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 Dt26-19a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n11.htm; Brief Summary: And you will become a holy nation to God AS HE SAID (Dt26-19) Rashi: The reference is to Lv20-26,Ex19-06

Verse(s) Dt26-18:19 discussing the choseness of the Jewish people states And the Lord has declared you this day to be his special people, as he has promised you, and that ... And to set you high above all nations ... and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, as he has spoken. Rashi clarifies the underlined words to make you a holy nation...as he promised/said by referencing verse(s) Ex19-06, Lv20-26 discussing the holy status of the Jewish people which states And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the people of Israel. ... And you shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people, that you should be mine. Hence the Rashi comment: The Biblical statement Dt26-18:19 that God has made you today a holy nation as he said references the explicit statements in Ex19-06, Lv20-06 that God has chosen the Jews to become a holy nation unto him.

Text of Target verse Dt26-18:19	Text of Reference Verse Ex19-06, Lv20-26
And the Lord has declared you this day to be his special people, as he has promised you, and that ... And to set you high above all nations ... and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, as he has spoken.	And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the people of Israel. ... And you shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people, that you should be mine.
Rashi comments: The Biblical statement Dt26-18:19 that God has made you today a holy nation as he said references the explicit statements in Ex19-06, Lv20-06 that God has chosen the Jews to become a holy nation unto him.

Advanced Rashi: An unusual feature of this reference method is that the idea of reference is explicit since the verse uses a citation style and explicitly says as he promised, as he said.

When Rashi uses, what we may loosely 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.

Most people are aware that Hebrew verbs come from three-letter roots. Each root is conjugated in the 8 dimensions of person, gender,plurality, tense, activity, modality, direct-object, and prepositional connective. For example the root Shin Mem Resh means to watch. The conjugations Shin-Mem-Resh-Tauv-Yud and Nun-Shin-Mem-Resh-Nun-Vav mean I watched and we were watched respectively.

The rules for Hebrew grammar are carefully described in many modern books and are well known. Rashi will sometimes comment when a verse is using a rare conjugation of an odd grammatical form.

When presenting grammatical Rashis my favorite reference is the appendix in volume 5 of the Ibn Shoshan dictionary. This very short appendix lists most conjugations.

We should emphasize that the great 19th century commentator, Malbim, introduced the powerful grammatical observation that the same root can change meaning solely based on the prepositional connectives used with it. From time to time we present intriguing examples illustrating this rule.

The Hebrew root Mem-Caph-Resh means, in the interactive mode (Hitpael) to disguise. However when combined with the preposition Lamed meaning to the combination means to fawn appearance. Hence we translate Dt28-52 as follows And the Lord shall bring you into Egypt... and there you shall fawn slave appearance to your enemies but no man shall buy you [because they will prefer to murder you].

This verse is analyzed in 3,5 and 9.
• In rule 3 we explain that the root Mem-Caph-Resh means to fawn appearance.
• In rule 5 we further support this translation of the root Mem-Caph-Resh by showing that this root couldn't mean to sell or to attempt to sell because it states explicitly no one will by you.
• In rule 9 we explain why no one buys you: because your enemies prefer to kill you.

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Dt27-12, Dt27-13. Both verses/verselets discuss the ceremony of blessings and curses on Mount Gerizim and Ayval The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: It was the Levites who said the curses and blessings. (Dt27-14 explicitly states And the Levites shall responsively speak, and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice, cursed... ) The tribes did not say them but stood on their respective mountains However by answering Amen the tribes affirmed and participated in the blessings and curses. Hence the double verse language: The tribes stand on the curse and bless to the people.

Verse	Text of Verse	Rashi comment
Dt27-12	These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you are come over the Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin	It was the Levites who said the curses and blessings. (Dt27-14 explicitly states And the Levites shall responsively speak, and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice, cursed... ) The tribes did not say them but stood on their respective mountains However by answering Amen the tribes affirmed and participated in the blessings and curses. Hence the double verse language: stand on the curse and bless to the people.
Dt27-14	And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal on the curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

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 Dt28-68b, Dt28-68c URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n11.htm Brief Summary: You shall fawn slave appearance but no one will buy you since they prefer to kill you.

