Ideas and Model Lessons in Learning Rashi-#17 Copyright RashiYomi Inc 7-3-2005 Adapted From Rashi-is-Simple http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
Written by Dr. Russell Jay Hendel;
A: REVIEW
This is the 17-th in a 30 part series on the methods that are useful for teaching Rashi. Parts 1 - 16 may be accessed on the Rashi website at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/wbook.htm in the workbook series. Part 1 contains useful information on our notation and methods - to best understand this chapter the reader should be familiar with our conventions.

B: THE FORMATTING METHODS
With this chapter we begin a new series discussing the Rashi formatting method. Every English author knows that if they wish to create emphasis they can use formatting options such as bold, italics, and underline. The Bible does not use bold, italics and underline. Rather, when the Biblical Author wishes to create an unspecified emphasis He will use repetition. We refer to this as the repetition submethod of the formatting method.

C: EXAMPLE 1: Ex31-15a RestDay of RestDays
Text: Ex31-15a states this day (the Sabbath) shall be a restday of restdays (literally Sabbath of Sabbaths)
Using our identification of repetition with bold we would render this translation as follows:
Text: Ex31-15a states this day (the Sabbath) shall be a restday (Sabbath of Sabbaths)
Rashi comments:
On other holidays, work is prohibited but cooking is permitted
On the Sabbath, all work is prohibited, even cooking.
Here Rashi interprets the repetition restday of restdays as indicating unspecified emphasis: All work is prohibited, even cooking, which is permitted on other holy days of rest.

D: EXAMPLE 2: Lv13-49a GreenGreen
Text: Lv13-49a states if the leprous affliction is GreenGreen
Note how the repetition occurs, not as a repeated word, but rather the repetition occurs within the word: The verse does not say if the leprous affliction is the greenest of greens but rather says if the leprous affliction is GreenGreen. The Hebrew word for green is Yud-Resh-Kuph. The Hebrew word used in Lv13-49a is Yud-Resh-Kuph-Resh-Kuph which we have translated GreenGreen.
Rashi comments: The word GreenGreen means intense green, that is, a pure green in which no other colors are mixed.
Here again, Rashi interprets the repetition as indicating emphasis: GreenGreen means only green, an intense green without other colors.

E: EXAMPLE 3: Homework Lv13-49b
The text of Lv13-49b states if the leprous affliction be GreenGreen or RedRed
The following questions should be asked at various student levels
The elementary level, intermediate and advanced level
1) What repetitions do you find in this verse
2) How did we explain one of these repetitions above
3) Can you apply this explanation to the other repetition

F: EXAMPLE 3 continued: ANSWERS TO HOMEWORK
1) The words GreenGreen and RedRed are repetitions
2) We explained the repetition GreenGreen to mean only green, an intense green without a mixture of other colors
3) We can similarly explain the repetition RedRed to mean only red, an intense red without a mixture of other colors.

G: A DISSENTING OPINION
On Lv13-49 the Ibn Ezra, a colleague commentator of Rashi, offers an alternative approach to the explanation of the repetition
Ibn Ezra: The word GreenGreen means light green; this is similar to the interpretation of BlackBlack in So01:05 (Song of Songs) Don't be afraid of me because I am BlackBlack because the sun has stared on me. The word BlackBlack means tanned. Just as BlackBlack means tanned, a light form of black, so too is GreenGreen a light form of Green.

H: ANSWERING THE IBN EZRA
However the Ibn Ezra himself acknowledges that repetition usually connotes emphasis. To explain the few rare cases where it seems to mean the opposite--a light form, such as tan vs. black or light green vs green -- Ibn Ezra suggests the arbitrary distinction that this special light rule only applies when the repetition occurs in the last two letters of the Hebrew root.
However it is easy to answer the Ibn Ezra's question by reinterpreting So01:05: Don't be afraid of me because I am
DawnDawned (Sunburned) because the sun has stared on me.
The Hebrew root Shin-Cheth-Resh can mean both black and dawn. Ibn Ezra got into difficulties by interpreting this Hebrew root to mean Black. We however interpret it to mean Dawn. The coined word DawnDawn would then mean, the Dawnest of Dawns and would refer to the colors of the peak of Dawn right before sunrise. At the dawnest of dawns the sky has a gentle red hue, foreshadowing the sunrise. Thus the dawnest of dawns has the same reddish hues as a sunburned person. This interpretation of DawnDawn as sunburned is consistent with the rest of the verse: So01:05 Don't be afraid of me because I am DawnDawned (Sunburned) because the sun has stared at me.

I: SUMMARY OF RASHI vs IBN EZRA
We have gone into the details of this exegetical controversy, even though it is technical, to illustrate the richness of biblical commentary. We infer the following guidelines from the above discussion:
Both Rashi and Ibn Ezra agree that in most cases repetition connotes emphasis
Ibn Ezra developed a technical exception which he only applied to two to four roots (GreenGreen, RedRed, and BlackBlack) where repetition connotes light green, red and black.
Even if one believes the Ibn Ezra's exception, the majority of cases -- all but 3-4 -- use the repetition-emphasis rule
One can answer the Ibn Ezra by interpreting Shin-Cheth-Resh as Dawn: Then DawnDawn would mean the Dawnest of Dawns and could refer to the peak of dawn; the reddish hues of the Dawn of Dawn would resemble the complexion of a sunburned person.
This example also illustrates that biblical interpretation was not finalized several hundred years ago but is alive and waiting for fresh new ideas.

