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Surfing the Talmudic Seas
(C) Dr Russell Jay Hendel, 2000
Volume 7 Number 2
Produced Aug 02 2000
WARNING: USE FIX WIDTH FONTS (eg COURIER (NEW) 10)
Verses/Topics Discussed in This Issue with quicky explanations
Dt01-15a CONTINUATION of the WEEKLY PARSHAS SERIES
We discuss the 6 Rashis on Dt01-15. We discuss
half the Rashis today and half tomorrow.
Today we discuss how "TAKE" in Hebrew can
mean PURSUADE; We compare two verses with a
one word omission; we show how Judges and
Police should be selected from communal leaders
Ex06-12b CONTINUATION OF THE RABBI ISHMAEL SERIES
We continue the Volume 7 series on Rabbi Ishmaels
rules. We discuss the KAL VACHOMER (the fortiori
argument). A popular midrash states there are 10
fortiori arguments in the Bible. But there are
actually several dozen. Read this posting to find
an explanation.
Gn07-23a ANSWER TO A GRAMMATICAL QUESTION OF Moshe Silberman
on the enigmatic Rashi in Gn24-65a. We show
how Rashi presented rare alternative conjugation
schema.
Rashis covered in this issue
----------------------------
VERSE RULE BRIEF EXPLANATION
======== ============== =================
Dt01-15a UNIFIED MEANING The Hebrew root LKCh has 8 meanings
Dt01-15b DOUBLE PARSHAS Rashis aligns two verses on Judges
Dt01-15c DOUBLE PARSHAS Rashi shows how JUDGES are also LEADERS
Ex06-12b RabbiIshmael Rashi reviews KAL VACHOMER(foritori)
Dt12-23a RabbiIshmael Rashi reviews KAL VACHOMER(foritori)
Dt13-07e RabbiIshmael Rashi reviews KAL VACHOMER(foritori)
Dt13-25b RabbiIshmael Rashi reviews KAL VACHOMER(foritori)
Gn07-23a GRAMMAR Rashi presents alternative conjugations
Gn24-65a GRAMMAR Rashi presents alternative conjugations
--------------------------------------------------------------
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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
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VERSE: Dt01-15a
RULE: The Hebrew root LKCh has 7 meanings.
---- These meanings are presented in the {LIST} below
{LIST}
# MEANING RELATION TO TAKE VERSE
--- --------------- ------------------------ -------
(1) Physically take To Take Gn18-05
(2) Death "TAKEN" from us Gn05-24
(3) Commerce/to buy A good "TAKE" Neh10-32
(4) War booty A good "TAKE" Nu31-27
(5) Tongs/Tongue Instruments of TAKING Isa6-6
(6) Tongue/Tongs Instruments of TAKING Ps22-16
(7) Persuade "TAKE" him to our side Prv7-21
(8) Assert*1 "TAKE" a hold of oneself Nu16-01
APPLICATION
-----------
Thus Dt01-15a would be translated as "And I PURSUADED
the distinguished people to become Judges and Police
Officers".*2
Examples where the Hebrew root LKCh means PURSUADED are
the following (From the RADACK book of ROOTS)
EXAMPLES:
--------
(1) The prostitute PURSUADED him to sin Prv7-21
(2) the false prophets:Who speak PURSUASIVELY Jer23-31
(3) May my PURSUASIVE words sink in like rain Dt32-02
(4) For I've given a Torah that PURSUADES well Prv4-2
(5) You PURSUADED yourself to believe this Job15-12*2
NOTES
-----
*1 Note that most English translations interpret Dt01-15a
as "And I SELECTED Judges". In other words
"TAKE" in a social situation is translated as "SELECT"
However while this IS true in English it is not
true in Hebrew. For SELECTION is not one of the
meanings of "TAKE". It is for this reason that
Rashi translates this verse as "Moses PURSUADED
them to become Judges"
*2 There is a raging controversy on about 4
verses whether LKCH means PURSUADE or ASSERT.
RASHI himself gives BOTH these translations on
Nu16-01. RADACK further points out that to ASSERT
oneself is the same as PURSUADING ONESELF that one
is right. I have translated these verses as
ASSERT, not because I believe it is a better
translation, but rather because it is consistent with
the English idiom "TAKE AHOLD OF ONESELF". The 4
verses in dispute are
TEXT where LKCH means ASSERT VERSE
------------------------------------ --------
Korach Asserted himself Nu16-01
30 Friends asserted themselves Jud14-11
Abshalom Asserted himself 2S18-18
Why do you assert yourself like this Job15-12
In all of these verses the translation PURSUADE ONESELF
would be equally valid.
