Proofs may be from OTHER VERSES:#19 of 20
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# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# Dec 9, 2000 #
# Rashis 447-449 Of 7800 (5.8%) #
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OVERVIEW:
========
In this module we explore Rashis that derive their
lesson from OTHER VERSES.
There are three basic techniques of Rashi in these
verses.
CROSS REFERENCES THAT CONFIRM
=============================
One basic technique of Rashi in these verses is to
>CONFIRM BIBLICAL CROSS REFERENCE<. Thus the Bible
might say >I GOD PROMISE YOU SUCH AND SUCH AS I
HAVE SAID< and Rashi will then indicate where God
has said this.
CROSS REFERENCES THAT CLARIFY
=============================
A Second basic technique of Rashi in these verses is to
>CLARIFY MEANING IN ONE VERSE BY AN OTHER VERSE<.
CROSS REFERENCES THAT DEFINE
============================
A third technique is where the Bible explicitly says
>DO PROCEDURE X THE SAME WAY I TOLD YOU TO DO PROCEDURE Y<
REFERENCES
==========
Material in this module comes from
http://www.rashiyomi.com/ov.htm
Todays unit comes from material in
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h1n9.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n23.htm
TODAYS UNIT
===========
We finish this module today on OTHER VERSES with one more
example. This example contains an interesting controversy
between Rashi and Ramban. Since the example is lengthy we
devote a whole issue to it--however it is well worth it since
this example illustrates how a complex Rashi question (which
Ramban illuminates) can be simply answered with an OTHER VERSE.
The grand summary will be placed up tomorrow.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
EXAMPLE 49, 50, 51: Ex02-12a Ex02-12b Ex02-14a
==================
BACGROUND
---------
Ex02-11:12 Tells how Moses got involved in the sufferings of the
Jewish people. A particular incident is related where Moses saw
an Egyptian Task Master beating a fellow Jew. The verse continues
THE VERSES Ex02-11:13
---------
--------------------------------------------------------
..and Moses studied the suffering of the Jews
and he noticed an Egyptian hitting a fellow Jew
And Moses looked back and forth
and noticed that this task master was not a mench
and he killed him and buried him..
On the 2nd day he went out and saw two Jews fighting
and Moses said to the wicked one >WHY DO YOU HIT YOUR
COLLEAGUE<
And (the fighting Jew) he answered >WHO MADE YOU A JUDGE
OVER US ARE YOU SAYING TO KILL ME THE WAY YOU KILLED
THE EGYPTIAN< and Moses became frightened
---------------------------------------------------------
THE BASIC RASHI
---------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
Moses became aware that the Egyptian was not a mench thru his
spiritual intuitions (The same way ordinary people will avoid
people who appear boorish).
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rashi derived this from the CLIMACTIC form of Ex02-11:13 which
develops its theme thru 5 sentences using a GENERAL-PARTICULAR
style, one of the literary styles of Rabbi Ishmael which we
have discussed in http://www.RashiYomi.Com/example9.htm.
----------------------------------------------------------------
--THE FIVE SENTENCES IN Ex02-11:13--
---Moses studied the SUFFERING OF THE JEWS (a General statement)
---Moses studied a FIGHT between an Egyptian and fellow Jew
---Moses TURNED TO THIS SIDE AND THAT SIDE
---Moses became AWARE THAT THE EGYPTIAN WAS NOT A MENCH*1
---Moses KILLED THE EGYPTIAN
----------------------------------------------------------------
Thus Moses did not just kill him. Rather he saw a fight, studied
both sides and only when he saw how boorish the Egyptian was (>HE
BECAME AWARE THAT THE EGYPTIAN WAS NOT A MENCH*1) did he kill him
Further comments on this Rashi are given below. Let us now
examine the next few verses.
THE SECOND DAY Ex02-13
--------------
----------------------------------------------------
The next day Moses FOUND two people FIGHTING
and Moses SAID to the WICKED one >Why do you hit<
And the wicked one answered >WHO MADE YOU A JUDGE
WILL YOU KILL ME THE WAY YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN<
----------------------------------------------------
Rashi simply notes that Moses was feeling out the two Jews(to
see who was wrong and right) the same way he felt out the Jew
and Egyptian. For example the so called WICKED person was
>HITTING HIS COLLEAGE< during a verbal argument and also
>ANSWERED MOSES RUDELY (Who made you a Judge)<. So Moses
could easily sense that this person was not a MENSCH and was
wicked (the same way Moses sensed that the Egyptian was wrong)
THE OTHER VERSE
---------------
We derived Rashis interpretation that Moses was feeling out
the two Jews to see who was wrong by the method of OTHER VERSES
Moses tried to settle both arguments the same way. Here is a
summary. The letters show a correspondence between the 2 methods
EGYPTIAN-JEW ARGUMENT
-*a-Moses sees SUFFERING
-*b-Moses sees EGYPT-JEW fight
-*c-Moses TURNS HERE & THERE(eg asks both sides what is going on)
-*d-Moses see THE EGYPTIAN IS NOT A MENCH*1
-*e-Moses KILLS HIM
JEW-JEW ARGUMENT
-*b-Moses sees TWO PEOPLE ARGUING
-*c-Moses asks WHY THEY ARE FIGHTING
-*d-ONE PERSON ANSWERS RUDELY (Showing he is not a MENCH)
Thus Rashi's comments are based on the parallel structure of the
two fights. In other words Rashi derived his comments--that Moses
was feeling out who was wrong in the fight--- from the
OTHER VERSE(or in this case the OTHER ARGUMENT), where Moses also
felt out who was wrong.
