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VERSE: Ex23-15a


RASHIS COVERED:

Ex23-15a Ex23-16c Ex34-32b Nu29-11a Dt11-12a Ex30-10c Ex23-16a
Nu28-26a Gn01-31a Gn14-03a Gn14-07b Nu13-33a Ex03-01b Gn22-02c
Dt06-16a Ex25-06a Ex22-30c Gn11-05a Dt04-44a Dt04-45a Ex27-07a
Ex28-25b Nu01-17a Dt04-32c Dt01-01a Dt31-19a Ex12-02a Nu28-06a
Nu04-13a Ex26-15a Dt01-07e Ex21-06a Ex40-29b Ex40-29c Ex02-15d
Ex22-19a Ex19-11b Ex22-01a Ex02-03c Ex04-06a Ex21-20b Ex04-20a
Ex08-02a Gn01-21a Lv01-02c Lv01-02d Lv01-02f Lv01-02e Lv01-02f
Lv01-10b Lv01-14a Lv01-14d Nu11-27a Gn18-07b Ex12-37b Dt02-17b
Gn41-01b Ex23-31b Gn41-14a Dt03-25b Dt03-25c Dt12-09c Dt12-09d
Ex20-21e Gn28-11a Dt19-03a Gn06-02a Ex22-12a Nu14-37a Dt07-07a
Dt07-07b Gn09-24a Ex07-19f Ex21-02c Gn42-27a Dt05-18a






       -GRAND SUMMARY OF THE 6 USAGES OF THE WORD THE-


RULE:
----

====== The word THE can have the following meanings ============

 These are the 6 basic usages of the word THE. Each usage is
 illustrated with an example. Further LISTS of examples are
 presented below.

=================================================================
THE CAN MEAN  VERSE    TEXT OF VERSE        The Verse means
============= ======== ===================  ===================
A proper noun Ex23-16c THE HARVEST holiday  Succoth*1
Pointing      Dt31-19a Write THE SONG       The SONG in Dt32*2
Established   Ex19-11b THE gods*3           The major religions
SubSpecies    Ex08-02a THE SPECIAL frogs    e.g jumping frogs*4
The best      Dt19-03a THE BEST road        The THRUWAY*5
An Idiom      Gn09-24a THE Small            Smallest*6

NOTES
=====
*1 A HARVEST Holiday would mean a holiday on any harvest.
   THE HARVEST Holiday is focused--it refers to Succoth

*2 Thus THE SONG points to the SONG in the next chapter

*3 THE gods refer to the KNOWN and ESTABLISHED religions

*4 Thus the phrase THE (SPECIAL) FROGS (vs FROGS) refers
   to a special species of JUMPING FROGS which particularly
   humiliated Egypt

*5 The BEST ROAD is of course the THRUWAY

*6 The phrase THE SMALL is used to denote the SMALLEST. The
   etymology of such an idiom should be clear
================================================================



REFERENCE:
---------
This module comes from the following digests in the
Rashi-is-Simple series

http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n23.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n11.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n14.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n16.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n18.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n19.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n20.htm
http://www.Rashiyomi.Com/h9n21.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n22.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n2.htm


EXAMPLES:
--------


=============The word THE can refer to a PROPER NOUN============

 In the following verses the word THE refers to a proper noun.
 For example, the phrase A HARVEST HOLIDAY could refer to ANY
 harvest while the phrase THE HARVEST HOLIDAY is a new name
 to the festival of SUCCOTH which occurs at the time of harvest.
 The other examples are interpreted similarly