J: EXAMPLE 4: Gn37-15a
This example illustrates a different type of emphasis that can be indicated by repetition.
Text: Gn37-15a states And a person found him [Joseph] and he was wandering in the field and the person asked him, "What are you seeking?" And he [Joseph] answered, "I am seeking my brothers," "Please tell me where they are sheparding."
It does not appear that any word has been repeated. The great medieval commentator, Malbim, developed the rule that use of a noun when a pronoun would suffice constitutes repetition (and hence connotes emphasis).
The above verse, had it followed the proper rules of grammar, would have said: And a person found him [Joseph] and he was wandering in the field and he [not the person] asked him, "What are you seeking?"
By repeating the noun person instead of using the pronoun he, a repetition has been created which indicates emphasis.

K: EXAMPLE 4 Continued
Rashi paraphrased explains: The repeated word person creates an unspecified emphasis: It wasn't a person as we think of people; it rather refers to the most general conception of personhood. Hence this verse refers to a dream, in which a dream person asked Joseph what he wanted.
Once we know the dream symbolism we can apply it to other parts of the verse:
Joseph was wandering in the field could symbolically indicate that he was erring about his field dream in which he saw all his brothers and family giving him recognition (bowing to him). Joseph didn't realize that he was hated.
The dream-person asking him what do you wanted would symbolically indicate that Joseph had to discuss his long term goals.
Joseph's response: I am seeking my brothers would symbolically indicate that Joseph wanted recognition from his brothers and family.
Rashi's identification of this dream-image with the arch-angel Gavriel, the angel in charge of justice, makes sense considering that Joseph was about to learn that some of his brothers hated him so much that they wanted to kill him. Indeed, Joseph had a lot of growing up to do.

L: TWO TYPES OF EMPHASIS: Broad vs. Focused
The student may notice a difference between examples 1-3 vs. example 4.
In examples 1-3 the emphasis connoted by the repetition indicated the best and choicest of the item under discussion. For example, Sabbath is not an ordinary rest day but the most intense rest day--you can't even cook; GreenGreen is not an ordinary green in which other colors can mingle but rather an intense pure green.
By contrast, person-person does not connote the best and choicest of all people. It rather refers to a dream-person, a border line person. A dream-person is not the choicest or most intense of people; on the contrary, the dream person is a border-line person. A person in a dream is not a real person. However it is legitimate to call a dream-person a person.
Thus the emphasis in examples 1-3 points to the most intense example of the object while the emphasis in example 4 refers to a border line case of the object. With this distinction in mind we now review further examples.

M: EXAMPLE 5: Dt15-08b GIVE GIVE
Text: Dt15-07:08 When there are poor among your brothers ...in the land God gives you.....open open your hand to him.
Rashi: If it simply said open your hand to him I would interpret it to mean give charity. However, the repetition open open creates emphasis: it refers to a border-line opening. So if the poor person is too proud to accept charity then give him a loan.
In this example the emphasis created by repetition is broadening: Open refers not only to charity but also to loans. Even though a loan is border line charity (since the lender gets his money back) nevertheless we can still call it opening.

O: RASHI and the TALMUD
The above example is interesting. Although it is found in Rashi, like many other Rashis, it is derived from the Talmud. The Talmud at the end of Tractate Baba Metziah, folio 31 gives about a dozen examples of repetition connoting broad emphasis. Although most Rashis have their source in the Midrash or Talmud this example is particularly blatant. We have therefore used this example to emphasize that most Rashis have their source in the Talmud and Midrash. And these Talmudic and Midrashic passages have their roots, like the Rashis we study, in the rules we have been presenting.

P: THE SIMPLE MEANING OF THE TEXT
If an English author wrote, open your hand to the poor, it would be reasonable to assume the underline indicated emphasis. It would then be reasonable to interpret this phrase as referring both to charity and loans. In other words despite the unspecified nature of the emphasis indicated by the underline we are still justified in seeing the interpretation give a loan as the simple and intended meaning of the emphasized text, open your hand to the poor. In a similar manner all the Rashis above indicate the simple meaning of the text.

Q: HOMEWORK QUICKIES
Instructions to students (at all levels).
Identify the repetition in the verse
Decide whether to use an intense or border-line interpretation
Suggest a possible meaning intended by the emphasis
If you can't think of an interpretation yourself, look at Rashi and describe a) how Rashi's interpretation deals with the repetition; b) Is Rashi using an intense or border-line interpretation.
Example 5: Lv19-22a He shall be forgiven from the sin he sinned
Example 6: Lv20-09a A person who curses his parents shall die; because he cursed his parents
Example 7: Dt16-20a Pursue Pursue judicial decision
Example 8: Lv01-07:08 Priests place wood on fire on altar...place organs on fire on altar
Example 9: Lv22-15a,b If many years remain, price increases; if few years remain, price decreases

R: HOMEWORK QUICKIES
Example 5: Lv19-22a Border-line: He is forgiven from any sin whether willful or inadvertent
Example 6: Lv20-09a Border-line: Even if he curses his dead parents
Example 7: Dt16-20a Border-line: Uphold an acquittal decision even if it was found to be incorrectly reached
Example 8: Lv01-07:08 Intense: Exactly on fire on altar; altar items cannot protrude from fire
Example 9: Lv22-15a,b Intense: It must be at least 2 years (The word years literally connotes at least 2)

S: THE RASHI WEBSITE AS A RESOURCE
The Rashi website can be used as a resource to provide examples for the contradiction method.
The Home page for the Rashi website is located at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/
The Main Rashi Database is located at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lists.htm
Scroll down in the left hand frame till you find REPETITION / restrictive meaning and REPETITION / broad.
Click on the link
The right frame will now contain the links to examples of the broad-literal method
The main lists for REPETITION are LIST150a and LIST160a.