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 Nu20-22a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1419; Brief Summary: Nu20-22a The ENIRE nation came to Mount Hor..., REFERENCES Nu14-32:33 discussing the 40 year period during which the generation of the spies died out (But now the ENTIRE nation was ready to enter Israel)

Verse Nu20-22a discussing the arrival of the entire nation at Mount Hor states They traveled from Kadesh, and the entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at Mount Hor. Rashi clarifies the underlined words entire by referencing verse(s) Nu14-32:33 which states But as for you [the generation of the spies], your corpses shall fall in this desert. Your children shall wander in the desert for forty years and bear your defection until the last of your corpses has fallen in the desert. Hence the Rashi comment: Aaron died in the 40th year (Nu33-38) after the generation of the spies had died out. Hence the entire congregation came to Mount Hor and was ready to enter Israel, none of them needing to die for their sins.

Text of Target verse Nu20-22a	Text of Reference Verse Nu14-32:33
They traveled from Kadesh, and the entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at Mount Hor.	But as for you [the generation of the spies], your corpses shall fall in this desert. Your children shall wander in the desert for forty years and bear your defection until the last of your corpses has fallen in the desert.
Rashi comments: Aaron died in the 40th year (Nu33-38) after the generation of the spies had died out. Hence the entire congregation came to Mount Hor and was ready to enter Israel, none of them needing to die for their sins.

When Rashi uses, what we may losely call, the hononym method, Rashi does not explain new meaning but rather shows an underlying unity in disparate meanings. Rashi will frequently do this by showing an underlying unity in the varied meanings of a Biblical root.

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 cover the beautiful rule of one letter, prefix, prepositional connectives. Hebrew has several one-letter prefix prepositional connectives such as Beth which means in, Lamed which means to, Mem which means from etc. The Radack following other Hebrew grammarians explains the novelty that each of the one letter prefixes can assume the meaning of any other of the prefixes. Indeed, Lamed can mean to but can also mean from. Using this principle we can explain the poetic verse Nu21-29d:
• Woe to you Moab, you are lost, nation of [god] Kemosh:
  • You must give your sons to fleers [from] and
  • --- ---- ---- ---- daughters in captivity to
• the Emorite Kingdom [in] Sichon.

I believe Rashi's main point is that the one-letter lamed prefix simultaneously means from and to. That is the verse puns the Lamed to indicate the double tragedy that the males are fleeing from while the femals are (helplessly) given in capitity to the Emorite Kingdom. In fact there is a further pun here. The one-letter prefix lamed can also mean for the sake of. So the verse is cynically saying: The men are fleeing for the sake of the Emorites who want the women for themselves!

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Nu20-16, Nu20-18. Both verses/verselets discuss the strengths of certain nations. The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: Jews have their strength in Prayer; Edomites have their strength in weaponry.

Summary	Verse	Text of verse
Jews have their strength in Prayer.	Nu20-16 read across	and when we [Jews] cried unto HaShem, He heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border.
Edomites have their strength in weaponry.	Nu20-18 read across	And Edom said unto him: 'Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee.'

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 Nu19-04a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n25.htm Brief Summary: Brief Summary: The priest stands a) OUTSIDE the Temple camp but b) FACING the Temple gate.

The table below presents two contradictory verses. Both verses talk about the positioning of the priest during the Red-Heiffer ceremony. The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says he shall be outside the temple camp while the other verse says he shall face the Temple gate. Which is it? Does the priest perform the red-heiffer ceremony by the Temple gate or outside the camp? Rashi simply resolves this using the 2 Aspects Method method: The Priest is bodily outside the Temple camp and from that outside position faces the Temple gate.

Summary	Verse / Source	Text of verse / Source
The Priest is outside the Temple camp.	Nu19-03	And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may bring it forth outside the camp, and one shall slay it before his face
The priest shall face the Temple gate.	Nu19-04	And Eleazar the priest shall take of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle of its blood directly facing the Tent of Meeting seven timesolds; for it is your reward for your service in the Tent of Meeting.
Resolution:	2 Aspects	The Priest is bodily outside the Temple camp and from that outside position faces the Temple

Advanced Rashi: The reader may object to referring to the above two verses as a contradiction. We have pointed out many times that many examples of the contradiction rule would be better named as the method of complementary verses. We use the name contradiction since that is the name given by the Rabbi Ishmael rules. Furthermore, the reader should bear in mind that before the reader is aware of the resolution the verses typically do appear contradictory.

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 Nu21-07a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1419.htm Brief Summary: Moses upon being insulted prayed for the welfare of the Jews that insulted him. This offers general guidance to people who are insulted.

