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      2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANING
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: The meaning of words can be explained either by
      • (2a) translating an idiom, a group of words whose collective meaning transcends the meaning of its individual component words,
      • (2b) explaining the nuances and commonality of synonyms-homographs,
      • (2c) describing the usages of connective words like also,because,if-then, when,
      • (2d) indicating how grammatical conjugation can change word meaning
      • (2e) changing word meaning using the figures of speech common to all languages such as irony and oxymorons.
      This examples applies to Rashis Ex15-11a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1325.htm
      Brief Summary: Aleph-Lamed = The PERSON/ANIMAL/PLANT (Aleph) TO (lamed) which others turn: a) Ram, b) Leader, c) God, d) Oak/Cedar

Rashi would sometimes derive the meaning of a word from the meaning of its underlying Biblical root. In applying this method Rashi would use all available grammatical methods to study the meanings of related roots. The next paragraph presents one such rule.

There are 1900 Biblical roots. Of these 1900 roots about half involve X-Vav-Y X-Y-Y X-Y-Hey pairs. These roots (with one root letter weak) often, but not always, have related meanings. Consequently, very often, but not always. one can infer the meaning of a X-Y-Y root from the related X-Y-Hey or X-Vav-Y root.

Rashi believed in two grammatical systems. He believed in the traditional tri-literial (3-letter) root methdos used to conjugate verbs and taught in all elementary schools.

Besides the conjugational root system Rashi also believed in a semantic root system. This is a separate system that enables derivation of root meaning from other roots.

For example the meaning of a 4-letter root, ABCD, is derived from the meaning of its two 2-letter subroots, #####

    Rav Hirsch following Rashi (Jb38-28) explains that the letter Aleph can refer to a person, animal, thing. Some simple examples are
  • Aleph-Caph-Resh The farmer, the person Aleph who Careh digs.
  • Aleph-Beth-Nun The stone, the thing Aleph used for Boneh building.
  • Aleph-Gimel-Lamed The droplet, a thing Aleph that Golel rolls. (Rashi, Jb38-28)
  • Aleph-Beth-Daleth loss, Bad isolated from a person Aleph.
  • Aleph-Lamed ram, leader, god, oak/cedar, the animal, person, plant Aleph lamed to which others turn.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi literally says that Eylim means the strong. Rashi also cites verses to support this translation. However as indicated in the above list, I think the fundamental meaning is leader. The verses cited by Rashi can also be translated with leader. Of course, strong men are very often leaders but I think the real meaning is leader. The interested reader is encouraged to examine the verses cited by Rashi and use the meaning leader vs. strong and verify that the translation still makes sense.


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