The 10 RashiYomi Rules
Their presence in Rashis on Parshath ShoFeTiM
Volume 17, Number 2
This weeks Weekly Rashi with Hebrew/English source tables
Is accessible at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1702.htm
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel, President, September 1 st, 2011
Visit the Rashi website http://www.Rashiyomi.com

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. Although I frequently use my own English translations of biblical verses and Rashi comments, the Hebrew and English translations in the source tables are derived from online parshah files at chabad.org who in turn acknowledges the Judaica Press Complete Tanach, copyright by Judaica Press.

    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 Dt21-07a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n9.htm;
    Brief Summary: We didn't kill this person THAT IS we didn't see AND NEGLECT him (Dt21-07) - Corresponds to Don't STAND by your friend's blood (Lv19-16)

Verse Dt21-07a
Hebrew Verse וְעָנוּ וְאָמְרוּ יָדֵינוּ לֹא [שפכה] שָׁפְכוּ אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ:
English Verse And they shall announce and say, Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see [this crime].
Rashi Header Hebrew ידינו לא שפכה
Rashi Text Hebrew וכי עלתה על לב שזקני בית דין שופכי דמים הם, אלא לא ראינוהו ופטרנוהו בלא מזונות ובלא לויה. והכהנים אומרים כפר לעמך ישראל:
Rashi Header Enlish Our hands did not shed [this blood]
Rashi Text English But would it enter one’s mind that the elders of the court are murderers? Rather, [they declare:] We [ourselves] did not see him and let him depart without food or escort [which would have indirectly caused his death, leaving this man to the elements and to robbers]. — [Sifrei ; Sotah 45a] The kohanim then say:

Verse(s) Dt21-07a discussing the prayers by the elders of the Jewish community asking God to forgive the Jewish community for the unknown murder they found states And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen. Rashi clarifies the underlined words seen by referencing verse(s) Lv19-16 discussing the prohibition of abstaining from helping someone attacked which states ....nor shall you stand against the blood of your neighbor; I am the Lord. Hence the Rashi comment: The phrase we did not see in Dt21-07 references the prohibition of not standing by the blood of your neighbor in Lv19-16. In other words the elders are stating that they did not abstain from helping the murdered victim, for example, by providing hospitality, lodging and escort as (s)he passed through their town.

Text of Target verse Dt21-07a Text of Reference Verse Lv19-16
And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen. ....nor shall you stand against the blood of your neighbor; I am the Lord.
Rashi comments: The phrase we did not see in Dt21-07 references the prohibition of not standing by the blood of your neighbor in Lv19-16. In other words the elders are stating that they did not abstain from helping the murdered victim, for example, by providing hospitality, lodging and escort as (s)he passed through their town.

    Advanced Rashi: But there are two clauses in this verse. The verse states And they shall answer and say,
    • Our hands have not shed this blood
    • nor have our eyes seen.
    I believe Rashi explains the 1st clause as being in apposition to the 2nd clause. In other words Rashi would read the entire verse as follows.
    • And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood - [in other words,]
    • nor have our eyes seen [we have not stood by and avoided providing hospitality, escort, and lodging].
    In other words Rashi sees the statement we haven't killed him as meaning we aren't partially responsible for his murder because we avoided providing hospitality - in fact we provide hospitality and lodging to people who pass thru our town.

    Rashis literal statement is as follows: Did anyone accuse the elders of murder; why then are they denying it. Rather it means that they didn't cause his murder by neglecting hospitality and lodging. We have taken this Rashi and explained it as follows:
  • Rashi 1st explains the 2nd clause - we did not see him
  • Rashi explains this clause by implicitly referring to the prohibition of standing by the blood of ones neighbor
  • Rashi presumably understands the 1st clause as explaining the 2nd clause - we did not kill this person by avoiding seeing his needs.