The table below presents two contradictory verses. Both verses talk about the mistreatment of Jews in the exile. The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says you will sell yourself while the other verse says there will be no buyers. Which is it? Did they sell themselves or note. Rashi simply resolves this using the broad-literal method: The root Mem-Caph-Resh can mean (a) to sell (b) to disguise (c) to fawn appearance. [We know that when the root is conjugated in the interactive (hitpael) mode it means to disguise. Furthermore when the root is conjugated in the interactive mode (hitpael) and uses the preposition Lamed meaning to it means to fawn appearance. So we know that in this verse the proper translation is to fawn appearance.] We further know that the root Mem-Caph-Resh cannot mean sell here since the end of the verse says there are no buyers. [Also, the verse couldn't mean you will desire/attempt to sell yourselves but there are no buyers because the so called jussive/cohortative mode (connoting intent and desire) would require, in Hebrew, a terminal hey, added to the conjugated root.]

Summary	Verse / Source	Text of verse / Source
The Jews sold themselves as slaves	Dt28-68	And the Lord shall bring you into Egypt ... and there you shall be sold to your enemies for male and female slaves,
There were no buyers	Dt28-68	. but no man shall buy you.
Resolution:	Broad-Literal	The root Mem-Caph-Resh can mean (a) to sell (b) to disguise (c) to fawn appearance. [We know that when the root is conjugated in the interactive (hitpael) mode it means to disguise. Furthermore when the root is conjugated in the interactive mode (hitpael) and uses the preposition Lamed meaning to it means to fawn appearance. So we know that in this verse the proper translation is to fawn appearance.] We further know that the root Mem-Caph-Resh cannot mean sell here since the end of the verse says there are no buyers. [Also, the verse couldn't mean you will desire/attempt to sell yourselves but there are no buyers because the so called jussive/cohortative mode (connoting intent and desire) would require, in Hebrew, a terminal hey, added to the conjugated verb.]

So the improper translation of the verse is as follows: And the Lord shall bring you into Egypt again with ships, ... and there you shall be sold to your enemies for male and female slaves, but noone will buy you. The proper translation of the verse is as follows: And the Lord shall bring you into Egypt again with ships, ... and there you shall fawn slave appearance to your enemies but no man will buy you [because they will prefer to kill you.] In providing this translation we have applied rules 2,3,5. and 9 Note the poetic acuity, linguistic freshness, and punchiness of the Rashi translation over the traditional English translations which is both grammatically inaccurate and wordy.

This verse is analyzed in 3,5 and 9.
• In rule 3 we explain that the root Mem-Caph-Resh means to fawn appearance.
• In rule 5 we further support this translation of the root Mem-Caph-Resh by showing that this root couldn't mean to sell or to attempt to sell because it states explicitly no one will by you.
• In rule 9 we explain why no one buys you: because your enemies prefer to kill you.

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 Dt28-06a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n11.htm Brief Summary: Only now that Sihon is attacking you do you fully appreciate God's gifts in the context of your vulnerability.

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a Theme-Development-Theme form. In other words a broad general idea is stated first followed by the development of this broad general theme in specific details. The paragraph-like unit is then closed with a repetition of the broad theme. The Theme-Detail-Theme form creates a unified paragraph. The detailed section of this paragraph is therefore seen as an extension of the general theme sentences. Today's example illustrates this as shown immediately below.

Verses Dt29-03:06 discussing the lack of full appreciation of God's many gifts is written in a theme-detail-theme form as shown below:
• General: Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, until this day.
• Detail: And I have led you forty years in the wilderness;
• Detail: your clothes are not worn old upon you, and
• Detail:your shoe is not worn old upon your foot.
• Detail:You have not eaten bread,
• Detail:neither have you drunk wine or strong drink; that you might know that I am the Lord your God.
• General: And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us to battle, and we defeated them;

The Rabbi Ishmael guidelines interpret the theme-development-theme format as describing a unified paragraph with the development clauses developing the theme sentence. The overall paragraph therefore states It is only now that you are attacked by Sihon that you fully appreciate the 40 years of favors - provision of clothing, shoes, and food - that God has bestowed upon you. Until now you took these favors for granted; but now, after the military attack and salvation by God, you understand them in the context of your vulnerability.

Both the Biblical and modern author use the paragraph as a vehicle for indicating commonality of theme. Hence if two ideas are in a paragraph they may be assumed to have a similar context. The reader will no doubt recognize this formatting rule as none other than the most intuitive of the Rabbi Ishmael style rules which orthodox Jews recite every day as part of their daily prayer: the rule of inference from context. Today's example illustrates this.

