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VERSE: Nu13-03a

RASHIS COVERED: Nu13-03a Dt34-05b Dt33-38a Nu26-56a
                Nu03-16a Nu09-18a Dt19-15c Nu04-27a
                Lv27-08c Gn43-07c

===================== Nu13-03a =======================

VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
------------------
A chief function of Rashi is simply to explain MEANING
the same way the dictionary explains meaning

But Rashi had multiple vehicles for explaining meaning.
For example Rashi will not only explain the meaning
of INDIVIDUAL words; Rashi will also explain the
meaning of New PHRASES.

EXAMPLE
-------
Todays example is a good one. Each word in the phrase
------------
ON THE MOUTH
------------
is well known and understood. But together these well
known words form a NEW PHRASE whose meaning is not
known.

Rashis job is to explain this new meaning. Rashi suggests
-----------------------------------
ON THE MOUTH OF means INTERACTIVELY
-----------------------------------

Our job in this list, (after Rashi), is to show
how Rashi took this basic idea (ON THE MOUTH=INTERACTIVE)
and APPLIED it in differing situations.

EXAMPLE
-------
Nu04-27c ...their work assignments ON THE MOUTH of priests
RASHI:   ...their work assignments ACCORDING to the priests

The typical work situation of course involves not a fixed
everyday assignment but an INTERACTION between SUPERVISOR
and worker

EXAMPLE
-------
Dt19-15c ...court cases will be ON THE MOUTH of witnesses
RASHI: The witnesses must appear---in particular,
testimony by affidaivits and translators are not accepted

Clearly Rashi is emphasizing the nuance of INTERACTION.
The witnesses (to form a proper testimony) must INTERACT
with the court.

See below for more examples.
===========================================================
ITEM                     DETAIL
======================== ==================================
RASHI RULE CLASS:        WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS      NEW MEANINGS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW                LIST854a
Verses with phrase       ON THE MOUTH OF
===========================================================


========================== LIST854a ==========================================

We compactly depict below verses with the phrase ON THE MOUTH OF
The fundamental unifying meaning is INTERACTIVELY

We show 3 distinct uses of this idea of INTERACTION
-- situations intrinsically requiring INTERACTIVITY(eg Supervision,Testimony)
-- Prophetically INTERACTING with God
-- KISS DEATH (Death accompanined by prophetic INTERACTION)

We also have occasion to show the very delicate iteraction
between the SIMPLE MEANING of the text and some exotic
HYPERBOLE/AGGADAH of Chazal.
==============================================================================
VERSE    VERSE TEXT--AL PI means ACCORDING   AL PI=INTERACTIVELY..that is
======== =================================== ==================================
Nu04-27a Workload ACCORDING to Supervisor    SUPERVISOR*10 *3
Dt19-15c Court cases ACCORDING to witnesses  Not by writing / by translation *4
Lv27-08c Assess fee ACCORDING to his needs   Leave Bed,Chair,Pillow,equipment*1
Gn43-07c ACCORDING to his questions          We couldnt prepare answers*2
-------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------
Nu13-03a Moses spent spies ACCORDING to God  PROPETIC INTERACTION *5
Nu26-56a Land divided ACCORDING to LOT       PROPHETIC INTERACTION *5
Nu03-16a Counted ACCORDING to GOD            PROPHETIC INTERACTION *5
Nu09-18a Journey ACCORDING TO GOD            PROPHETIC INTERACTION *5
-------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------
Nu34-05b Aaron Died ACCORDING TO GOD         PROPHETIC INTERACTION *6
Dt33-38a Moses Died ACCORDING TO GOD         PROPHETIC INTERACTION *6

NOTES
-----
*1 So the court INTERACTS with the person to find out
   how much to leave him

*2 The brothers tell Jacob that Josephs questions
   were INTERACTIVE--they were not just STANDARD
   questions asked when handing out rations...since
   the questions were interactive they could not
   prepare answers that avoided consequences (Recall
   that they told Joseph that they had a brother
   at home and this caused Joseph to order him brought
   to Egypt even though Jacob did not want him journeying)

*3 That is their job is not fixed but governed by their
   SUPERVISORs needs---the main thing in a job is INTERACTION
   (According to Job needs)

*4 Clearly WITNESSES must take the risk of INTERACTIVE
   cross-examination (or their testimony is worthless)

   So testimony by affidaivit or translator is not
   acceptable.

