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Surfing the Talmudic Seas
(C) Dr Russell Jay Hendel, 2000
Volume 7 Number 18
Produced Sept 26, 2000
WARNING: USE FIX WIDTH FONTS (eg COURIER (NEW) 10)
Verses/Topics Discussed in This Issue with quicky explanations
v9-9-28a NEW WEB FREE DOWNLOAD---WORD 2.0 PAPER ON RASHI RULES
The website has been updated with a 4 page paper written
In English on Rashis Rules. It comes with a free download
My FREE DOWNLOADS are Forever and Forever without any
Restrictions (except acknowledgement)
WEEKLY PARSHAH SERIES
Dt32-04a This verse has 4 phrases which all say GOD
IS JUST. Rashi outlines the requirements of
A Good Judge.
Dt32-05a The HITPAEL Grammatical mode indicates
INTERACTIVE activity. About a dozen examples
are presented from various Rashis.
Dt32-07a This verse has 4 phrases which all say
LEARN ABOUT GODS PROVIDENCE FROM HISTORY
Rashi outlines how one can learn from
History.
Rashis covered in this issue
----------------------------
VERSE RULE BRIEF EXPLANATION
======== ============== =================
Dt32-04a EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say GOD IS JUST
Dt32-04b EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say GOD IS JUST
Dt32-04c EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say GOD IS JUST
Dt32-04d EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say GOD IS JUST
Dt32-05a DOUBLE PARSHAS Rashi learns meaning by DOUBLE PARSHAS
Dt32-05b DOUBLE PARSHAS Rashi learns meaning by DOUBLE PARSHAS
Dt32-05c DOUBLE PARSHAS Rashi learns meaning by DOUBLE PARSHAS
Dt32-07a EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say LEARN FROM HISTORY
Dt32-07b EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say LEARN FROM HISTORY
Dt32-07c EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say LEARN FROM HISTORY
Dt32-07d EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say LEARN FROM HISTORY
Dt32-07e EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say LEARN FROM HISTORY
Dt32-07f EXAMPLE8 The 4 phrases say LEARN FROM HISTORY
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RASHI IS SIMPLE
GOALS: To grammatically defend all 8000 Rashis on Chumash.
METHOD:Rashis are defended with LISTS of comparable cases
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JOURNAL REFERECE: Pshat & Drash,TRADITION, Win 1980,R Hendel
NOTATION: eg Gn01-02a refers to Rashi "a" on Genesis 1:2
SPECIALS:...on Parshah,Rambam,Ramban,Pedagogy,Symbolism
RASHI-IS-SIMPLE RULES Complete set of rules on bottom
EMAIL: RJHendel@Juno.Com, rashi-is-simple@shamash.org,
WEB: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
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VERSE: v9-9-28a
If you visit the Rashi website you can find my 4 page paper on
Rashi rules. This paper was written for Kol Hashomrim the
biannual publication of my Synagogue, Shomrey Emunah.
It was posted on the website Saturday Night and just came
out today. It was reviewed several times by my Shomrey Emunah
congregation. It is a very readable paper with spicy examples
and punchy formulations.
Please visit the website. It is only 4 pages. Feel free to
download the "rtf" copy which reads well in Word and Wordperfect
Do you like the appearance of this copy. PErhaps the use of
BOld,Italics, and underlines adds clarity. It is planned to
place all items on the website in the future in this
format. Let me know your opinion (Email:RJHendel@Juno.Com)
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VERSE: Dt32-04a
RASHIS COVERED: Dt32-04a Dt32-04b Dt32-04c Dt32-04d
RULE: We have frequently indicated that POETIC verses are
governed by the Rabbi Ishmael rule of CONTEXT. Very often poetic
verses REPEAT the same theme several times. In interpeting these
verses the following guiding principles are helpful:
GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING POETIC VERSES
* First, find the overall UNIFYING principle
* Next, try and recognize the WORDS that YOU do KNOW
* Further try and find the SPECIAL NUANCES in the words you know
* Then infer the meanings of other words using PARALLEL STRUCTURE
* Try and find all SUBCATEGORIES of the UNIFYING theme
* Make a ONE TO ONE CORRESPONDENCE between the subcategories of
The unifying theme and repeated stanzas of the verse based on
the nuances you recognize in the repeated words.
