The 10 RashiYomi Rules
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat MiKeTz
Vol 8, # 9 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple
Visit the RashiYomi website: http://www.Rashiyomi.com/
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel, President, Dec - 6, - 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.

    1. RASHI METHOD: REFERENCES
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: Commentary on a verse is provided thru a cross-reference to another verse. The cross references can either provide
    • (1a) further details,
    • (1b) confirm citations, or
    • (1c) clarify word meaning.
    This examples applies to Rashis Gn39-03a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
    Brief Summary: He saw that GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH (Gn39-03 ) because Joseph always mentioned God (God will help)(Gn40-08,Gn41-16).

Verse Gn39-03a discussing Joseph's success as an Egyptian slave states And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. Rashi notes The underlined words, the LORD was with him references verses Gn40-08,Gn41-16 which explicitly show that Joseph frequently mentioned God's name (e.g. God will help). Hence we interpret The lord was with him as meaning God's name was frequent in his mouth.

Text of Target Verse Gn39-03 Text of Reference Verse Gn40-08,Gn41-16
And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And they said unto him: 'We have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it.' And Joseph said unto them: 'Do not interpretations belong to God? tell it me, I pray you.' ... And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Rashi comments: The underlined words the LORD was with him, besides referring to Joseph being successful at the hand of God, also referred to Joseph constantly mentioning God's name (e.g. God will help) as indicated in the underlined phrases 'Do not interpretations belong to God? 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi literally says God is with him: refers to the fact that God's name was frequently in his conversation. This appears strange. Isn't the natural interpretation of God is with him that he is successful. Why interpret the phrase in terms of his lingual patterns?

We have approached this Rashi using the fundamental technique of seeing Rashi as supplementing the meaning of the text vs. exhausting the meaning of the text. In other words Rashi was not saying God is with him only means that God's name was frequent on his mouth but rather Rashi is saying besides the obvious meaning of the phrase God is with him indicating that he was successful, the phrase also means that God's name was frequent with him. Such an interpretative approach - an emphasis that Rashi is supplementing the simple meaning of the text - is deep, mature, and consistent with the simple meaning of the Biblical text.

      2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANING
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: The meaning of words can be explained either by
      • (2a) translating an idiom, a group of words whose collective meaning transcends the meaning of its individual component words,
      • (2b) explaining the nuances and commonality of synonyms-homographs,
      • (2c) describing the usages of connective words like also,because,if-then, when,
      • (2d) indicating how grammatical conjugation can change word meaning
      • (2e) changing word meaning using the figures of speech common to all languages such as irony and oxymorons.
      This examples applies to Rashis Gn41-19b
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: EMPTY FLESHED means EMACIATED (EMPTY is RELATED to LACK OF FULLNESS AND SUPPORT)

Students of Rashi must bear in mind that Rashi could sometimes use universal principles applicable in all languages. This particularly applies to the meaning methods.

    The synechdoche principle basically says that any language can use a good example to name an entire category. For example, in English,
  • the word honey can mean anything sweet.
  • Similarly bread can refer to any food.
  • Man can refer to any person (male of female)
  • day can refer to the entire 24 hour period
  • heart can refer to the entire person as in e.g., (Ps 43)My heart yearns for you, God which really means My entire person yearns for you God
  • The loss of a person can refer to the destruction of that person (Dt28-22i)

    The metonomy principle basically says that a word can be named by something related to it. Metonomy is closely related to synechdoche. Some typical examples of metonomy would be
  • hot refers to temper or pashion
  • going to bed refers to intimacy
  • by sweat will you obtain bread metonomycally refers to by hard word will you obtain food
  • He is a man of the cloth refers to the clergy
  • the pen is mightier than the sword means that publication can have greater impact than military means

Verse Gn41-19b discussing Pharoh's dream of the 7 full and emaciated cows states And, behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ill-favoured and emptied, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. Rashi explains: The Bible uses the word empty to indicate emaciation. Indeed an empty package has no support and is indented in appearance similar in look to an emaciated person. The emaciated person is not actually empty. Hence empty is a metonomy; emptyness is related, but not actually equal, to, the emaciated appearance.

