#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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| Rashi is Simple Version 2.0 |
| (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President |
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VERSE: Lv26-30a
RASHIS COVERED: Lv26-30a Lv26-30b Lv26-30c Lv26-30d
Lv26-31a Lv26-31b Lv26-32a Lv26-33a
Lv26-31c Lv26-33a Lv26-33b Lv26-33b
==================== CLIMAX =====================================
----------------------------------------
TODAYS RASHI RULE: CLIMAX
TODAYS RASHI SUBRULE: CLIMAX
----------------------------------------
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RULE
-------------------------
Briefly speaking the CLIMAX rule applies when
the Bible repeats an idea in similar language
3 or more times. The CLIMAX rule views these
repeating phrases as forming a Biblical PARAGRAPH.
The CLIMAX rule first identifies the UNIFYING TOPIC
idea of this paragraph.
The CLIMAX rule then shows how this basic TOPIC idea
is DEVELOPED over a series of STAGES.
The CLIMAX rule justifies its assertions, not by
grammar or meaning, but rather by the EXPECTATION
THAT A PARAGRAPH OF REPEATING PHRASES MUST BE SHOWING
DEVELOPMENT. The grammar and meaning are at most
supportive - they are never proofs. The standard example
illustrate this.
STANDARD EXAMPLE
----------------
The clearest example of a CLIMAX RASHI is Dt19-11
---------------------------------------
When a person HATES his friend
and he AMBUSHES him
and CONFRONTS him
and he LETHALLY HITS HIM and he dies
...then the murderer will be tried and dies
---------------------------------------
STUDENT EXERCISES
-----------------
- Find the TOPIC IDEA (or the UNIFYING idea) in
the above 4 phrases
- Show how the list of CAPPED verbs describes
HOW IT HAPPENS--that is it shows a progression
of STAGES that naturally leads to murder.
- In describing this succession of stages you
may have to stretch the meaning of some words.
Justify this using CLIMAX
RASHIS SOLUTION
---------------
ANSWERS TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS:
- The TOPIC IDEA is MURDER. The above paragraph
is describing a MURDER
- The 3 stages that naturally lead to murder are
-- HATRED
-- PARANOIA-noticing every action of the hated person
-- CONFRONTATION-disagreeing with actions of the hated
When you have such a setup: Continual confrontation
coupled with a lack of privacy rooted in hatred--there
eventually erupts a fight which can lead to death.
COMMENTS: Note how we re-translate the word AMBUSH
to refer to a general atmosphere of SPYING AND NOTICING
the hated person. But AMBUSH does NOT mean SPYING and
NOTICING. That is Rashi has used POETIC LICENSE--he
has STRETCHED the meaning of the word AMBUSH to include
all spying and noticing.
The justification for this stretch of meaning is the
CLIMAX prinicple which allows and even requires us to
stretch some meanings in repeated Biblical
phrases in order that the paragraph conform to a succession
of stages. In other words, CLIMAX takes precedence over
dictionary meaning and even grammar---the need to see the
paragraph unified and developed justifies these
reinterpretations.
The understanding of this principle--that CLIMAX, not
the dictionary, justifies poetic license will help
clarify the simplicity in many Rashis.
STANDARD REFERENCES FOR THIS RULE
---------------------------------
A standard reference for Rashis using climax may
be found at http://www.RashiYomi.com/example9.htm
Also visit the Rashi calendar at
http://www.RashiYomi.com/calendar1.htm
The CLIMAX series was presented from Mid August 2000
to Mid September (Xampl-1 thru Xampl-22 on the
calendar).(Or directly go to
http://www.RashiYomi.com/xampl-1.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.com/xampl-2.htm....
It is summarized at Xampl-36.
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/xampl-36.htm
(NOTE: We there regard CLIMAX as an example of the
Rabbi Ishmael DETAIL-GENERAL principle. The Topic
sentence becomes the GENERAL STATEMENT (MURDER).
The phrases preceding this general statement are seen
as the DETAILS of murder (HATE, AMBUSH, CONFRONTATION).
The Rabbi Ishmael style rules require us to GENERALIZE
these details. Hence the word AMBUSH which has a
specific meaning is generalized by Rashi to refer to
any SPYING and persistent noticing. Thus Rabbi Ishmael
justifies the POETIC LICENSE used by Rashi. These are
two different perspectives describing the same thing.)
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 phrases.
You can then have the students do the 3 exercises
listed above:
(a) Find the Topic sentence
(b) Describe the Development in stages
(c) List deviations from standard meanings.
The students can then compare their analysis with that
of Rashis. This leads to greater appreciation of Rashi.
TODAYS EXAMPLE
--------------
Todays Rashi focuses on the group of verses in Lv26-27:33.
The topic idea is THE JEWS WILL BE EXILED FOR THEIR SINS.
The Bible beautifully develops the anguish of EXILE using
7 stages (STARVATION, HOMELESSNESS, LOSS OF HOPE etc). Along
the way many similar phrases are translated differently. The
justification for this is CLIMAX.
