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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@saber.towson.edu>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 18:18:17 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Argument by AUTHORITY vs by FACT

Gilad Gevaryahu (v30n86) and later Professor Tabory responded to my
position that all letters of the Torah were preserved with AUTHORITY
based responses instead of FACTUAL based responses. Let me briefly
illustrate

Taking Gilads example, the Talmud states that DROSH DRASH is the
*midpoint* of the Bible in words. I suggested interpreting midpoint
differently based on a suggestion in Torah Forum. So in this case it
would not (as Gilad suggested) be MIDDLE LETTER or MIDDLE WORD but the
MIDDLE OF THE DOUBLE WORDS. This is a factual assertion. I am asserting
that if you take the list of all consecutive double word pairs in the
Bible then DROSH DRASH is the middle one. This assertion is either true
or false. Neither Gilad nor Tabory have responded to my FACTUAL
assertion. Instead they bring AUTHORITIES who interpret the Talmud the
way they suggested.

Let me put it this way: I think everyone (including Gilad and Tobory)
would have to concede that if DRSH DRSH was the middle of the double
Biblical words then the correct interpretation of the Talmudic statement
This is the middle of the Torah in words would be "This is the middle
double pair of the torah in double pair words". Gilad and Tabory would
*at most* have a question on the Talmuds wording but not on the Bible.

Similarly Gilad cited *authorities* that we do not understand FULL and
DEFICIENT spellings. But I gave a cite that lists all dozen Rashis on
this issue and shows a GRAMMATICAL approach using one of two
methods. Again my FACTUAL question has not been answered.

I again request that this issue be opened up as I think it important But
I would like it opened up on a FACTUAL level not on an authority level

Russell Hendel; Math; Towson University
Moderator Rashi Is Simple; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/