#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
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  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
  |       http://www.RashiYomi.Com                           |
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VERSE: Dt07-07b




RASHIS COVERED: Gn01-21a Gn06-02a Gn09-24a Dt07-07b Dt07-07a
                Gn28-11a Gn41-01b Gn41-14a Gn42-27a Nu14-37a



CROSS REFERENCE
===============
       http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt04-32c.htm
       http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt06-16a.htm
       http://www.RashiYomi.Com/lv01-02c.htm

       http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n14.htm
       http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n16.htm
       http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n18.htm




RULE
====
The word >THE< can be used in 4 methods
--->THE< can refer to a PROPER NOUN
    e.g. Dt06-16a >Dont test God as you tested him by THE-TEST<
    RASHI: THE-TEST is the name of the place mentioned in Ex17-07


-->THE< can refer to something mentioned NEARBY
  eg Dt04-32c >Has anyone heard THE GREAT THING-that God ...<

-->THE< can refer to a concept, story or
   thing mentioned ELSEWHERE
  eg Nu13-33a >We saw there THE Nefilim<
  >THE NEFILLIM< nation however is mentioned in Gn06-04


-->THE< can refer to the >BEST< known of a class
  eg  Dt01-07e >THE Mount< -- This refers to The Kings Mountain





EXAMPLES (More examples next time)
========
{LIST}
---------------------------------------------------------------
  In the Following verses the word >THE< refers to
  something special and best
---------------------------------------------------------------

VERSE    BIBLE PHRASE  RASHI: >THE< = SPECIAL & BEST
======== ============= ====== ===================================
Gn09-24a >THE younger< RASHI: >THE younger< = YOUNGEST *1
Dt07-07b >THE smaller< RASHI: >THE smaller< = SMALLEST *1
Gn41-01b >THE canal<   RASHI: >THE canal< = The NILE*2 *3
Gn41-14a >THE Pit<     RASHI: >THE Pit< = Prison
Gn06-02a >THE gods<    RASHI: >THE gods< = ANGELS*4
Gn28-11a >THE place<*5 RASHI: >The PLACE<=The Temple(Place of God
Gn01-21a >THE monster< RASHI: >THE monster< = The Leviathan*6
Gn42-27a >THE ONE..<   RASHI: >THE one< = The LEADER*7
Nu14-37a >THE Plague<  RASIH: >THE Plague<=Divine Punishment*8

NOTES
=====
*1 The words >YOUNGEST< or >SMALLEST< can equally mean
   ---physically smallest/youngest
   ---emotionally immature
   ---spiritually humble

   But in response to the content of the verses at hand it is:
   --not the case that NO nation is smaller in numbers than the
     Jews
   --At least 3 verses suggest that CHAM was >NOT< the youngest
     son of Noach but rather the 2nd son out of 3. 2 verses are
     Gn05-32, Gn06-10. Finally Gn10 lists the descendants in the
     following order
     ---YEFETH (Gn10-01:14)
     ---CHAM   (Gn10-15:20)
     ---SHAYM  (Gn10-21:32)
     Furthermore Gn10-21 explicitly states that YEFETH, the
     first mentioned son in Gn10, was in fact the oldest!
     This implies that CHAM was not the youngest but rather
     SHAYM was youngest.

     Hence if Gn09-24a refers to CHAM
     as >THE YOUNGEST< it should preferably be translated as
     >THE MOST IMMATURE<.

   Similarly since the Jews arent the >SMALLEST NATION< we
   are justified in interpreting Dt07-07 as meaning that
   the Jews are >HUMBLE<. Rashi applies this spiritual-emotional
   interpretation in both Dt07-07a and Dt07-07b. Rashi
   therefore reads Dt07-07 as follows
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   >God did not chose you because of your haughty
   ambitions (to conquer nations) because you Jews are a humble
   nation...rather God chose you because of His Love of you
   and because of the oath to the Patriarchs...<
   -------------------------------------------------------------

*2 The NILE would overflow and thereby fill up all Egyptian
   canals. Thus the NILE was indeed >THE CANAL<.

*3  The Hebrew word >YeOR< by itself can refer to ANY
    >CANAL< (not just the NILE); for an example see Jr46-07

*4 The Hebrew word >E-Lo-Him< can equally mean
   --God
   --god
   --Angel
   --Prophet
   --Judge
   --Leader

   A brief summary is as follows: Rashi interprets Gn06-02
   as >And the sons of PROPHETS-ANGELS took women from
   whomever they wanted<. Rashi prefers this interpretation
   over >And the sons of JUDGES-LEADERS took women from
   whomever they wanted< because of the word >THE< which
   indicates that the verse is speaking about the BEST &
   MOST SPECIAL of E-LO-HIM, that is, the PROPHETS.

   See URL http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt04-28a.htm
   for a discussion and presentation of examples of this word
   as well as the Rashi-Radack controversies on which meaning
   to select. Again: We decide the Rashi Radack controversy
   in favor of Rashi because of the word >THE<.


*5 The phrase >THE PLACE< refers to the TEMPLE. This is similar
   to the English phrase, >THE WHITE HOUSE<: This phrase
   refers not to ANY white house but rather to the PRESIDENTIAL
   WHITE HOUSE.

   This is discussed in http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn47-02a.htm

   I have combined the Radack and Rashi on this verse.

