#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2006, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
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| Rashi is Simple Version 2.0 |
| (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President,2006 |
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VERSE: Nu08-08b
RASHIS COVERED: Nu08-08b Nu07-15a
==================== Nu08-08b =======================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashi's 10 major goals is the explanation of GRAMMAR
the same way modern textbooks explain GRAMMAR. There are three
major GRAMMAR submethods:
(a) The goal of the ROOT submethod is to explain all
conjugations and meanings of Biblical roots.
Biblical roots are conjugated with letter prefixes and suffixes
to indicate (i) tense (ii) person (iii) gender (iv) plurality
(v) mode (vi) object (to whom the activity is done) and (vii)
mood. Each of these conjugations has a specific meaning.
Furthermore, these conjugations take on different forms for
roots with weak letters.
(b) The SENTENCE submethod deals with grammatical attributes
of sentences such as (i) word arrangement (Verb Subject vs
Subject Verb) (ii) sentence type (interrogative, command)
(iii) compound sentences (iv) apposition and (v)
paragraph / sentence development.
(c) The MISCELLANEOUS grammatical methods deal with
(i) agreement (in gender and plurality), (ii) the construct
(iii) pronoun reference (iv) ellipsis (v) noun-verb transforms
(e.g. to dust) (vi) special word usage(e.g. how to use
numbers) (vii) suffix-prefixes (e.g. terminal HEY means
towards).
Today we explain a SENTENCE grammatical method that
extracts meaning from WORD ARRANGEMENT. All languages
have rules governing the POSITIONS OF ADJECTIVES. In Hebrew
when there are a sequence of adjectives to a noun, then
the numerical adjectives go at the end. It follows that
if the numerical adjective comes in the middle it should
not be treated numerically. Hence
- the adjective ONE that does not occur last is
translated as UNIQUE
- the adjective TWO that does not occur last is
translated as SIMILAR.
Note, in translations to English adjectives
comes first and numerical adjectives come first.
EXAMPLE 1: Nu08-08b
-------------------
Nu08-08 literally translated reads
-------------------------------------
Then let them take a young bull with
its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil,
and a young SECOND bull shall you take for a sin offering.
-------------------------------------
Proper grammar would require rearrangement of order
----------------------------
a SECOND young bull
----------------------------
(In English the numerical adjective should be
First, in Hebrew last)
Hence Rashi translates the sentence as follows
-------------------------------------
Then let them take a young bull with
its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil,
and a SIMILAR young bull shall you
take for a sin offering.
-------------------------------------
Rashi elaborates on the word SIMILAR
------------------------------------
The word SIMILAR implies that both bulls
(one offered as an UP offering and one as
a SIN offering) are not eaten. "Just as
the UP offering goes completelly UP to God
and no part of it is eaten by the priests, so
too this sin offering is not eaten by priests."
------------------------------------
Note: Ordinarily, sin offerings are eaten by
priests.
Rashi conjectures that this was a special
bull sin offering for idolatry for this
special occasion. Normally idolatry offerings
are goats (See Lv04 for typical sin offerings.
See Nu15-24 for idolatry sin offerings of the
community).
EXAMPLE 2: Nu07-15a
--------------------
The actual text of Nu07-15 states
----------------------------------------------
A young one bull,
one ram,
one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
----------------------------------------------
Notice how in English the phrase
--------------
young ONE bull
--------------
sounds peculiar. Because of the position
of the numerical adjective Rashi translates this as
-------------------
a young UNIQUE bull
-------------------
Rashi
----------------------------
The bull gift was a bull that
was distinguished among its
fellow bulls
----------------------------
LIST076a below gives other Rashis whose
principle is REARRANGEMENT
=======================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =============================
RASHI RULE CLASS: GRAMMAR
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS: REARRANGEMENT
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #9
SEE BELOW LIST076a
List of verses with Use of REARRANGEMENT
======================================================
==================== LIST076a =============================================
List of verses with Use of REARRANGEMENT
===========================================================================
## VERSE Biblical text and suggested rearrangement by Rashi
== ======== ===============================================================
01 Gn02-19b ALL that Adam named WILD BEASTS that was their name
01 RASHI: ALL WILD BEASTS-that Adam named,that was their name
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
02 Gn14-15a HE split on them-HE & HIS SERVANTS-& they conquered them
02 RASHI: HE-HE & HIS SERVANTS-split on them & they conquered them
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
03 Ex02-05a And Pharoh's daughter went DOWN to bathe ON THE NILE*1
03 RASHI: And Pharoh's daughter went DOWN ON THE NILE to bathe*1
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
04 Nu19-07b HE'll wash his clothes & then be pure; HE IS IMPURE TILL EVE
04 RASHI: HE'll wash his clothes-HE IS IMPURE TILL EVE-& then he is pure
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
05 Dt04-38a To CONQUER nations stronger than you FROM BEFORE YOU
05 RASHI: To CONQUER FROM BEFORE YOU nations stronger than you
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
06 Gn39-17a The slave, who you brought to us TO PLAY WITH ME, came to me
06 RASHI:*2 The slave, who you brought to us, came to me TO PLAY WITH ME
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
07 Ex30-18c Make a copper lavern and a copper foundation TO WASH
07 Rashi: Make a copper lavern, TO WASH, and a copper foundation
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
08 Nu07-15a a young, ONE bull*3
08 Rashi: a young UNIQUE bull*3
- ----- ---------------------------------------------------
09 Nu08-08b a young SECOND bull for a sin offering*3
09 Rashi: a young SIMILAR bull for a sin offering*3
NOTES
-----
*1 Some adult humor: Amusingly---she did not openly
bathe in the Nile---rather she
bathed in a bath house that was located
near the Nile- This is made clearer by the rearrangement
*2 Some adult humor here The wife in effect teased her husband
------------------------------------------------------
The slave YOU BROUGHT TO PLAY WITH ME (did) come to me
------------------------------------------------------
Her delerately ambiguous language was designed to provoke
her husbands anger. She in effect said
---------------------------------------------------------
You knew his obsession with his appearance. You gave him
power. You must have expected this to happen
---------------------------------------------------------
*3 Numerical adjectives should go
- at the end in Hebrew
- at the beginning in English
Hence because of the position Rashi translates
- ONE as meaning UNIQUE
- TWO as meaning SIMILAR*10 *11
---------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ------------------
*10 Rashi further explains HOW the sin offering is SIMILAR
"Just as the UP offering goes completelly UP to God
and no part of it is eaten by the priests, so
too this sin offering is not eaten by priests."
Note: Ordinarily, sin offerings are eaten by
priests.
Rashi conjectures that this was a special
bull sin offering for idolatry for this
special occasion. Normally idolatry offerings
are goats (See Lv04 for typical sin offerings.
See Nu15-24 for idolatry sin offerings of the
community).
*11
We believe that the above explanation of Rashi
based on adjective position is sound and appealing.
The traditional Rashi methods argue that ONE BULL
is a redundancy since the singular implies it is one. Such
an approach, emphasizing redundancy, ignores the numerous
examples of ONE SUCH AND SUCH which are common in Hebrew.
There are no comparable exegesii on these numerous biblical
occurrences. By contrast EVERY deviation from
proper adjective order is properly explained in Rashi. We will
give another example next week
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Volume 30 Number 1
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2006, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 30 Number 1