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Surfing the Talmudic Seas
(C) RashiYomi Incorporated, 2001
Written by Dr Russell Jay Hendel
Volume 9 Number 16
Produced March 18, 2001
WARNING: USE FIX WIDTH FONTS (eg COURIER (NEW) 10)
Verses/Topics Discussed in This Issue with quicky explanations
HILIGHTS
========
Lv01-02c
We continue the thread on the Rashis on the word >THE<
There are 4 methods by which the word >THE< is used.
The advanced Rabbinic students will especially find this
issue useful since we explain some very deep Malbims.
READER QUESTIONS
================
v9-3-18a
QUESTION from an ANONYMOUS 10th grader.
The Sifsay Chachamim to Nu10-35a supplements Rashis
explanation that the >paragraph is out of place<
by suggesting that it belongs in Nu02-17. The question
is that it would be out of place there also since it is
talking about the Temple Ark not the military ark
(This question will be answered hopefully next time)
WEEKLY PARSHAH SERIES
=====================
For Rashis on this weeks Parshah visit
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/parshah.htm
Rashis covered in this issue
----------------------------
VERSE RULE BRIEF DESCRIPTION
======== =============== ===================================
Lv01-02c SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Lv01-02d SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Lv01-02e SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Lv01-02f SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Lv01-10b SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Ex08-02a SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Ex04-20a SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Lv01-14a SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Lv01-14d SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Nu14-37a SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Dt03-25b SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Dt03-25c SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Dt12-09c SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Dt12-09d SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
Nu11-27a SPECIAL WORDS >THE< can be used in 4 ways
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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
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Laymen, Academicians, Yeshiva world
COMMENTS,QUESTIONS: EMail to address below
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:If you want to ask anonymously please ask
(UN)SUBSCRIBE: Email to addresses below with "(UN)subscribe"
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/
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VERSE: Lv01-02c
RASHIS COVERED: Lv01-2c Lv01-2d Lv01-2e Lv01-2f Lv01-10b
Ex08-02a Ex04-20a Lv01-14a Lv01-14d Nu14-37a
Dt03-25b Dt03-25c Dt12-09c Dt12-09d Nu11-27a
RULE
====
The word >THE< can be used in 4 ways:
-- >THE< can refer to something that immediately follows
eg Dt04-32c >Has anyone heard THIS GREAT THING-that God ...<
-- >THE< can refer to a concept, story or thing mentioned
ELSEWHERE but not IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS
eg Nu13-33a >We saw there THE Nefilim< -- cf Gn06-04
-- >THE< can refer to the best known of a class
eg Dt01-07e >THE Mount< -- This refers to The Kings Mountain
-- >THE< can refer to the qualitative best
eg Dt05-18a >You will do the good and upright< -- ie compromise
NOTE
====
In this issue we give several examples where >THE< refers to
the >BEST KNOWN OF A CLASS< or to the >QUALITATIVE BEST<.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
===============
About a dozen of the examples in this posting come from one
of our great Acharonim, the Malbim. Malbim in the 6th chapter
of his >MORNING STAR< presents some of the principles on >THE<.
We have built on this contribution. The details of what we have
contributed as well as some further insightful comments on the
Malbim will be made in the footnotes.
This posting is a must for those involved in advanced talmudic
study.
CROSS REFERENCE: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n14.htm
EXAMPLES
========
----------------------------------------------------------------
In the following verses >THE< refers to >THE BEST<, to
something >SPECIAL<. Hence we (re)interpret those verses
with >THE< as if they say >THE SPECIAL...<
----------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WHAT IS SPECIAL
======== =========================== ==========================
Dt01-07e THE (Special) Mount The Kings Mountain*1
Dt02-17b THE (Special) Men of War Men above 20*2
Dt03-25b THE (Special) Good Mountain Jerusalem
Dt03-25c THE (Special) WHITE HOUSE*3 The Temple & WHITE Priests
Dt12-09c THE (Special) REST Shiloh *4
Dt12-09d THE (Special) Inheritance Jerusalem *4
Lv01-02c FROM THE (Special) Animals*5 They didnt commit bestiality
Lv01-02d FROM THE (Special) Cattle*5 They were not worshipped
Lv01-02f FROM THE (Special) Cattle*5 They were not wounded
Lv01-02e FROM THE (Special) herds*5 They were not Gorers
Lv01-02f FROM THE (Specical)herds*5 But not set aside to idols
Lv01-10b FROM THE(Special)Sheep/Goats But not sick,old,sweaty*5
Lv01-14a From THE (Special) birds But not missing an organ*5
Lv01-14d THE (Specially) YOUNG/OLD But not borderline cases*5a
Ex08-02a THE (Special) Frog went up*6 A species known for jumping
Ex04-20a travel by (Special) donkey*7 Used only domestically
Nu14-37a In THE (Special) plague*8 Tit-for-tat punishment
NOTES
=====
*1 In Dt01-07 Moses is ordered to tell the
Jews to come >to the Emori...to THE MOUNTAIN<
Notice the word >THE<. Moses did not tell them to go to
>The Emori..its mountains...< but rather he asked them to
go to >The Emori ...THE mountain< (Dt01-07e)
The word >THE< cant be referring to a recently mentioned
mountain since no mountain has recently been mentioned.
