13 Methods for inferring meaning:#10 of 32
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# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# June 4th, 2001 #
# Rashis 770-775 Of 7800 (9.9%) #
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GOALS:
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I decided its time for a longer unit.
This unit will focus on a major Rashi task--explaining
the MEANINGS OF WORDS.
Explaining the MEANINGS of WORDS is more than looking
something up in a dictionary. There are METHODS to
explaining WORDS.
Thus in this module we will explore HOW Rashi determines
the meanings of words.
TODAYS UNIT
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In todays unit the MEANING of the word was
ALREADY KNOWN. However Rashis task is to show
HOW this meaning manifests itself.
REFERENCE:
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This module comes from the following references in the
Rashi-is-Simple series.
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt01-15d.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h7n3.htm
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#
EXAMPLE 20: Dt01-15d
EXAMPLE 21: Dt01-15e
EXAMPLE 22: Ex18-21e
EXAMPLE 23: Ex18-21f
EXAMPLE 24: Ex18-21g
EXAMPLE 25: Ex18-21h
BACKGROUND
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Everyone knows that the Hebrew word SAR means a CHIEF
or MASTER of some activity. In fact this word occurs
in 3 ways.
* CHIEF OF something - e.g. CHIEF BAKER (Master Baker)
* CHIEF FROM somewhere - e.g. the RUSSIAN CHESS MASTER
* CHIEF OF SO MANY people - e.g. CEO of a company of 1000
Let us now review examples of each of these and then see what
Rashi did and why.
THE USAGES
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USAGE 1:
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In the following verses the Hebrew word 'SR' means
MASTER or CHIEF--for example, MASTER CHEF, MASTER BAKER
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VERSE TEXT
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Gn37-36 Master Chef
Gn39-21 Master of Prisons
Gn40-02 Master Bartender
Gn40-16 Master Baker
Ex01-11 Master of Taxes
Jud9-30 Master of the city(Mayor)
2C32-06 Masters of War
USAGE 2:
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In the following verses the Hebrew word 'SR' means
MASTER or CHIEF. The verse USES the word to indicate
WHERE the master or chef came from
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VERSE TEXT
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Jud7-25 Midianite Masters
Jud8-6 Succothian Masters
Nu22-12 Moabite Masters
Nu22-12 Balaks Masters
Jos5-14 Master (0fficer) of the Army
USAGE 3
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In the following verses the Hebrew word 'SR' means
MASTER or CHIEF. The verse USES the word to indicate
HOW MANY subordinates worked under the CHIEF
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VERSE TEXT
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Dt01-15 CHIEFS over a 1000
Dt01-15 CHIEFS over a 100
Ex18-21 CHIEFS over a 1000
Ex18-21 CHIEFS over a 100
Ex18-21 CHIEFS over 50
Ex18-21 CHIEFS over 10
Isa3-03 CHIEFS over 50
2Kn1-10 CHIEFS over 50
THE RASHIS
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A popular English translation of the Hebrew word 'SR' is
OFFICER or GENERAL since the word frequently occurs in
military situations. Hence if you know nothing else it is
natural to interpret 'SR 1000' to mean OFFICER OVER A THOUSAND
In such a case you do not need Rashi
However if you were familiar with other Biblical usage of
'SR' you would know that it almost always means CHIEF OF
SOME ACTIVITY or else it refers to CHIEFS FROM SOME PLACE
Because of these other occurences it becomes natural to
think that eg the phrase CHIEF (of) 1000 means CHIEF TRAINER
since ALEF means both 1000 and TRAINER; similarly the phrase
MASTER of 50 could really mean CHIEF OF ARMS since the Hebrew
word for 50 can also mean ARMS
Therefore Rashi ingeniously, consistenly and meticuously
makes it clear that we have a 3rd usage of SR in these
verses: In these verses the phrase 'SR' identifies the
CHIEF or MASTER by HOW MANY work under him. So Rashi
on each Biblical phrase 'CHIEF 1000' 'CHIEF 100' CHIEF 50...
says the same thing: 'CHIEF over a 1000' (Hence Rashi
comments on EACH of the verses in USAGE 3).
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