RULE USED: UNIFIED MEANING
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VERSE: Dt01-15b
Rashi, following the Midrash Rabbah, aligns two verses
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dt01-13 Bring for me people who are WISE, INTELLIGENT, WELL KNOWN
Dt01-15 And I took people who are WISE WELL KNOWN
*1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES
-----
*1 Moses REQUESTED 3 attributes (WISE, ANALYTIC, WELL KNOWN)
but only FOUND 2 attributes (WISE and WELL KNOWN). Moses did
not find ANALYTIC people
APPLICATION
-----------
The Rambam Laws of Courts Chapter 2 uses the above Rashi/Midrash
to justify the law
"Although oourt judges SHOULD possess ALL these traits
nevertheless if they only had SOME of them the court is
valid"
Please see http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h5n25.htm for a complete
analysis of the Rashi vs Rambam on these laws.
RULE USED: DOUBLE PARSHAS
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VERSE: Dt01-15c
RULE: All JUDGES and POLICE also have the status of LEADERS
EXAMPLES
--------
In the following verses JUDGES are referred to as LEADERS
(1) Ex18-17:25 "And Jethro advised Moses to select God-fearing
people and make them JUDGES. ...And Moses listened to
Jethro ..he selected God-fearing people and made them
LEADERS...and they JUDGED the nation at all times"
(2) Dt01-15:16 "I took wise well known people and made them
LEADERS....POLICE. And I commanded your JUDGES..."
(3) Dt29-09 refers to "LEADERS ELDERS POLICE". Apparently
the word LEADERS means JUDGES since every other
verse where POLICE is mentioned also has the word
JUDGES. Compare
VERSE TEXT WITH JUDGE and POLICE
-------- ---------------------------
Jos24-01 Elder Leaders Judge Police
Jos23-02 Elder Leaders Judge Police
1C23-04 Police Judge
1C26-29 Police Judge
Jos08-32 Elder Police Judge
Dt16-18 Judge Police
This last example is slightly conjectural since LEADERS and
JUDGES can sometimes occur in the same verse.
APPLICATION
-----------
Rashi also explains WHY Judges also have a status of LEADERS.
Although they are not full fledged political leaders who
have the right to tax nevertheless
---you call them by TITLE, "JUDGE so and so"
---you STAND UP for them and let them come in first
---you give them PREFERENCE in business deals(you
buy from them first)
Also note the interesting fact that being a communal or
civic leader was a requirement for becoming a policeman
or Judge--perhaps such an idea would help our modern
society.
RULE USED: DOUBLE PARSHAS
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VERSE: Ex06-12b
RASHIS COVERED: Ex06-12b Dt12-23a Dt13-07e Dt13-25b
RULE:
----
The Bible uses a style of teaching rules by giving extreme
examples.
Thus Dt21-22 says that a criminal on death
row should be buried quickly. This is interpreted to mean that
"EVEN a criminal should be buried quickly
HOW MUCH MORE SO should ordinary people be buried"
This type of argument characterized by the words "EVEN" and
HOW MUCH MORE SO is called the FORTIORI argument (KAL
VACHOMER).
Rashi on Ex06-06b points out that this is a
common Biblical style. The exact verse states
"EVEN the Jews(my own people) did not listen to me
HOW MUCH MORE SO that Pharoh will not listen to me"
EXAMPLES
--------
--------------------------------------------------------------
In the following verses Jewish LAWS are taught by Extremes
For example:
EVEN a criminal receives a quick burial. EVEN a slavegirl
has rights as a wife. A Jew should not hit a fellow Jew
EVEN if he is evil. You should try and avoid sin--EVEN
if the sin is disgusting like eating blood. You should put
to death a person who tried to get you to worship idols
EVEN if that person was close family. You get reward for
observing commandments EVEN if those commandments are
easy to observe (like not eating blood)
------------------------------------------------------------
{LIST1}
HOW MUCH
COMMANDMENT EVEN TO A.. MORE SO TO A.. VERSE
---------------- ---------------------- --------------- -------
Speedy burial Even of criminal Ordinary people Dt21-22
Rights of wife Even of slavegirl Ordinary wife Ex21-10
Dont hit Even an evil person Ordinary person Dt25-03
Watch out mitzvt Even from eating blood Ordinary Mtzvt Dt12-23a
Death to seducer Even if he is family Stranger Dt13-07e
Reward for Mtzvt Even not eating blood Ordinary Mitzvt Dt13-25b
COMMENT
-------
Rashi cites the Midrash Rabbah 92:7 that
"Rabbi Ishmael taught there are 10 FORTIORIS in the
Bible"
But as the list below shows there are several dozen fortioris!
Indeed, Rashis whole point is that FORTIORI is a common Biblical
style. There are certainly more than 10!
