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 Dt32-43c URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1309.htm Brief Summary: The promise (Dt32-43) that God will avenge Jewish blood is e.g. fulfilled by the desolation of Edom/Egypt for their attacks on Jews Jo04-19

Verse Dt32-43 discussing God's vengenance on those who spilled Jewish blood states Rejoice, O you nations, with his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will make expiation for the land of his people. Rashi notes that the underlined words, for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, references verses Jo04-19 discussing the destruction of Edom and Egypt as a punishment for the Jewish blood spilt by them. Hence the Rashi comment The vengenance on the adversaries of the Jews who spilt their blood mentioned in Dt32-43 is illustrated by the destruction of Egypt and Edom who spilt Jewish blood (Jo04-19)

Text of Target Verse Dt32-43	Text of Reference Verse Jo04-19
Rejoice, O you nations, with his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will make expiation for the land of his	Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done against the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
Rashi comments: The vengenance on the adversaries of the Jews who spilt their blood mentioned in Dt32-43 is illustrated by the destruction of Egypt and Edom who spilt Jewish blood (Jo04-19)

Advanced Rashi: This example is an instructive illustration of the reference method. For we fully understand the target verse Dt32-43. Furthermore, Rashi is not exhausting the meaning of this verse with the examples of Edom and Egypt. Indeed, Rashi is simply using Jo04-19 as one possible illustration of the content of Dt32-43. So indeed this is an excellent example of how the purpose of reference is not only to explain but also to illustrate.

The literary techniques of synechdoche-metonomy, universal to all languages, states 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. Today's Rashi can best be understood by applying these principles.

The word border/side refers to a particular relative location. However metonomy/synechdoche allows this word to refer to any good example of decentralization, of being a side non-main issue. The following verse, with referents to sides illustrates this usage. Verse Dt32-26a discussing the unpouring of God's wrath on the Jews if they violate His commandments states I [God] said [to myself] I will make them [the Jews] a political side issue, I will cause their memory to cease from humankind. As can be seen this verse(s) illustrate a metonomycal /synodechical use of side/border to refer to a general non-centralized social/political status.

Advanced Rashi: The Radack in his famous book, Roots also uses a metonomycal approach: The word denotes a thorough smashing and dispersion to all borders. Here the Radack sees borders as a typical associant of intense destruction since the intensity of explosion pushes target victims to the border. Thus Dt32-26 should be translated as meaning I will so thoroughly destory them that they will be scattered to all sides.

It is instructive to compare the Radack and Rashi. Both use the metonomy/synechdoche principle. However, while Radack emphasizes the relationship between borders and an intense destruction Rashi emphasizes the relationship between borders vs. politically central entities. The border people are side-issues and not mainstream.

Thus Radack interprets the verse in terms of physical destruction while Rashi interprets the verse in terms of political assassination (Decentralization).

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 review a rule unique in Hebrew grammar. Hebrew grammar teaches how to use the construct state to create intrinsically new words. The construct in English is indicated by the word of. In Hebrew the construct is indicated by a terminal tauv, for example, Sarah, the wife of Abraham. However if I write a sentence Sarah, is a well dressed wife-of without completing the phrase wife of .... then I have created a new term. Rashi explains that wife-of without completion means married woman. So the sentence Sarah, is a well dressed wife-of would mean Sarah, is a well dressed married woman Some examples of this principle found in both Radack and Rashi are
• Ishah, means wife; Eysheth without completion means married woman.
• Rosh means head,beginning. Rayshith without completion means the choicest of.
• Achar means after. acharith .... means the end of the matter. Acharith without completion means the reward / wages.

Using the above rule we would translate Dt32-19:21 as follows And God saw and He loathed, because of the provocation of his children [nation] And He said, I will hide my face from them, I will [wait to] see their reward [from the idols they believe in] for they are a very changing generation, unstable children [and if after receiving no reward they don't repent then....]

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Dt32-27c. Both verses/verselets discuss a mocking of the idols the Jews worshipped. The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: 1) Idols were viewed as Rocks. The alignment indicates an extra underlined phrase emphasizing that 2a) rocks are used to build houses/surroundings protecting against cold heat and elements 2b) (Rocks are also used for fortresses to protect against enemy fire) 3) Hence the idolaters viewed their idol gods as rocks that protect their worshippers against the elements and against enemies.

Verse	Text of Verse	Rashi comment
Dt32-37c	And he will say "Where is" your idol the Rock, in it they were protected	1) Idols were viewed as Rocks. The alignment indicates an extra underlined phrase emphasizing that 2a) rocks are used to build houses/surroundings protecting against cold heat and elements 2b) (Rocks are also used for fortresses to protect against enemy fire) 3) Hence the idolaters viewed their idol gods as rocks that protect their worshippers against the elements and against enemies.
Dt32-37c	And he will say "Where is" your idol the Rock, in it they were protected

Advanced Rashi: Notice how we added to Rashi's comments the use of rocks to shield against enemies. Such enrichment of Rashi, by applying his principles to further illustrative cases, should be a routine application of any Rashi study.

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a Theme-Development form. In other words a broad general idea is stated first followed by the development of this broad general theme in specific details. The Theme-Detail form creates a unified paragraph and consequently the law only applies to the enumerated details but not to other cases. Today's example illustrates this as shown below.