      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 Dt20-20a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1305.htm
      Brief Summary: Yud-Resh-Daleth means a) Fell b) Conquered

Verse Dt20-20a
Hebrew Verse ַק עֵץ אֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע כִּי לֹא עֵץ מַאֲכָל הוּא אֹתוֹ תַשְׁחִית וְכָרָתָּ וּבָנִיתָ מָצוֹר עַל הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר הִוא עֹשָׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה עַד רִדְתָּהּ:
English Verse However, a tree you know is not a food tree, you may destroy and cut down, and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until its submission.
Rashi Header Hebrew עד רדתה
Rashi Text Hebrew לשון רדוי, שתהא כפופה לך:
Rashi Header Enlish until its submission
Rashi Text English Heb. רִדְתָּהּ, an expression of רִדּוּי, subjugation, [meaning] that it becomes submissive to you.

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.

In my article Peshat and Derash found on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rashi.pdf. I advocate enriching the Rashi explanation using a technique of parallel nifty translations in modern English. Today's examples show this.

    The Heberw Biblical root Yud-Resh-daleth has a fundamental meaning of Falling. Hence this Biblical root can mean
  • to fall
  • to conquer [ since you frequently conquer a person by felling them; you similarly frequently conquer a city by felling it. ]

Applying the above translation to Dt20-20a discussing a war situation between Israel and a non-Jewish enemy we obtain Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, them thou mayest destroy and cut down, that thou mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it it is conquered.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi's point is that it would be natural to translate the verse ....thou mayest ...until the city falls. Rashi's point is that the city need not literally fall - it is enough that it be conquered. This is consistent with Jewish law (and with the opening verse of this Biblical section) that an agreement by the city to peace terms - 1) acceptance of basic Noachide laws of morality and 2) recognition (by paying taxes) of Israeli sovereignty - would not necessitate felling it since the non-violent acceptance of peace terms is consistent with conquest. For this reasons Rashi translates Yud-Resh-Dalet as conquest vs. fall.

      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 Dt18-01a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1305.htm
      Brief Summary: ALL Levites....RASHI: Even blemished Levites.

Verse Dt18-01a
Hebrew Verse לֹא יִהְיֶה לַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם כָּל שֵׁבֶט לֵוִי חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל אִשֵּׁי יְ־הֹוָ־ה וְנַחֲלָתוֹ יֹאכֵלוּן:
English Verse The Levitic kohanim, the entire tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; the Lord's fire offerings and His inheritance they shall eat.
Rashi Header Hebrew כל שבט לוי
Rashi Text Hebrew בין תמימין בין בעלי מומין:
Rashi Header Enlish the entire tribe of Levi
Rashi Text English whether whole-bodied or blemished. — [Sifrei]

    The special word method deals with the few dozen special connective words that exist in all languages. Familiar examples are also, when, that, if, then, all, because, only, this,.... These words are typically
    • adverbs, such as all,also or connective words, either
    • conjunctions, such as if, then, because or
    • articles or demonstrative or abstract pronouns, such as the, this, that or
    • propositional connectives, such as in,on,to,from.
    Rashi's job, when he comments on a special connective words, is to enumeratively list the nuances and usages of the word.

The most famous example of the special word method is the Hebrew word Kaph Yud which can mean because, that, when, perhaps, rather, if. Sometimes Rashi explicitly gives all meanings of a connective word as happens with Kaph Yud while at other times Rashi does not give all meanings at once. In such a case the Rashi student must gather all the meanings together from various places.

One can classify the special word method as either a meaning sub-method or grammar sub-method.

    Today we deal with the Hebrew special word Kuph-Lamed which can have any of the following meanings.
  • all, even borderline cases for example, Nu14-01a The whole nation rebelled, [even the leaders]
  • all, any part for example, Lv21-11b don't defile to any dead [even to organs]
  • all groups for example, Gn06-12a All flesh [even non-human animals] had become corrupt
  • all, emphasizing, no exceptions for example, Gn19-04b all people [without exception] in Sedom gathered (for the rape)

Applying this rule to the translation of Dt18-01a we obtain The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, [even blemished Levites who can't serve in the Temple] shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his inheritance. As is our practice we have embedded the Rashi translation in the verse.

