*1 Unlike other cases of ritual impurity the Lepor is
- ostracized from all his friends
- must declare himself impure and separate himself
Hence he is like someone dead (that is like a dead body
he is REPULSIVE)*10

*2 Verse Ex14-19 states
--------------------------------------------
[The Jews had just exited Egypt; Egypt
regretted letting them free and pursued
them. The following text relates the pursuit]
And the Angel of God, which went in FRONT
of the Jewish camp, journeyed and went in
BACK of them;[Similarly] the pillar of
fire went from in front to the back
--------------------------------------------

Rashi explains with an analogy:
-----------------------------------------
A person and his father were walking in
the forest. Suddenly they hear wild animals
in back of them pursuing them. The father,
who had been leading his son in front now
goes in back so that the wild animals
should bump into him first, not his son
-----------------------------------------

In other words, Rashi sees Ex14-19
as providing a FURTHER DETAIL to the concept
of GOD CARED FOR YOU LIKE A FATHER. God had
fought for the Jews who were helpless like
children.

*3 Rashi does not cite Nu32-05:08 but instead explains
-------------------------------------------
God wanted sinners dead lest they influence
their children into rebelling against God
-------------------------------------------

*4 That is: Don't learn idolatry for purposes of practicing
it. But it is permissable to learn idolatry for purposes
of instructing people on what not to do and on the horrors
of particular idolatries.*11

---------------------  LONGER FOOTNOTES ---------------------
*10 Rashi gives an alternate argument
-----------------------------------------------------
Both the LEPOR and DEAD transmit a status of ritual
impurity to a person who merely walks into the same
room with them
-----------------------------------------------------

However we would summarize this Rashi argument as follows
---------------------------------------------------------
Both the LEPOR and DEAD are considered REPULSIVE. Hence
- merely being in the same room with them confers impurity
- People AVOID both the LEPOR and DEAD BODY
---------------------------------------------------------

Such an approach to Rashi is deeper and more satisfying
and sheds light on the analogy.

*11 Rashi's literal language is
---------------------------------------------------
DON'T LEARN TO DO, but you can LEARN TO TEACH
---------------------------------------------------

This statement is short, punchy and to the point.
Furthermore the literal text of Dt18-09a is
DON'T LEARN TO DO.

Thus it appears that Rashi made his inference
from the EXTRA phrase TO DO (DONT LEARN TO DO
vs DONT LEARN).

However the approach of this list is to explain
Rashi inferences in terms of broad laws such as
OTHER VERSES. In this list we shy away from
inferences from 'extra phrases.' Since Dt12-30
clearly prohibits LEARNING/INQUIRING FOR PURPOSES
OF PRACTICE we prefer this OTHER VERSE explanation

Consequently, this Rashi is one of those PEACHES
that illustrate our different approach to Rashi
explanations.