We have explained in our article Biblical Formatting located on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf, that the Biblical Author indicates bold, italics, underline by using repetition. In other words if a modern author wanted to emphasize a word they would either underline, bold or italicize it. However when the Biblical author wishes to emphasize a word He repeats it. The effect - whether thru repetition or using underline - is the same. It is only the means of conveying this emphasis that is different.

With this in mind let us read verse Lv21-05, which discusses the prohibition of making cuts in ones flesh, an ancient idolatrous practice. They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beard, nor cut any cuttings in their flesh. The emphasis cut...cutting motivates the Rashi comment: The usual implementation of this idolatrous practice is to cut up one's hands or legs. I might therefore think that one cut is permissable (or at least not Biblically prohibited). Therefore the Bible emphasizes do not cut a cut, even one. Further illumination is provided in the advanced Rashi section.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi actually cites two rules- the format rule and the alignment rule. Rashi aligns
• Lv23-05 nor cut any cuttings in their flesh.
• with Lv19-28 nor place any soul-cuts upon you: I am HaShem.

Note the aligned contrast between cutting cuts vs. placing cuts. Hence the Rashi comment: There is a prohibition of placing a set of cuts on you (which is the usual way this idolatrous practice is used) as well as cutting individual cuts. Furthermore if you placed a set of 40 cuts on your arm (slashed your arm)you have not violated one prohibition - don't place a cut - but rather violated 40 prohibitions - don't cut a cut.

If one carefully examines the structure of this Rashi, Rashi is noting two stylistic indicators, each one with its own exegetical inference:
• From the repetition, don't cut any cuts Rashi infers that even making one cut is prohibited
• From the alignment, don't place|cut cuts Rashi infers that when you place a group of several dozen cuts on yourself you have not violated one prohibition but rather have violated a group of violations (one violation per cut).

I believe the above is exemplary of how superficially excessive exegesis can be understood compactly and simply as emanating from diverse principles.

One final point: Note, in the aligned verses above, the aligned words flesh / soul. Rashi does not comment on this aligned difference though obviously it is important. In general after performing an alignment one should not be disappointed if one understands only some of the aligned items from the Rashis on the verse. Other exegesis may however be present in the Talmud, Sifra or other Midrashic books.