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THE SUBJUNCTIVE |
BACKGROUND
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One of Rashis functions is to advise us on grammatical rules.
In this posting Rashi presents rules on unusual grammatical forms
for tenses. Recall the fact that there are 3 basic tenses:
PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.
THE SUBJUNCTIVE
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Consider the tense of the verb SEE in the following sentences
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Upon SEEING a red light, you stop.
When you WILL SEE a red light, you stop.
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THE RASHI
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The verb SEE in these sentences is said to be in the
SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. Although one sentence seems to be in
the FUTURE (If you WILL SEE) it is nevertheless, not talking
about ONE event that will happen sometime in the future,
but rather is describing the consequences ANY TIME this
event happens.
THE RULE
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Accordingly,
IF
-- we deal with a COMPOUND sentence
-- describing attributes of an ONGOING activity
---or an activity that will be REPEATED frequently
THEN
-- TRANSLATION: The best way to translate this sentence is to use
------the SUBJUNCTIVE (WOULD) or
------a GERUND(Word ending in ING denoting ONGOINGness)
-- CONJUGATION: The best way to write this sentence is to use
either the PAST or FUTURE grammatical form.
THE LIST
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The list below contains about a dozen compound sentences
where PAST or FUTURE tenses seem out of place. Rashi translates
these as either the SUBJUNCTIVE or GERUND
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| VERSE |
TEXT OF VERSE WITH FUTURE/PAST TRANSLATED AS GERUND |
| Gn18-19b |
I explain Sedoms destruction to enable COMMANDINGcharity |
| Gn24-45a |
Before my COMPLETING the prayer for her, Rivkah came |
| Job1-4 |
Job offered sacrifices SAYING, Maybe my childen sinned |
| Job1-5 |
The above procedure WOULD always BE DONE by Job |
| Gn29-03b |
until sufficient shepards gather for ROLLING the stone |
| Ex18-15a |
Upon COMING to me I advise them of Gods ways *14 |
| Ex18-22a |
Select reps,JUDGING the people;you try the hard cases*11 |
| Dt02-12A |
Esauv WILL BE INVOLVED IN THEIR CONQUEST*2 |
| Ex33-07b |
Moses WOULD pitch tent outside camp for people to come |
| Ex33-08a |
When Moses WOULD go out, people WOULD stand for him |
| Ex33-09a |
God WOULD speak to Moses face to face like friends*12 |
| Ex33-11a |
After God WOULD speak with Moses |
| Ex33-11c |
Moses WOULD return to the camp*13 |
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COMMENTS |
*2 The conquest continued for a long time. Hence the FUTURE
(WILL CONQUEST) does not refer to a SUBJUNCTIVE (WOULD)
but rather refers to a GERUND type verb (ONGOING ACTIVITY)
(The ordinary Future, by contrast, refers to 1 point in
time)
*11 Rashis actual language is:
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THIS IS A COMMAND
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This seems to be an error since the verse is translated
as FUTURE(not COMMAND)
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THEY WILL ALWAYS JUDGE
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We can also translate the verse as SUBJUNCTIVE
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They WOULD JUDGE the nation continuously
leaving you the hard cases
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*12 Rashi makes 2 points here. First Rashi explains that
the text is SUBJUNCTIVE (God WOULD speak to Moses)
Rashi also explains 2 forms of the root to SPEAK
- SPEAK WITH means a Dialogue between 2 people
- SPEAK OF means only 1 person does the speaking TO the other
In this posting we focus on the SUBJUNCTIVE.
In a future posting we will focus on the two USAGES of SPEAK
*13 On this verse Rashi presents two ideas
-- a GRAMMATICAL idea: The verse uses the SUBJUNCTIVE
It should be translated as GOD WOULD SPEAK TO MOSES
-- a MORAL motif: Moses staying with God was always
temporary to enable him to go back to the people
and pray for them.
Thus when the Midrash states
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God told Moses to go back to the Camp. God said:
Moses--I am angry with them...if you are angry also
who will intercede for them
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The Midrash is not commenting on WHY the Biblical phrase
YOU WILL RETURN TO THE CAMP is in the future but rather the
Midrash is supplying a REASON why the verse emphasizes that
talkings to God were followed by Moses returning to camp
*14 Many other verbs in this Ex18-22:24 are
subjunctive. Rashi frequently used workbook methdods:
That is, he commented on one example and let the reader
fill in the rest. As an exercise you should try and locate
all subjunctives in Ex18-22:24
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