13 Methods for inferring meaning:#8 of 32
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# June 1st, 2001 #
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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 yesterdays unit we showed how Rashi inferred
the meaning of PEGS (YaThaYD) from THE USAGE OF
THE WORD IN VERSES. Upon inspection the last
footnote in the table yesterday was in error. We
therefore today and tomorrow explain
---How Rashi knew the meaning of the Hebrew YTR--cord
---How Rashi knew which Levite tribes carried which
items
Although todays unit has nothing to do with the MEANING
OF WORDS, it is logically connected to yesterdays unit
dealing with the PEGS and CORDS and therefore we bring
it now. This unit is a bit long (3 pages vs 1-2). But
we show a beautiful illustration of how to resolve
controversies between Ramban, Rashi and Sifsay Chachamim
REFERENCE:
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This module comes from the following references in the
Rashi-is-Simple series.
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h10n9.htm (Up Sunday)
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#
RASHI: Nu03-26a
RASHI: Nu04-32a
BACKGROUND
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In the previous RashiYomi we have critically examined the Hebrew
words YaThaYD and YeTeR which refer to PEGS and TENT STRINGS.
In this issue we examine the PURPOSE of having PEGS and TENT
STRINGS in the Temple as well as who carried these PEGS and
TENT STRINGS in their journeys.
================ PURPOSE OF THE PEGS =================
Two purposes are presented for the tent pegs
======================================================
AUTHOR PURPOSE
======== =======
Rashi Pegs prevented tent skins from flapping*1
Chizkuni Pegs gave taut to ceiling--prevent cave in
NOTES
=====
*1 Ex27-19b
======================================================
============== WHO CARRIED PEGS/ROPES ================
This is a delightful exercise in exegesis. The
verses at first glance are very confusing and 3
approaches -- Rashi Sifsay Chachamim
and Ramban -- arise on who carried the pegs and
ropes when the Jews journeyed.
I am following a simple but insightful commentary in
the Silberstein translation of Rashi which resolves
the issues brought up by Sifsay chachamim and Ramban
and settles them grammatically.
First recall the Biblical phrase THE PEGS & CORDS
OF THE TEMPLE & THE COURTYARD (e.g. Ex35-18, Ex38-20
Nu04-32 etc). In fact there were curtains in the
TEMPLE proper as well as in the COURTYARD. These
curtains required pegs and cords to hold them down.
Rashi suggests that the pegs and cords served 2
purposes
--to hold down the tent skins to prevent flapping
--to support poles from which curtains hung
We shall see the proof of these functions below
This LIST compactly displays who carried each
peg and cord
===========================================================
ITEM USED IN CARRIED BY VERSE PROVING THIS
==== ========== ========== ==================
Cords Temple Gayrshon Nu03-26a*1
Cords Courtyard Gayrshon Nu04-26 *2
Cords poles Merrari Nu04-31
Pegs Temple Merrari *3
Pegs Courtyard Merrari Nu04-32a *3
Pegs Poles Merrari Nu04-32a *4
NOTES
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*1 The following is a translation of Nu03-25:26
---------------------------------------------
The Gayrshonites watched (a,b) the temple-tent
(skins) (c,d) their skin coverings (e) the skin
door of the temple (f) the courtyard curtains
(g) the courtyard door (h) and ITS cords
---------------------------------------------
Note the phrase ITS CORDS (vs THEIR CORDS).
Silberstein brilliantly points out that the
Hebrew phrase ITS CORDS has a singular referent
not a plural referent. Hence, concludes
Silberstein, the phrase IT could NOT refer to the
courtyard curtains (which are plural). We are
FORCED (By the grammar) to refer the phrase
ITS CORDS back to the TEMPLE-TENT unit.
We conclude, says Silberstein, that Nu03-25:26
says that Gayrshonites only carried the cords
of the temple-tent BUT NOT the cords of the
courtyard poles. This is exactly what Rashi
says: THE CORDS OF THE TEMPLE-TENT BUT NOT
THE COURTYARD. Now please read footnote
#2 as it occurs in the above list.
*2 Using Silbersteins principle of PLURAL
SINGULAR we translate Nu04-25:26 as follows
----------------------------------------
(Gayrshon) Carried (a) Temple skins (b)
tent (Skins) (c) its covering (d) its
Tachash covering (e) Tent curtain door
(f) the courtyard curtains (g) the
courtyard door (h) and THEIR CORDS
----------------------------------------
Notice the plural THEIR CORDS referring
to the plural COURTYARD CURTAINS.
Thus we are forced to admit that Gayrshon
carried cords of the COURTYARD CURTAINS
also.
*3 My opinion is that the simplest approach
to this is to assume that there is NO
verse for who carried the Temple Pegs!!!!
Instead we use an approach of logic!!
It is clear from Nu03-26 & Nu04-26
that Gayrshon carried all non-hard items
such as skins and cords. By contrast
Nu04-31:32 makes it clear that Merrari
carried all hard items such as poles,
sidebars and pegs.
Hence using the method of Generalization
we infer that Merrari also carried the
temple pegs(Which were hard items)
I think this approach, deriving it from
logic rather than by twisting a verse
is simple and straightforward
This approach(Of a unified theme--Gayrshon
carried soft objects while Merrari carried
hard objects) also justifies the assumption
that the courtyard pegs were solely carried
by Merrari.
This is explicitly stated
in Nu04-32 as well as by the observation
of the Rambam that throughout, the Bible uses
the phrase PEGS AND CORDS except in Nu03-26,
Nu04-26 where it just uses the phrase CORDS hinting
that Gayrshon ONLY carried cords and not pegs
*4 As is clear from Footnotes #1 #2 Gayrshon
carried the cords of the courtyard.
Assuming the reasonable assumption that
no two Levite tribes had different
tasks (justified by many verses) it
follows that Merrari must have carried
a peg that was neither for the Temple
nor for the courtyard curtains.
Rashi therefore explains that Merrari
carried the cords that supported
the poles from which the curtains
hang.
Silverstein explains that the cords
attached to these pegs formed one
unit with the pegs since the FUNCTION
was to suspend the pole from which
the curtains hung. Hence, says
Silberstein, Merrari carried the
PEG-CORD unit (even though, the cord
was not hard).
I believe this approach answers the
Rambans objection: BUT WE FIND NO
EXPLICIT SOURCE THAT THE POLES HAD
PEGS.
True enough. But we know that the
curtains had to hang from something
and that hanging pole had to be
supported, presumably by pegs and
cords. Again we have an inference
by logic rather than textual
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