      3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi explains verses using grammar principles, that is, rules which relate reproducable word form to word meaning. Grammatical rules neatly fall into 3 categories
      • (a) the rules governing conjugation of individual words,Biblical roots,
      • (b) the rules governing collections of words,clauses, sentences
      • (c) miscellaneous grammatical, or form-meaning, rules.
      This examples applies to Rashis Gn42-20a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: Nouns can be transformed into verbs in several ways: (a) CREATE: To flower (b) REMOVE: To dust (c) USAGE: To hammer. Hence the phrase YOUR WORDS WILL BE TRUTHIFIED means they will be PROVEN.

    Although most conjugation rules refer to the conjugation of verbs, there are also conjugation rules for transfroming nouns into verbs. We list several common methods for transforming nouns into verbs:
  • create the noun: e.g. to flower
  • remove the noun: e.g. to dust
  • use the noun: e.g. to hammer
  • the verb(activity) done to this noun: e.g. Dt21-04b: neck the calf in other words kill it with a blow to the neck

Verses Gn42-19:20 discussing why Joseph imprisoned his brothers (in order to verify their story) states if ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry for for the famine of your houses; and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words will be truthified, and ye shall not die.' And they did so. Rashi explains: Truthified is the passive verb form of the noun truth and means to create truth or more colloquially to verify.

    4. RASHI METHOD: ALIGNMENT
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: Aligning two almost identically worded verselets can suggest
    • (4a) 2 cases of the same incident or law
    • (4b) emphasis on the nuances of a case
    • (4c) use of broad vs literal usage of words
    This examples applies to Rashis Gn42-27c
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
    Brief Summary: SACK, KNAPSACK, BAG all mean the same thing.

The table below presents an aligned extract of verselets in Gn42-27c Both verselets discuss the money found in the knapsacks of the brothers of Joseph. The alignment justifies the Rashi assertion that The words for bag, knapsack,sack mean the same and can be used interchangably.

Verse Text of Verse Rashi comment
Gn42-27 And as one of them opened his bag to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, The underlined words bag and knapsack are used interchanably.
Gn42-27 he saw his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his knapsack. The underlined words bag and knapsack are used interchanably.

    Advanced Rashi: But perhaps there is a difference in the nuances of the words. The following further almost parallel verses show this that the words - bag, knapsack- are basically interchangeable.
  • Gn47-25, Then Joseph commanded to fill their bags with grain, and to restore every man?s money into his bags, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he to them.
  • Gn47-27, And as one of them opened his bag to give his ass provender in the inn, he saw his money; for, behold, it was in his knapsack's mouth.
  • Gn47-28, And he said to his brothers, My money is restored; and, lo, it is in my knapsack; and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God has done to us?
  • Gn47-35, And it came to pass as they emptied their bags, that, behold, every man?s bundle of money was in his bag; and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

Perhaps the words differ in their etymology. Aleph-Mem-Tauv-Cheth emphasizes the tightening of supporting strings (from Mem-Tauv-Cheth the securing of a place, such as a tent, with tightening strings) while Sin-Kaph emphasizes the fact that the bag is used for intense carrying (From Shin-Kaph-Kaph the market place.). However since all intense carrying bags involve tightening of strings to secure contents the words would then be interchangeable.
      5. RASHI METHOD: CONTRADICTION
      BRIEF EXPLANATION:Rashi resolves contradictory verses using 3 methods.
      • (5a) Resolution using two aspects of the same event
      • (5b) Resolution using two stages of the same process
      • (5c) Resolution using broad-literal interpretation.
      This example applies to Rashis Gn41-55a Gn41-54a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: Egypt at first had stored food but then it too suffered from the famine.

The table below presents presents two contradictory verses. Both verses speak about the famine in the time of Joseph. The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says and the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread while the other verse states And all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.' Which is it? Did Egypt have food or was there a famine there? Rashi simply resolves this using the 2 Stages method: Initially when the famine started outside of Egypt, all of Egypt had food, since Joseph had advised them to store food. But the food rotted and Egypt too was then in famine

Summary Verse / Source Text of verse / Source
Egypt had food Gn41-54 and the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Egypt had a famine Gn41-55 And all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.'
Resolution: 2 Stages Initially when the famine started outside of Egypt, all of Egypt had food, since Joseph had advised them to store food. But the food rotted and Egypt too was then in famine

      7. RASHI METHOD: FORMATTING
      BRIEF EXPLANATION:Inferences from Biblical formatting:
      • Use of repetition to indicate formatting effects: bold,italics,...;
      • use of repeated keywords to indicate a bullet effect;
      • rules governing use and interpretation of climactic sequence;
      • rules governing paragraph development and discourse
      This example applies to Rashis Gn43-20b
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: We DESCENDED DESCENDED connotes two descents: a) physical descent to Egypt and b) social descent - they use to provide others and now are dependent.