Verse Dt32-28:30 discussing Jewish lack of recognition of God's hand in delivering them into their enemies states
• General: For they are a nation void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them.
• Detail: [For] if only they were wise they would understood this How should one man chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?

The Formatting rule includes the methods of writing consecutive paragraph or sentences. Just as a paragraph is a collection of sentences unified by a topic sentence and developed by supporting sentences, so too, a chapter very often has a theme that is developed by a skillfully sequenced set of paragraphs. Rashi new of 3 methods of writing consecutive paragraphs
• Cause-effect: The second paragraph is the effect of the first paragraph. The first paragraph is the cause of the second paragraph.
• Contrast: The two paragraphs illustrate contrasting sides of a theem.
• Unified theme: The two or more paragraphs illustrate a common theme. For example a common theme may be illustrated by a sequence of paragraphs each of which exemplifies and illustrates the theme idea.
The above three principles indicate methods for paragraph development into chapters as well as method for sentence development into paragraphs.

We formerly classified paragraph and chapter development under the grammar rule. However we think it more proper to devote the grammar rule to the relation between meaning and form, for example how verb conjugational forms indicates meaning. As indicated above the formatting rule governs use of sequence to indicate climax and paragraph sequencing.

Rashi on Dt32-52 explains the sequence in two paragraphs/sentences indicating a cause-effect relationship. For purposes of expositional clarity we have reversed the sequence of sentence halves.
• Cause: You are not going into the land I am giving the Jews [as indicated in previous verses you are dieing as a punishment for your sins by May Merivah]
• Effect: [Therefore] You may only see the land from afar.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi adds two supplemental explanatory comments:
• For if you don't see it [Israel] now you will never see it since you are about to die
• I am showing you Israel because I know it is precious for you and you want to see it
Here Rashi fills in missing causality: Why show Moses anything if he is about to die? The answer is because he wanted to see Israel and the Jews settling there.

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 Dt32-46a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n14.htm Brief Summary: The Bible commands Torah study with 3 phrases - see, hear, focus your heart - thereby indicating 3 requirements for study.

We ask the following database query: How does God command required Torah study? 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: Proper Torah study requires a) study (seeing), b) discussion (hearing), and c) analysis (Place on one's heart.) The list below presents the results of the database query.

Advanced Rashi: Just to be clear we have identified the three words see, hear, place heart with a three-prong approach to learning:
• Hearing seems to indicate basic knowledge and acceptance
• Seeing seems to indicate intensive knowledge, a comprehensive overview
• Place on one's heart seems to indicate not just knowing a subject, but seeing it intuitively, being able to justify it, relating to it emotionally as something necessary, or relating to it experientially in terms of implementation.

Note that Traditional Yeshivish learning is frequently hearing, seeing without an emphasis of in practice or intuitive justification. The idea is that when someone gets a rabbinical position post yeshiva they will learn the ropes and experience. Also,there is no current emphasis in traditional yeshivas on intuitive justification. Similar remarks can be made on teaching ethics/moosar/exhortation which some, but not all, Yeshivoth engage in. According to this Rashi all these practices - ethics, moosar, exhortation, intuitive justification, practical experience - should be an intrinsic part of the Yeshiva experience.

Verse Dt32-32 criticizing the behavior of the Jewish people states For their vine is of Sedomite vintage, from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are a poor man's grapes [bitter], [only] bitter clusters belong to them. Rashi's contribution is included in the translation of the text. Rashi explains that the Biblical phrase poor man's grapes refers to a particular grape species that is known for its bitterness. In fact since the grapes are bitter, therefore they are cheap and consequently are freqeuent at the tables of poor people.

A follow up on Rashi would be to identify the particular grape species involved. We have explained that explanations of the text that come from external sources - such as algebraic, diagrammatic, logical, or real-world facts including the biological, botanical and psychological sciences - are classified as application of the non-verse method. It is important to realize that such methods are bona fide Biblical methods that equally enrich our knowledge of Biblical texts. I unfortunately do not know the particular species involved. If I did I would know more about its bitterness and this would help me understand and explain the Biblical text.

By way of background, recall, that God frequently introduces prophetic communications thru symbolic examples. Thus Jr01-13 God showed a burning pot in the north to symbolize the prophecy that destruction (burning) would start in the north. Similarly, God told Hosaah to name his children no-mercy and not-mine to symbolize that God would not any more have mercy on the Jewish people and not consider them my nation.

In Nu20 God symbolically wanted Moses to speak (not strike) to the rock who would then give its waters. This would be symbolic of Moses speaking, not striking, the stone-cold Jewish people who would then comply (like the rock).

The symbolic method used here is called anthromorphism - the substitute of inanimate, plant or animal objects to symbolize humans. It is a very common method in all cultures and a powerful symbolic method. This command by God that Moses should engage in symbolic exhortation, if accomplished, would achieve sanctification of God's name since the people would comply not rebel against God.

Advanced Rashi:Any symbolic assertion such as the above can always be supplemented with further support and proofs. The use of rock to symbolize cold people is explicitly found in verse Ez11-19 which states And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit inside you; and I will take the stone heart from their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;