VERSE: Nu23-21a
RASHIS COVERED: Nu23-21a Nu23-21b Nu23-21c Nu23-21d
===================== Nu23-21a ======================================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis tasks is the explanation of POETIC
passages. Most of the meaning of a poetic passage
can be obtained by using the following simple techniques
- BULLET the phrases in the poetic passage
- What is the MAIN THEME of the passage
- How SHOULD that MAIN theme DEVELOP
- What phrases seem to coincide with this DEVELOPMENT
- Interpret the other phrases using the NEEDED DEVELOPMENT
Another way to look at this is to differentiate between
POETRY and PROSE.
- In PROSE we FIRST interpret the words and then combine
the words into sentences
- In POETRY we FIRST identify the sentences with the
main theme and then interpert the words based on the main them.
Using this basic approach of the
- THEME sentence
- SENTENCE 1st, WORDS 2nd
greatly facilitates the translation of a poetic passage.
EXAMPLE Nu23-21
------------------
The Biblical text states
------------------------------------
- God did not see iniquity in Jacob
- and did not see toil in Israel
- The God their Lord is with them
- The Trumpet blast of the King is with them
-------------------------------------
Following the outline above we have BULLETED the phrases.
Each separate sentence is a separate BULLET.
Next we identify the MAIN THEME
---------------------------------
- THE GOD THEIR LORD IS WITH THEM
---------------------------------
Next we must identify: How SHOULD the MAIN THEME DEVELOP
I think the following ideas reasonable
---------------------------------
- GOD IS WITH US
- God rejoices with us
- God overlooks errors and forgives sin
---------------------------------
Finally we follow the idea of
- THEME 1st
- MEANING 2nd!
That is we read this DEVELOPMENT into the Biblical text.
Here is the alignment of PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT vs TEXT
-----------------------------------------------------
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BIBLICAL TEXT
-------------------------- --------------------
- God overlooks error God didnt see iniquity
- God overlooks deliberate sin God didnt see toil-sin
- God is with us God is with us
- God rejoices with us Trumpet blast of King with us
-----------------------------------------------------
LIST110b summarizes this POETIC INTERPRETATION
=================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== ========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: BULLETS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS POETRY
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #26
SEE BELOW LIST110b
List of phrases in Nu23-21a,b,c,d--GOD IS WITH US
=================================================================
======================= LIST110b ===========================
List of phrases in Nu23-21a,b,c,d--GOD IS WITH US
============================================================
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT*10 BIBLICAL TEXT
============================ ===============================
God overlooks error*1 God didnt see iniquity in Jacob
God overlooks deliberate sin God didnt see toil-sin *1
God is with us*2 God is with us*2
God rejoices with us Trumpet blast of King with us*3
NOTES
-----
*1 We READ INTO THE TEXT development
- INIQUITY = TRANSIENT sin
- TOIL = DELIBERATE sin that you work on
Here we follow the rule *10 of THEME 1st; MEANING 2nd
*2 This is the THEME sentence--the basic idea of the poetic
passage
*3 Of course TRUMPET BLAST is a sign of REJOICING.
Note Rashi states
------------------------------------------------
The Hebrew TERUAH is the language of RAYAH, FRIENDSHIP
------------------------------------------------
Rashi seems to be saying
---------------------------------------------
Root TERUAH comes from root RAYAH, Friendship!
---------------------------------------------
Not so! Rashi really believes
---------------------------------------------
TERUAH here has its USUAL Meaning of TRUMPET BLASTS
---------------------------------------------
So Rashi is really saying
---------------------------------------------
TRUMPET BLASTS is the language of FRIENDSHIP
---------------------------------------------
In other words Rashi was not talking about
- deriving GRAMMATICAL root of TERUAH from RAYAH
Rather Rashi was talking about
- deriving SEMANTIC MEANING of Teruah(Trumpet)
from RAYAH(friendship)
This distinction between
- GRAMMATICAL FORM
- SEMANTIC MEANING
is fundamental to understanding Rashi.
Know and Understand it.
------------------------ LONGER FOOTNOTES --------------------
*10
Most of the meaning of a poetic passage
can be obtained by using the following simple techniques
- BULLET the phrases in the poetic passage
- What is the MAIN THEME of the passage
- How SHOULD that MAIN theme DEVELOP
- What phrases seem to coincide with this DEVELOPMENT
- Interpret the other phrases using the NEEDED DEVELOPMENT
Another way to look at this is to differentiate between
POETRY and PROSE.
- In PROSE we FIRST interpret the words and then combine
the words into sentences
- In POETRY we FIRST identify the sentences with the
main theme and then interpert the words based on the main them.
Using this basic approach of the
- THEME sentence
- SENTENCE 1st, WORDS 2nd
greatly facilitates the translation of a poetic passage.
------------------------------------
- God did not see iniquity in Jacob
- and did not see toil in Israel
- The God their Lord is with them
- The Trumpet blast of the King is with them
-------------------------------------
Following the outline above BULLET the phrases.
Each separate sentence is a separate BULLET.
------------------------------------
- God did not see iniquity in Jacob
- and did not see toil in Israel
- The God their Lord is with them
- The Trumpet blast of the King is with them
-------------------------------------
Next we identify the MAIN THEME
---------------------------------
- THE GOD THEIR LORD IS WITH THEM
---------------------------------
Next we must identify: How SHOULD the MAIN THEME DEVELOP
I think the following ideas reasonable
---------------------------------
- GOD IS WITH US
- God rejoices with us
- God overlooks errors and forgives sin
---------------------------------
Finally we follow the idea of
- THEME 1st
- MEANING 2nd!
That is we read this DEVELOPMENT into the Biblical text.
Here is the alignment of PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT vs TEXT
-----------------------------------------------------
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BIBLICAL TEXT
-------------------------- --------------------
- God overlooks error God didnt see iniquity
- God overlooks deliberate sin God didnt see toil-sin
- God is with us God is with us
- God rejoices with us Trumpet blast of King with us
-----------------------------------------------------
================================================================
Volume 26 Number 14