#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
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| (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000 |
| http://www.RashiYomi.Com |
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VERSE: Dt03-23b
RULE: The phrase "AT THAT TIME" is used in 4 ways
---It indicates that the previous event enabled APPRECIATION
---"AT THAT TIME" indicates a TEMPORARY situation
---It indicates CONTRAST (THEN vs BEFORE)
---It indicates that the previous event CAUSED something
COMMENT:
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Before presenting examples we note 4 items
* Here are statistics on the phrase AT THAT TIME
--the phrase AT THAT TIME occurs many times (18 verses)
--rashi occurs less times (6 Rashis)
--all particular cases are covered(4 cases) by Rashi
--We can then apply these 4 reasons to all 18 verses.
* Notice how our approach does NOT suffice with explaining 1
verse and 1 Rashi. Rather we must explain ALL 18 times that
the phrase AT THAT TIME occurs. Otherwise we have not
understood the Rashi
* The examples are presented in WORKBOOK form--these fill-ins
are ideal for any home or class schooling situation Ideally
a teacher could teach the GENERAL RULE and indicate one
or two examples. The other examples would then be filled
in or explained by the student with appropriate hints
in the form of supportive verses. This module could be
comfortably used for a month of lessons.
* The traditional "Dr Leibowitz" approach to Chumash would ask
for an identification of "Rashis problem". In this verse
the problem seems to be "Why the extra phrase" in the verse
"And I supplicated to God AT THAT TIME".
By contrast our approach is database oriented. The issue is
that the phrase AT THAT TIME occurs 18 times in the Bible
and is used in 4 specific ways. There is nothing bothersome
about the phrase; we are only commenting on its meaning
EXAMPLES:
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METHOD 1: ENABLING APPRECIATION
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In the following verses the phrase AT THAT TIME
indicates that a previous event ENABLED APPRECIATION
of a present event (There are no Rashis but there
are explicit indications in verses)
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1) Dt04-14 After the 10 commandments, AT THAT TIME,
God commanded me to teach you laws
NOTE: It explicitly says in Ex20-17 that
"God revealed Himself to you IN ORDER THAT HIS FEAR
be on you" So the revelation of the Decalogue
ENABLED you to APPRECIATE the laws afterwards
2) Dt03-21 and I commanded Joshua AT THAT TIME, you
have seen how God conquered these 2 kings:
So will God conquer the Canaanite kings
AGAIN: The previous conquest ENABLED APPRECIATION
of the future conquests
3) Gn21-22 AND AT THAT TIME (After God had punished Avimelech
for trying to abduct Sarah (Gn20)) Avimelech came
to make a peace treaty with Abraham and said "We
see that God is with you"
AGAIN: The previous punishments by God ENABLED APPRECIATION
of Gods providence over Abraham
METHOD 2: AT THAT TIME=TEMPORARY SITUATION
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In the following verses the phrase AT THAT TIME
indicates that the event was TEMPORARY
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4) Dt05-05 AT THAT TIME I stood between you and God to
give you the 10 commandments
NOTE: It explicitly says in Dt06 that the Jews did not
want any further prophetic revelations because of
their frightening nature---rather the Jews returned
to their home life while Moses received prophecies.
So the phrase AT THAT TIME indicates something
temporary
5) Nu22-04c And BALAK ..was King of Moab AT THAT TIME
RASHI: "AT THAT TIME" he was king; it was a temporary
appointment
METHOD 3: AT THAT TIME indicates CONTRAST
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In the following verses the phrase AT THAT TIME
indicates a contrast to the previous situation
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6) Dt09-20 "And I also prayed for Aaron AT THAT TIME
concerning his sin of making the Golden calf"
THE CONTRAST: Even though Aaron had made the idol
nevertheless I prayed for him(Ex32-02:06)
7) Dt03-18 "And I commanded you(Reubenites) AT THAT TIME
(after Moses had given them the lands of Og
and Sichon (Dt03-12:15)) 'You must now help
the Jews conquer Israel'
THE CONTRAST: The Reubenites had just received the
land that the Jews conquered; NOW (At
THIS TIME) it was their turn to help
the remainder of the Jews conquer
Israel)
8) Dt02-34
9) Dt03-04
10)Dt03-08
11)Dt03-12a And we conquered the lands AT THAT TIME
THE CONTRAST: Dt02-31 states "And God said (to Moses)
SEE I ***begin*** to give you Sichons land"
It further states in Dt03-02 "You will do to
him(OG) the way you did to SICHON"
Thus I would think that only BEGINNING CONQUEST
(eg protection) was given. Instead the 4
verses state that "The Jews conquered EVERYTHING
AT THAT TIME" (In other words, God had only
promised an initial conquest but the Jews
deserved and received all)
12) Dt01-16b
13) Dt01-18 And I commanded your (newly appointed) Judges
AT THAT TIME (at the time of appointment)
"Be slow in judgement; Don't be afraid of
powerful people; treat poor and rich equally.."
THE CONTRAST: An ordinary layman has the right in his
personal business deals to "be afraid of powerful people"
or to "treat the poor and rich differently. "
However (Rashi) once you become judges you must treat
all people equally and not be afraid of any power
METHOD 4: AT THAT TIME indicates CAUSATION
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14) Gn38-01a AND AT THAT TIME (After Judah advised selling
Joseph) Judah left his brothers and got involved
with heathen merchants
CAUSATION: The brothers blaimed the Joseph tradegy on Judah
since he had advised selling Joseph. Thus the
sale of Joseph (Gn37) CAUSED Judah's downfall
15) Dt03-26a (After the conquest of Sichon and OG) AT THAT TIME
I (Moses) prayed to God (for permission to enter
Israel)
CAUSATION: Moses had been punished (with Non entry into
Israel) because he had lacked deep faith in
God (Explicitly said in Nu20-12). However in
Dt03-02 God requested Moses "Don't be afraid
of these mighty powers"; thus after Moses had
conquered them Moses thought that since he
had shown faith, God had forgiven him and
therefore he could go into Israel.
16) Dt01-09b (After Moses relates how the Jews increased in
number alot Moses says) "And I said AT THAT TIME
how can I bear the sole responsibility of
judging you."
CAUSATION: The simple interpretation of this verse is
explicitly stated in Ex18-13:26---Moses could
not adjudicate all cases BECAUSE there were
so many people. Therefore Moses had to delegate
authority.(Rashi adds to this explanation a
reason why it is bad for one person to judge
every case---the possibility of Judicial error
increases and then the Judge is punished for
the error).
We close with 2 nifty cases
17) Dt10-01 After Moses had prayed that God forgive the Jewish
people for making the Golden calf AT THAT TIME
God commanded Moses to make replacement tablets
for the tablets he broke.
CAUSATION: Can you guess the connection between "Moses
praying for the Jewish people" (end of Dt09)
and God allowing him to make two other tablets.
18) Dt10-08b After relating the sins of the Golden calf and
the sin of complaints of no water at Mosayrah
AT THAT TIME, God separated out the tribe of
Levi to serve God
CAUSATION: BECAUSE Levi did not sin in the Golden calf
(Ex32-26) and BECAUSE Levi did not sin in the
complaints about water, therefore they deserved
to be picked by God for temple service.
As Rashi cleverly notes, we knew from an explicit
verse that the Levites did not sin with the
Golden calf but we have no explicit statement that
they did not sin by the complaints with water.
However the phrase AT THAT TIME shows us they
did not sin at in either case.
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Volume 7 Number 6
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
Volume 7 Number 6