The 10 RashiYomi Rules 
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat Emor
Vol 1#11 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple 
Visit The RashiYomi Website: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr Hendel President, May 14, 2005
English translations of the Bible come mostly from the Davka translation with changes made by me

The goal of this Weekly Rashi Digest is to use the weekly Torah portion to expose students at all levels to the ten major methods of commentary used by Rashi. It is hoped that continual weekly exposure to these ten major methods will enable students of all levels to acquire a familiarity and facility with the major exegetical methods.

1. RASHI METHOD: OTHER VERSES   
This example applies to Rashis Lv23-08b
URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ov.htm

The other verse method seeks to confirm the contents of a target verse by cross referencing other verses which either confirm the target text or add details to it. Additionally the other verse method can shed light on word meaning. 

Compare the following two verses both of which speak about the obligation to bring offerings during Passover.
•	Lv23-08b But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord seven days; in the seventh day is a holy gathering; you shall do no labor in it
•	Nu28-19 But you shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering to the Lord; two young bulls, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be to you without blemish

Rashi (paraphrased): The detailed requirement of offering bulls, ram, and lambs, mentioned in Nu28-19 is illuminated by the other verse, Lv23-08 which simply requires offering. This teaches that e.g. if you only have say bulls then you offer the bulls by themselves. Even though you haven't fulfilled the complete obligation of offering bulls, ram, and lambs you have nevertheless fulfilled the obligation of offering offerings.

2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANINGS / new meanings 
This example applies to Rashis Lv21-17a
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/lv21-17a.htm

The word meaning method seeks to present dictionary meaning. Rashi uses 10 vehicles to infer word meaning.  
A major word meaning submethod is the idiom or new meaning method. An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different than the sum of the meanings of its component words.

For example the biblical phrase bread of God is considered an idiom meaning offering. A typical verse with this idiom is Lv21-17a:  Speak to Aaron, saying, Whoever he is of your seed in their generations who has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God [Rashi: offering].

3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR / conjugation
This example applies to Rashis  Lv23-03b
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/dt01-24b.htm

The grammar method seeks to apply and teach Hebrew grammar.  One component of grammar deals with the proper use of pronouns. Today we examine use of the pronoun it: Biblical Hebrew has two methods to indicate it:
•	suffix vav
•	the word Aleph-Tauv-Vav (OTho)

Rashi explains a subtle nuance in these usages which apply throughout the Bible
•	suffix vav means it
•	the word Aleph-Tauv-Vav means only it or totally it

The following examples illustrate this distinction: In translating the verses in these examples we use the English phrase only it or totally it to translate Aleph-Tauv-Vav while we use the English phrase it to translate suffix vav.

Example 1: Lv01-06b And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut only it into pieces
Rashi: Only the burnt offering is cut; but you do not cut the cuts (One cut, not a chopping into pieces)

Example 2: Lv02-06a You shall part only it in pieces, and pour oil on it; it is a meal offering
Rashi: Only the meal offering is parted; you do not part the parts (One cut; not a crumbling to pieces)

Example 3: Lv14-06b As for the living bird, he shall take only it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water
Rashi: The bird was taken by itself while the cedar wood,scarlet and hyssop were taken separately

Example 4: Dt01-24b And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came to the valley of Eshkol, and spied it totally. 
Rashi: The spying was on the entire land; they did not spy random samples

Example 5: Lv24-03b: Inside the veil of the Testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, shall Aaron prepare totally it [the verse is speaking about the Temple Candellabrah] from the evening to the morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a statute forever in your generations 
Rashi: The oil placed in the Temple Candellabrah has to be sufficient to burn the entire night [the priest may not e.g. place 3-4 hours of oil and then come back 4 hours later and place another 4 hours of oil]

4. RASHI METHOD: ALIGNMENT
This example applies to Rashis  Lv21-05b
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/lv21-05a.htm

The alignment method seeks to extract nuances from the minor differences in the alignment of two almost identical verses. The contrast of the two almost identical verses points to an emphasis and equality in the minor aligned nuances. Another goal of alignment is the discovery of meaning. 

Today we contrast the following verses both of which prohibit shaving the beard corners.
•	Lv21-05b ... nor shall they shave off the corner of their beard
•	Lv19-27   ...nor shall you destroy the corners of your beard

Rashi: The verses use the terms shave and destroy. Hence
•	it is prohibited to shave with a knife (a shaving knife is classified as both shaving and destructive)
•	it is permissable to shave with a scissors (this is classified as shaving but scissors aren't destructive)
•	it is permissable to shave with chemicals (this is considered destructive but not shaving)

6. RASHI METHOD: STYLE
This example applies to Rashis  Lv21-21a
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv21-21a.htm

 The Rabbi Ishmael Style rules are usually thought of as applying to technical legal matters. However in a broader sense they apply to paragraph styles. The fundamental focus of the Rabbi Ishmael style rules is to precisely delineate the relationship between paragraph themes and development details: Are the details examples of a general theme, or, do the details exhaust the paragraph theme? In other words should the examples and details be interpreted literally and exclusively or should they be interpreted broadly and generally? Still another way of looking at style is that it answers the question: How should the paragraph theme and details / examples be integrated? The biblical paragraph, Lv21-16:21 illustrates nicely the style rule.

