SUCCINCT SUMMARY
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One of Rashis 5 main goals is to resolve CONTRADICTIONS from
different verse sources. That is the two verses CONTRADICT
each other; Rashi-s job is to resolve the CONTRADICTION. We
call this the Rashi method of CONTRADICTION.

Rashi had 4 methods to resolve verse pairs that
appear to contradict each other. Today we illustrate the
MODALITY method where the contradiction is resolved by
perceiving the verses as having different MODALITIES. The
MODALITY of a sentence refers to such attributes as whether
the sentence refers to something TRUE, FALSE, REQUIRED or
PERMITTED. We call this the Rashi subrule of MUST VS MAY.
The examples below clarify this.

EXAMPLE 1 Dt15-09a Dt24-15b
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Both verses speak about praying to God to punish those
who cause monetary anguish (like employers). One verse
says PRAY; the other verse says DONT PRAY. This is interpreted
to mean that YOU MAY PRAY for the death of a bad employer
but you arent REQUIRED

EXAMPLE 2 Ex12-15b Dt16-08a
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You MUST eat Matzoh the first day; You MAY eat it the
last 6 days.

EXAMPLE 3 Lv23-08b Nu28-19
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You MUST offer Holiday sacrifices preferably in certain
amounts of OX, RAMS and SHEEP. But if these animals are
not available you MAY switch the animal types

EXAMPLE 4 Nu05-10a Dt18-03
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You MUST give priests certain priestly gifts. But you
MAY chose which priest you give (Hence one verse says
GIVE THE PRIESTS while the other verse says YOU OWN IT)

EXAMPLE 5 Gn37-10 vs Gn37-11
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On the one hand Jacob ridiculed Josephs prophecies (How can
you dream that your mother will bow to you if she is dead!)
On the other hand Jacob guarded Josephs prophecies and helped
prepare him to become a prophet. Rashi explains that by
ridiculing the prophecies he saved Joseph from Jealosy which
might intefer with them. Hence one verse is interpreted as
TRUE (Jacob did guard the dreams) while the other verse is
interpreted as an ACT and FALSE (Jacob pretended to redicule
the dreams).

EXAMPLE 6 Gn50-16b Gn49-06
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On the one hand Jacob CURSED Shimon and Levi who tried to
murder Joseph. On the other hand Jacob is cited as asking
Joseph to FORGIVE them. Rashi explains that he really cursed
them but it was permissable, for the sake of peace after his
death, to lie that he wanted them forgiven. Hence one verse
is TRUE---Jacob did curse them; while the other verse--his
sons citing him to give forgiveness--is FALSE. Rashi notes that
for the sake of peace it is permitted to lie as we see here.

List of verse pairs      Which illustrate a MAY-MUST dichotomy