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Surfing the Talmudic Seas
(C) RashiYomi Incorporated, 2001
Written by Dr Russell Jay Hendel
Volume 8 Number 21
Produced Jan 9, 2001
WARNING: USE FIX WIDTH FONTS (eg COURIER (NEW) 10)
Verses/Topics Discussed in This Issue with quicky explanations
HILIGHTS
========
We present one posting which discusses Rashis in both
this and next weeks Parshah. We show how the various
grammatical modes color the meaning of >to give birth<
with about 9 different meanings (similar usages occur in English)
>GIVE BIRTH<, >BIRTHday<, >CHILD<, >CHILDish< etc.
We also cite an obscure Radack which gives an elegant
derivation of the famous midrash that >whoever teaches
his children is as if they gave birth to them<
Rashis covered in this issue
----------------------------
VERSE RULE BRIEF DESCRIPTION
======== ============== ================================
Gn04-18a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Ex01-15a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Ex01-16a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Gn50-23a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Nu04-18a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Gn17-12a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Gn17-17c ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Gn40-20a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
Nu03-01a ROOT+PREPOSITION >Give birth< has 9 meanings
-----------------------------------------------------------------
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
RASHI IS SIMPLE
GOALS: To grammatically defend all 8000 Rashis on Chumash.
METHOD:Rashis are defended with LISTS of comparable cases
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Laymen, Academicians, Yeshiva world
COMMENTS,QUESTIONS: EMail to address below
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:If you want to ask anonymously please ask
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JOURNAL REFERENCE: 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/
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: Gn04-18a
RASHIS COVERED: Gn04-18a Ex01-15a Gn50-23a Nu04-18a Gn40-20a
Gn17-12a Eccl11-10 Nu03-01a Ex01-16a Gn17-17c
RULE:
=====
The Hebrew verb >Yud-Lamed-Dalet< has a fundametal
meaning of >GIVE BIRTH<.
From this fundamental meaning we derive 8 other meanings,
such as >BIRTHday<, >RAISE CHILDREN<, >MIDWIFE< >BIRTHLAND< (ie
>HOMELAND<) etc. Such derived meaning are common in both
English and Hebrew.
We now present the 9 meanings with supporting verses from
RADACK, BOOK OF ROOTS and from Rashis.
EXAMPLES
========
{LIST}
The nine meanings of >To give Birth<. Each meaning is
presented with its Hebrew form, a sample verse, as well
as the grammatical mode which gives rise to that meaning
Thus this list confirms the Rashi is Simple rule due to
Malbim that grammatical modes can color roots with different
meanings. Sample verses come from both Rashi and Radack.
=============================================================
HEBREW FORM MEANING OF WORD VERSE-RASHI GRAMMAR MODE
=========== ==================== =========== ============
YLD Fathered, Gave Birth Gn04-18a*1 Active
MeYaLaiD To Midwife a child Ex01-15a*2 Intense
YooLaD To Raise a Child Gn50-23a*3 Passive Intense
YiThYaLaiD Genealogy Nu04-18a*4 Interactive*4
YoM HuLeDeT Birthday Gn40-20a*5 Passive Causative
YeLiD BaYiT HouseHold Gn17-12a*6 Participle
YalDuTh CHILDish Eccl11-10*7
ToLDoTH Happenings Nu03-01a*8
YLD Not barren Gn17-17c*9
NOTES
=====
*1 Actually the proper translation is >impregnated< which
is more precise than >Fathered<
Rashi distinguishes between
-->YLD< (Active Tense) meaning >To give birth<
-->HoLiD< (Causative tense)= >To cause a women to give birth<
Thus you can equally say >A man caused his wife to give
birth (eg ruth4-21)< or >A man impregnated(fathered) his
wife< (eg Gn04-18a)
Closer examination shows that
--by and large >impregnation< is used with baser types
of people while
-->enabled his wife to give birth< is used with more
religious people since it connotes a caring for the
woman.