•	Lv21-16:21: Introduction And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron, saying, 
•	Theme: Whoever he is of your seed in their generations who has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
•	Theme: For whichever man he is who has a blemish, he shall not approach; 
•	Detail: a blind man, or 
•	Detail: a lame, or 
•	Detail: he who has a flat nose, or 
•	Detail: any thing superfluous, Or 
•	Detail: a man who is broken footed, or 
•	Detail: broken handed, Or 
•	Detail: crook backed, or 
•	Detail: a dwarf, or 
•	Detail: who has a blemish in his eye, or 
•	Detail: is scurvy, or 
•	Detail: scabbed, or 
•	Detail: has his testicles broken;
•	Theme: No man, of the seed of Aaron the priest, who has a blemish shall come close to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire; 
•	Theme: he has a blemish; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 

The theme-detail-theme structure is clear. According to the Rabbi Ishmael exegetical rules the theme-detail-theme structure should be perceived as a paragraph: The details are the development of the paragraph theme. Consequently they should be understood generally. Hence the 
Rashi: (From the theme-detail-theme structure we infer) that all blemishes, including those not listed, are included.[That is the Biblical examples are perceived as illustrating a broader general theme]

7. RASHI METHOD: Bullets
This example applies to Rashis  Lv22-13b
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv22-13b.htm
 
The bullet method should probably more aptly be called the typesetting method. Modern typesetting has a variety of vehicles which the writer uses to either create emphasis or point to an underlying unity. Three common examples of modern typesetting are (a) bold-italic-underline, (b) paragraph indentation including use of line spaces, (c) bulleted lists. 

Let us examine how authors use these typesetting devices.  (a) All authors use bold-italic-underline to indicate emphasis. The Bible does not use bold-italic-underline but instead uses repetition to indicate emphasis. (b) Modern authors use indentation and line spaces between paragraphs to point to an underlying unity in a paragraph. The Bible indicates paragraph unity by using the theme-detail-theme, detail-theme, or theme-detail sytles. (c) Modern authors use bulleted lists to indicate contrastive emphasis--the bullets together are seen as spanning a domain of ideas while each individual bullet is seen as indicating a separate and distinct idea. The bible indicates bulleted lists by either using repeated keywords or parallel structure. 

The reader will recognize the theme-detail-theme, detail-theme and theme-detail methods as three of the 13 exegetical methods of Rabbi Ishmael. What we have added is the explanation that the Rabbi Ishmael rules focus on biblical examples: Are these biblical examples understood as exhaustive of the whole law or are they understood as examples to be generalized? Similarly the reader will recognize that we have called the bullet method as the Rabbi Ishmael rule of context. What we have added to the Rabbi Ishmael exposition is the idea that parallel structure and repeated keywords are two methods of making inferences from context. 

Lv22-1:16 presents a list of who may not eat the Terumah which is given to the priests.
•	Intro - no profanation of holy things: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the people of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow to me; I am the Lord.
•	Ritually impure priests: Say to them, Whoever he is of all your seed among your generations, who goes to the holy things, which the people of Israel hallow to the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence; I am the Lord. Whoever, of the seed of Aaron, is a leper, or has a discharge; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he is clean. And whoever touches any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed issues from him; Or whoever touches any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatever uncleanness he has; The soul who has touched any such shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he washes his flesh with water. And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterwards eat of the holy things; because it is his food. That which dies of itself, or is torn by beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself with it; I am the Lord. They shall therefore keep my ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it; I the Lord do sanctify them.
•	Stranger: There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing; 
•	Priest Slaves: a sojourner of the priest, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.But if the priest buys any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he who is born in his house; they shall eat of his bread.
•	Priest daughter after marriage: If the priest’s daughter also is married to a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.
•	Priest daughter after divorce/widowhood: But if the priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s bread; 
•	Stranger: but there shall no stranger eat it.
•	Accidental: And if a man eats of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put its fifth part, and shall give it to the priest with the holy thing.
•	Summary - No profanation of holy things: And they shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they offer to the Lord; Or allow them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things; for I the Lord do sanctify them.

Rashi(Parapharsed): Note how the prohibition of strangers (non-priests) eating Terumah is repeated twice.  This repetition creates an emphasis. It is as if the verse said Only strangers are prohibited. This hints that there is some class of people that I might think are prohibited from eating Terumah but are permitted because the verse, by virtue of the repetition, indicates that only strangers, but not this other class, are prohibited. We are not told what this other class is. By looking over the Bible we find that priests whose close relatives died, during the first few hours before the funeral, are prohibited from eating sacrifices (Lv10-16:20). I would therefore think that just as they don't eat holy sacrifices so too they don't eat the Terumah. It therefore seems reasonable to apply this emphasis--only strangers are prohibited--to these people with a just-died close relative.

Notice that the repetition method simply creates an emphasis. It only hints at the derived law. It is not punchy and too the point. It is an inference based on tone, not on logic. This is characteristic of the repetition method.