The proper interpretation of this Midrash Rabbah is as follows
"Rabbi Ishmael taught: There are 10 linguistic STYLES
by which the Bible indicates a fortiori argument."
By the word style I refer to KEYWORDS which indicate the
fortiori argument. For example Ex06-12 uses the keywords
BEHOLD and HOW
"BEHOLD the Jews (my own people) did not listen to me
HOW then should Pharoh listen to me"
Thus we may speak of the BEHOLD-HOW style for fortiori.
These 10 styles are presented below. Footnotes show that many
more than 10 verses use the fortiori.
In passing this example shows the superiority of Chazalian minds
over modern databases. For modern databases do searches on words
They cannot do searches on MEANING or STYLES. No computer could
tell you the 10 KEYWORDS that indicate FORTIORIS. We instead
need scholars like Rabbi Ishmael to tell us.
{LIST2} {A conjecture on the 10 fortiori styles.
Footnotes give additional examples showing that there
are more than 10 Biblical verses using Fortioris
NOTE: The keywords WILLNOT ISNOT DIDNOT are all the
same in Hebrew. But if two styles have only ONE
KEYWORD in common we count them as 2 styles.
ALSO note that the last two examples have NO
KEYWORDS or ONLY ONE KEYWORD (The Ester Example
is NOVEL and comes from the Midrash Rabbah 92:7)}
VERSE KEYWORD1 KEYWORD2 TEXT
----- -------- -------- ----
Ex06-06 BEHOLD HOW *1 BEHOLD Jews(my own nation)dont listen
HOW then will Pharoh listen
Dt31-27 BEHOLD*2 SURELY BEHOLD you rebel now while I am alive
SURELY you will rebel after my death
2S4-10 BECAUSE SURELY BECAUSE I even killed the newsman
SURELY the murderer himself will die
Ps94-09 IF WILL NOT IF He created the eye
WILL NOT he be able to see
2K5-12 IS NOT WILL NOT IS NOT my rivers of better quality
WILL NOT my bathing them cure me also
Ju11-07 DID NOT WHY DID NOT you hate me and expel me
WHY then do you visit me now
Nu24-12 WHY DIDNT ALSO WHY did you not listen to me?
DIDNT I ALSO tell your messengers this?
Nu12-14 WILLNOT ---------- If her father spit at her
WILL NOT she be embarassed 7 days
Let her therefore be embarassed 7days
from My(Gods) yelling at her for
Es9-12 ------- ---------- In the capital Shushan they kill 500
(and certainly more so)in the rest of
the country what did they do
2C13-08 YOU WE YOU desecrated the priests (but
fight for Jerusalem & the temple
WE worship God in the temple (and
serve in the Temple--and
therefore are more deservant
to win the war)
NOTES (More examples of the FORTIORI style)
-----
*1 Gn44-08 Ex06-12 2Sam12-18 2K10-04
*2 Dt31-27 Prv11-31 Job04-19
Job15-15:16 1K08-27 Ez15-05
1Sam23-03 2Sam16-11
*3 2Sam4-10:11 2C32-15
RULE USED: RabbiIshmael
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VERSE: Gn07-23a
RASHIS COVERED: Gn27-03a Gn24-65a
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: To Alfred (Moshe) Silberman for bringing to
--------------- my attention the enigmatic Rashi on Gn24-65a
I believe the information below fully answers Moshe.
BACKGROUND:
----------
The first thing you learn in a Hebrew course is that the Hebrew
language is made up of 3 letter roots. Each root can be
CONJUGATED in various forms. The CONJUGATION can tell you up
to 7 items about the meaning of the root:
(a) WHEN did it happen(past, present, future, command,ongoing)
(b) TO WHOM did it happen
(c) WHO did it(me, you or him),
(d) HOW MANY did it (Singular or plural)
(e) THE GENDER of who did it (male or female)
(f) the MODE of activity (passive-active-intense-reflexive)
(g) the NUANCES of the activity (eg crying vs mourning vs shock)
In a Hebrew course you would learn HOW to conjugate each root.
These conjugations can also be found in popular books which
contain charts of root conjugations.
Many students suffice with learning 1 set of conjugation rules.
However the Bible frequently has ALTERNATIVE sets of conjugation
rules. Rashi will step in and give these ALTERNATIVE conjugation
rules, especially if they are rare.
RULE
----
(a) The conjugation for "HE WILL DO IT" is ADD A PREFIX YUD
EXAMPLE: The root BNH means to BUILD
The word YBNH means HE WILL BUILD
Psalms 69-36 contains an example of this conjugation
(This is 3rd person singular("he"),future("will"))
(b) An alternative rare conjugation of "HE WILL DO IT" is
to BOTH ADD A PREFIX YUD and REMOVE A SUFFIX HEY
EXAMPLE: The word BNH means to BUILD
The word YBN (not YBNH) means HE WILL BUILD
Gn02-22 contains an example of this conjugation
Thus YBNH and YBN, one with an "H"(Hey) and one without an
H(Hey) are examples of alternative conjugations.