================================================================
VERSE     THE MEANS..  Text of Verse with THE
========  ===========  =========================================
Ex23-15a  PROPER NOUN  THE-SPROUTING-MONTH (April-Nissan)*1
Ex23-16c  PROPER NOUN  THE-HARVEST-HOLIDAY(Succoth)*2
Ex34-32b  PROPER NOUN  THE-HARVEST-HOLIDAY(Succoth)*2
Nu29-11a  PROPER NOUN  THE-SIN-ATONEMENT-OFFERING(Yom Kippur)
Dt11-12a  PROPER NOUN  From THE-BEGINNING-YEAR(=Rosh Hashana)*3
Ex30-10c  PROPER NOUN  the blood of THE-SIN-OFFERING(Yom Kippur)
Ex23-16a  PROPER NOUN  THE-CUTTING-HOLIDAY(Shavuoth)*2
Nu28-26a  PROPER NOUN  THE-DAY-OF-BIKURIM(Shavuoth)*2
Gn01-31a  PROPER NOUN  This happened on THE-6th-DAY(=Shavuoth)*4
Gn14-03a  PROPER NOUN  THE-VALLEY-OF-MEADOWS*5
Gn14-07b  PROPER NOUN  THE-AMELIKITE FIELD*5
Nu13-33a  PROPER NOUN  THE NEFILLIM NATION*5
Ex03-01b  PROPER NOUN  THE-MOUNT-OF-GOD( Mount Sinai)*5
Gn22-02c  PROPER NOUN  Go to THE MOUNT MORIAH (= Jerusalem)*5
Dt06-16a  PROPER NOUN  Dont test God as you did by THE-TEST*6
Ex25-06a  PROPER NOUN  Bring oil for THE-LIGHT(the Candellabrah*7
Ex22-30c  PROPER NOUN  Give non kosher meat to THE DOG people*8
Gn11-05a  PROPER NOUN  The city built by THE ADAMITES(PROPHETS)*9

NOTES
=====
*1 Most academic scholars feel that the Hebrew root AV means
 to SPROUT from which we get the derived meanings of
 (a) AV=Father and (b)AVIV=Spring. Rashi advances the idea
 that the primary meaning of the Hebrew root AV is Father.
 April or Nissan is called AVIV because it is the FATHER
 (ie FIRST) of all months.

*2 I think most of these are obvious.eg A HARVEST holiday could
 refer to any holiday while THE HARVEST HOLIDAY is specific
 and refers to Succoth. Many of these names can be further
 justified by cross references to other verses where the
 same identical phrase is used.

*3 Remarkably this is the only Biblical verse where Rosh Hashana
 is explicitly called the BEGINNING OF THE YEAR

*4 The reference is to the 6th day of creation.By every other
 day in Gn01 it says IT WAS MORNING AND EVENING DAY 1,2,3...
 But in Gn01-31a it says IT WAS MORNING & EVENING THE-6th-DAY

 Rashi suggests that THE-6th-DAY is a proper name of Shavuoth,
 the holiday that happens on the 6th of Sivan (the same way
 that THE 4th could refer to July 4th in America).

 According to this, Genesis 1 describes not 7 days of creation
 but the first 7 periods of human prophetic history which
 started with the creation of Adam, the first prophet, and
 culminated with the creation of Moses who received the
 Torah on Shavuoth. The other days describe the other prophets
 of human history--for example Monday describes the creation
 of Noach, the prophet of the flood.

 For further details on Gn01 visit URL
 http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gen-1.htm

*5 Cf 2C03-01 for an explicit statement that Moriah=Jerusalem
 The root of the Hebrew Moriah is YRH which means to GUIDE
 Cf Is02-03 for an explicit statement that Jerusalem will
 be best known for its GUIDANCE TO THE NATIONS in the
 Messianic era.

*6 According to Ex17-07 the Jews TESTED God at a certain
 place and they therefore named the place THE TEST (The
 Jews were punished for THIS TEST with the attack of Amalek)

 Thus Rashis point is that Dt06-16a does not state YOU
 TESTED GOD WITH SOME TEST but rather it means YOU TESTED
 GOD AT THE-TEST (A severe test for which you were punished)

*7 The reference is to raw material needed for construction of
 the Tabernacle. If the Bible had said BRING OIL FOR LIGHTS
 I would think it could eg refer to LIGHTING for the workers
 However since the Bible says BRING LIGHTING FOR THE LIGHT
 it refers to an actual object--THE LIGHT, the CANDELLABRAH

*8 These last 2 examples involve some novelty on my part.
 If we compare Dt14-21 and Ex22-30 we see that Dt14-21
 says to GIVE YOUR NONKOSHER MEAT TO THE NONJEWISH ALIENS
 while Ex22-30 says to GIVE YOUR NONKOSHER MEAT TO THE DOGS.
 This juxtaposition of DOGS with NONJEWISH ALIENS suggests
 that THE DOGS is a proper name refering to a nation of
 rif-rafs. According to Ex22-30 it is preferred to give our
 non-kosher meat to this rif-raf nation (and if they are
 not around we can give it to any nonjewish nation). Rashi
 explains the moral point: According to Ex11-07 THE DOGS
 DID NOT HARASS THE JEWS WHEN THEY LEFT EGYPT--hence God
 rewarded these dog people with priority on non-jewish meat.