EXAMPLES
1) Dt32-04a
God the Rock is PERFECT in his deeds
for all his ways our ways of JUSTICE
A God of FAITH
WITHOUT INJUSTICE
He is RIGHTEOUS and UPRIGHT
We now review the 5 repeated stanzas of this verse using the 6
suggested guidelines in the RULE above
UNIFYING PRINCIPLE: Clearly all 5 repeated stanzas state that
God is Just
WORDS YOU KNOW: All words in the verse are common Hebrew words.
(So the problem is not WHAT they mean but how to CONNECT them.
For example, what does the phrase "A God Of Faith" have to do
with the other phrases which speak about Gods Justice)
SPECIAL NUANCES: PARALLEL STRUCTURE: Reviewing the 5 phrases
of the verse we see that the following attributes of GOD
correspond to each other: PERFECT, JUSTICE, FAITH?, WITHOUT
INJUSTICE,RIGHTEOUS, UPRIGHT: (The word FAITH is a bit out
of place in a list of attributes of JUSTICE though close to them)
SUBCATEGORIES OF JUSTICE: ONE-TO-ONE CORRESPONDENCE: To be
JUST means that you should do the following.
{LIST}
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN Dt32-04 and THINGS A GOOD JUDGE SHOULD DO
----------------------------------------------------------------
THINGS A GOOD JUDGE SHOULD DO THE PHRASES OF Dt32-04
----------------------------- ---------------------------
Judge by RIGHT not by MIGHT God the Rock is Perfect(*1)
His ways are ways of Justice
Don't withold what wicked earn Without Injustice
You eventually acquit Righteous God of Faith (*2)
You have a Good Reputation He is Righteous and Upright (*3)
NOTES
*1 Note the contrast: EVEN though He is a ROCK (powerful)
Nevertheless he does things for reasons of perfection
*2 The word FAITH has a connotation of doing things eventually
*3 This sentence phrase looks like a declaration
Just to emphasize the method: Rashi did not learn from the words
FAITH and WITHOUT INJUSTICE that God gives reward to the wicked
for their good deeds and that he eventually acquits the
righteous.Rather Rashi knew that these were the main attributes
of a good judge and he correlated them with the verses phrases.
The words of the verse are clear, and the theme was well known.
Rashis job in this verse was not to clarify meaning or to solve
problems--rather his job was to show relationship with a
unifying context.
In a nutshell whereas legal language is analytic, poetic language
is evocative The phrases don't define properties by themselves but
rather evoke an image.
RULE USED: EXAMPLE8
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VERSE: Dt32-05a
RASHIS COVERED: Dt32-05a Dt32-05b Dt32-05c
The Rashi on this verse can be made crystal clear by using the
method of DOUBLE PARSHAS
{LIST}
ALIGNMENT OF 1st TWO PHRASES IN DT32-05
------------ ------------ -------- -----------------
1st phrase*1 They did not mutilate towards Him (God)
2nd Phrase (They did*2) blemish His Children*3
NOTES
*1 We reversed the order of the phrase which literally reads
"Mutilate For God? No" or "Mutilate for God--Not"
*2 This phrase is elliptical (absent) in the Biblical text
*3 The Phrase "His Children" of course, means "themselves"
Thus the whole sentence reads
"They did not mutilate towards God, rather
they blemished Themselves"
RULE USED: DOUBLE PARSHAS
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VERSE: Dt32-07a
RASHIS COVERED: Dt32-07a Dt32-07b Dt32-77c
Dt32-07d Dt32-07e Dt32-07f
BACKGROUND: Dt32-05 thru Dt32-06 and Dt32-08 thru Dt32-09
speak about the fact that people shouldn't be wicked but
rather they should belong to God. In Dt32-07 Moses
admonishes people to learn this from History.
