#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
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  |      Rashi is Simple Version 2.0                         |
  |      (C) Dr Hendel, Summer 2000                          |
  |       http://www.RashiYomi.Com                           |
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VERSE: Ex23-05a

COMMENT: In this issue we
         - complete the set of examples on meanings of KI
         - we give a grand summary table
         - we discuss the >right< to reinterpret with Rashi!?!?


RASHIS COVERED: Ex23-05a Ex20-22c Dt20-19c




RULE:
====

{LIST}
The Hebrew word >KI< has 7 meanings.
=====================================================
MEANING  VERSE    A GOOD EXAMPLE: A VERSE WITH >KI<
=======  ======== ============================================
BECAUSE  Gn18-15a Sarah denied laughing BECAUSE she was afraid
IF       Ex34-09a God walk with us;IF we sin you can forgive
WHEN     Dt32-03a WHEN I call the name of God, give Praise
RATHER   Dt15-08b Dont be miserly; RATHER be charitable
QUESTION Dt29-15a Is being a relative,reason for not being payed?
THAT     Nu20-29c The congregation saw THAT Aaron died
PERHAPS  Ex23-05a PERHAPS youll see a donkey & desert it? No!
{END OF LIST}


The unifying meaning of >KI< is any connection between two
sentences. A full set of examples are presented in
- http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt13-10a.htm
- http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt32-36a.htm
- This issue.







EXAMPLES
========
----------------------------------------------------
  In the following examples the Hebrew word >KI<
  means >PERHAPS<  or >LEST<
----------------------------------------------------


VERSE    TEXT OF VERSE
======== =======================================================
Ex23-05a PERHAPS you'll see your friends donkey
         overburdened & desert him? No! Help him*1
Ex20-22c When you make stone altars dont use hewn stones
         LEST you use STEEL/IRON CUTTERS*2
Dt20-19c (In war)When you seige a city dont cut trees
         LEST you treat the soldiers like a group of
         trees (and sacrifice them) to achieve entry*3


NOTES
=====
*1 Ex23-05a

   I should note Rashis 2nd interpretation which is as follows
   -----------------------------------------------------------
   IF you see your friends donkey overburdened....
   -then you wont help him
   -then you should held him
   ------------------------------------------------------------

   As Rashi says >Sometimes you help your friend and sometimes
   (eg if you are elderly and dont usually lift such bundles)
   you have the right to desert him<

   However the above translation is clearly twisted. These
   laws cited by Rashi are learned from the wording
   >HELP HELP WITH HIM<. Thus from the phrases >WITH HIM< we
   infer that you only help when he works WITH YOU and you
   are not obligated if eg he is elderly. Since this is not
   Rashis main focus we will not further explain it here
   except to say that we have several Rashis on the difference
   between >WITH HIM< and >OF HIM<. See the following URLS
   http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ex22-24c.htm
   http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn45-27a.htm

   In summary the way we have interpreted Rashi is the simple
   meaning of the text and the other laws that Rashi cites are
   learned from other parts of the verse

   Finally note that the meaning >PERHAPS< is similar to
   the usage of >KI< to make a >QUESTION<


*2 Ex20-22c
   Rashi also notes MORAL IMPLICATIONS
   ----------------------------------------------------------
   The Torah had pity on these stones which only enable
   peace--the Torah had pity on them by prohibiting to use
   >STEEL< cutting instruments to hew the stones since >STEEL<
   is a metal of destruction (Actually the Torah simply
   prohibited swords but Rashi seems to take that as any IRON
   instrument).

   We can now conclude that if the Torah had
   pity on stones which enable sacrifices which bring peace
   between people (eg the sacrifice that allows a woman to
   reunite with her husband after childbirth), and prohibited
   using destructive instruments on these stones, how much
   more so will the Torah have pity on actual people who bring
   peace.
   ------------------------------------------------------------


*3 There are many diverse interpretations on this verse brought
   by the Malbim, Ibn Ezra etc.  However the above interpretation
   brought by us is simplest and consistent with the Sifray.

   The basic focus is that in war actions people lose their
   individuality. In English we would say they become a HERD
   (of ANIMALS) while in Hebrew we say they become a FOREST
   OF TREES.

   The general must be aware not to sacrifice one soldier for
   the benefit of the group. We symbolically affirm this value
   by not destroying ANY (physical) trees thus affirming that
   we will not sacrifice any individual soldiers.
{END OF LIST}



DISCUSSION OF THE RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH RASHI
==============================================
Many people in general have asked me why I sometimes deviate
from Rashis language. Two people in particular
--HARRY RASHBAUM, from my Shomrey Emunah Rashi class
--YAELA BAINE, from my Lower Merion Rashi class
had repeatedly asked me this question. I believe the Rashis
on >KI< enable me to succinctly answer the question.

We first cite 4 contradictory rashis
--------------------------------------------------------------
* Gn18-15a >KI< has 4 meanings:
        IF(eey),PERHAPS(DILMA),RATHER(elah),BECAUSE(DHA)
* Gn24-33a >KI< means >EEY< which means >IF<
* Gn43-07d >KI< means >eey< which means >THAT<
* Dt32-03a >KI< means >WHEN<
  In Hebrew >CAASHER<(When) and >ASHER< (That) both come from
  the root >ASHER<
---------------------------------------------------------------

Thus we have explicitly (From Rashi himself) that
* KI has at least 4 meanings: IF, PERHAPS, RATHER, BECAUSE
* KI has 3 more meanings: WHEN (Similar to IF),THAT, QUESTION

This contradiction does not bother us since Rashi himself
explains it

>The word IF can mean THAT, WHEN etc<

In conclusion before you had read my postings you might have
thought that >KI< has only 4 meanings. After reading my posting
you are aware that >KI< has 7 meanings which however can
be summarized with 4 keywords. Thus my postings made people
aware that the original literal interpretation of Rashi cannot
be accepted (even though our rejection of this interpretation
can be supported by other Rashis).

We can now summarize the approach of my email list on this matter
* All Rashis can be defended by a database QUERY
* This database query may in fact override certain Rashis.
  For example: The query may show 7 meanings to a word like >KI<
  while Rashi explains there are 4 meanings to this word
* When possible we try and find support for the overriding
  meaning from Rashi himself or Chazal. However we should not
  expect in all cases to find these other supportive Rashis.
* It is the database query which forces us to reinterpret the
  Rashis. We therefore reinterpret
  Rashi to mean eg not that there are ONLY 4 meanings but
  rather that there are AT LEAST 4 meanings and possibly more.

I hope this clarifies this touchy issue.







REFERENCES:
===========
For many examples see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n4.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n5.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n1.htm


For further special cases see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Nu20-29c
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h6n24
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n8

Also the last part of this series at
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n4.htm


RASHI RULE USED: UNIFYING MEANING
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website

Volume 9 Number 6


#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
Volume 9 Number 6