Advanced Rashi: For further examples of Rashis on the Hebrew word Caph-Lamed visit http://www.Rashiyomi.com/all-18.htm. Better still visit the RashiYomi calendar at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/calendar1.htm and click on the all series which you can find beginning July 10 2000 and ending July 30 2000 (7-10-00 through 7-30-00).

    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 Dt18-12a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n9.htm
    Brief Summary: Whoever does FROM ANY of these things; whoever does ANY of these things. RASHI: Even one.

Verse Dt18-12a
Hebrew Verse כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְ־הֹוָ־ה כָּל עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה וּבִגְלַל הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵלֶּה יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מוֹרִישׁ אוֹתָם מִפָּנֶיךָ:
English Verse For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord, your God is driving them out from before you.
Rashi Header Hebrew כל עושה אלה
Rashi Text Hebrew עושה כל אלה לא נאמר אלא כל עושה אלה, אפילו אחת מהן:
Rashi Header Enlish [For] whoever does these [things] [is an abomination to the Lord]
Rashi Text English It does not say, “one who does all these things,” but, “whoever does these things,” even one of them. — [Sifrei , Mak. 24a]

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Dt18-12, Lv18-29 Both verses/verselets discuss the loathesomeness of pagan practices. The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: Even one of the listed loathesome acts is fully loathesome. One need not do many of them before one is classified as loathesome.

Verse Text of Verse Rashi comment
Dt18-12a For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord; and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. Even one of the listed loathesome acts is fully loathesome. One need not do many of them before one is classified as loathesome. It is loathesome whether you do (all) these things or (one) from these things.
Lv18-29 For whoever shall do from any of these abominations, the souls who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

      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 Dt21-07a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1305.htm
      Brief Summary: 1)No one knows who killed this person 2)The elders say...we didn't kill this person RASHI We didn't accidentally kill him by abstaining from hospitality which led to a road mugging.

Verse Dt21-07a
Hebrew Verse וְעָנוּ וְאָמְרוּ יָדֵינוּ לֹא [שפכה] שָׁפְכוּ אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ:
English Verse And they shall announce and say, Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see [this crime].
Rashi Header Hebrew ידינו לא שפכה
Rashi Text Hebrew וכי עלתה על לב שזקני בית דין שופכי דמים הם, אלא לא ראינוהו ופטרנוהו בלא מזונות ובלא לויה. והכהנים אומרים כפר לעמך ישראל:
Rashi Header Enlish Our hands did not shed [this blood]
Rashi Text English But would it enter one’s mind that the elders of the court are murderers? Rather, [they declare:] We [ourselves] did not see him and let him depart without food or escort [which would have indirectly caused his death, leaving this man to the elements and to robbers]. — [Sifrei ; Sotah 45a] The kohanim then say:

The table below presents two contradictory verses. Both verses talk about the killer of a dead person found in the field. The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says it is not known who killed him while the other verse says we [the elders of the city] didn't kill him Which is it? Is the murder unknown or did the elders kill him? Rashi simply resolves this using the Broad-Literal method method: 1) The killer is unknown 2) We also (besides not directly killing the person) didn't indirectly kill him by abstaining from hospitality leading to the murdered wandering the roads and getting killed

Summary Verse / Source Text of verse / Source
Sanctify the firstborn Dt21-01 If one is found slain in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who has slain him;
We (the elders) didn't kill him Dt21-07a And they [the elders] shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it
Resolution: Broad-Literal 1) The killer is unknown 2) We also (besides not directly killing the person) didn't indirectly kill him by abstaining from hospitality leading to the murdered wandering the roads and getting killed

Advanced Rashi: Rashi literally says Did anyone think that the elders killed him that the verse should say We have not killed him? I have added to Rashi (who based the contradiction on logic) by finding a verse which supports the contradiction since it explicitly says it is not known who killed him.