RULE: We have frequently indicated that POETIC verses are
governed by the Rabbi Ishmael rule of CONTEXT. Very often poetic
verses REPEAT the same theme several times. In interpeting these
verses the following guiding principles are helpful:
GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING POETIC VERSES
* First, find the overall UNIFYING principle
* Next, try and recognize the WORDS that YOU do KNOW
* Further try and find the SPECIAL NUANCES in the words you know
* Then infer the meanings of other words using PARALLEL STRUCTURE
* Try and find all SUBCATEGORIES of the UNIFYING theme
* Make a ONE TO ONE CORRESPONDENCE between the subcategories of
The unifying theme and repeated stanzas of the verse based on
the nuances you recognize in the repeated words.
EXAMPLE: Dt32-07
The actual verse states as follows
{LIST}
PARALLEL STRUCTURE OF DT32-07 *1
--------- ------------ -------------
REMEMBER The days of the world
UNDERSTAND the years of generations
ASK Your Father & he'll TELL you
Your Elders & they'll STATE it
NOTES
*1 The first two phrases are parallel to each other
Similarly the last two phrases are parallel
Finally note how there are 4-5 phrases of
Communication: REMEMBER, UNDERSTAND, ASK, TELL,STATE
Let us now apply the 6 guiding principles from the above rule.
UNIFYING PRINCIPLE:
As can be seen all 4 phrases in the verse state that
You can see Reward and Punishment in History.
WORDS YOU KNOW: All words in the verse have well
known meaning.
SPECIAL NUANCES: The 4 phrases use the 5 words,
REMEMBER, UNDERSTAND, ASK, STATE,TELL.
PARALLELISM: As can be seen from the TABLE below, the
first 2 phrases are parallel (Similar) The last
two phrases are also similar.
SUBCATEGORIES OF STUDYING HISTORY: 1 to 1 CORRESPONDENCE:
The subcategories of "Studying history" are presented compactly
in the following TABLE.
{LIST}
CORRESPONDENCE OF STUDY HISTORY & DT32-07
-----------------------------------------
Dt32-07 HOW TO STUDY HISTORY
---------- ------------------------------------
REMEMBER Study history*1
UNDERSTAND Bad generations get punished*2
Good generations get rewarded*2
ASK Ask Prophets to confirm principles*3
STATE Ask Rabbis-Sages for guidance*4
NOTES
*1 The word REMEMBER vs the word UNDERSTAND has as emphasis
On the past. Rashi suggests some obvious examples from
History. The generations of the flood or of Sedom
And Amorah are clear examples of generations dying
Because they rebelled against God.
*2 The word UNDERSTAND vs the word REMEMBER has no special
Emphasis in time. Hence (as the Sifsay, Chachamim, points
Out) while REMEMBER refers to the PAST, UNDERSTAND refers
To both the PAST and FUTURE. The request is to understand
Both the good and bad throughout history as coming from God
As acts of Reward and punishment
*3 We emphasize that the word FATHER doesn't necessarily
Mean PROPHET anymore than the word TELL means guiding
Principles. However
The CONTEXT demands that some new aspect of studying
History be attached to this phrase---since one of the
Meanings of FATHER is PROPHET (as listed by the RADACK
In the book of ROOTS), therefore, because of the
Principle of CONTEXT Rashi interprets this & the
Next phrase (FATHER-ELDER) To refer to asking prophets
And Rabbi-Sages.
*4 Interestingly, Rashi points out that the Biblical sentence
"Ask the Rabbis and they will TELL YOU" links back to
The beginning of the verse "REMEMBER HISTORY" "UNDERSTAND
THE GENERATIONS" We have emphasized this parellilism
Thru a table.