Hence Rashi says that >THE mountain< refers to the best
mountain---that is, the Kings mountain--that is, the
mountain that the King maintains for this personal travels.
Although we cant PROVE that >THE mountain< refers to the
Kings mountain nevertheless Rashis point is that >THE<
refers to the >THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF A MOUNTAIN<
which is >PROBABLY< the Kings mountain.
So these Rashis are >PROBABLE< in flavor. The reader should
carefully study them and see if they think they can find a
better interpretation.
*2 We can find scriptural support for the thesis
that the phrase >SPECIAL MILITARY MEN< refers to people
above 20--eg Ex30-14
*3 I couldnt resist this one! The word >LEBANON< comes from
the root >WHITE<. So the literal interpretation of
>THE LEBANON< is >THE SPECIAL WHITE ONE<.
The commentators say it refers to the TEMPLE which makes
our sins pure as WHITE. I would however more simply
said that it refers to the Temple because of all the
priests dressed in WHITE.
Note:That an apt expression for the Temple would therefore be
>THE WHITE HOUSE<. And like the American >WHITE HOUSE<
it would/should be a symbol of purity and innocence.(May we
speedily merit to see its purity and innocence)
*4 This is an interesting case: We can use the RASHI RULE
of STRUCTURE: The whole chapter Dt12 and Dt13 are
talking about the fact that we will soon come
to >THE PLACE< that God has chosen where we can offer
sacrifices and eat to our hearts content; however
we may not offer sacrifices anyplace but only in
Jerusalem.
Thus the context clearly identifies this place as
JERUSALEM the home of the temple.
This in turn is supportive to the Rashi interpretation
of the verse >..you have not yet come to THE
PEACE and the INHERITANCE..< as meaning that
we have not yet come to the various places
where the temple resided such as Jerusalem
and Shiloh
Notice how I interpret the ENTIRE PHRASE,
>The PEACE and INHERITANCE< as referring to
>JERUSALEM and SHILOH<. Rashi is not being
specific--he is not eg identifying >THE PEACE<
with either JERUSALEM or SHILOH and >THE
INHERITANCE< with the other one. Rather
Rashi is identifying the whole phrase
with >all the places where the temple resided<
This perception that Rashi deals with
identifying phrases (vs words) is important in studying
Rashi.
*5 These examples all come from the Malbim. They
are cross referenced in chapter 6 of his
morning star.
Here are the differences between me and Malbim:
* Malbim posits that >THE< refers to the species of animal
and derives the above Rashis by playing on
the 2 words >FROM< and >THE<
* By contrast I have simply interpreted >THE<
to refer to something >SPECIAL< and >WELL KNOWN<
Hence the verse >FROM THE animals< should be
(re)interpreted as >from THE SPECIAL animals< which
would indicate that they were special but eg
had not been subjected to bestiality.
Here are some further insights on the midrashic
derivations
* The Midrash does not DIRECTLY derive that
>From the SPECIAL animals< means to exclude
those animals that have had bestiality.
Rather all the Midrash does is infer that
these animals are SPECIAL in SOME WAY.
We are not told in WHAT way they are special.
MALBIM citing the Sifray and Talmud shows
that in each case the SPECIALNESS is
interpreted as consistent with the
particular item mentioned. Thus eg
CATTLE (vs. Wild beasts) are known for
their domestication and hence we exclude
bestiality.
* Here are some further examples of
specificity of SPECIALNESS:
The phrase >THE CATTLE< is mentioned
twice (Lv01-02, Lv01-03). Hence there are
two aspects of specialness: (a) The cattle
was not worshipped and (b) the cattle was not
wounded. It is a mistake (as Malbim notes)
to apply any particular derivation to any
particular word. Rather for each mention
of >THE< some type of SPECIALNESS is
given
* Finally: Malbim brilliantly notes that the
Sifrah on which Rashi is based in not only
commenting on the words >THE< used in this
verse but is commenting on the words >THE<
that occur THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE.