*9 These last 2 examples involve some novelty on my part.
 First some background: The word ADAM in Hebrew can refer
 either to the actual first man/prophet, ADAM, mentioned
 in Gn01 or else it can mean HUMAN. Since it says in Gn11-05
 THE ADAMITES,it would refer to an actual group, THE ADAMITES.
 Recall that ADAM was the first prophet and that there were
 other non-prophetic people who existed such as the Snake(Gn03
 or LiLith (a girlfriend of Adam)).Hence, it seems reasonable
 that the phrase the ADAMITES would refer to the UPPER CLASSES.
 Possibly it could refer to THE PROPHETS. The point of Gn11-05
 was that the attempt to build the city of Babel and rebel
 against God was not made by the lower classes who did not
 understand God but rather by the PROPHET CLASSES. For a
 similar attack on prophets/angels sinning see Gn06-01:02

 The above argument is a paraphrase but not a literal
 rendition of Rashi
================================================================








========The word THE can indicate a POINTING====================

 In the following verses the word THE points to something,
 usually something mentioned nearby. Most of these examples
 are obvious: For example, Dt01-01 says THESE ARE THE REBUKES
 WHICH MOSES SAID TO ISRAEL. The phrase THE REBUKES refers to
 the REBUKES presented immediately thereafter in the next
 few chapters, Dt01 thru Dt13.

================================================================
VERSE    THE means Test of Verse with THE pointing to something
======== ========= =============================================
Dt04-44a POINTING  This is THE TORAH = The 10 commandments*1
Dt04-45a POINTING  These are THE LAWS = The 10 commandments*1
Ex27-07a POINTING  The support poles are brought in THE RINGS*2
Ex28-25b POINTING  Place the EYFOD cords on THE SETTING STONES*3
Nu01-17a POINTING  Moses took THE PEOPLE mentioned*4
Dt04-32c POINTING  Has anyone heard THE GREAT THING(Gd saved us*5
Dt01-01a POINTING  These are THE REBUKES that Moses gave*6
Dt31-19a POINTING  Now you, Jews, write THE SONG*7
Ex12-02a POINTING  THE NEW MOON will begin each month*8
Nu28-06a POINTING  THE DAILY OLAH offering made in Mount Sinai*9
Nu04-13a POINTING  THE Altar = The Copper Altar*10
Ex26-15a POINTING  THE temple boards=Those planted by Abraham*11

NOTES
=====
*1 These verses refers to the 10 commandments mentioned
 immediately in the next chapter Dt04-06 and cross
 referencing the 10 commandments also mentioned in
 Ex20

*2 This refers to Ex27-04 a few verses earlier
 which describes THE RINGS

*3 This refers to Ex28-13 a few verses earlier which
 describes the construction of these stones

*4 This refers to Nu01-01:16 a few verses earlier which
 lists the people mentioned

*5 This refers to Gods saving us, a theme which is
 mentioned in the very next verse

*6 This refers to THE REBUKES mentioned in
 the next few chapters, Dt01 thru Dt13

*7
 This refers to THE REBUKE SONG mentioned in the next
 chapter Dt32 This SONG is one of only 2 songs written
 in a special Biblical song format (with a special triangular
 use of Tabs).

 Note that by law you cannot write only a PART of the Torah on
 parchment. Hence this Biblical commandment to write the REBUKE
 SONG necessitates an interpretation to write the WHOLE TORAH!


*8
 This is a tricky verse. The simplest approach is to realize
 that the Hebrew word CHODESH can refer EITHER to (a) the
 new moon, (b) the first of the month or (c) the whole month
 (This point is made by RADACK in his book ROOTS).

 Hence we interpret the two occurences of CHODESH in this
 verse to have 2 different meanings! The verse is interpreted
 as follows:
 ---------------------------------------------------------
 This NEW-MOON will be for you (the sign) of a new month;
 This MONTH will be the first of the months of the year
 ---------------------------------------------------------
 Thus we learn 2 laws from this verse: (a) That the new month
 is established by a new moon (b) That Nissan-April is the
 first legal month.

*9
 The reference is to the copper altar mentioned in Ex27-01.
 Compare Ex27-01 vs Ex30-01 and notice how reference to the
 copper altar uses THE while reference to the Golden altar
 does not use THE.

