Rashi-Is-Simple Mailing List
Volume 01 Number 01
Produced: Thursday Dec 4, 1998
(C) Dr Russell Jay Hendel, 1998
http://www.shamash.org/rashi/
Verses Discussed In This Issue:
Welcome
V1-32-5--YASHAV=TO RESIDE; GR=TO TEMPORARILY RESIDE
V1a36-3--BSMTH from BSM=Perfume; MChLATH from MChL=To forgive
V1-28-11--And (Jacob) bumped into the Place = He Prayed to God
V1-36-33--Moab's alliance with Edom LED to Moab's punishment later
v1-36-39--3 steps to "luxury nation":a)wealth b)satisfied c)desire
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Welcome
Welcome to the Premier issue of Rashi-Is-Simple, dedicated to
explaining all 10,000 Rashis on Chumash in a logical manner. This
list will soon be part of Shamash and it will be archived in RASHI
on Shamash. However rather than wait till everything is official
(in about a week) I wanted to continue to send out material.
I want to Thank everyone for their encouragement and support. For
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Welcome and enjoy the Torah.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1998 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: V1-32-5 I (Jacob) lodged (literally "lived") with Laban
------
RASHI: I only lodged with Laban; I was but a guest; I did not
----- become established there; I kept my Torah ways
BRiEF NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
----------------------------
In Hebrew there are two words denoting "dwelling" {LIST1}
a) to dwell/live (YShV) (See {LIST2} for a proof) and
b) to temporarily stay (See {LIST3} for proofs)
Jacob lived 20 years, married two wives, had a dozen children and
achieved much wealth and yet says to Esauv that he is "temporarily
staying with Lavan" rather than say he RESIDES or DWELLS there.
Apparently Jacob said this because Jacob stuck to his Torah ways
and did not learn from Laban. Hence no matter how long he stayed
he felt uncomfortable and was only "temporarily staying"
RASHI'S FORM
------------
Rashi does not give the above derivation. Instead he gives a
GEMATRIA:
GRTY = TRYG
I have observed all TRYG mitzvoth and hence am only temporarily
staying here."
But the GEMATRIA should just be perceived as a mnemonic to
remember the derash whose REAL DERIVATION is the difference
between YShV and GR
(This is similar to the first grade rhyme that the PRINCIpal
is YOUR pal--just a mnemonic to remember something,
not the real reason)
LISTS: Usages of DWELL (YShV) vs lodge (GR)
-----
{LIST1} {Similar verbs which mean some type of dwelling}
MEANING VERB
======= ====
to dwell YShv
to be a sojourner GR
{LIST2} {These verses show that GR does not mean so much "to dwell
as to "temporary lodge" to "sojourn"}
VERSE CONTENT VERSE
============= =======
Your children will lodge in a land not theirs 1-15-13
Your worker...who lodges with you 3-25-6
Abraham descended to Egypt to lodge there (from the famine) 1-12-10
Lot came to lodge and now he is a judge 1-19-9
We have come to temporarily stay till after the famine 1-47-4
The Sojourner who lodges=SOJOURNS with you 3-17-10
{LIST3} {These verses show that YShV=DWELL/RESIDE-permanant living
VERSE CONTENT VERSE
============= =====
And DWELL with him (Laban) till [Esauv's] anger subsides 1-27-44
DWELL in [Goshen] & be near me (Joseph to his family) 1-45-10
And you shall conquer Israel and DWELL in their land 5-12-29
Let us DWELL together (Chamor, who raped Dinah to Jacob) 1-34-16
And Ephron DWELLED in the midst of [Cheth] 1-23-10
CROSS REFERENCES:
----------------
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
-----------------
I heard the above from the Rav, Rabbi Joseph
Soloveitchick.It is reprinted in my article PESHAT and DERASH,
TRADITION,Winter 1980. This article forms the basis for the
approach taken in this email list.
RULE CLASSIFICATION: SYNONYMS || GR-YShV
--------------------
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VERSE: v1-36-3 & BaThMaTh the daughter of Ishmael sister of NeVaYoTh
------ v1-27-1 & his (Isaac's eyes became dim)
RASHI: She had 2 names: BaThMaTh=BSM=Perfume & MChLTh= MChL=Forgiven
-----
{LIST1} {List of 2 names of BaThMaTh with meanings of roots}
* BaThMaTh=BSM=Perfume-for idolatry service;
this caused vision trouble to ISC
* MChLth=MCL=Forgiven-Ones sins are forgiven on your wedding day.
[Note: The two Rashis have been combined--the rest of the Rashi
on 1-27-1 will be dealt with some other time]
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
----------------------------------------
Chapter 36 lists Esauvs 3 wives {LIST2}--
ADDaH
AHaLiVaMaH
BaThMaTh
It follows that MChLth must be one of these 3.
The same person had two names. Presumably one
was her real name and the other was an attribute.
Whenever mutiple names are given it indicates multiple
attribution to the person involved. In deriving attributes
consideration of 3 things is helpful:
* The grammatical root of the name
* The context of the name
* Common sense
MChLath occurs only once (1-28-9). The ROOT MCHL=To forgive.
The CONTEXT is where Isaac makes it clear that he does not like
the Canaanite women. So Esauv decided to respect his father and
took an Ishmaelite woman--in other words Esauv REPENTED from his
Canaanite woman sin and simultaneously the Bible calls his wife
FORGIVEN. The association is clear.
BthMth has a ROOT of BSM = Perfume. The context of its
first occurence is that >> These marriages caused anguish to
Isaac and Rivka 1-26-35<<.Furthermore the next verse 1-27-1 says
that >>Isaacs vision became poor.<