For example, Malbim shows that the phrase >THE SHEEP< occurs
in Nu15-03 and here in Leviticus: Hence Rashi here
in Leviticus is commenting twice on the SPECIALNESS
of sheep--one for the the phrase >THE SHEEP< here
and one for the phrase >THE SHEEP< in Numbers.
To sum it up >THE< indicates SPECIALNESS.
Every occurence of >THE< indicates some extra
type of SPECIALNESS. The details of which type
of specialness is subject to talmudic logic. But
the student of Chumash and Rashi should be happy
to understand that some type of specialness is
being emphasized (I call this approach of seeing
the chumash emphasize a general principle--like
specialness--which is then made more specific
by talmudic logic--I call this approach the
approach of STAGES...it was first introduced
in my paper on Pshat and Derash in Tradition
WINTER 1980).
*5a In other words take either TOTALLY young or TOTALLY
Old birds.
The transition in birds from YOUNG to OLD is accompanied
by a YELLOWING of the wings. Hence the law:
partially yellowed winged birds cannot be used
for sacrifices(Because it has to be SPECIAL OLD or
SPECIAL YOUNG birds)
*6 Shame on the Malbim for doubting Rashis finesse!
Rashi here is commenting on the verse >And THE
FROG went up over Egypt<.
As Malbim notes the word >THE< is not needed with
a species. Compare the sentences >I had OXEN..<
(Gn32-05) or >He took money from FIRSTBORN (but
it does not say THE FIRSTBORN)< (Nu03-50).
So if it says >THE FROG< in this verse it must
be referring to a SPECIAL SPECIES of FROG
known for its jumping and hopping capacity.
This was the 2nd of the plagues that Moses
brought on the Egyptians at the hand of God
and the humiliation of jumping frogs would
be intensified by a species known for its
jumping.
Malbim gets into trouble since he interprets
Rashi as giving two possible meanings:
(a) ONE frog came and jumped all over Egypt
(b) the frog species is collectively called
frog.
But Rashi is saying neither. Malbim got into
this trouble because he used an abstract
approach. What I have contributed is the
use of intuitive idioms to help clarify
Rashi.(This was in fact the contribution
of my article in Tradition in Winter 1980---
I introduced the idea of intuitive models)
By interpreting the verse as >THE (SPECIAL)
(Jumping) Frogs< we combine both meanings
of Rashi and also make the 2nd plague
plausible. It was not 1 frog that jumped;
it was also not all frogs that jumped;
it was rather the special jumping
frogs that jumped and hence the >THE<
in >& THE FROG came over Egypt<.
Again Shame on Malbim (and anyone else)
who doubts that Rashi-is-Simple.
*7 Again as in footnote 6 Rashi literally says
that >The phrase THE Donkey teaches us that
this is the same donkey used by Abraham
when he sacrificed Isaac and the same donkey
that King Messiah will use to ride on<
But it is rediculous to assume that a donkey
is living several thousand years.
A more palatable approach is that >THE DONKEY<
refers to a special species of DONKEY known
as ONLY being used for domestic purposes (some
donkey species are used for both domestic
and military purposes)---thus the phrase
>THE DONKEY< would refer to this special species of
donkeys known specifically for their domestication.
Again such an approach makes the midrash
appear palatable and deep. We do not
in my opinion increase respect for Chazal
by being literal on every midrash.
TO SUMMARIZE:
The Midrash is stating that the donkey used
by Abraham at the sacrifice of Isaac, the donkey
used by Moses when he went to free the Jews,
and the donkey used by King Messiah are all DONKEYS FROM THE
DONKEY SPECIAL DONKEY SPECIES KNOWN FOR THEIR DOMESTICATION
---these 3 leaders did not use military tactics. They instead
achieved success thru their spirit.
*8 This was not just any old plague: It was rather a
SPECIAL Plague. It was a >THE PLAGUE<. Rashi explains
that Gods plagues are known for their justice. Since
these people accepted slander on God and Israel therefore
they died by punishments of the tongue(The organ they
sinned with)
Such an identification of Gods justice with a tit-for
-tat approach is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible
(eg Ex18-11).
{END OF LIST}
RASHI RULE USED: SPECIAL WORDS
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (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
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