SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Rashi frequently made inferences based on the Biblical STYLE. We
call this Rashi Rule the RABBI ISHMAEL STYLE rule.

A powerful style rule was the painting of a verse in a
CLIMACTIC DEVELOPMENT manner. We call this the RASHI SUBRULE of
CLIMAX

EXAMPLE 1: Lv19-15d
-------------------
Lv19-15d has 4 BULLETS or CLAUSES
---------------------------------
- Dont do iniquity in court
- Dont show favoritism to the poor
- Dont show defference to the rich
- JUDGE PEOPLE SOLELY ON JUSTICE
---------------------------------

Rashis first comment is
--------------------------------------------------
The CAPPED phrase, JUDGE PEOPLE SOLELY ON JUSTICE,
has its simple meaning. If you dont do iniquity,
and dont defer to the poor or rich then all that is
left is to judge people AS THEY ARE WORTH.
--------------------------------------------------

Here Rashi uses the principle of CLIMAX. The
capped phrase JUDGE PEOPLE SOLELY ON JUSTICE
is the logical CLIMAX and consequence of the
previous three phrases.

Rashi gives an alternate explanation based
on ALIGNMENT. This will be presented below.
Let us continue with the BULLET examples.

LIST450w below summarizes this CLIMACTIC STRUCTURE


SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
The BULLET method could perhaps better be called the
PARAGRAPH METHOD. The BULLET method seeks to make
inferences from PARAGRAPH structure or from PARALLEL
structure (A good example of paragraph structure is
a bulleted structure). We present several examples
below.

EXAMPLE 1: Lv19-17a
----------------
The verse Lv19-17 has 3 clauses or bullets
------------------------------------------
- dont HATE IN YOUR HEART your brother
- [rather] rebuke him [openly, verbally]
- and DONT BEAR A SIN ON HIM
------------------------------------------

Notice how the three clauses all contrast
each other. Rashi comments
--------------------------------------
- dont hate in your heart
- rather rebuke openly
- but DONT EMBARASS HIM BEFORE OTHERS
--------------------------------------

Here Rashi uses the bullet method to
outline contrasts.
- dont let the hatred simmer
- also dont rebuke openly before others
- rather rebuke at a personal level

It is important to emphasize that Rashis
interpretation does not emanate from
grammar or word meaning. Rather Rashis
interpretation emanates from the PARALLEL
BULLETED STRUCTURE which requires that the last
phrase--DONT BEAR A SIN--contrast with the
previous two phrases--DO REBUKE BUT NOT
IN YOUR HEART. One reasonable conclusion
is that rebuke should not be done openly.

LIST107j below summarizes this bulleted structure

EXAMPLE 2: Lv19-20b Lv19-20c
--------------------------
Lv19-20 speaks about
-------------------------------
an affair with a maid who
- is not REDEEMED
- has not received her freedom
-------------------------------

Rashi comments
------------------------------
We will show below that the
word REDEEMED always refers
to MONETARY redemption.

Since there are two bullets
- REDEEMED = money
- FREEDOM
it follows that RECEIVED HER FREEDOM
must refer to FREEDOM thru a WRIT
OF FREEDOM.
------------------------------

Again Rashi does not make this
inference from the word meanings
or grammar. Rather Rashi makes
this inference from the PARALLEL
BULLETED structure which requires
a second type of FREEING AGENT.

LIST107k below summarizes this bulleted structure

We now return to the two other Rashi rules
cited above.

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is to explain
WORD MEANING the same way a dictionary explains
word meaning. Rashi had 10 vehicles to explain
word meaning. Rashi would frequently collect
several verses with a common Hebrew root and
show a UNIFYING THEME/MEANING to this root.

The following verses all have the word Hebrew
root PDH, to REDEEM. As can be seen PDH always
refers to MONETARY(or monetary equivalent) REDEMPTION.
-Ex13-13 REDEEM new donkeys with SHEEP
-Lv27-27 If you donate an unclean animal REDEEM IT+20%
-Ex21-30 if RANSOM be placed ...give REDEMPTION OF SOUL
-Nu03-49 Moses took the Money of REDEMPTION...
-Lv19-20b A maid who has not been REDEEMED*1

LIST863p below summarizes this.

SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
Rashi frequently makes powerful inferences from the alignment
of ALMOST similar verses. The minor variations between these
almost similar verses suggests nuances and differences or
even meaning. We call this the Rashi rule of ALIGNMENT

When Rashi identifies two cases from the ALIGNMENT we call
this the Rashi subrule of TWO CASES

Lv19-15d was approached above by BULLETS. Instead, we can
approach it by alignment

EXAMPLE 1 revisited: Lv19-15d
-----------------------------
Lv19-15d has 4 BULLETS or CLAUSES
---------------------------------
- DONT do iniquity in court
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - e.g. DONT defer to poor
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - e.g. DONT defer to rich
- but DO judge people favorably
---------------------------------

Rashi comments on the alignment of the DONTS vs DO
-------------------------------------------------
It is PROHIBITED
- to judge in favor of a poor person because he is poor
- to judge in favor of a rich person because he is rich
But it is PERMISSABLE
- if you have two competing alternative explanations
do judge a person FAVORABLY vs CRIMINALLY.
--------------------------------------------------

We can summarize this with a catchy phrase
- NO TO FAVORITISM
- YES TO FAVORABLY
Here Rashi ALIGNS the DO vs DONT to get PERMISSABLE
vs PROHIBITED.

Notice the elegance of the Rashi on this verse--
It can equally be interpreted using
- THE ALIGNMENT RULE--judge people favorably
- THE CLIMAX RULE--judge by strict justice.

LIST313z below summarizes this alignment

BULLETED structure of    Lv19-17a--Rebuke but dont embarass