Expecially noteworthy is the need to make a minor textual
correction of 2 words in Rashi to make Rashi read clearly. This
follows the correction methods of the Vilna Gaon.
Here are the 7 stages listed in Lv26-27:33. Footnotes discuss
further assumptions and nuances. A special footnote *20
discusses the long Rashi on Lv26-31b which counts the 7 stages.
We correct 2 words to make this Rashi comprehensible.
The LINK column in this table explains HOW the 7 stages
progress from one to another.
=================================================================
STAGE VERSE TEXT OF VERSE LINKS
====================== ======= ============================ =====
STARVATION Lv26-29 Eat children for food
NO RELIGIOUS CRUTCHES Lv26-30 Lose religious statutes*1 *2
NO PERSONAL RELIGION Lv26-30 No dreams inspiring hope*3 *4
NO ANCESTRAL RELIGION Lv26-31 No cities,temple,sacrifices*5 *5
HOMELESSNESS(EXILE) Lv26-32 Land is desolate*6 *6
LOSS OF FRIENDS Lv26-33 Sprinkle exile;splash swords *7
LOSS OF HOPE Lv26-34 a known desolate land *8
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi here explains terms
- (Lv26-30a) BAMAH refers to popular public altars
- (Lv26-30b) HAMAN refers to Roof altars *10
*2 (LINK OF STARVATION TO LOSS OF RELIGION)
-----------------------------------------
If you are starving you might at least go into some
public worship center (To get food). But these centers
will all be destroyed.
*3 - (Lv26-30c) Rashi interprets YOUR CADAVERES WILL BE
PLACED ON YOUR BROKEN IDOLS literally by utilizing an
example supplied by the Sifray.
-----------------------------------------------
e.g. A person is starving and takes out his/her
pocket idol. The person drops dead and falls on
the idol. Thus the persons body is on the broken
idol*11
------------------------------------------------
Similarly (Lv26-30d) Rashi interprets MY(GODS) SOUL
WILL LOATHE YOU to mean
-------------------------------------------
There will be no spiritual communication between
Me (God) and man (such as by dreams)
-------------------------------------------
Thus Rashi is using poetic license on these phrases.
See the next footnote for the LINK between starvation,
no religious centers and the above interpretations
*4 LINK OF NO DREAMS IN EXILE STAGES
----------------------------------
Quite simply a person who is starving who cannot get
food in public religious institutions may still have
hope because of some dream suggesting a solution to
his/her problem; OR, the person may have hope because
of some religious object they hold on to.
Thus Rashi interprets these phrases as a DESTRUCTION
OF PERSONAL RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES which might
inspire hope in the face of starvation
*5 LINK OF STARVATION, NO TEMPLE, EXILE
------------------------------------
So far we have described 3 stages
- starvation
- loss of local idol houses where a person might
obtain food
- loss of personal religious experiences.
The person might try to go back to his ancestral religion.
That is, a return to the religion of his forefathers.
Such networking would provide him with friends who would
supply food and jobs.
Hence Rashi interprets these Biblical phrases as talking
about the destruction of ancestral religion
-(Lv26-31a)No metropolitan cities with business flow*12
-(Lv26-31b)no temple to which people came from all over*13
-(Lv26-31b) no priests, sacrifices
Rashi used poetic license and interpreted these phrases
as describing a new stage: LOSS OF CENTRALIZED ANCESTRAL
RELIGION
*6 The verse simply states I WILL MAKE DESOLATE THE LAND AND
YOUR ENEMIES WILL BE DESOLATE ON IT. This phrase occurs
several time in the Biblical paragraph. Rashi uses poetic
license to interpret each phrase differently.
Rashi stretches this using poetic license
---------------------------------------
It is not only that the Jews will
be exiled. But rather that the land
they lived on will be UNUSABLE. EVEN
the ENEMIES will not be able to live there
---------------------------------------
In terms of stages there is a difference between a starving
person getting thrown out of his house(with the hope
of getting it back) vs a person whose house has become
unlivable (Say thru a fire)!
Thus we might describe this as the HOMELESS stage of exile
*7 The verse BY ITSELF
would be perceived
as simply using flowery language
---------------------------------------------
I God will SPRINKLE you among the nations;
I will SPLASH out the swords
---------------------------------------------
Because of CLIMAX Rashi used poetic license on the
nuances of SPRINKLE and SPLASH
-- SPRINKLE denotes a LACK OF UNITY (only droplets
are sprinkled). SPLASH denotes massive terrorism
without letup.
LINK TO THE EXILE STAGES
------------------------
A starving person who lost his house may hope
to still have friends to support him. Thus the
Bible describes the STARVING HOMELESS PERSON
who additionally has no friends.
Although the nuances of SPRINKLE and SPLASH
support Rashi, the ultimate proof comes from
the CLIMAX principle not from the strange words.
