The 6 usages of the word >THE<:#14 of 35 ########################################################### # 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE # # Mar 27, 2001 # # Rashis 668-670 Of 7800 (8.6%) # # # # VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES # # ----------------------------- # # http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm # # # # Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, # # (c) 1999-Present, RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President # #Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit# # # # WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS # # # ########################################################### RULE ==== The words >THE< can be used in 4 ways --THE can refer to a proper noun --THE can refer to something that is mentioned nearby eg Dt04-32c >Has anyone heard THE GREAT THING-that God saved a nation enslaved in another nation with great miracles< Thus the phrase >THE GREAT THING< refers to the verse that follows >That God saved a nation enslaved in another nation< In other words the >GREAT THING< is Gods freeing one nation from another. --THE can refer to a concept, story or thing mentioned ELSEWHERE (but not immediately afterwards) eg Nu13-33a >We saw there THE Nefilim< This refers to the NEFILLIM nation mentined in Gn06-04 --THE can refer to the best known of a class eg Dt01-07e >THE Mount< -- This refers to The Kings Mountain GOALS: ===== A person completing this module will be able to correctly identify the specific usages of >THE< in the Bible. TODAYS UNIT =========== In the next few days we bring verses where >THE< refers to >THE BEST KNOWN IN ITS CLASS< REFERENCE: ========= This module comes from the following digest in the Rashi-is-Simple series http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n14.htm http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n16.htm http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n17.htm (Up next Sunday) #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#* --------------------------------------------------------- In the following verses >THE< refers to the best known example of a class. --------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE 31: Gn09-24a ==================== Gn09-24a & Noah woke up and realized what CHAM his MOST DESPICABLE son did (The reference being to Cham seeing Noachs nakedness while drunk) RASHI: The Hebrew word >KOTON< can mean ---physically small or ---spiritually despicable When the word >THE< is appended, the word >KOTON< means ---the >SMALLEST< ---the MOST DESPICABLE *1 EXAMPLES 32,33: Dt07-07a Dt07-07b ================================== Dt07-07 I (God) could not have chosen the Jews because of their greatness*2 since you (Jews) are THE SMALLEST*2 of all the nations RASHI: The Hebrew word >MeeAT< means >SMALL<. When >THE< is added before this word it means >THE SMALLEST< Again the word can refer to PHYSICAL or SPIRITUAL SMALLNESS --------------------------NOTES-------------------------------- *1 In several verses Noahs sons are listed as ---Shaym ---Cham ---Yefeth (eg see Gn05-32 or Gn06-10 for this order) However when the genealogies are discussed in detail in Gn10 the order used is ---Yefeth ---Cham ---Shaym Using either order CHAM is not physically the YOUNGEST. Hence Gn09-24a, referring to CHAM as youngest must mean it in the spiritual sense as the most despicable. (This is consistent with the topic of the verses in Gn09 which discusses how CHAM degraded his father) *2 Rashi notes the dual meaning of the verse: --God chose you despite your physical smallness(Dt07-07) --And this physical smallness corresponds to your spiritual smallness (ie humility) which in turn corresponds to the humility of the Patriarchs which is why God chose you. Note that the Jews are not necessarily the very smallest of nations and hence Rashis reinterpretation of SMALLEST as meaning >SPIRITUALLY SMALLEST< (ie humble) fits in. #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*