    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 Dt19-15a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1305.htm
    Brief Summary: One witness shall not establish sin....two or three witnesses shall establish matters When a criminal TESTIMONY arises against a person....then the 2 people ...shall stand

Verse Dt19-15a
Hebrew Verse לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל עָוֹן וּלְכָל חַטָּאת בְּכָל חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר:
English Verse One witness shall not rise up against any person for any iniquity or for any sin, regarding any sin that he will sin. By the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be confirmed.
Rashi Header Hebrew עד אחד
Rashi Text Hebrew זה בנה אב כל עד שבתורה שנים, אלא אם כן פרט לך בו אחד:
Rashi Header Enlish One witness [shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity]
Rashi Text English This verse establishes a general principle [i.e., from here it is derived] that wherever the term“witness” (עֵד) appears in the Torah, it means two [witnesses], unless the Torah specifies [that] one witness is meant. — [San. 30a]

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a 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 Dt19-15:17 discussing dealing with false witnesses states
    • One witness (Ayin-Daleth) 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 (Ayin-Daleth-Yud-Mem),
    • or by the mouth of three witnesses (Ayin-Daleth-Yud-Mem), shall the matter be established.
    • If a false testimony (Ayin-Daleth) rises up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
    • Then the two men, who bring the case, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, who shall be in those days;
    A study of this passage reveals that
    • The word Ayin-Daleth can mean either witness or testimony
    • As is clear from the bullets above contrasting 1 with 2 or more witnesses it is necessary that a testimony have at least 2 witnesses.
    • Consequently when the Bible uses the singular Ayin-Daleth we must translate this as testimony, the testimony consisting of 2 or more witnesses.
    The Rabbi Ishmael example rule requires generalization. We infer from this passage that the word Ayin-Daleth when in the singular thoughout the Bible means testimony unless something in the verse forces one to interpret it as witness. Again the driving force for this generalization is the explicit statement that 1 witness cannot establish criminality since 2 or more are needed. Some examples where this generalization applies might be
    • Ex23-01 Don't partner with a wicked person to become a criminal testimony
    • Ex22-12 If the animal was attacked he will bring testimony so as to avoid payment
    • Dt05-17 Don't testify against your friend in a false testimony
    On the other hand e.g. Lv05-01 would be translated If a soul sins by hearing an oath and he is a witness - either he sees or knows about it - if he doesn't tell he will bear his sin. Here we translate Ayin-Daleth as witness since it is talking about the person in his individual capacity of knowing.

Advanced Rashi: This example of the Rabbi Ishmael Generalization rule is different in that what is generalized is a choice between translations - Ayin Daleth can mean witness or testimony. What the studied verses show is that generally ayin-daleth means testimony.

    7. RASHI METHOD: FORMATTING
    BRIEF EXPLANATION:Inferences from Biblical formatting: #NAME?
    • 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 examples applies to Rashis Dt18-03a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n9.htm
    Brief Summary: If someone FROM nation FROM offerers, offers a sacrifice, give gifts to priest. RASHI: FROM nation not FROM priest.

Verse Dt18-03a
Hebrew Verse וְזֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים מֵאֵת הָעָם מֵאֵת זֹבְחֵי הַזֶּבַח אִם שׁוֹר אִם שֶׂה וְנָתַן לַכֹּהֵן הַזְּרֹעַ וְהַלְּחָיַיִם וְהַקֵּבָה:
English Verse And this shall be the kohanim's due from the people, from those who perform a slaughter, be it an ox or a sheep, he shall give the kohen the foreleg, the jaws, and the maw.
Rashi Header Hebrew מאת העם
Rashi Text Hebrew ולא מאת הכהנים:
Rashi Header Enlish from the people
Rashi Text English But not from the kohanim [i.e., a kohen is exempt from these dues]. — [Sifrei , Chul. 132b]

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 indicated bullets by using repeating keywords.

That is, if a modern author wanted to get a point across using bullets - a list of similar but contrastive items - then the Biblical Author would use repeating keywords. Today's verse illustrates this principle.