*8 The phrase DESOLATE LAND has already occured
several times in this chapter. Rashi
interprets each occurence of this phrase
differently consistent with the CLIMAX
PRINCIPLE. In this verse Rashi places an
emphasis on
---------------------------------------------
The land will be KNOWN as desolate. There will
be no HOPE of coming back
----------------------------------------------
This is the final stage in exile. After all if
you are exiled (eg from your house because of fire)
but believe the government will rebuild it for
you then it is just a nuisance.
But if you are exiled WITHOUT hope of return it is
more serious.
----------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------------
*10 HAMAH means SUN. So a fitting name for a ROOF IDOL would
be a SUN IDOL or SUN for short. Such idols were
convenient since they were IN YOUR HOUSE
*11 Rashi interprets
---------------------------------------------
I will place your cadavers on your broken
idols
---------------------------------------------
to refer to eg
--------------------------------------------
a starving person who takes out his pocket
idol to pray, dies and his dead body falls
on his broken idol
--------------------------------------------
I think it best to regard this Rashi (actually
a sifrah) as an EXAMPLE of a PERSONAL RELIGIOUS
EXPERIENCE. The CLIMAX principle gives depth
to individual phrases by linking them in a
general paragarph setting
*12 As Rashi himself points out: The verse simply states
I WILL DESTROY YOUR CITIES. But this phrase occurs
several times in the chapter. Rashi interprets the
phrase here to mean I WILL DESTROY YOUR (BUSINESS)
METROPOLITASES
Recall that in ancient times everyone came to Jerusalem
--even non-jews---to see the temple---hence the Temple
cities became business centers--therefore a person lacking
food could go and find refuge and help here.
Thus this stage states that all centralized religion
will go (cutting off another avenue of hope)
*13 The Sifrah finds a grammatical nuance SUPPORTING this
interpretation: The Bible uses the word YOUR TEMPLES
vs TEMPLE or MY(GODS) TEMPLE. This indicates a nuance
of the SYNAGOGUES which had public prayers at the
times of the daily temple sacrifices.
Again however, it is not the grammar which motivates
Rashi. Rather it the climax principle which shows
how STARVATION CAN LEAD TO EXILE. First you have
to remove all hope of getting food--one such hope
comes from centralized religion.
Hence Rashi interprets this verse as referring to
ANY CENTRALIZED STRUCTURE (business centers,
Temple links or the Temple itself)
*20
The Bible in Lv26-27 EXPLICITLY states
---------------------------------------
I will bring 7 punishments on you
---------------------------------------
Hence both Rashi and I count 7 stages.
But the text we have of Rashi appears to stop in the
middle of the paragraph! I have taken the text naturally
which starts at verse Lv26-27 and finishes at Lv26-33.
I therefore list here the 15 verse phrases in Lv26-27:33
(using one phrase per verse). I then add my classification
and Rashis classification. I change two words in Rashi
which makes our two interpretations identical.
WITHOUT THESE 2 WORD CORRECTIONS RASHI WOULD BE
STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARAGRAPH. Hence I think
this approach worthwhile. This approach of minor
word correction was advocated (when necessary by
the Vilna Gaon).
--------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF PHRASE WHICH STAGE
------- ---------------------- -------------------------
Lv26-29 eat your boy children Starvation
Lv26-29 eat your girl children Starvation
Lv26-30 destroy statutes No Crutches
Lv26-30 destroy roof gods NO Crutches
Lv26-30 die on statutes NO Personal visions
Lv26-30 no visions/dreams NO Personal visions
Lv26-31 no metropolitases No Central Temple*21
Lv26-31 No Temple Synagogues No central Temple
Lv26-31 No Temple sacrifices No Central temple
Lv26-32 Exiled from land Homeless Exile
Lv26-32 Land uninhabitable Homeless exile
Lv26-33 Exile without unity Troops in SYNAGOGUES*22
Lv26-33 massive terrorism Troops in SYNAGOGUES
Lv26-33 No hope of return No HOPE for sacrifices*23
Lv26-33 No hope of cities No HOPE for sacrifices
--------------------------------------------------------
*21 Rashi says THE DEPARTURE OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE
It is therefore tempting to say he was referring to
the last phrase in Lv26-30 talking about LACK OF VISIONS
But quite simply I interpret it as referring to the
DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE (SEAT OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE)
*22 I have changed the word TEMPLE to SYNAGOGUES. That is
instead of TROOPS (of JEWS) GOING TO TEMPLE we translate
TROOPS (Of Foreign nations) GOING TO SYNAGOGUES (And
preventing UNITY. This requires a change of one word
*23 Rashi states NO SCENT OF SACRIFICES which clearly echoes
Lv26-31. I changed the word SCENT to HOPE. So the
Rashi text reads NO HOPE FOR SACRIFICES. This is consistent
with Rashis OWN interpretation of Lv26-33
================================================================
=================================================================
RASHI RULE USED: CLIMAX
---------------------------------------------------
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 22
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 13 Number 22