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 Dt24-07a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1306.htm Brief Summary: Thoughout the Torah SINS AND STATUS are determined by witnesses (Dt19-15). Hence the phrase WHEN IT BE FOUND... (Dt24-07) means by witnesses

Verse Dt24-07 discussing a death penalty for kidnapping states when it is found that a man kidnapped any of his brothers of the people of Israel, and deals with him as a slave, or sells him; then that kidnapper shall die; and you shall purge evil away from among you. Rashi notes that the underlined words, When it is found references verses Dt19-15 discussing the establishment of Judicial matters - sins and statuses. Hence the Rashi comment In several places the Bible says when it is found that.... However (1) Dt19-15 explicitly says that judicial matters such as sins and statuses are established by 2 or more witnesses. Furthermore (2)the Biblical paragraph Dt17-02:07 discusses a finding of idolatry and explains that if search and investigation confirms this finding then the idolaters are executed. The paragraph concludes that 2 or more witnesses are needed to confirm matters. These two sources set a basis for explaining the Biblical when it is found that.... to refer to a finding through an investigation of 2 or more witnesses.

Text of Target Verse Dt24-07	Text of Reference Verse Dt19-15
when it is found that a man kidnapped any of his brothers of the people of Israel, and deals with him as a slave, or sells him; then that kidnapper shall die; and you shall purge evil away from among you.	One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Rashi comments: In several places the Bible says when it is found that.... However (1) Dt19-15 explicitly says that judicial matters such as sins and statuses are established by 2 or more witnesses. Furthermore (2)the Biblical paragraph Dt17-02:07 discusses a finding of idolatry and explains that if search and investigation confirms this then the idolaters are executed. The paragraph concludes that 2 or more witnesses are needed to confirm matters. These two sources set a basis for explaining the Biblical when it is found that.... to refer to a finding through investigation of 2 or more witnesses.

Advanced Rashi: We have presented two derivations above. One is from the reference which requires 2 or more witnesses for establishment of judicial matters. The other uses the style method rule #6 which requires us to generalize Biblical paragraph Dt17-02:07 which lists a) 2 witnesses and b) investigation/search as prerequisites to conviction, to all judicial findings. Thus two Rashi rules are at play here. Notice particularly that Rashi did not explicitly mention either method. Frequently, Rashi lets the student research how he arrived at his conclusions.

The FFF submethod states that words can be named by Form, Feel, and Function.
• Some examples of naming words by Form include (a) the leg of a chair, (b) the handle of a pot, (c) the branch of a family tree, (d) surfing the net or (e) brainstorming Some of these examples illustrate naming objects by form while other examples illustrate naming activities by form.
• A good punchy example distinguishing naming by form vs. function is pentagon-UN. The pentagon is named after the shape and form of the building while the United Nations is named after the function and purpose of the building. Although both these buildings have as a purpose world peace they are named differently.
• Examples of naming by feel/substance are glasses, hardship, ironing-board, plaster etc.

The FFF principle is a special case of the literary techniques of synechdoche-metonomy. These literary principles, universal to all languages, state that items can be named by related items, by parts of those items, or by good examples of those items. For example honey refers to anything sweet since honey is a good example of something sweet. Similarly hot refers to matters of love since the two are related. Todays Rashi can best be understood by applying these principles.

Biblical verse Dt25-13a requires keeping proper weights. The Bible uses the word stone to mean weight. A stone is what weights are made from. Thus the Bible names weights by their substance similar to the English naming of glasses, ironing boards, plaster by their substance. As indicated above this is a primary method of naming objects.

Advanced Rashi: Frequently when several early authorities rishonim are cited it it usually in the context of controversy. However rishonim can also be cited as supporting and complementing each other. Frequently when explaining a Rashi meaning I used the Radack's beautiful book, Shoroshim, Biblical roots. This wonderful book which is highly underrated lists each Biblical root as well as its meanings with illustrations. The root Aleph-Beth-Nun Even has 3 meanings: 1) Stone 2) weight, 3) founder (the founder of a nation is called its stone)

When people ask my advice for studying meaning I warmly recommend purchasing a copy of Roots and using it when studying the Bible. It is obtainable in most Hebrew book stores as well as on the internet.