*10 This refers to either of the 2 OLAH offerings offered at
 Mount Sinai (Ex24-01:08 brought at the 10 commandments and
 Ex29-38:46 brought at the consecration of the priests)


*11
This is probably the most difficult example in this list.
But following the pattern in the other examples we seek a
reference to TREES made for a TEMPLE. There is a clear
reference in Gn21-33 that ABRAHAM PLANTED AN EYSHEL TREE
AND CALLED THERE(Biblical language indicating making an
altar) IN THE NAME OF GOD THE GOD OF THE WORLD.

Thus it seems reasonable that since Abraham planted trees
to make altars the other Patriarchs also followed this
tradition. Hence the statement in Ex26-15 that we should
take THE BOARDS refers to the boards from the trees planted
by the Patriarchs.

The Netziv points out that it is grammatically permissable
to begin construction chapters with or without THE. This
is correct! Rashis point however is that by every other
Temple utensil (except the altar) the chapter begins without
THE (e.g. MAKE AN ARK (Ex25-10), MAKE CERUBIMEx25-18),
MAKE A TABLE (Ex25-23) By contrast Ex26-15 begins MAKE THE
BOARDS. Thus Rashi and the Midrash are responding to this
contrast. The word THE is POINTING to something known.

In passing Rashi makes an identical point referencing
the trees planted by Abraham, in Ex25-05c

(Acknowledgement to Ron Mitnick for showing me this Netziv
and for suggesting the research on THE summarized in this
posting).
================================================================







===The word THE can refer to the WELL KNOWN & ESTABLISHED=======

 The word THE can refer to something WELL KNOWN & ESTABLISHED.
 For example, HE STOPPED BY A WELL would mean he stopped by
 any well. By contrast, HE STOPPED BY THE WELL would mean he
 stopped by the WELL KNOWN TOWN WELL---verses can prove that
 TOWN WELLS in ancient times were like our pubs--they were
 meeting places and facilitated socializing.

================================================================
VERES    THE means         Text of verse: Footnotes explain THE
======== ================= ====================================
Dt01-07e KNOWN-ESTABLISHED THE MOUNT=The Kings Mountain*1
Ex21-06a KNOWN-ESTABLISHED Take him to THE JUDGE (ie court)*2
Ex40-29b KNOWN-ESTABLISHED He offered THE olah offering*3
Ex40-29c KNOWN-ESTABLISHED He offered THE minchah offering*3
Ex02-15d KNOWN-ESTABLISHED Moses stopped by THE well*4
Ex22-19a KNOWN-ESTABLISHED Excommunicate offerers to THE gods*5
Ex19-11b KNOWN-ESTABLISHED You God is greater than THE gods*5
Ex22-01a KNOWN-ESTABLISHED Thiefs in THE tunnel may be killed*6
Ex02-03c KNOWN-ESTABLISHED She made the ship with THE TAR..*7
Ex04-06a KNOWN-ESTABLISHED He was leprous as THE SNOW LEPORS*8
Ex21-20b KNOWN-ESTABLISHED If he is hit with THE ROD...*9

NOTES
=====

*1 This should be clear. The mountain path used by the
   king became known as THE MOUNTAIN (in contrast to the
   other mountain paths available).

*2 TAKE HIM TO A JUDGE could mean eg for legal consultation
   TAKE HIM TO THE JUDGE means that the process is judical.
   A court has to hear the slaves statement that he wishes
   to remain a slave.

*3
 The reference is the WELL KNOWN and ESTABLISHED Olah offering;
 that is, the daily offering mentioned in Nu28 as well as
 its established Mincah libation mentioned in Nu28-05

*4
 The reference is to the WELL KNOWN and ESTABLISHED town
 well. In ancient times WELLS were a frequent meeting
 place (much like pubs today). Cf Gn29-02:10 and Is09-11
 which describe how Jacob and Saul also socialized at THE WELL)

*5
 THE gods refers to the WELL KNOWN and ESTABLISHED RELIGIONS
 (Rashi states this in a picturesque manner but
 nevertheless this is his intent)

*6
 Not a thief in A TUNNEL but a thief in THE TUNNEL..that is
 in the ESTABLISHED HOUSE TUNNEL.

 The point here is that the reason you can kill a thief is
 that the thief knows that you will defend your property
 and therefore the thief is prepared to kill you--hence you
 may kill him in self defense. BUT if you find a thief in
 a hideout you may not kill him--only when there is a
 possibility of confrontation may you kill him.

