All languages have rules about the naming of numbers. For example, in English, if you want to name a 3-digit number of years, you typically list
• the hundreds digit first
• the tens digit second
• the ones digit third
• you use the word year once at the end

A typical example might be 895 years which is named
• eight hundred
• ninety
• five
• years

There are exceptions to this rule when the tens digit is in the ones: For example 817 is named eight hundred seventeen. But we ignore these exceptional cases now since they will not be needed to understand the Rashi.

However Biblical Hebrew grammar has another method of naming 3 digit numbers of years. The Biblical method uses the reverse order from English!
• The ones digit is first
• the tens digit is second
• the hundreds digit is third
• the word year is used twice, after the tens and hundreds

A typical example occurs in Gn05-17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were
• 5 and
• 90 years and
• 800 years ...

Again special exceptions apply to numbers ending in teens. We however do not need these exceptions for purposes of understanding this week's Rashi.

The Biblical chapters Gn05 and Gn11 provide over 2 dozen examples applying the above principles.

Armed with these examples we review Gn23-01a which states Sarah lived
• 100 years
• 20 years and
• 7 years....

Notice that the English rule for naming numbers is used ---hundreds, tens, ones-- instead of the expected Hebrew order for naming numbers -- ones, tens and hundreds. Also notice that the word year is used 3 times instead of the required 2 times.

Because of these differences Rashi interprets the numbers adjectivally and translates the verse as follows: Sarah lived
• the 100 year life [Rashi: Throughout her life she had the maturity of a 100 year old woman]
• the 20 year life [Rashi: She always maintained the beauty of a 20 year old]
• the 7 year life [Rashi: She always maintained her innocence.]...

A similar Rashi occurs on Gn25-17a And these are the years of the life of Ishmael,
• the hundred year life [Rashi: with maturity]
• the thirty year life [Rashi: with middle age vigor]
• the seven year life; [Rashi: with innocence] ....

Advanced Rashi: Many scholars approach Rashi by asking What bothered Rashi or What is Rashi's question. A Rashi question is typically formulated in terms of the excessive word principle.So for example in Gn23-01a some scholars complain about the use of the word year three times.

The point of view of this list is that the excessive word principle is not a valid Rashi inquiry tool. For example there are no homiletic exegetics on the repetition of the word year in three digit numbers. The naming of the number 895 as 5 and ninety years and 800 years does not bother any commentary. The reason it does not bother any commentary is because it is a rule of grammar and therefore should not be the subject of commentary.

So it is not excessive words that motivates Rashi comments; rather it is violation of grammatical rules that motivate such comments. If all other numbers are named in a certain way then a deviation from this rule invites commentary. Rashi's solution is to view 100 years not as a number but rather as a quality, a modifier of life, an adjective. The Bible is telling us that Sarah lived the 100-year life connoting she had maturity.

We therefore think these examples to be excellent illustrations of the proper approach to learning Rashi.

On a nostalgic note, back in 1998 when I first started the Chumash and Rashi email newsletter that preceded my other email newsletters, rashi-is-simple, daily Rashi, and Weekly Rashi, I could find no better way to start it then with this number-naming rule and the associated Rashi. I therefore have a certain fondness for this Rashi. If any readers were on that original email group please drop me a line so that we may reminisce.

Note: Rashi's literal language is
• At 20 she was as sinless as a 100 year old. But we have interpreted
• She led the 20-year old young couple life; she led the 100-year old life of maturity.
However I see Rashi as supplementing the simple meaning of the text. In other words Rashi takes it for granted that everyone understands that the Biblical statement she was a 20 year old, she was a 100-year old means
• She led the 20-year old young couple life; she led the 100-year old life of maturity.
• Rashi then supplements this simple meaning with a specification of how maturity and the young-couple life combine. They combine, says Rashi, by living a 20-year old young couple life with maturity--that is, one knows when to stop or to use Rashi's more picturesque language she was as sinless as a 100 year old--she knew better!