Today Hebrew grammar is well understood and there are many books on it. Rashi, however, lived before the age of grammar books. A major Rashi method is therefore the teaching of basic grammar.

Many students belittle this aspect of Rashi. They erroneously think that because of modern methods we know more. However Rashi will frequently focus on rare grammatical points not covered in conventional textbooks.

There are many classical aspects to grammar whether in Hebrew or other languages. They include
• The rules for conjugating verbs. These rules govern how you differentiate person, plurality, tense, mode, gender, mood, and designation of the objects and indirect objects of the verb. For example how do you conjugate, in any language, I sang, we will sing, we wish to sing, she sang it.
• Rules of agreement. For example agreement of subject and verb, of noun and adjective; whether agreement in gender or plurality.
• Rules of Pronoun reference.
• Rules of word sequence. This is a beautiful topic which is not always covered in classical grammatical textbooks.

Today we use two rules, one from meaning and one from grammar.
• The synechdoche rule says we name items by good examples of them. So honey can refer to anything sweet and father can refer to any good caring leader.
• The verb-noun principle states that a noun (a thing) can be transformed into a verb meaning making the thing. For example, to flower converts the noun plant into the verb meaning to make plants, to build takes the noun building and converts it into the verb meaning to make buildings.

Using these rules we explain verse Dt22-21c which discusses the death penalty for a adultery. In describing the execution the Bible declares ....for she has done a vile thing in Israel to prostitute her father's house. Rashi explains the awkward sounding phrase to prostitute her father's house as meaning to prostitute while in her father's house.

In explaining this Rashi we make use of the two principles mentioned above.
• The Hebrew word Nun-Beth-Lamed-Hey, Nevalah means dead carcass
• However the dead carcass is a Good example of something vile and disgusting. This uses the synechdoche principle which names things by good examples. So honey can mean sweet and dead carcass can mean vile.
• But then isn't prostitution another good example of something vile? So the word prostitute can also mean vile.
• Next we use the verb-noun principle: to plant converts the noun plant into the verb meaning to make plants, to build takes the noun building and converts it into the verb meaning to make buildings, and so to prostitute takes the noun prostitute which we just saw means something vile and converts it into the verb meaning to make vile.
• But the verb to make vile takes a direct object. Hence the verse says to prostitute her father's house which we translate to make vile her father's house.
• So the whole verse together has a delicious double pun on the vileness of adultery. The entire verse would mean ...she is stoned....because she has done something vile [literally, a dead carcass] in Israel to vile [literally, to prostitute] her father's house.

Good puns have overtones, flavors and scents which enrich, beautify and deliver punchy points. Here the Bible attacks the sympathies we may have towards adulterous sinners.
• We tend to see adultery as an act of passion. We imagine lovers and tempting beautiful bodies, and so the Bible deliberately uses the word dead carcass as a pun describing the bodies of the adulterers.
• We tend to see adultery as a sin between consenting adults and so the Bible reminds us that the woman viles her father's house indicating that the adultery has implications and ramifications for those who brought up the woman - she is not doing something private but rather publicly affecting other peoople.

Advanced Rashi: We tend to look at the Bible as a legal book of laws and exhortations. We forget that the Bible is capable of irony, puns, inuendos - paintings with words and connotations. I hope the above example shows the potential richness in any Biblical verse. The above example also shows how Biblical grammar when properly used is not technical but romantic, poetic and full of nuances.

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Dt24-05b. Both verses/verselets discuss the exemption rights of a groom during the first year of marriage. The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: The groom is exempt from both army service and national service. (National service (like in Israel)is a substitute communal service done by people who don't serve in the army). This double exemption is indicated in the verse by the aligned phrases: he won't go out in the army and he won't go out for any other matter. By contrast the person who just built a house is exempt from army service but not national service. (Because the Bible just exempts him from being in the army).

