The 4 meanings of ALL:#11 of 18
###########################################################
# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# Jul 03, 2000 #
# Rashis 123-125 Of 7800 (1.7%) #
# #
# Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, #
# (c) 1999-Present, Dr. Hendel #
# http://www.shamash.org/rashi #
# #
#Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit#
# #
# WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS #
###########################################################
In this series we review the Rashis on the word ALL.
Although there are 40 Rashis there are 4 simple rules.
RULE: The Hebrew word "ALL"(KL)indicates that there are no
exceptions and that what is being discussed should take place
in ALL circumstances---EVEN those you wouldn't ordinarily think
of.There are 4 methods by which the interpretation of ALL is
implemented.
ALL can indicate
(A) cases you wouldn't ordinarily think of
--------------------------------------
EXAMPLE:Gn06-12a "ALL Flesh corrupted"
RASHI: EVEN Animals corrupted
(B) it can indicate that there are no exceptions
-----------------------------------------------
EXAMPLE:By the 10 commandments it describes how the
Jewish people all witnessed the miracles
Ex19-11c "The WHOLE nation saw the thunders"
RASHI: The "WHOLE" nation--there were no exceptions
That is, there were no blind people.
(C) it can refer to all PARTS of a whole
------------------------------------
EXAMPLE: In discussing ritual impurity we are told
LV21-11b "And on ANY dead body he should not come"
RASHI: It is prohibited to come in contact with a
WHOLE dead body or with PARTS of a dead body(organs)
(Rashi gives technical measurements)
(D) it can emphasize not to exclude "obvious exceptions"
----------------------------------------------------
Ex12-47a "ALL Jews are required to make a Passover offering"
RASHI: "ALL Jews" means each and every Jew.
Indeed Ex12-03 says that that first Passover offering
was done by HOUSEHOLDS not by INDIVIDUALS.
Hence it would have been legitimate to think that the
other Passovers are by HOUSEHOLD. Therefore it says
"ALL Jews" to indicate that the Passover was an
INDIVIDUAL obligation.
In this issue we continue the Rashis where
>"ALL" excludes obvious exceptions
In each of the 3 examples below we have to put on our
thinking caps and try and figure out "What would I
consider an exception?"--this is done not thru logic
but thru our knowledge of Jewish law.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
EXAMPLE 29: Nu20-01a
--------------------
>Nu20-01a "The WHOLE community came to the Tzin Desert"
>RASHI: "The WHOLE community came & stayed"-----
Indeed recall that after the incident of the spies
God had decreed death on all males in Israel over
20 and said they wouldn't come to Israel.
So I would think that even though they came to Tzin
many of them would die (A 40th of 600,000).
Therefore we are told that they ALL came to Tzin--
those who had to die, already had died & no one
else would die.
In this example we have to recall that after the spies
death was decreed on the Jews.
EXAMPLE 30: Dt20-11a
--------------------
The Bible is talking about a war that is waged with
a foreign nation. When we have victory we are told
>Dt20-11a "ALL inside the city shall be your slaves"
>RASHI: "ALL" will be our slaves. EVEN if they belong
to the 7 nations that originally occupied Israel
We were commanded to destroy the 7 nations without
taking slaves from them.Therefore it would be logical
not to take slaves from these 7 nations if they were
living in another land.
Therefore it says "ALL..will be your slaves"--even
if they had originally been prohibited.
So in this example we have to recall the obligation to destroy
the 7 nations without taking slaves.
EXAMPLE 31: Dt14-11a
---------------------
>Dt14-11a "ALL Kosher birds can be eaten"
>RASHI: "ALL" Kosher birds--even the sent-away bird used in
the leper purification ceremony (Lv14)
Indeed, we find that all Sacrificial animals are holy and
can eg only be eaten by Priests or by laypeople while pure
(Lv06, Lv07).
Therefore I would think that since the sent-away bird used
in the leper purification ceremony was INVOVLED in sacrificial
procedures it should be "holy" and prohibited to eat (Even
though it itself was not sacrificed but sent away nevertheless
its sister bird was sacrificed)
Therefore we are told "ALL birds" can be eaten...even the
sent-away bird of the Leper.
This is a hard example to understand why the word ALL is used.
We have to have technical knowledge of the sacrifices.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#