Guidelines for Poetic Verses:#6 of 10 ########################################################### # 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE # # Oct 22, 2000 # # Rashis 361-363 Of 7800 (4.6%) # # # # Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, # # (c) 2000, RashiYomi Inc # # Written by Dr. Russell Hendel # # http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ # # # #Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit# # # # WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS # ########################################################### ============================================== ----IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT---- THE RASHI YOMI CALENDAR IS UP VISIT http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm EVERY POSTING IS LISTED BY DATE CLICK ON THE DATE AND YOU WILL SEE IT =============================================== Todays posting, part of the poetry series, deals with the 3 PHASES OF A SINNER REGAINING THEIR GOOD NAME * Remaining alive * Retaining ones spiritual status * Being counted as a significant community member OVERVIEW: -------- RULE: We have frequently indicated that POETIC verses are governed by the Rabbi Ishmael rule of CONTEXT. Very often poetic verses REPEAT the same theme several times. In interpeting these verses the following guiding principles are helpful: GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING POETIC VERSES ----------------------------------------- * First, find the overall UNIFYING principle * Next, try and recognize the WORDS that YOU do KNOW * Further try and find the SPECIAL NUANCES in the words you know * Then infer the meanings of other words using PARALLEL STRUCTURE * Try and find all SUBCATEGORIES of the UNIFYING theme * Make a ONE TO ONE CORRESPONDENCE between the subcategories of The unifying theme and repeated stanzas of the verse based on the nuances you recognize in the repeated words. In a nutshell whereas legal language is analytic, poetic language is evocative The phrases don't define properties by themselves but rather evoke an image. BUT THE PHRASES IN CONTEXT DO DEFINE A PRECISE MEANING. Those who wish to see this posting on the website should visit http://www.rashiYomi.com/h7n23.htm #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#* VERSE: Dt33-06a RASHIS COVERED: Dt33-06a Dt33-06b Dt33-06c RULE: We have frequently indicated that POETIC verses are governed by the Rabbi Ishmael rule of CONTEXT. Very often poetic verses REPEAT the same theme several times. In interpeting these verses the following guiding principles are helpful: GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING POETIC VERSES * First, find the overall UNIFYING principle * Next, try and recognize the WORDS that YOU do KNOW * Further try and find the SPECIAL NUANCES in the words you know * Then infer the meanings of other words using PARALLEL STRUCTURE * Try and find all SUBCATEGORIES of the UNIFYING theme * Make a ONE TO ONE CORRESPONDENCE between the subcategories of The unifying theme and repeated stanzas of the verse based on the nuances you recognize in the repeated words. THE TEXT OF THE VERSE: Dt33-06 >May Reuben Live May he not die May his people be counted< Let us now apply the 6 categories of the guidelines to this verse THE UNIFYING PRINCIPLE: Clearly the unifying principle is that >Reuben should continue to exist< THE WORDS: All >words< in the verse have a clear and known meaning SPECIAL NUANCES: It is important to emphasize that NONE of the words in the verse have special nuances. Thus the phrase >May Reuben Live< or >May he not die< do not have special nuances. Our point here is that if Rashi does derive special nuances then it was not the >meanings< of the words that suggested these nuances but rather the >overall structure of the verse< THE PARALLEL STRUCURE: In this particular verse there are 3 >verbs< which clearly define 3 phrases (which are presented in the table below). THE SUBCATEGORIES OF CONTINUING EXISTENCE: Rashi suggests that the subcategories of continuing existence are as follows {LIST1}The 3 subcategories of >continuing existence< ==================================================== * existing physically * existing spiritually (having a spiritual component) * being recognized as an equal (ie being counted) THE ONE-TO-ONE CORRESPONDENCE: {LIST2}The 1-1 correspondence between the 3 verse phrases in Dt33-06 and the categories of continuing existence*1 ======================================================== VERSE Category of >continuing existence< ==================== ================================== May Reuben live May he >physically< exist May Reuben not die*2 May he have a >spiritual< component may he have number may he be >counted< & recognized NOTES *1 I think it clear that the individual words >live< or >die< do >NOT< correspond to the concepts of >physical< and >spiritual< existence. Rather what motivated Rashi to make this correspondence is the >principle of climax< which demands that 3 or more phrases be interpreted in a climatic manner. It is this principle, CLIMAX, which creates the correspondence and therefore it is a mistake to read the correspondence into the meanings of the words *2 Actually the verse says >May Reuben live AND not die< To emphasize the parellelism we have translated this as >May Reuben live and May Reuben not die< RULE USED: EXAMPLE9 #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*