*5 PROPHECY is simply INTERACTIVE dialogue with GOD
   It is important to distinguish between the SIMPLE
   MEANING of the text and the particular implementation
   of this simple meaning that the sages laid down
   The following 4 examples illustrate how to balance
   SIMPLE MEANING OF TEXT vs TALMUDIC HYPERBOLE

   a) The LAND was DIVIDED BY PROPHETIC ORDER
      This is the simple meaning of the text

      The sages added hyperbole to this and
      stated that the lottery SPOKE and CONFIRMED
      all choices *12

   b) Moses census of the Jews was mostly done in
      traditional manners but some census had to be
      done PROPHETICALLY. This is the simple meaning
      of the text.

      The Sages add the hyperbole that
      Moses for reasons of modesty did not want to
      go into crowded tents with large numbers of
      infants...so therefore too not embarass them
      Moses censused these tents prophetically*11

   c) The journeys of the Jews in the wilderness were
      done prophetically. This is the simple meaning
      of the text.

      Our sages add the hyperbole that
      the Divine Cloud of Honor first stood like a tree
      over the Tribe of Judah---this meant they were
      to Journey--an announcement was made by the journey
      blasts--Moses then sang the song ARISE GOD AND
      SCATTER YOUR ENEMIES ...and they journeyed

   d) Dt01-21:23 states that the Jews wanted spies. But
      Nu13-01:10 says that God wanted them. The simple
      meaning of the text is that 1) God promised them
      a beautiful land 2) But the Jews wanted to spy
      it 3) So Moses asked God Who said it was ok to
      send spies since they had doubts and the spies
      could either reinforce the doubts or remove them
      4) Hence Moses sent spies.

      So indeed the spies were sent by interactive
      prophetic dialogue with God


*6 Using our fundamental meaning equation

   --------------------------
   AL PI HASHEM=INTERACTIVELY
   --------------------------

   We have translated

   -----------------------
   Death ACCORDING to God
   ----------------------

   as

   ------------------------------
   Death by PROPHETIC INTERACTION
   ------------------------------

   The Talmudic sages translate it as follows

   -------------------------
   They died by a KISS DEATH
   -------------------------

   KISS DEATH is the technical term for DEATH
   ACCORDING TO GOD.

   No one has left us any information about what
   this means. However I would SIMPLY approach
   this esoteric subject by examining its context
   (Dt34).

   Recall Moses desparately wanted to go to Israel
   --here at the time of Death God INTERACTIVELY
   TALKS TO HIM about this---God shows him the
   entirety of Israel and its history but does not
   let him go in.

   So it would seem that KISS DEATH refers to
   God preparing the soul to leave this world
   by answering the soul on those matters it
   wanted but couldnt get during its lifetime

----------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES --------------------

*10 We can also supplement the interpretation of this
    verse with the GENERAL-DETAIL style as follows

    ------------ -------------------------------------------
    INTRODUCTION These levites will have
    GENERAL      their workload SUPERVISED by the Priests....
    DETAIL       and their BOSS will be ETHAMAR(The priest)
    ------------ -------------------------------------------

    In other words the GENERAL idea that the levites
    were supervised by the priests is concretized
    with the specific detail that ETHAMAR was the
    head boss (and it was he who gave orders
    to other priests who aided him in supervision)

*11 In a previous issues we have examined the contrast between
    -----
    COUNT
    -----

    vs

    -----------------------------------
    COUNT according to the word of God
    -----------------------------------

*12 The Talmud states
    --------------------------------------------------------
    Elazar came dressed in the
    full attire of the High Priest with the PERFECTION LIGHT
    STONES. These stones represented all letters of the
    alphabet.(The High Priest could read prophetic orders
    by seeing which letters of the stones glittered)

    A person picked a TRIBE from one lottery and a TERRITORY
    from another lottery and paired them.

    The lottery then spoke and said: I confirm the pairing
    --------------------------------------------------------

    I would (humbly) suggest that the last line should
    be amended/modified as follows

    -------------------------------------------------
    The PERFECTION LIGHT STONES then spelled out a
    confirmation of the pairing of the tribe and territory
    --------------------------------------------------

    In other words I more simply interpret the Talmudic
    phrarse THE LOTTERY SPOKE as THE PROPHETIC STONES
    CONFIRMED

    I think such an approach to Talmudic Hyperbole
    is productive and truthful

===============================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 18 Number 4


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 18 Number 4