive reason for the requested change of mind
If you don't want to go for yourself go for the sake of the
community who will think you left because you can't inherit
*11 Chazal suggest that Moses interpreted 5-1-37:38 to mean
that he can't enter Israel as a leader but can enter
it as a layman (hence the request for God to 'change')
*12 Rashi offers a supportive reason for Moses forgiving them
even though they slandered him---"She is your sister"
*13 The first PLEASE---GOD, PLEASE--is POLITENESS towards God
The second please--Please cure her--is the PLEASE
used when you don't deserve something (she slandered
him and she deserved to be punished).
*14 Rashi notes the contrast in the Parshas
>4-16-8:11 Moses speaks(gently) to Levites
>4-16-12:14 Moses speaks to Dathan-Aviram(who answer harshly
>4-16-15 Moses is insulted
>4-16-16:19 Moses confronts them rather than risk losing more
Thus at the beginning he said PLEASE listen (Concilitary tone)
Only when they didn't cooperate did he try and bring the matter
to closure
CROSS REFERENCES:
=================
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
=================
v4n12, v1b33-14 Initial discussion of PLEASE
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
===============================================================
SPECIAL WORDS
SPECIAL WORDS
SPECIAL WORDS
OVERALL STRUCTURE
SPECIAL WORDS
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