    Verse Dt18-03c discussing the requirement to give priestly gifts when offering a sacrifice states And this shall be the priestÆs due
    • from the people,
    • from those who offer a sacrifice,
    whether it is ox or sheep; and they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the stomach.
    Rashi commenting on the repeated underlined words, from, which creates a bullet effect giving separate and distinct emphasis to each bullet itemsstates Priestly gifts must come from an offerer who is also from the people - that is from a lay person but not a priest. So a lay person offering a sacrifice does give priestly gifts while a priest offering a sacrifice does not give priestly gifts. The driving force for this derivation comes from the two bullets which emphasize that the person, in order to be required to give the gifts, must both offer sacrifices and be from the people (that is the lay 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 Dt17-20b
      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)...

Verse Dt17-20b
Hebrew Verse ְבִלְתִּי רוּם לְבָבוֹ מֵאֶחָיו וּלְבִלְתִּי סוּר מִן הַמִּצְוָה יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים עַל מַמְלַכְתּוֹ הוּא וּבָנָיו בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל:
English Verse so that his heart will not be haughty over his brothers, and so that he will not turn away from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, in order that he may prolong [his] days in his kingdom, he and his sons, among Israel.
Rashi Header Hebrew למען יאריך ימים
Rashi Text Hebrew מכלל הן אתה שומע לאו. וכן מצינו בשאול שאמר לו שמואל שבעת ימים תוחל עד בואי אליך (שמואל א' י, ח) להעלות עולות וכתיב ויוחל שבעת ימים (שמואל א' יג, ח) ולא שמר הבטחתו לשמור כל היום, ולא הספיק להעלות העולה עד שבא שמואל ואמר לו נסכלת לא שמרת וגו' ועתה ממלכתך לא תקום (שם יג ז - יד). הא למדת, שבשביל מצוה קלה של נביא נענש:
Rashi Header Enlish in order that he may prolong [his] days [in his kingdom]
Rashi Text English From this positive statement, one may understand the negative inference [i.e., if he does not fulfill the commandments, his kingdom will not endure]. And so we find in the case of Saul, that Samuel said to him, “Seven days shall you wait until I come to you to offer up burnt-offerings” (I Sam. 10:8), and it is stated, “And he waited seven days” (I Sam. 13:8), but Saul did not keep his promise and neglected to wait the entire [last] day. He had not quite finished sacrificing the burnt-offering, when Samuel arrived and said to him (I Sam 13:13-14),“You have acted foolishly; you have not kept [the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you…] so now your kingdom will not continue” (I Sam 13:13-14). Thus we learn, that for [transgressing] a minor commandment of a prophet, he was punished.

    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.

Verse Verse Content Comments on commandment
Dt11-21a That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. General Observance of commandments
Dt24-19d When you cut down your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to fetch it; it shall be for the non-citizen, for the orphan, and for the widow; that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Leaving forgotten sheaves to indigent (No further action required)
Dt12-25b You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. Prohibition of eating blood (But blood is disgusting and most people would abstain anyway)
Dt22-07a But you shall let the mother go, and take the young to you; that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days. Letting mother bird free when capturing young (An easy commandment)
Ex20-12a Honor your father and your mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you. Honoring parents (Easy commandment; all can do it)
Dt16-20b Justice, only justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives you. Communal justice
Dt17-20b That his heart be not lifted up above his brothers, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. Requirements of King

    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.

    9. RASHI METHOD: SPREADSHEETS
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: The common denominator of the 3 submethods of the Spreadsheet 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 example applies to Rashis Dt21-02b
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1305.htm
    Brief Summary: Measure FROM the corpse (FROM his head FROM his nose) TO each of the nearby cities.

Verse Dt21-02b
Hebrew Verse וְיָצְאוּ זְקֵנֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ וּמָדְדוּ אֶל הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹת הֶחָלָל:
English Verse then your elders and judges shall go forth, and they shall measure to the cities around the corpse.
Rashi Header Hebrew ומדדו
Rashi Text Hebrew ממקום שהחלל שוכב:
Rashi Header Enlish and they shall measure
Rashi Text English from the place where the corpse lies.