Note the amusing fact that this Rashi shows that
men can be >enablers< for woman (instead of the usual
>women enable men<).
*2 Rashi says this on both Ex01-15a and Ex01-16a. The
fundamental grammatical point is that according
to Hebrew grammar >BOTH< the >INTENSE< and >CAUSATIVE<
mode can be used to indicate >Causing/enabling< others
to do something. In this case the Midwife enables or
facilitates the woman to give birth.
*3 If I understand Rashi properly he is suggesting that
>EVERY< occurence of the >Passive Intense< mode of
>Give Birth< means >TO RAISE< and emphasizes not just
giving birth to the children but raising them.
For example Ps90-02 would be translated as >Before
mountains were raised/fashioned< (which sounds better
than >before mountains were given birth to<)
*4 In http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt29-18a.htm we have shown
that the so called >REFLEXIVE< mode in Hebrew should
preferably be interpreted as the >INTERACTIVE MODE<.
Hence, since >Yud-Lamed-Dalet< means >give birth<,
therefore in the >interactive mode< it would mean
>worthy of giving birth< or >giving birth with
emphasis on WHO gave birth<. In either case it
refers to the >TOTAL< genealogical tree of a person
and not just to the isolated act of birth.
*5 Of course, Rashis point here is that the two words
>DAY< and >BIRTH< together give rise to a new concept--
>BIRTHDAY<. We are so use to the concept we dont see
the subtlety involved---technically there is only
one day of birth. The word >Birthday< refers to the
relative day of each year when a person was born.
Note how in this case the concept exists in English
Also compare Job03-02 >Cursed be the DAY I was BORN on<
(ie >Cursed be my birthday<)
*6 RADACK brings numerous examples for this >HOUSEHOLD< concept
--Lv18-09 (Born >in household< vs >an outside affair<)
--Gn12-01 >Homeland< (or in Hebrew >BirthLand<)
*7 The word >YeLeD< by itself can mean >CHILD< and from
this we get (as in English) >CHILDish<.
*8 A Most beautiful Radack. Rashi simply notes that
Nu03-01 begins >these are the descendants of
Aaron and Moses< but then only lists >Aarons<
descendants. Hence the well known dictum >Since
Moses taught Aarons children it is accounted
as if he himself gave birth to them. For whomever
teaches his friends children is accounted as if
he gave birth to them<
The Radack cleverly ReTranslated the word >birth<
in Nu03-01 as >HAPPENINGS<. In fact Radack translates
most occurences of the word >ToLeDoTH< as >happenings<
This is defended by the LIST below.
Note the elegance of this translation. By calling
Aarons children the >happenings of Moses< we thereby
indicate that >uncle Moshe< was indeed involved with
his nephews which corresponds to the Rashi that he
taught them. However the Radacks translation is much
more flowing.
{LIST}
Verses supporting the Radacks thesis that >ToLeDoTh<
does not mean >DESCENDANTS<(as it is commonly
translated) but rather means >Happenings< The
following verses describe not the descendants of the
person name, but rather his >life story< what
happened to him--his family, travels etc.
=====================================================
VERSE Text of verse with ToLeDoth=HAPPENINGS
======= ==========================================
Gn06-09 These are the HAPPENINGS of Noach
Gn37-02 These are the HAPPENINGS of Jacob
Nu03-01 These are the HAPPENINGS of Aaron & Moses
Gn02-04 These are the HAPPENINGS of Heaven & Earth
Gn25-19 These are the HAPPENINGS of Isaac
{End of List}
*9 Thus Rashi translates Gn17-17c as >CAN Sarah who
is 90 give birth< (which differs from the standard
translation >WILL Sarah who is 90 give birth<). Hence
Gn17-17 refers to Sarahs lack of barrenness. A similar
usage of >CHILD< to refer to >LACK OF BARRENNESS< occurs
in Gn11-30 >And Sarah was Barren, without Child<
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
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
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*