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in an example form. In other words an example of a law is stated rather than the full general rule. The reader's task is to generalize the example. The idea that all Biblical laws should be perceived as examples (unless otherwise indicated) is explicitly stated by Rashi (Pesachim 6.). This is a rule of style since the rule requires that a text be perceived as an example rather than interpreted literally. The Rabbi Ishmael style rules govern the interpretation of style.

Verse Nu21-05:07a discussing Moses reaction to the Jewish people after they had insulted him, and apologized, states And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, nor is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread. And the Lord sent venomous serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against you; pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people Rashi commenting on the underlined phrases states: We see that Moses prayed for the Jewish people after they had insulted him and asked his forgiveness. This generalizes as follows: It is proper ethical behavior to pray for someone who has insulted you and apologized.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi simply says From here we learn that if someone who has insulted you apologizes you should not be cruel in forgiveness. But a proper generalization of the cited Biblical passage says more, as indicated above: If a person who insulted you asks forgiveness, besides not being cruel, you should also pray for his welfare. Although the further underlined generalization is not in the Rashi text we are justified in inserting it since it is consistent with the Biblical text and the underlying Rashi method of generalization.

Such adding of detail - based on the actual Biblical text and the underlying Rashi rule - shows the proper approach to understanding Rashi.

When a modern author wishes to deemphasize a concept they will strike it out. When the Biblical author wishes to deemphasize a concept He places dots over it. The dots in the Biblical version, or the strikeout in the modern version, indicate deemphasis.

There are 8 examples of dotting or strikeout in the Bible. They are presented in the list below along with the accompanying Rashi interpretation. In each case Rashi interprets the verse as if the word was Stricken out.
• Nu21-30b: We have shot at them--Heshbon unto Dibon is destroyed, and we have laid waste even unto Nophah, which reaches to Maydvah Rashi: The Waste is stricken indicating an intense laying waste - in fact, totally striking out the inhabitants!
• Nu03-39a: All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of HaShem, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand. Rashi: Aaron was stricken from the census--that is he wasn't counted since he was a Levite.
• Gn33-04b: And Esau ran to meet him [Jacob], and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept. Rashi: The kiss should be stricken from the record! It wasn't a real (i.e. sincere) kiss since Esau really hated Jacob. Rashi offers an alternative explanation: The kiss should be stricken from the record since it was the only sincere kiss. All other kisses were insincere.
• Dt29-29a: The secret things [sins] belong unto HaShem our G-d; but the things [sins] that are revealed belong [are visited] unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. Rashi: Revealed should be stricken. Revealed sins weren't always visited upon the community; they weren't visited upon the community till after the conquest of Israel in the time of Joshua.
• Gn37-12a: And his brethren went to shepard their father's flock in Shechem. Rashi: The word shepard should be stricken out since they didn't really go to shepard sheep; rather they went to escape their father who favored Joseph.
• Nu09-10a: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If any man of you or of your generations shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto HaShem; Rashi: The requirement far off should be stricken. One need not be absolutely far away - but far away enough not to be able to come to Jerusalem.
• Gn18-09: And they said to him: 'Where is Sarah thy wife?' And he said: 'Behold, in the tent.' Rashi: The phrase to him should be stricken. They said it generally, not just to him. When they met Abraham they said to him where is your spouse. Similarly when they met Sarah they said where is your spouse.
• Gn19-33c And they made their father drink wine that night; and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Rashi: The phrase nor when she arose is dotted indicating a strikeout: Lot really did know when she arose and even so did not avoid a recurrence on the 2nd night with his second daughter. [How can Rashi say he did know if the verse explicitly say he didn't know? Probably Rashi meant that e.g. he had a visual sexual dream about the affair so he really suspected it].

Advanced Rashi: Rashi literally says VaNaSShim. The [letter] Hebrew Shin punctuated with a dagesh, denoting æwasteÆ Heb. Shemamah. It is tempting to either interpret Rashi as meaning
• The dotted Shin stands for Shemamah the Hebrew word for desolation beginning with a Shin. or
• The dotted Shin indicates a silent mem indicating the root Shin-Mem-Mem, which means desolation; or
• The dotted shin indicates strikeout. Here the strikeout is symbolic of the striking out of people intensifying the desolation indicated by the biblical word, NaNaShim.
In other words we don't interpret the dot on the letter Shin as indicating the first letter of an alternate word of destruction nor do we see this dotted letter indicating a missing root letter (Which can be inferred in other ways). Rather we interpret the dotted shin consistent with other occurrences of dots in the Bible. The dot indicates some aspect of strikeout which in this case we have applied to the people being destroyed.

Thus this strikeout is instructive of alternate approaches to reading Rashi. We have selected the reading of Rashi consistent with other strikeouts. We think this the most appropriate approach.

