#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (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
========
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In the following examples the Hebrew word >KI<
means >PERHAPS< or >LEST<
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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
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IF you see your friends donkey overburdened....
-then you wont help him
-then you should held him
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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
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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.
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*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
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* 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<
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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
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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