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Their presence in Rashis on Parshat Korach Vol 7, # 1 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple Visit the RashiYomi website: http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ (c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel, President, Jun - 15, - 2007 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.
Using the verses below, which discuss Levite job functions, Rashi clarifies that the Levites ministered by singing songs of praise and thanks, to God. Read the verses yourself and experience the joy of independently deriving the Rashi comment.
Further Resources: The above table clearly shows the Rashi reference method. The meaning of the studied target verse is clarified by the cross reference. The underlined phrases hilight what is clarified. The Rashi comment column summarizes the illumination of the underlined words through the cross referenced verses. If you as a teacher, teacher aid, Rabbi, or student wish to review other examples of the reference method visit http://www.RashiYomi.com/reference-question.htm and http://www.RashiYomi.com/reference-question.htm. The studious reader may have noticed the bulleted structure of the target verse. We will return to this example in rule #7 below, formatting.
Today we explore the figures-of-speech method. The figure-of-speech method uses literary techniques, figures of speech, common to all languages, to explain Biblical meaning. One such figure of speech method is the synechdoche method which names classes of objects by exemplary examples of that class. For example honey is a good example of something sweet and hence honey can mean sweet. Similarly bread can generally refer to food, day can refer to the entire 24 hour day, etc. Synechodoche also governs more metaphoric use of words: For example night can refer to a general period of darkness/bleakness. In the verse below Rashi interprets the underlined word from which normally connotes a spatial starting place, as referring to a temporal start. Here synechdoche sees the word from which literally means a spatial starting place, as a good example of any initial starting point whether in space or time. With this background let us now review the verse. Verse Nu18-09 discussing the priestly gifts literally says This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved for you from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every guilt-offering of theirs, which they may render unto Me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. Rashi interprets the underlined word, from as meaning from the time of [the offering] as follows This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved for you from the time [of the offering on] the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every guilt-offering of theirs, which they may render unto Me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. Hence the Rashi comment: The priests have rights in the offerings from the time that the offerings are offered on the fire. (However if the offering was invalidated and did not go on the fire the priests lose their rights to a share in it.)
A miscellaneous rule in Biblical grammar states that pronouns and adjectival phrases may refer back either to the immediately preceding noun, or, to a distant noun. There is an interesting difference here between modern English and Biblical Hebrew. Modern English considers it proper to only refer back to immediately preceding nouns. Hebrew is more liberal. It doesn't mind the possible ambiguity of referring back to a more distant noun as long as context makes it clear what is being referred to.
The table below presents an aligned citation of verses Nu18-21:23. The alignment justifies the Rashi assertion that the underlined word they refers back to the Israelites. Rashi infers this from the highly parallel structure illustrated by the alignment. We have indicated this aligned structure by bolding the parallel words Levites, Israelites and by underlining the parallel phrases Levites serve the Temple, and Israelites bear sin if they come near the Temple.
Notice how each Row in the table has the same message. The cells in the second row echo the corresponding statement in the first row. Hence the Rashi comment clarifying the terse final cell in the second row: They refers back to the Israelites. We are told that the Israelites bear sin if they come near the Temple. By using the aligned structure we are able to participate and empathize with Rashi in construction of the Rashi comment.
To illustrate the use of the Theme-Detail-Theme style let us focus on the last item in the detail list: the firstling. The verse says that the firstlings are given to the priest like the breast and thigh gift. But there are two sacrifices where priests get the thigh and breast: The Thanksgiving and Peace offering. One of these must be consumed within 24 hours while the other must be consumed within 36 (cf Lv07-11, Lv07-16). (Meat not consumed within that time is forbidden to eat - this is the so-call leftover prohibition.) To which of these two other sacrifices do we compare the eating of the firstborn -is the firstborn which is given like the breast and thigh gift, eatable for 24 or 36 hours? Rashi following the Sifray answers this using the theme-detail-theme method: The Torah thematically calls these items gifts. Hence the intention is to be liberal and give. Consequently we interpret all details liberally. Thus the firstling is eatable for 36 hours.
We have explained in our article Biblical Formatting located on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf, that the Biblical Author indicated a bulleted or table structure by skillful use of repated keywords. That is, if a moder author wanted to get a point across using a table then the Biblical Author would use repeated keywords. We illustrate this using verse Nu16-09 already presented above in rule #1, references. We now revisit this example from the point of view of the bulleted structure of the verse indicated by the repeating bolded keyword to.
Advanced Rashi: The above example illustrates how several Rashi methods can complement each other and give a greater degree of precision in understanding Biblical verses. Each method has its own distinct flavors and makes a separate contribution to the verse.
Today we ask the database query: Does one's neighborhood influence character? To answer the query recall that the Jews camped in a square in the wilderness. Each side of the square had 3 tribes. The southern side of the camp had Reuben, Shimon, and Gad. The table below shows that although the national census remained stable (a drop of only -0.3%) between the first and second census, nevertheless, the southern side of the camp dropped 30%. In the table below we identify sins of each of the southern-side tribes. Overall the table gives a picture that bad people tend to live with bad people, suggesting that one should avoid bad neighborhoods when one can. There are a wealth of philosophical questions connected with such an approach. We, like Rashi, suffice with noting the results of the table leaving each person to make their own inferences!
Advanced Rashi: Rashi actually states The Kehathite branch of the Levites (from which Korach who rebelled came) lived near the southern camp. This facilitated the association of Levi and Reuben. We have generalized the approach of Rashi. We seek all people associated with the southern side and review their behavior. The review shows that the Rashi comment - people who live together get involved in the same type of moral behavior - is true in general and does not apply only to the Kehatites-Reubenites. Such a generalizing approach enriches our understanding of Rashi and is therefore the proper method to be used. Sermonic points: Todays Rashi is already sermonic - Good neighborhoods have positive influence! Bad neighborhoods have negative influence!
Conclusion
This week's parshah contains no examples of the contradiction spreadsheet and symbolism methods. This concludes this weeks edition. Visit the RashiYomi website at http://www.Rashiyomi.com for further details and examples. |