   Radack cites 4 verses where >PLACE< can mean >PLACE OF GOD<
   They are Ez03-12, Dt33-27, Es04-14, Gn28-11.

   Rashi suggests 2 interpretations: PLACE=GOD; PLACE=TEMPLE
   However it makes things more readable if we combine these 2
   interpretations and interpret PLACE=PLACE OF GOD, THE TEMPLE.
   As indicated this combines the approaches of RADACK-RASHI

   As an example of this approach we translate Ez03-12 >Blessed
   be God from his PLACE OF HOLINESS<

   In the above cited posting I also point out that the word
   >PLACE< is repeated in Gn28-11. Such repetitions encourage
   broader interpretations of terms.

   (I also suggest that besides focusing on the nuances of the
   word >THE< we should also focus on the repetition of the
   word >PLACE< in Gn28-11. A repetition of a noun vs use of
   a pronoun indicates a broadening of meaning--so >PLACE<
   would refer not to any place but rather >THE PLACE OF GOD<)

*6 The >LEVIATHAN< is a Biblical symbol of >THE MONSTER<.
   --In Jb40-25, LEVIATHAN is the symbol of the SEA MONSTER
   --In Ps74-14 it is explicitly mentioned that LEVIATHAN
     will be >Food for the righteous<
   --In Isa26 and Isa27 it also speaks about God killing
     Leviathan for the righteous at the time of redemption.

   {LIST}
   We can now review Gn01 for words of creation.
   ========================================================
   VERSE   WORD USED     TEXT
   =====   ============  ====
   Gn01-03 Let there BE  And there WAS LIGHT
   Gn01-07 MADE          God MADE the SKY
   Gn01-16 MADE          God MADE the SUN-MOON
   Gn01-21 CREATED       God CREATED the sea monsters
   Gn01-25 MADE          God MADE the animals
   Gn01-27 CREATED       God CREATED Adam and Eve
   {END OF LIST}

   So we clearly see that the usual words used for CREATION are
   either >MADE< or >LET THERE BE<. Only by 2 items--by the
   creation of MAN and the SEA MONSTERS--do we find the word
   >CREATE<. Apparently these creations were special

   ADAM is the pinacle of creation so we understand the word
   CREATE by Adam. Rashi similarly interprets the word CREATE
   by the SEA MONSTERS to refer to something spiritual
   ----------------------------------------------------------
   God created the LEVIATHAN which God will slaughter in the
   future world for the meal of the righteous
   ----------------------------------------------------------

   Although this Rashi appears quite wild nevertheless..
   --The word CREATE denotes something spiritual
   --The phrase THE MONSTERS indicates THE BEST KNOWN-LEVIATHAN
   --OTHER VERSES clearly indicate that the LEVITHAN will be
     slaughtered in the next world for the righteous.
   Thus RASHI-IS-SIMPLE.

*7 If Gn42-27 had said >& one opened his packsacks and found
   his money< it would mean that ANYone (we dont know which
   one) opened his sack.

   But when Gn42-27 says >& THE one opened his packsacks & found
   his money< it means that the LEADER opened his packsack. In
   other words >THE ONE< means >THE LEADER<

   Rashi identifies the >LEADER< as Levi: Rashi seems to infer
   this from Gn34 where LEVI-SHIMON initiated the retaliatory-
   defensive war against Chivite city that Raped their sister.
   Since Shimon wasnt here (he was imprisoned) LEVI was left
   alone to lead (It is clear from Gn37-19:27 that Reuven
   and Judah had only a secondary place in leadership).

   In passing Rabbi Boncheck spoke about this Rashi while
   he visited the United States. He pointed out that
   Joseph used a birth hierarchy in dealing with leaders
   ---Joseph imprisoned SHIMON
   ---Joseph framed LEVI (by placing his money in his sack)
   ---Joseph forced JUDAH to confront him to get back BINYAMIN
   SHIMON-LEVI-JUDAH were the 2nd-3rd-4th son. Joseph left
   REUVEN alone because he protested Jospeh being sold.

   I have simply supplemented Boncheks idea by emphasizing the
   grammatical aspect of the derivation--->THE ONE< means
   >THE LEADER<. I have also brought in the explicit
   Gn34 to show that Shimon and Levi were the natural leaders
   (a stronger proof then Boncheks >order of birth< argument).

   As the Rav, (Rabbi Soloveitchick) frequently said
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   When learning Chumash it is better to avoid the stormy
   waters of philosophic analysis and prefer the placid
   waters of grammar
   ------------------------------------------------------------

*8 An ordinary plague simply denotes many people dying.

   By contrast the phrase >THE plague< denotes a plague
   with Divine retribution. Throughout the Bible, Divine
   retribution is identified with people being punished
   in a way comparable to the way they sinned. Hence
   here also we have the Rashi
   ----------------------------------------------------------
   The plague was a punishment for the sin of slander
   of the spys who said that God could not help the Jews
   conquer the land. Hence, since they sinned with their
   tongue their punishment was a plague of elongated tongues
   -----------------------------------------------------------

   In understanding this Rashi it is helpful to focus
   not on the details of how they got sick but on the general
   idea that their sickness mirrored their sin.

   For another source that Divine Retribution mirrors sin
   see Ex18-11.
{END OF LIST}

RASHI RULE USED: SPECIAL WORDS
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website

Volume 9 Number 19


#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
Volume 9 Number 19