Verse Dt21-02 discussing the ceremony when a dead body with unknown killer is found states Then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are surround the corpse; The word measure refers to a mathematical function requiring two arguments, the two points (a) from which you measure and (b)to which you measure. But as the underlined words indicate the above verse only indicates one of the two mathematical arguments: the place to which you measure. It does not explicitly indicate the place from which you measure. Hence Rashi clarifies The elders measure from the corpse to the surrounding cities. Since this Rashi clarifies a mathematical requirement we classify it as a NonVerse-Spreadsheet Rashi.

    Advanced Rashi: Rambam, Laws of Murder, Chapter 9, gives further mathematical details which supplement Rashi:
  • If the corpse is beheaded you measure from the head not from the rest of the body. (Furthermore, if the corpse is beheaded you first reunite the body and head and then measure).
  • In any event you measure from the nose (the indicator of life and death).
  • If multiple bodies were found one on top of the other we measure from them as they are.

Rashi inferred that we measure from the corpse since Dt21-03 indicates that the purpose of the measurement is to find the distance from the corpse to the city. Rambam inferred that we measure from the head and from the nose based on logic since the head and nose are the points by which life can be recognized and it makes most sense to measure from them.

      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 Dt18-03d,e
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n9.htm
      Brief Summary: Priestly gifts symbolically affirm Pinchas zealotry against immorality: a) Shoulder (exposure) b) Cheeks (liquid secretions) c) Womb/stomach (relations)

Verse Dt18-03d
Hebrew Verse וְזֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים מֵאֵת הָעָם מֵאֵת זֹבְחֵי הַזֶּבַח אִם שׁוֹר אִם שֶׂה וְנָתַן לַכֹּהֵן הַזְּרֹעַ וְהַלְּחָיַיִם וְהַקֵּבָה:
English Verse And this shall be the kohanim's due from the people, from those who perform a slaughter, be it an ox or a sheep, he shall give the kohen the foreleg, the jaws, and the maw.
Rashi Header Hebrew הלחיים
Rashi Text Hebrew עם הלשון. דורשי רשומות היו אומרים, זרוע, תחת יד, שנאמר ויקח רומח בידו (במדבר כה ז). לחיים, תחת תפלה, שנאמר ויעמוד פינחס ויפלל (תהלים קו ל):
Rashi Header Enlish the jaws
Rashi Text English together with the tongue. Those who interpret the symbolism of Biblical verses say, the זְרוֹעַ [which is, in effect, the “hand” of the animal, became the due of the kohanim , as a reward] for the “hand” [which Phinehas, the kohen , raised against the sinners], as it is said, “and he took a spear in his hand” (Num. 25:7); the jaws [as a reward] for the prayer [he offered], as it is said,“Then Phinehas stood and prayed” (Ps. 106:30); and the maw (הַקֵּבָה) , as a reward [for his action against the sinning woman], as it said,“[And he stabbed both of them, the man of Israel] and the woman in her stomach (קֵבָתָהּ)” (Num. 25:8). - [Chul. 134b].

    Verse Dt18-03d,e describing the gifts given to the Priests by the Jews states And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest
  • the shoulder, and
  • the cheeks, and
  • the stomach.

Rashi symbolically interprets this gift as affirming the original act of zealotry by Pinchas which earned him eternal Priesthood. Recall that Pinchas speared a couple having relations openly in public and thereby assuaged God's anger at the promiscuity with the Moabite women.

    There is a psychological point here: Pinchas killed them because he saw the act as premeditated and malicious, not as an act of passion. The reason he saw the act as premeditated is because, as a priest, he was aware of how things develop. Zimri should have stopped the relationship as it developed. The gifts given to the priest symbolize the development of sin:
  • The shoulder [exposure]
  • the cheeks [liquid secretions]
  • the maw [relations]

Advanced Rashi: Rashi does not literally say what we have said. He corresponds cheek with mouth and prayer and corresponds hand with thrusting the sword. However we feel that Rashi was simply being discrete here. He did not want to explicitly speak about such things. He left it to the reader to infer it. Also Rashi wanted to explain that besides the description of the development of sin the priestly gifts also symbolized the act of zealotry which came about through prayer and using a sword.

Conclusion

This week's parshah contains no examples of the symbolism method. Visit the RashiYomi website at http://www.Rashiyomi.com for further details and examples.