There are three broad methods of paragraph unity:
• cause-effect
• contrast
• unifying theme with multiple effects

Verses Dt29-01:08 have the following contrastive paragraph structure:
• Now that you see your vulnerability, you fully appreciate that God is good to you;
  • General: Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, until this day.
  • Detail: And I have led you forty years in the wilderness;
  • Detail: your clothes are not worn old upon you, and
  • Detail:your shoe is not worn old upon your foot.
  • Detail:You have not eaten bread,
  • Detail:neither have you drunk wine or strong drink; that you might know that I am the Lord your God.
  • General: And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us to battle, and we defeated them; And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh.
• Contrastively,now that you have received all this good, you shouldn't think you have everything, but rather, all the more so, especially observe God's law.
  • Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi makes two separate comments, corresponding to the components of the above paragraph analysis.
1. Rashi first makes the overall contrastive comment: Now that you have all these gifts from God do not rebel but watch his words.
2. Although you were receiving gifts from God for 40 years you did not fully appreciate it in the context of your vulnerability untill Sihon attacked you.

Today we ask the database query: Are there special circumstances which especially justify warning the Jewish people against possible apostasy and desertion of God. The query uncovers half a dozen major examples. An examination of these examples justifies the Rashi assertion that A recurring theme in Deuteronomy is the association of material saiety with warnings against desertion of God. Moments of saiety make one particularly vulnerable to feelings of haughtiness and self sufficiency which necessitate these warnings. The table below presents results of the query along with illustrations of Rashi's comment.

Advanced Rashi: Several comments are worth mentioning.
• This database query originates in the Midrash Rabbah. Rashi as is his custom did not cite the entire study. He rather in various places points to an association of saiety and warning. However the serious student enriches his Rashi experience by researching and reviewing all relevant examples of the query.
• The last example Dt29-01:08 does not explicitly associate saiety and warning against apostasy but rather associates military victory with an exhortation to observe. Thus this last example is not as forceful as the other examples. This is typical of any Database query. There is a core set of examples which form the basis for the inference. However once the inference is reached it can be applied to other verses. In this case once we had a core of several examples showing the relationship between saity and warning we are justified in seeing any verses connoting material saity and exhortation of performance as illustrative of this general principle.

Verse Dt28-68 discussing the helpless plight of the Jews in exiled lands states And the Lord shall bring you into Egypt again ... and there you shall fawn slave appearance to to your enemies but no man shall buy you [because they will prefer to murder you].

The Rashi comment on the verse text no man shall buy you is Because they will prefer to kill you. This Rashi comment is not textual but logical; Rashi is explaining how it happens that no one wants to buy you; because they wish to kill you instead. Because Rashi's comment supplements the verse meaning with real world facts we classify this Rashi comment as exemplifying the non verse method.

This verse is analyzed in 3,5 and 9.
• In rule 3 we explain that the root Mem-Caph-Resh means to fawn appearance.
• In rule 5 we further support this translation of the root Mem-Caph-Resh by showing that this root couldn't mean to sell or to attempt to sell because it states explicitly no one will by you.
• In rule 9 we explain why no one buys you: because your enemies prefer to kill you.

Military activity is often vigorously described using animal metaphors. Here we use the symbolism principle that items can symbolize their function. Examples are plentiful

Verse	Dt28-49a
Hebrew Verse	יִשָּׂא יְ־הֹוָ־ה עָלֶיךָ גּוֹי מֵרָחוֹק מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִדְאֶה הַנָּשֶׁר גּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִשְׁמַע לְשֹׁנוֹ:
English Verse	The Lord will bring upon you a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you will not understand,
Rashi Header Hebrew	כאשר ידאה הנשר
Rashi Text Hebrew	פתאום ודרך מצלחת ויקלו סוסיו:
Rashi Header Enlish	as the eagle swoops down
Rashi Text English	i.e., suddenly and successfully. The horses [of this enemy nation] will run swiftly.

• Nu24-09 states He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion. Who shall stir him up? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.
• Jr05-06 states Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the deserts shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch over their cities; every one who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their apostasies are great.
• Jr46-12 states Her sound is like that of a serpent on the move; for they shall march with force, and come against her with axes, like wood cutters.
• Dt01-44a states And the Amorites, who lived in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.
• Dt28-49a states The Lord shall bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, which will swoop down like the griffen vulture; a nation whose tongue you shall not understand;

The interpreter's task is to identify the unique military characteristics of each animal. Rashi commenting on the last verse Dt28-49a states The military characteristics of the griffin vulture are that it attacks suddently and swoops down on its prey quickly.