Rabbi Ishmael Example Method:#30 of 36 ########################################################### # 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE # # Sep 10, 2000 # # Rashis 258-258 Of 7800 (3.3%) # # # # Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, # # (c) 1999-Present, Dr. Hendel # # http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ # # # #Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit# # # # WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS # ########################################################### BACKGROUND EXAMPLE ------------------ Dt25-04a Dont muzzle an OX while threshing: RASHI: Dont muzzle ANY ANIMAL Lv01-02c Offer ANIMALS--Offer OXEN SHEEP RASHI: You can **ONLY** offer OXEN and SHEEP Dt18-03b These are the laws for those who offer sacrifices Whether from Oxen or Sheep RASHI: So these laws only apply to OXEN and SHEEP not to beasts and birds Why the difference? Why in one verse do we generalize OXEN to any animal, while in the other verse we restrict the law to ONLY oxen OVERVIEW -------- This module (which we have called CLIMAX) deals with the rules governing the interpretation of Biblical examples. If the Torah for example said "Eat apple pies" how should this be interpretd? --Should we say "Eat apple pies" means **ONLY** eat apple pies --Should we say "Eat apple pies" means eat ANYTHING TASTY --Should we say "Eat apple pies" means eat FRUIT pies In other words, how do we interpret the Biblical EXAMPLE apple pie. Here are the rules governing interpretation of Biblical EXAMPLES---the EXAMPLES summarizing the past month will follow. -GRAND SUMMARY PART 2- -IN METHOD 1 WE GENERALIZE- METHOD 1: GENERALIZE -------------------- EXAMPLES METHOD OF INTERPRETATION -------- ------------------------ Eat APPLE PIES CONCLUSION: Eat ANY FOOD TREAT Dt25-04 Dont muzzle an ox CONCLUSION: Dont muzzle ANY ANIMAL RULE: ----- Every Biblical example of a law SHOULD be generalized (unless otherwise indicated).*1 EXAMPLES -------- (1) Ex21-28a When an OX gores..then pay damages RASHI: The law applies when ANY animal gores The Bible used 'OX' since that was a typical animal owned (2) Ex21-17a A FEMALE witch should not be allowed to live RASHI: The law applies to ANY witch--male or female The Bible used 'FEMALE' witch since most witches were women (3) Ex22-21a If you hurt an ORPHAN or WIDOW I(God)will punish you RASHI: God will punish you if you cause anguish to ANY person The Torah used 'ORPHAN/WIDOW' since these people are usually picked on. (4) Ex22-30b A DISEASED ANIMAL in a FIELD should not be eaten RASHI: ALL DISEASED ANIMALS should not be eaten. The Torah used 'diseased animals in a FIELD' because that is typically where they are typically found (5) Dt22-23a '..& he found her IN THE CITY & raped her...' RASHI:The laws of rape apply even if he raped her in the HOUSE. The Torah used 'in the CITY' because that is where rapes typically happen (6) Dt23-11a 'A man who is Not Pure from a NOCTURNAL emission' RASHI: These laws apply to ANYONE who has an emission. The Torah used 'NOCTURNAL emission' because that is the typical time they occur. (7) Dt13-07f When someone seduces you IN PRIVATE to worship idols RASHI: These laws apply even if the seduction was in public The Torah used 'IN PRIVATE' because that is the normal way seduction takes place (steathily) (8) Dt15-19b Don't WORK with 1stborn of OX, Don't SHEAR 1stborn SHEEP RASHI:It is also prohibited to WORK with the 1stborn of SHEEP or to SHEAR the hide of an OX. But the Torah used 'WORK..OX' and 'SHEAR..SHEEP' because this is the typical usage. (9) Dt25-04a Don't muzzle an OX while it works RASHI: It is prohibited to muzzle ANY ANIMAL while it works The Torah used 'OX' because this is the typical animal owned NOTES ----- *1 This rule appears strange and contradicts the usual notion that every 'letter and word' in the Bible has SOME meaning Actually though Rabbi Ishmael had a dictum that the Bible uses human style--it prefers a good example, like "ox" to an abstract concept like "animal". #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#