We ask the following database query: Who in the Bible died by the word of God. 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: Moses and Aaron died by the word of God. This refers to death by a prophetic experience so that the soul immediately joins with God without undergoing the pains of death. It seems reasonable that Miryam, whom the Bible identifies as a prophet, also died the same way. However the Bible did not explicitly say by the mouth of God when discussing her death, for reasons of Modesty. The list below presents the results of the database query and shows examples

This Rashi discusses space capacity and hence we classified it as a Spreadsheet-diagram method. To properly understand this Rashi we cite Rambam, Laws of Sales, Chapter 21, laws 6/7. Rambam explains that every person when standing occupies a square that is roughly 6 x 7 handbreadths, say 24 x 28 inches. To make things simple let us round up symmetrically and say that every person can comfortably stand in a 30 x 30 (2.5' x 2.5') square. We can now explain the space capacity of the rock.

• Every person requires a 2.5' x 2.5' square in which to stand comfortably.
• 600,000 males can stand in a 775 person x 775 person square.
• So 600,000 males can stand in a square whose sides are 775 x 2.5' = 3.5 tenths of an American mile.
• In more familiar terms the American mile is roughly 20 small city blocks.
• So 600,000 males can stand in a 7 small-city-block x 7 small-city-block square.

It is reasonable that the rock from which the water came was about 7 small-city-block squares (This is not very big). Thus the whole nation assembled facing the rock!

A precedent for all the above is the recent inauguration of President Barak Obama. That inauguration was duly televised and there were over a million people facing the podium on which the President was sworn in and spoke, similar to the half million people standing before the rock and Moses.

Advanced Rashi: But there is a deep punchy insight from all of this. If people are so densely packed in 7 x 7 city blocks then the slightest uninvited movements could easily crush people. But no one was crushed. So God's request to speak formally and politely takes on a double meaning. The nation trusted Moses. They came out to witness the miracle of the water from the rock. When Moses insulted them and called them rebellious he ran the risk of some rabble rousers inciting the mob leading to crushed deaths. That of course didn't happen. But Moses had taken risks of leadership which could endanger lives and God wouldn't allow that to be repeated. The person who led the Jews into Israel had to be mindful of the vulnerabilities of the nation. This gives new insight both to both Moses' sin and God's punishment of Moses.

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 Nu20-12b URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1419.htm Brief Summary: The Jews made 3 types of complaints: a) Let us return to Egypt, b) Let us not listen to God's orders (e.g. don't gather manna on Sabbath) and c) requests for food. The requests for food were PROPER; Moses should not have screamed at the people.

The complaints of the Jews in the wilderness naturally classify into three categories:
• Complaints to return to Egypt: These complaints were improper and either Moses in the name of God rebuked the nation or God punished the nation (e.g. Nu21-05:09);
• Disobeying God's orders: These complaints also let to rebuke or punishment. A classical example is the disobeying of the order not to gather Manna on the Sabbath (Ex16-27:30.)
• Requests for food/water: Since these complaints were proper, Moses should have treated the people respectfully and given them the food without rebuke. However Moses literally insulted the Jewish people for their proper request of food/water at Nu20-07:13.

Before explaining Rashi we recall (from other digests) that we have explained the Hebrew concept of Kedushah, normally translated as holiness as really meaning a formal atmoshphere.

We can now understand the Rashi on Nu20-12c: The biblical text states God said to Moses and Aaron: Because you have not depended on me and (therefore) not acted formally with the Jewish people, therefore you will not bring the Jews to the chosen land.

An analogy will clarify: Suppose you were at an expensive banquet. You hadn't eaten in a while. You start complaining for dinner. The appropriate response might be formal on the part of the chefs: Kindly sit down sir and dinner will be immediately served. On the other hand if you started violating property rights of the banquet hall you would be admonished and threatened with dismissal.

I believe the analogy captures the essence of Rashi's comments. Kedushah normally translated as holiness really refers to a formal atmosphere. The Jewish request for food was proper and Moses should have retained the formal atmosphere rather than insulting them and treating them as former slaves.

Rashi's literal formulation is as follows: For had you spoken to the rock and it had given forth [water], I would have maintained the formal atmosphere in the eyes of the congregation. They would have said,If this rock, which neither speaks nor hears, and does not require sustenance, fulfills the word of the Omnipresent, how much more should we! - [Midrash Aggadah]

Although Rashi formulates his concept by symbolically comparing the Jewish personality to a stone, the major thrust of Rashi is as we explained above: To preserve a formal atmosphere. If we had more space we could show several other biblical passages and Rashis developing this theme that God treated respectfully and formally the Jewish people in their requests for food/water.