8. RASHI METHOD: DATABASES
This example applies to Rashis  Lv21-11a
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv21-11a.htm

The database method seeks to discover biblical ideas using the methods of modern database theory and sequential query language (SQL). The Talmudic sages and Rashi were totally familiar and frequently used all aspects of modern database theory. 

Today we ask the query: How many methods of spreading ritual impurity are there in the Bible? The query returns the 5 methods listed below.

•	Example 1: Touching: Lv11-24 ...whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening
•	Example 2: Lifting (Without touching) Lv11-25 And whoever carries anything of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes
•	Example 3: Sleeping/sitting (Without touch) Lv15-04 Every bed, on which he, who has the discharge, lies, is unclean; and everything, on which he sits, shall be unclean.
•	Example 4: Coming into the same room (Without touch): Lv14-46 Moreover he who goes into the house while it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening.
•	Example 5: Falling into air space(even before touching): Lv11-33 And every earthen utensil, in which any of them falls, whatever is in it shall be unclean; and you shall break it.

The query illustrates how each of the five methods has a specific technical phrase which indicates that method. The five technical phrases are underlined: touches, carries, lie/sit, goes into, falls

With this background we can understand the Rashi, Lv21-11a. 
Biblical text: Neither shall he go to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother
Rashi (Paraphrased): The technical phrase go to, indicates ritual impurity that arises because he is in the same room with the dead.

The database query clarifies the reasonableness of the Rashi. For the database query shows that there are five technical phrases used to indicate ritual impurity; each one has a very specific meaning.

9. RASHI METHOD: SPREADSHEETS
This example applies to Rashis Lv22-13a
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv22-13a.htm

The spreadsheet method seeks to explain complicated biblical inferences using geometry, algebra and spreadsheets.  We use the term spreadsheet loosely to denote anything specific (not tone) and complicated.
The Rashi need not use algebra and geometry. Rashi might simply illustrate a complicated example.

Today Rashi presents a simple example showing how Lv22-13 can be relevant. In analyzing this example we will be helped by the following three verses

•	Nu18-11 And this is yours; the Terumah gift, with all the wave offerings of the people of Israel; I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, by a statute forever; everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.
•	Lv22-12 If the priest’s daughter also is married to a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things. 
•	Lv22-13 But if the priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s bread; but there shall no stranger eat it.

Rashi:  The following step-by-step example clarifies Lv22-13
•	Step 1: A women is the daughter of a priest. As indicated in Nu18-11 she may eat Terumah
•	Step 2: The priest's daughter marries a stranger (a non priest). As indicated in Lv22-12 above, she may not eat Terumah
•	Step 3: This priest's daughter who married a non priest now gets a divorce. In accordance with Lv22-13a above, she may now resume eating Terumah.

Rashi's point, based on Nu18-11, is that to see the relevance of Lv22-13 we must assume it speaks about a priest's daughter who could eat terumah, but stopped eating terumah because she married a stranger.

We say this Rashi follows the spreadsheet method because of the step-by-step example.

10. RASHI METHOD: SYMBOLISM
This example applies to Rashis  Lv24-14c
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu08-07b.htm
 
The symbolism method seeks to extract meaningful inferences from the symbolism of the biblical text.  The concept of symbolic interpretation is very involved. A good, compact, clear reference explaining when symbolism can be used and how to apply it may be found in my article Genesis 1 speaks about the creation of prophecy not the world which you can find at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gen-1.htm.  Today we explore the symbolism in Lv24-14c which describes the laying of hands on an executed criminal.

If I lay my hands on a table then I am using the table to support me. Similarly if I lay my hands on a staircase bannister I am using the bannister for support. In other words, support is the function, goal or purpose of laying hands. The rules of symbolism allow an activity to symbolize its function, goal or purpose. We now bring several examples where the laying of hands indicates support and dependence on someone or something.

Example 1: When Moses transfers his leadership to Joshua he lays his hands on him to indicate that Moses is now supported by Joshua who is now the leader. Nu27-18 And the Lord said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is spirit, and lay your hand upon him; Nu27-23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him leadership, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Example 2: When a person has sinned and needs instruction on how to come close to God he is instructed to bring an animal sacrifice, lay his hands on the animal, and then watch how the priest brings the animal close to God. Here the laying of hands symbolizes that the sinner finds support and guidance in the procedures done to the animal. Lv01-03:05 If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood around upon the altar that is by the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Example 3: When the Levites are chosen to replace the first born to represent the Jews in the Temple the Jews are commanded to lay their hands on the Levites thereby showing that they are now dependent on the Levite representation. Nu08-09:10 And you shall bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting; and you shall gather the whole assembly of the people of Israel together; And you shall bring the Levites before the Lord; and the people of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites;

Example 4: When witnesses execute the blasphemer they lay their hands on the blasphemer showing that their actions are supported by the blasphemers activities and sin: That is, the blasphemer is responsible for his own death. Lv24-13:16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Bring forth him who has cursed outside the camp; and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. And he who blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death

Conclusion

This week's parshah contains no examples of the contradiction method. This concludes this weeks edition. Visit the RashiYomi website at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ for further details and examples.