------------------------------FOOTNOTES------------------------
We have left 3 technical points
THE RAMBAN-RASHI DIALOGUE
-------------------------
On the verse >ARE YOU PLANNING TO KILL ME< Rashi says that
the wicked person said >ARE YOU FEELING ME OUT THE WAY
YOU FELT OUT THE EGYPTIAN<
But The verse itself does not use the word >PLAN< to kill. The
verse literally says >are you SAYING to kill me<. This suggested
to some commentators on Rashi that Moses >killed the Egyptian by
>SAYING the Divine name< and that the fighting Jew asked
Moses >are you planning to SAY the Divine name on me and
kill me<.(Thus these commentators emphasize the word SAYING)
The Ramban in his commentary brings several verses showing that
the phrase >SAY to do such and such< is a perfectly normal
way of saying >PLAN<.
But the Ramban did not disagree with Rashi. He rather disagreed
with those commentators on Rashi who derived the Rashi, not
from OTHER VERSES, but from the word >SAY<. In this objection
Ramban was correct.
RASHIS LITERAL STATEMENT
------------------------
Rashi literally said >We see that Moses killed the Egyptian
using the Divine name<. As just indicated some people think
he uttered some incantation and the Egyptian died. But as
we have explained (and as is one of the opinions in the
Midrash Rabbah), Moses killed the Egyptian by physically
hitting him. However the >DECISION< to kill the Egyptian
came because Moses saw that the Egyptian was >NOT A MENSCH<
and Moses arived at this thru his >spiritual insights<.
The word for >spritual intuition< in the Talmud is >holy
spirit< while in the Midrash the phrase for >spritual
intuition< is >The Divine Name<. In other words Rashis statement
that >Moses killed him by the Divine Name< is really a statement
that >Moses killed him thru his spiritual intuition<
THE TRANSLATION >AND HE SAW THE EGYPTIAN WAS NOT A MENSCH<
----------------------------------------------------------
Most English translations translate Ex02-12 as
>And he looked around AND SAW THAT NOONE WAS THERE (to watch)<
We however have translated this verse as
>And he looked around(at the argument) and saw that the
Egyptian was not a MENCH<
Why did we chose the 2nd interpretation. Here is the rule
--------------------------------------------------------------
This selection is based on the fact that in Hebrew
the phrase >SAW & BEHOLD< is used when actively searching
for something that was not found. For example
--------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE Text uses BEHOLD to show an inquiry without findings
======= ========================================================
Gn37-29 Reuven returned to get Joseph & BEHOLD he wasnt there
Lv13-21 If the priest looks for leprous hair & BEHOLD they arent
Ju21-09 And they counted people & BEHOLD no Giladites
1S14-17 And they counted people & BEHOLD Jonathan wasnt there
Jb32-12 And I searched & BEHOLD no one answered Job
---------------------------------------------------------------
By contrast the phrase >SAW THAT< (instead of >SAW & BEHOLD<
is used when someone >NOTICES< something but has not done
a search) There are about 2 dozen such verses in Tnach
---------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE Text used >SAW THAT< to indicate >NOTICING
===== =======================================================
Gn44-31 When he NOTICES that Benjamin isnt there he will die
1S24-11 >SEE THAT< I have no sin but you try to kill me
Is59-16 When God >NOTICED< no one, He said *I* WILL SAVE
Ex32-05 When Elihu >SAW THAT< no one answered, he said I will
Es03-05 When Haman >NOTICED< that Mordechai didnt bow he blew up
So, the interpretation >And Moses looked around (if anyone was
watching) AND SAW NO ONE< would have required the style
>HE SAW & BEHOLD< since it was something deliberately looked for
But the translation we gave >And Moses turned to this side and
then to that side and NOTICED that the Egyptian was not a
MAN (MENSCH)< is consistent with the SEE THAT style.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*