SUCCINCT SUMMARY
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Some Rashi comments deal with FORMATTING.
Modern authors FORMAT using such techniques as
BULLETS, PARAGRAPHING, BOLD, ITALICS and UNDERLINE.
The Biblical Author achieved these effects but thru
different means.
For example a modern author might hilight distinct
items using BULLETS. The Biblical Author hilights
distinct items using REPEATING KEYWORDS.
We call this the Rashi rule of FORMATTING with the Rashi
subrule of KEYWORDS AS BULLETS
EXAMPLE: Dt17-09b Membership on the High Court--Sanhedrin
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The following verse, Dt17-09
discusses membership of the Sanhedrin
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And [when you have a legal question] you will come
- TO THE priest-levites
- TO THE JUDGE--------- that will be in those days
[....and they will tell you the law]
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The REPEATING KEYWORD, TO, indicates a BULLET effect.
There is separate and distinct emphasis on each phrase.
Notice the extra phrase THAT WILL BE IN THOSE DAYS
Rashi comments
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Each person only has the Judge of his days
So even if the current judge is inferior
to the Judges of previous generations
nevertheless you are still
obligated to follow him
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LIST120c summarizes this FORMATTED verse.
EXAMPLE 2: Dt17-19b
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The Biblical paragraph Dt17-14:20 discusses
the rights and obligations of Kings. The King
must write a Scroll of Law. Dt17-19 explains
the reasons
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to watch
- the words of this Torah [Biblical Commandments]
- and these statutes [Prohibitions of excessive
money/wives for kings]
in order to do them.
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In this case each phrase is introduced by the
Hebrew word ETH. This repeating Hebrew Keyword indicates
a recurring bulleted theme.
Because the phrases are BULLETED we are justified
in interpreting each phrase/bullet as distinct (That
is in fact why BULLETS are used).
The two themes are interpreted by the bracketed
phrases above. (Rashi actually only presents
the first bracketed phrase--the meaning indicated
by the second bracketed phrase is clear since it
refers to the contents of the current paragraph)
LIST120d below summarizes this argument
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