Verse	Text of Verse	Rashi comment
Dt24-05b	When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go out in the army, neither shall he do national service; rather he shall be free for his house one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he hath taken.	The groom is exempt from both army service and national service. (National service (like in Israel)is a substitute communal service done by people who don't serve in the army). This double exemption is indicated in the verse by the aligned phrases: he won't go out in the army and he won't go out for any other matter. By contrast the person who just built a house is exempt from army service but not national service. (Because the Bible just exempts him from being in the army).
Dt24-05b	When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go out in the army, neither shall he do national service; rather he shall be free for his house one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he hath taken.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi also mentions that the four exemptions in Biblical paragraph, Dt20-01:09, - the person who just built a house, or just got engaged, or just planted a vineyard, or who is a coward - these four exemptions are only from the army and hence by aligned comparison with Dt24-05b, the person just married, these 4 exemptions can be made to do national service.

We have classified this Rashi as an alignment. But it can also be classified as an instance of the formatting rule. Here we would simply focus on the repeating keyword will not go out. The repeating keyword is treated like a bulleted list and creates an unspecified emphasis that two exemptions are mentioned. It is then easy to fill in that one exemption is army service while the other exemption would be other service which we would immediately recognize as national service.

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 examples applies to Rashis Dt23-07a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1306.htm Brief Summary: 1) Treat runaway slaves nicely - free them and accept them as Jews 2) Except for Edomites and Moabites who can never be fully accepted into the Jewish community

The table below presents two contradictory verses. Both verses talk about acceptance of outsiders into the Jewish community. The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says accept runaway slaves into the community - let them convert and be one of you, while the other verse says never accept Ammonites and Moabites? Which is it? Is a Moabite slave accepted into the community or not? Rashi simply resolves this using the 2 aspects method: 1) Runaway Moabite slaves are freed but are not allowed to marry Jews 2) Other runaway slaves are freed and are allowed to marry freely within the community. [The runaway slaves are freed and converted and can therefore marry whom they chose... See Rambam Laws of Slaves Chapter 8]

Summary	Verse / Source	Text of verse / Source
Free runaway slaves - let them live with you	Dt23-16:17	You shall not deliver to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you; He shall live with you, among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of your gates, where it pleases him best; you shall not oppress him.
Moabites and Ammonites shall not enter the community	Dt23-04:07	An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever; Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when you came out of Egypt; .... You shall not seek their peace .... all your days for ever.
Resolution:	2 Aspects	1) Runaway Moabite slaves are freed but are not allowed to marry Jews 2) Other runaway slaves are freed and are allowed to marry freely within the community. [The runaway slaves are freed and converted and can therefore marry whom they chose... See Rambam Laws of Slaves Chapter 8]

6. RASHI METHOD: STYLE Rashi examines how rules of style influences inferences between general and detail statements in paragraphs. Example: Every solo example stated by the Bible must be broadly generalized; Theme-Detail: A general principle followed by an example is interpreted restrictively---the general theme statement only applies in the case of the example; Theme-Detail-Theme: A Theme-Detail-Theme unit is interpreted as a paragraph. Consequently the details of the paragraph are generalized so that they are seen as illustrative of the theme. This examples applies to Rashis Dt24-16a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1306.htm Brief Summary: Each person shall die based on his own record of sin (Independent of behavior of children and parents). So a) Parents shall not be EXECUTED for children's CRIMES and also b) Parents shall not be CONVICTED account of children's TESTIMONIES.

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a Example-General form. In other words several particular examples are stated followed by a general theme. The Detail-Theme form creates a unified paragraph and consequently the examples are interpreted broadly as illustrating multiple aspects of the general theme. Today's example illustrates this as shown below.

