#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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| (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President |
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VERSE: Lv21-05c
==================== DOUBLE NOUNS:UNUSUAL MEANINGS ==============
------------------------------------------
TODAYS RASHI RULE: DOUBLE NOUNS
TODAYS RASHI SUBRULE: UNUSUAL MEANINGS
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VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
------------------
The Bible interprets REPEATED WORDS the same way a modern
writer would interpret BOLD or ITALICS--it indicates emphasis.
We have uncovered 4 separate methods of emphasis. One simple
method of EMPHASIS is to use an UNUSUAL NON-STANDARD translation
The verse Gn21-05c--AND THE MAN grew, AND HE WENT, GOING AND
growing UNTIL HE grew ALOT--has 3 repetitions of the word
GREW. Rashi gives a NON-STANDARD UNUSUAL meaning to GREW: Isaac
grew till EVEN HIS MANURE was coveted!! Read below for further
details.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RULE
-------------------------
There are many Biblical verses where a word
is repeated. We can think of this REPETITION
of a word in a Biblical context as similar to
the use of BOLD in modern writing notation.
The REPETITION or BOLD suggests EMPHASIS.
We have identified 4 methods by which this
emphasis is implemented in interpretation. One
of these 4 methods is where the word is translated
in an UNUSUAL, NON-STANDARD or BROAD manner.
The standard example illustrates this.
STANDARD EXAMPLE
----------------
A good punchy clear example of BROAD INTERPRETATION
from a repeated word occurs in Gn26-13a
-----------------------------
And the man(Isaac) GREW
and he went, going and GROWING
until he GREW alot
------------------------------
STUDENT EXERCISES
-----------------
- What words are REPEATED in the above verse?
- Are the words repeated ONE AFTER THE OTHER?
If not HOW does the REPETITION occur?
How could the verse be rewritten without the REPETITION?
- Apply the rule: REPETITION indicates UNUSUAL MEANING
Give an UNUSUAL NON STANDARD meaning to the repeated
word(s) in the above verse
RASHIS SOLUTION
---------------
ANSWERS TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS:
- The word GROW is repeated (3 times!)
Also (in Hebrew) the verb TO GO (Hey-Lamed-Caph)
is repeated (And the man WENT, GOING...)
- The repetition is not a consecutive word repetition
The repetition occurs by repeating the whole sentence
or phrases of it. The verse could be rewritten in many
manners such as
-- The man WENT, GOING and GROWING
The verse could even be rewritten with ONE repetition
instead of TWO repetitions
-- The man GREW until he GREW alot
Quite simply the verse could simply say
-- The man GREW ALOT
As this the last example hilights the concept of
GROWING occurs 3 times.
- The word GROW usually refers to GROWING IN ASSETS
WEALTH and INFLUENCE.
Rashi, following the Talmud interprets the word
GROWING in a non-standard manner
- Even the MANURE of Isaac was coveted
In other words Isaac GREW in all his assets so much
that even trivial things like his manure was coveted
COMMENTS:
---------
Again, if this sentence was written in modern day
notation we would use BOLD, ITALICS or CAPS to
indicate the emphasis. So eg using CAPS we would
write the verse as
------------------------------------------
And the man went, going and GROWING alot
------------------------------------------
The CAPPED or BOLDED word suggests an emphasis
which we then implement by giving a non-standard
interpretation.
Another comment is the following: The idea of finding
SOME unusual interpretation is easy. If you found SOME
non-standard interpretation then you understand the
Rashi and the technique he is using. The Talmudic sages
may have come up with a different interpretation. Sometimes
there interpretation is due to advanced application of
a logical techniques.
The Bible at Dt17-11 gives final authority to the Talmudic
sages. This determines what law we follow. However as the
Talmud explicitly says, THESE (interpretations of GREW) AND
THESE (interpretations of GREW) ARE BOTH WORDS OF THE LIVING
GOD. In other words, all interpretations have validity but the
final authority of action belongs to the Talmudic sages.
STANDARD REFERENCES FOR THIS RULE
---------------------------------
A standard reference for Rashis using climax may
be found at http://www.RashiYomi.com/doubl-14.htm
Also visit the Rashi calendar at
http://www.RashiYomi.com/calendar1.htm
The DOUBLE series was presented from Mid December 2000
to Mid January 2001
One can also visit directly
http://www.RashiYomi.com/doubl-1.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.com/doubl-2.htm....
The above are all summarized at doubl-14 at
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/doubl-14.htm
HOW TO USE THESE LISTS FOR SCHOOL PROJECTS
------------------------------------------
You can use the LISTS referenced above for
school projects. Here is how. If you are a
teacher then you can use the above resources
to display verses with repeating words.
You can then have the students do the 3 exercises
listed above:
(a) Find the repetition
(b) Suggest a rewriting of the verse
(c) Try and guess at a non-standard interpretation of the word
The students can then compare their analysis with that
of Rashis. This leads to greater appreciation of Rashi.