COMMENT: The most remarkable thing about this alternative
conjugation rule is that most of the examples occur only
once or twice in Tnach. Thus it is really a rare form.
Rashi was truly the King of Databases.
EXAMPLES
--------
{LIST1} {Rashi on Gn07-23a brings the following list of
roots*1. Each root has 2 conjugations for
"HE WILL DO IT"--the normal conjugation found
in grammar books and a very rare alternative
conjugation. Three of the examples only occur once
in the Bible.}
--------------------------------------------------------------
Examples of alternative conjugations for the phrase
"HE WILL DO IT" (eg YiVNeH and YiVeN)
--------------------------------------------------------------
First type 2nd type
of of
Mean CONJUGATION CONJGTION
3 Letter root ing END IN Hey VERSE NO END-HEY VERSE
------------------ ----- ------------ ------- ---------- -------
[Beth]-[Nun]-[Hey] Build Ve Yi V Ne H Ps69-36 Va Yi Ve N Gn02-22
[Pay] -[Nun]-[Hey] Face Ve Yi P Ne H - *2 - Va Yi Pe N Ju15-04
[Mem] -[Cht]-[Hey] Erase Yi M Ce H 2K21-13 Yi Ma C Ps109-13
[Koof]-[Nun]-[Hey] Buy Yi K Ne H Lv22-11 Va Yi Ke N Gn32-19
[Gmel]-[Lmd]-[Hey] Reveal Yi G Le H Jb33-16 Ve Yi Ge L Jb36-15
--------------------------------------------------------------
Examples of alternative conjugations for the phrase
"SHE LET IT BE DONE TO HERSELF" (TiTCaS vs TiTCaSeH) *3 *4
--------------------------------------------------------------
First type 2nd type
of of
Mean CONJUGATION CONJGTION
3 Letter root ing END IN Hey VERSE NO END-HEY VERSE
------------------ ----- ------------ ------- ---------- -------
[Cof]-[Smch]-[Hey] Cover TiThCSeH - *2 -- TiTCaS Gn24-65
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi brings 4 examples. I supplemented this list with the
example GLH
*2 The normal conjugation is to PREFIX A YUD and leave the
the SUFFIX HEY. In these 2 examples there is no Biblical
example of the normal form---only the abnormal form
occurs. (Nevertheless it occurs rarely)
*3 All the other examples (brought on Gn07-23) are future
3rd person active (HE WILL DO IT). On Gn24-65 Rashi
extends this method to future 3rd person reflexive
(SHE DID IT TO HERSELF). To the best of my knowledge
and belief this is the only example in the whole Bible
of this alternative conjugation applied to a reflexive
conjugation.
*4 Although the above examples explain all the grammar
we have left to deal with Rashis style. Rashi on
Gn07-23 gives other roots that are conjugated
similarly (HE WILL DO IT). But on Gn24-65 Rashi,
to illustrate a conjugation of a REFLEXIVE MODE,Rashi
uses examples in the PASSIVE MODE. This mixing
of modes (REFLEXIVE vs PASSIVE) appears strange (at
first glance).
But this is easily remedied when we remember that
the REFLEXIVE MODE can sometimes be used to indicate
a PASSIVE MEANING. Here are the details.
The Root CSH means to COVER. Gn24-65 says that
Rivkah COVERED HERSELF with her veil. So it is
possible that the reflexive mode in this verse
refers to reflexive activity (doing something
to oneself--covering oneself). This would
be similar to the modern Hebrew "dress oneself"
which occurs in the reflexive.
But it is equally plausible that Gn24-65 means
"And she took the veil and LET HER MAIDS COVER
HER". In other words the REFLEXIVE VERB could
have a borderline PASSIVE-REFLEXIVE meaning
here. In fact this suggestion finds support
in the explicit mixing of passive and
reflexive modes in Prv26-26
Does this prove the Rashi?
Well Rashi made TWO points--1 grammatical & 1 semantic
He suggested that there are alternative CONJUGATIONS
This **HAS** been proven with the above {LIST1}
Rashi also suggested that the MEANING of CSH in this
verse is "let herself be covered by others". This
is conjectural with however support.
If all the reader believes that Rashi showed an
alternative conjugation then we still have accomplished
something.
RULE USED: GRAMMAR
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THE 2 DOZEN RASHI-IS-SIMPLE RASHI RULES
=======================================
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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