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      3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi explains verses using grammar principles, that is, rules which relate reproducable word form to word meaning. Grammatical rules neatly fall into 3 categories
      • (a) the rules governing conjugation of individual words,Biblical roots,
      • (b) the rules governing collections of words,clauses, sentences
      • (c) miscellaneous grammatical, or form-meaning, rules.
      This examples applies to Rashis Gn46-28a Gn46-28b
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: Nouns can be transformed into verbs in several ways: (a) CREATE: To flower (b) REMOVE: To dust (c) USAGE: To hammer. Hence the phrase YOUR WORDS WILL BE TRUTHIFIED means they will be PROVEN.

    Although most conjugation rules refer to the conjugation of verbs, there are also conjugation rules for transfroming nouns into verbs. We list several common methods for transforming nouns into verbs:
  • create the noun: e.g. to flower
  • remove the noun: e.g. to dust
  • use the noun: e.g. to hammer
  • the verb(activity) done to this noun: e.g. Dt21-04b: neck the calf in other words kill it with a blow to the neck

Verses Gn46-29b discussing Jacob's journey to meet Joseph after 22 years states And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to instruct before him towards Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. Rashi explains: Instruct always occurs either as a non-transitive verb, to instruct, (e.g. Mi03-10) or as a verb with direct object: to instruct so and so (e.g. Dt33-10, Ex44-33, Dt24-08). The construction instruct before him towards Goshen is new. We interpret this as coining a verb from a verb: The phrase instruct before him towards Goshen means to create guidance material for Jacob about Goshen. Here we have taken the verb to instruct and converted it to another verb create guidance materials. Rashi also suggests the possibility of create a guidance institution, a Yeshiva.

Advanced Rashi: First we ask: Why can't Rashi simply interpret Judah was asked to guide Jacob on the path towards Egypt - sketch a path and protect him from robbers? The answer to this is simple: As shown by the verses cited above, the Hebrew root in question always refers to teaching, intellectual guidance, it never refers to plotting a path.

A second issue is that Rashi states literally both Judah was asked to instruct Jacob on how to live in Goshen --- Judah created a Yeshiva (Institution of learning) for Jacob. My approach to this Rashi is to see it as part of spectrum of preparations of guidance when coming to a new place. When you come to a new place most people want to know ###### ###### father-in-law. In simple terms Abraham and Jacob developed laws ######

By interpreting the Rashi comments broadly we don't negate the Rashi but supplement and enrich it with added insight.


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