SUMMARY: The verse simply says to Learn about God thru
history. The nuances of the verse evoke an image of the
4 aspects of learning history: a) Record/remember history
b) Understand relationships in history (evil deeds lead
to decay while good deeds lead to growth c) Prophets
confirm these principles d) Rabbis and Sages guide you.
RULE USED: EXAMPLE8
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THE 2 DOZEN RASHI-IS-SIMPLE RASHI RULES
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/rules.htm
=======================================
I: RASHI gives MEANING
======================
A: NEW MEANINGS--(eg)"on the face of"=during the lifetime
Volume 2 Number 9, http://www.rashiyomi.Com/Nu04-04a.htm
B: SPECIAL WORDS--(eg)ACH=USUALLY;USUALLY observe shabbath!
Rashi Yomi Summaries,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Ach-6.htm
C: SYNONYMS--(eg)AMR=to speak; DBR=to cite or to quote;
Volume 2 Number 1, http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Lv20-02a.htm
D: WORD MEANINGS-Thermos(TzNTzNTh)=doubly(TZN TZN) Cold(TZN)
Volume 1 Number 9,23,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Ex31-15a.htm
E: UNIFIED MEANINGS-PAAM=Repeated action:To Ring,Hammer,Step
Volume 1 Number 3,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Gn41-08a.htm
II: RASHI teaches GRAMMAR/STYLE
===============================
F: CLASSICAL GRAMMAR--(eg)QUESTION = HEY+CHATAF PATACH
Volume 3 Number 22,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Gn04-09z.htm
G: USAGE(NEW GRAMMAR)--(eg)INFINITIVE="be involved in";
Volume 5 Number 24,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Ex13-03a.htm
H: ROOT+PREPOSITION--(eg)ChZK B="to hold";ChZK M="overpower"
Volume 1 Number 7,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Ex04-04a.htm
I: THE SENTENCE--2 verses can make 1 sentence-eg Dt02-16:17
Volume 3 Number 7,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Dt19-06a.htm
J: STYLE--REPETITION denotes Endearment;eg 'Jacob Jacob'
Volume 1 Number 12,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Gn46-02a.htm
K: DOUBLE NOUNS--(eg)"GIVE GIVE";if not CHARITY then LOAN
Double Noun page, http://www.RashiYomi.Com/DN.htm
L: PRONOUNS-(eg)IMCHAH=with you; ITCHAH=Accompanying you;
Volume 3 Number 13,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Ex22-24c.htm
III: OVERALL TEXTUAL STRUCTURE
==============================
M: OTHER VERSES--Aaron SAW(Ex32-05)...the brawl(Ex32-18)
OTHER VERSE page, http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ov.htm
N: EXTRA SENTENCES-eg[GIVE HIM][WHAT HE NEEDS](Not if rich)
Volume 2 Number 20,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Dt15-08c.htm
O: DOUBLE PARSHAS-'he WILL pray'-'he WON'T pray';So Optional
Volume 3 Number 12,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Dt24-14a.htm
P: CLIMAX-(eg Dt19-11)(a)Hate, (b)spy, (c)confront,(d)Murder
Climax Page, http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Climax.htm
Q: OVERALL STRUCTURE-growing nails=despisement(from context)
Volume 3 Number 8,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Dt21-11a.htm
R: SPREADSHEETS-What is the marriage loophole in inheritance
Volume 2 Number 23,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Nu36-03a.htm
IV: BEYOND THE TEXT
===================
S: MORAL LESSONS/REASONS-God explains BEFORE punishing;
Volume 2 Number 12,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Nu12-09a.htm
T: RabbiIshmael-(eg)"When an OX gores";(Or ANY animal gores)
Volume 4 Number 21,http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Dt25-04a.htm
End of Rashi-Is-Simple Digest
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