Verses Dt24-16a discussing the requirement that people die for their own sins states
• Detail:
  • Parents shall not die account of children and
  • Children shall not die account of parents
• Detail: every person shall die because of his own sins.
The detail clause states parents shall not die account of children and could mean parents shall not die account of the sins/crimes of their children. For example, if the family is a criminal family it is still prohibited to kill the parent for the crimes of their children (to make an example of them) The General clause provides an all exclusive principle and requires that the detail clause should be interpreted broadly: The statement parents shall not die account of their children means the restrictive parents shall be be executed account of their childrens sins and also means more broadly parents shall be be convicted account of their childrens testimonies. It is important to emphasize what Rashi is and is not saying. Rashi is not saying that the simple meaning of parents shall not die account of their children is parents shall be be convicted account of their childrens testimonies. Rather Rashi is saying that because there is a terminal general clause we should see the example clauses as illustrating all examples of this general clause. The driving force of this broad interpretation is the paragraph structure which teaches us that the example clause is not the only example of the theme but rather one of many examples of the theme. Hence the paragraph as a whole even though it doesn't explicitly say so teaches us that parents aren't executed for children's sins and parents aren't convicted by children's testimonies.

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 Dt22-07a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n8.htm Brief Summary: 7 commandments have a reward of long life (Covers all: don't eat blood (Would do it anyway), honor bird parent(easy)...

Today we ask the database query: Which commandments mention a reward of long life or becoming well off for performing them? The query uncovers half a dozen major examples. An examination of these examples justifies the Rashi assertion that 7 commandments mention the reward of a long life or becoming well. These commandments cover the entire spectrum of commandments
• Thus there are easy commandments (like letting the mother bird escape when capturing its young),
• commandments whose violation is disgusting (like eating blood),
• communal commandments (like have good justice), etc.
Because these commandments cover the entire spectrum therefore we infer that all commandments if observed will provide a reward of long life. The table below presents results of the query along with illustrations of Rashi's comment.

Notice how the commandments above span the entire spectrum
• General commandments
• Easy commandments
• Commandments that would be done anyway
• Communal commandments
• Commandments peculiar to Royal house
• Commandments without action
Hence the Rashi comment: Observance of any commandment leads to reward. Note the interesting fact that although we have classified this as the database method it could equally be classified as coming from the Style rule of generalization from several verses.

When Rashi explains a complicated algebraic computation we say that Rashi is using the spreadsheet method. Spreadsheet Rashis have a more complicated flavor than other Rashis because of their algebraic technical nature.

Verse Dt21-17a lays down the requirements for promogeniture: But he shall acknowledge the firstborn son of ...., by giving him a double portion of all that he has; ... Rashi explains: For example if a person's estate has $1,000,000 and he has 3 children then we do as follows: We create a fictitious son so that the person now has 4 children, the 3 actual ones and the fictitious one. Each son inherits one fourth of the estate $250,000. The eldest son inherits both his share of $250,000 and the $250,000 of the fictitious son. Consequently the first born inherits $500,000 while the other 2 actual children inherit $250,000 each. It follows that the aggregate share of the firstborn, $500,000, is twice the $250,000 inherited by each non firstborn.

I have augmented Rashi's explanation with the examples used by the Rambam in Chapter 2 of Inheritances. The reader may wonder why the Rambam made obscure so simple a law. Why not simply let the variable x denote the unknown amount inherited by the non first born son. We see that each real son inherits x while the firstborn inherits 2x. Thus the firstborn inherits twice the amount of each non firstborn. Furthermore the sum of all the inheritances must exhaust the estate giving rise to the equation x + x + 2x = $1,000,000 which easily solves for x = $250,000 and 2x = $500,000.

The above algebraic approach is simpler for the general case. However Rambam gives a complicated example of a 3 child family where one of the non first born sons had an unnatural birth and is not counted for the share of the firstborn son, but does inherit. The interested reader can look up the Rambam's example in his great code.

We also brought the two approaches to illustrate how spreadsheet Rashis can be approached in a variety of manners.