TODAYS EXAMPLE
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Todays example at Lv21-05 interprets a repetition QUANTITATIVELY.
The phrases DONT cut cutting IN YOUR SKIN and DONT bald
baldness IN YOUR HEAD is interpreted to mean that ANY AMOUNT
of cutting or baldness making is prohibited. Here is the verse
along with other verses found in the above references.
The first 2 verses in this list are new
=================================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE MEANING OF REPETITION
======== ================================ =======================
Lv21-05c Dont BALD BALDNESS ANY baldness*1
Lv21-05c Dont CUT sking CUTTINGS ANY cuttings*1
Nu17-28a All who come NEAR NEAR ... Even if it was crowded
Nu05-12a A MAN MAN who suspects his wife Even a paranoic man*2
Ex15-01b God is GREAT GREAT in war*3 Overthrows HORSE& RIDER
Gn08-21b God will not destroy not destroy No matter how evil*4
Gn26-13a & Isaac >GREW GREW< Even his manure*5
Dt33-18a DAN..DAN ZVULUN..ZVULUN Even if weaklings*6
Gn39-11b he left his GARMENT GARMENT Garment of sin*7
NOTES
=====
*1 In other words if, as an act of mourning, you slash
your skin 5 times, then you have violated 5 prohibitions.
That is there is a separate prohibition on ANY and EACH
cutting.
*2 In other words >MAN MAN< denotes >ANY MAN< even someone
very paranoic (I might think that God wouldnt allow his
Great Name to be erased for a Paranoic man--therefore
we are told otherwise). The Numbers-Rabbah Midrash gives
several explanations--Rashi simply cites from the first in
the list(and thereby encourages people to learn the
rest). We have selected the interpretation closest to the
paradigm of the list.
For an extensive but technical discussion see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h2n19.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n13.htm
*3 Rashis language is >Ordinary military greatness consists
of overpowering the RIDER not the HORSE. But God throws
BOTH HORSE and RIDER in the sea--hence we have a non-
standard example of GREATNESS which is indicated by
the REPETITION.
*4 The implication is that God will never destroy the
world no matter how evil man becomes. (Rashis language
is that >God took an oath not to destroy the world<
But all that Rashi meant was the emphasis that God
would not destroy the world in any circumstances)
*5 >GROWTH< is usually associated with assets and workers
Rashi points out here that Isaac >GREW IN ALL RESPECTS<
>EVEN< his manure was coveted.
*6 Rashi here cites a fundamental controversy in approach
to REPETITION. Genesis Rabbah 95:04 and Baba Kama 92a
both deal with the problem that of the 12 tribes
blessed by Moses only 5 of them have their names
repeated in the blessing (in Dt33). Thus eg it says
>And to DAN Moses said/blessed: May DAN be like a lion<
Thus this blessing REPEATS the word DAN while other
blessings use pronouns when re-refering to the tribes.
Genesis Rabbah suggests that these 5 people were the
>STRONGEST< of the tribes (So REPETITION denotes
the CHOICEST). By contrast, Baba Kamma suggests that
these 5 were the >WEAKEST< (So REPETITION denotes
that they are tribes in >ANY< circumstances EVEN
though they are not as strong as the other tribes).
After reviewing this controversy in Gn47-02a Rashi
decides in Dt33-18a in favor of the TALMUD.
Using the above LISTS we can easily understand why.
>REPETITION< can only denote >CHOICEST< if there is
some other EMPHASIS INDICATOR like >THE< or >OF<
This is discussed in METHOD 1 above. By contrast
METHOD 3 shows that ordinary REPETITION broadens
the meaning of a word to include non standard
circumstances. Hence the implication would be
>You are my tribe EVEN if you are a weakling and
are not what I expect<.
*7 First: The word >garment< is not repeated (>Garment Garment<)
Rather the word is used twice in the verses without using
a pronoun (ie it says >And she grabbed him by his GARMENT
and he left his GARMENT in her hand<). REPETITION that
comes from an omitted pronoun is also REPETITION.
Next: The simplest explanation would be that >GARMENT<
would refer to >GARMENT< in the sense of the Monica
Lewinsky >GARMENT<---in other words a >GARMENT< with
non-standard items which indicate sin (Recall that
Potipheras wife had been making advances on Joseph
daily; Joseph was only 17; he was all alone and without
friends; the rest is clear...). In summary the simplest
interpretation is that >Garment< refers to a >non standard
meaning of garment< denoting sin (A similar use of
garment occurs in Dt22-17 >and the man will accuse his
newly married wife of having been unfaithful and they
will spread the GARMENT before the city officials(to
prove her innocence)<
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RASHI RULE USED: DOUBLE NOUNS
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WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website
Volume 13 Number 23
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 13 Number 23