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 indicates bold, italics, underline by using repetition. In other words if a modern author wanted to emphasize a word they would either underline, bold or italicize it. However when the Biblical author wishes to emphasize a word He repeats it. The effect - whether thru repetition or using underline - is the same. It is only the means of conveying this emphasis that is different.

Verse Gn43-20b discussing the descent of Jacob's children to Egypt states and said: 'Oh my lord, we came down down at the first time to buy food. Note the repetition indicated by the underlined words. This repetition creates an unspecified emphasis. Rashi comments Two descents are connoted: a) a physical descent to Egypt and b) a social descent - they use to provide others and are now are dependent. Rashi of course conjectures that the second descent was social but such an interpretation of the unspecified emphasis seems reasonable.

Sermonic Points: The dialogue teaches us political etiquette. By emphasizing that they themselves were providers it made it more unlikely that they would stoop to theft since they were distinguished and responsible people.

      8. RASHI METHOD: DATABASES
      BRIEF EXPLANATION:Rashi makes inferences from Database queries. The precise definition of database query has been identified in modern times with the 8 operations of Sequential Query Language (SQL).
      This example applies to Rashis Gn41-50a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: The Bible uses the passive (was born) to emphasize the time or leadership qualities of the person born

    We ask the following database query: What mode - active vs. passive - is used to indicate birth. The reader is encouraged to perform the query using a standard Biblical Konnkordance or search engine. This database query yields the list below. The list justifies the following Rashi inference:
  • The active - so and so begat so and so - is the normal style to indicate genealogy
  • The passive - so and so was born to so and so - is used to indicate emphasis on the time or leadership qualities of the person born. The list below presents the results of the database query and shows examples.

Verse Style Verse text Emphasis
Gn41-50a Passive And unto Joseph was born two sons before the years of famine came [Rashi: Implying that children should not be born in times of famine (abstention).]
Gn10-21 Passive And to Shem also,was born children the father of all the Eberites, [Emphasizes that Shem and Ever were the major bearers of the monotheistic tradition.]
Gn10-25 Passive And to Eber was born two sons the name of one was Split because during his lifetime the world split up [at the Tower of Babel.]

      9. RASHI METHOD: NonVerse
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: The common denominator of the 3 submethods of the NonVerse method is that inferences are made from non textual material. The 3 submethods are as follows:
      • Spreadsheet: Rashi makes inferences of a numerical nature that can be summarized in a traditional spreadsheet
      • Geometric: Rashi clarifies a Biblical text using descriptions of geometric diagrams
      • Fill-ins: Rashi supplies either real-world background material or indicates real-world inferences from a verse. The emphasis here is on the real-world, non-textual nature of the material.
      This examples applies to Rashis Gn44-12a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: Ben was framed with robbery. To avoid suspicion the investigator went from oldest to youngest so discovery looked accidental.

Verses Gn44-12a discussing the frameup of Benjamin with a theft states And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and ending at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack. Rashi fills-in with real-world background. Ben was framed with robbery. To avoid suspicion the investigator went from oldest to youngest so discovery looked accidental.

Clearly the sole purpose of Rashi here, is to clarify the underlined detail beginning at the eldest as being consistent with a frameup.

      10. RASHI METHOD: SYMBOLISM
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi provides symbolic interpretations of words, verses, and chapters. Rashi can symbolically interpret either
      • (10a) entire Biblical chapters such as the gifts of the princes, Nu-07
      • (10b) individual items, verses and words
      The rules governing symbolism and symbolic interpretation are presented in detail on my website.
      This examples applies to Rashis Gn41-02a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: Joseph specialized in NUMBER symbolism: a) 3 baskets=3 days; b) 3 branches=3 days; c) 7 good cows=7 good years d) 7 bad cows = 7 bad years.