13 Methods for inferring meaning:#13 of 32
###########################################################
# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# June 7th, 2001 #
# Rashis 783-784 Of 7800 (10.1%) #
# #
# VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES #
# ----------------------------- #
# http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm #
# #
# Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, #
# (c) 1999-Present, RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President #
#Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit#
# #
# WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS #
# #
###########################################################
GOALS:
------
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 -- that is, we will explore WHAT
RASHIS METHODS ARE
TODAYS UNIT
-----------
Today and yesterday we review the meaning of the word
NCON. Many commentators think there are two meanings:
PREPARE and CORRECT/DESERVED. Rashis approach was
always to use a UNIFIED MEANING. Let us see this below
REFERENCE:
----------
This module comes from the following references in the
Rashi-is-Simple series.
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ex34-02a.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h5n11.htm
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#
BACKGROUND
----------
Today we deal with the Hebrew root NCON. Some English
translations render this word to mean CORRECT or DESERVED. e.g.
---------------------------------------------------------------
behold:the witness testimony is true & CORRECT(NCON)(Dt13-15)
---------------------------------------------------------------
or
--------------------------------------------------
Prv19-29 The mockers DESERVE (NCON) to be judged
--------------------------------------------------
But Rashis approach to MEANING was to use a UNIFIED meaning
whenever possible. Rashi identified ALL occurences of NCON with
the meaning PREPARED. RADACK in his famous book ROOTS, makes
a similar observation. Let us look at some examples.
In the sequel, Examples 30-32 are from yesterday while
Examples 33-34 are new.
THE VERSES & RASHIS
-------------------
EXAMPLE 30: Ex34-02a & be PREPARED (NCON) in the morning
EXAMPLE 31: Gn41-32a God is PREPARED to do it*1
EXAMPLE 32: Ex19-11a PREPARE yourselves to receive the Torah*2
EXAMPLE 33: Dt19-03a Make a well PREPARED highway(with signs)*3
EXAMPLE 34: Dt17-04a The testimony is true & (looks) PREPARED*4
NOTES & RASHIS
--------------
*1 The whole verse & Text are as follows: The text is
discussing the repeated dreams of Pharoh which Joseph
had interpreted as referring to saiety followed by famine
years. Since God was prepared to do this God repeated the
dream to make sure Pharoh knew that it was serious
----------------------------------------------------
& the dream was repeated because God is
PREPARED (NCON) to bring the famines & therefore
it is your (Pharohs) responsibility to gather food
----------------------------------------------------
*2 Rashi cross references Ex19-15
---------------------------------------------------------
Be PREPARED (NCON) for receiving the Torah -- abstain
from marital relationship (as this abstention facilitates
receptivitiy to Prophecy)
---------------------------------------------------------
*3 The verses are speaking about an accidental murder.
In such a case the murderer must flee to a refuge city
The Bible states that we must PREPARE HIWAYS TO THE REFUGE
CITY.
Rashi is giving one example of HOW the highways can
be prepared -- namely, by placing signs on them saying
THESE HIGHWAYS LEAD TO THE REFUGE CITIES.(See Rambam
murder Chapter 8)
*4 To fully understand the phrase LOOKS PREPARED we should
first become aware of judicial procedure. Each witness
is taken into a room and examined separately(Rambam
Sanhedrin, Chapter 17). Furthermore, it is meritorious
on the judges to ask lots of trivia questions: e.g.
what color socks was he wearing; what type of tie; etc.
(Rambam Sanhedrin, Chapter 2)If the witnesses contradicted
each other even on the color of socks then the testimony
would be invalidated.
So the Bible requires that besides being true, a testimony
should LOOK PREPARED ... the 2 witnesses should agree on
so much that it should apear as if they PREPARED THE
TESTIMONY.
Hence the Rashi: TRUE & PREPARED: Rashi: The testimonies
agree.
Note that the standard English translation: TRUE & CORRECT
in effect translates: TRUE & TRUE (For CORRECT and TRUE
are synonyms). Thus such an approach does not really address
the meaning of NCON! Rashi by translating NCON as
LOOKS PREPARED adds a 2nd dimension to the testimony --
the two witnesses must totally agree -- so much, that
their testimony looks PREPARED.
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#