1. RASHI METHOD: REFERENCES BRIEF EXPLANATION: Commentary on a verse is provided thru a cross-reference to another verse. The cross references can either provide (1a) further details, (1b) confirm citations, or (1c) clarify word meaning. This examples applies to Rashis Gn37-35a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1318.htm Brief Summary: ALL JACOB'S DAUGHTERS AROSE TO COMFORT HIM (Gn37-35a). This REFERENCES (Gn38-02) JUDAH ...MARRIED THE DAUGHTER OF A CANAANITE. So the word DAUGHTER means DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.

Verse Gn37-35a discussing who consoled Jacob during his bereavement states And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning. Thus his father wept for him. Rashi notes that the underlined words, daughters references verses Gn38-02 discussing Judah's marriage to a Canaanite woman. Hence the Rashi comment (Gn37-25) His daughters arose to console him during his bereavement, references verse Gn38-02, Judah married the daughter of a Canaanite woman. So the word daughters in Gn37-25 refers to Jacob's daughter-in-laws. And indeed it is common in all languages to refer to daughter-in-laws as daughters.

Text of Target Verse Gn37-25	Text of Reference Verse Gn38-02
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning. Thus his father wept for him.	And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her [as a wife] , and went in to her.
Rashi comments: (Gn37-25) His daughters arose to console him during his bereavement, references verse Gn38-02, Judah married the daughter of a Canaanite woman. So the word daughters in Gn37-25 refers to Jacob's daughter-in-laws. And indeed it is common in all languages to refer to daughters as daughter-in-laws.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi also brings a second opinion. Based on an assortment of verses one can prove that Shimon married his sister Dinah. One can then generalize and argue that each of the 12 tribes married a sister. So the word daughters refers to actual daughters of Jacob which however are not mentioned in the Bible.

According to this second interpretation cited by Rashi, each of the 12 children of Jacob married a sister (just as Shimon married Dinah). According to this second opinion Judah never married a Canaanite. Hence this second opinion interprets Gn38-02 as meaning that Judah married the daughter of a merchant since the word Canaanite (when not a proper noun) refers to a merchant. This second opinion is also cited by Rashi Gn38-02a.

At root of the two interpretations is a discussion of how the Jewish people were formed. One opinion holds they came from Canaanites who repented. While another opinion is that they couldn't have come from Canaanites (Because they were irreversibly corrupted). Instead God had to create a miracle and each brother married a sister.