 From this we learn that e.g. that you may not kill a thief
 when he is fleeing or a thief in a barn (Since they are not
 a threat) (See Rambam Laws of Theft, Chapter 9)

*7
 In these last examples it is not the OBJECT that is
 well known and established but rather it is the
 PROCEDURE connected with the object that is well
 known and established.


 The reference is to the reed-ship that Moses mother made
 when she placed him on the Nile. The Bible says she made
 it with THE TAR..indicating the WELL KNOWN and ESTABLISHED
 practice of TARRING the boat (The procedure called for
 using the stronger smelling tar on the outside so boat
 riders should not have to smell it)


*8
 In these last examples it is not the OBJECT that is
 well known and established but rather it is the
 PROCEDURE connected with the object that is well
 known and established.

 Cf Nu12 and Lv13 for a statement that Leprosy has snow-
 white patches. Cf Dt24-08:09 for an explicit statement
 that leprosy is a punishment for slander. Finally cf
 Ex04-01 for an explicit account of Moses slander of the
 Jewish people (Moses said: BUT THE JEWS WONT BELIEVE ME
 WHEN I TELL THEM THAT GOD SENT ME).

 If the verse had only said MOSES HAD A LEPROUS WHITE PATCH
 I would interpret it to refer to the color (very white).
 But the verse says that MOSES HAD THE LEPROUS WHITE
 PATCH. The word THE indicates that Moses had the
 WELL KNOWN and ESTABLISHED SYMPTOMALOGY of Leprosy
 (including the fact that it was a punishment for slander)

*9
 This is a bit involved. Let us give some background
 From Nu35-16:18 we learn that murder requires a lethal
 weapon--eg if I throw a spitball at a person & he dies
 then I dont receive the death penalty. I have to eg
 throw a stone or other lethal object to receive a
 death penalty.

 Next let us review Ex21-20. If a master hits a slave
 with a lethal object and the slave dies immediately
 the master receives a death penalty.

 But if the master hits the slave and the slave dies
 after a 24 hour period then the master does not
 receive the death penalty (The point being that a master
 has certain discipline rights on slaves..therefore we
 do not give a death penalty if the death of the slave
 is delayed).

 This law (that there is no death penalty for death
 in 24 hours if the rod was not lethal) is inferred
 from the Biblical phrase HIT HIM WITH THE ROD--that is
 the ESTABLISHED AND WELL KNOWN ROD by which masters hit
 slaves.(Also see Rambam Murder 2 who derives a
 complementary law: If the master hits with excessive
 force (eg a steel rod) then the master is liable for
 a death penalty EVEN if the slave died after 24 hours.

 Thus both exceptions (no death penalty for death within
 24 hours and a death penalty for death after 24 hours
 are derived from the use of THE).
================================================================








======The word THE can mean something SPECIAL===================

 We would translate the word THE in all these verses
 to mean SOMETHING SPECIAL. Thus we would not translate
 HE RODE ON A DONKEY but rather HE RODE ON THE SPECIAL
 DONKEYS. The reader is then free to fill in the details
 as to HOW this animal was special. For example in Ex04-20
 the point might be that even though Moses was freeing the
 Jews he rode on a donkey that was specially raised for
 domesticated purposes; such a donkey was incapable of
 fighting and yet Moses rode on it to free the Jews!

=================================================================
VERSE    THE MEANS  VERSE TEXT          WHAT WAS SPECIAL
======== =========  ==================  =========================
Ex04-20a SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL donkey  Specially domesticated*1
Ex08-02a SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL frog    Frogs known for jumping*2
Gn01-21a SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL monster The Leviathan*3
Lv01-02c SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL animal  with no bestiality*4
Lv01-02d SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL cattle  not worshipped*4
Lv01-02f SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL cattle  not wounded*4
Lv01-02e SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL sheep   not set for idolatry*4
Lv01-02f SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL Sheep   not wounded*4
Lv01-10b SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL sheep   not sweaty,sick,old*4
Lv01-14a SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL Birds   not missing an organ*4
Lv01-14d SUBCLASS   THE SPECIAL Adults  not teenagers*4

NOTES
=====
*1 We would translate the word THE in all these verses
 to mean SOMETHING SPECIAL. Thus we would not translate
 HE RODE ON A DONKEY but rather HE RODE ON THE SPECIAL
 DONKEYS.

 The reader is then free to infer what is special in
 each case (There is nothing specific mentioned in
 the BIble).

 With regard to donkeys we suppose that they were specially
 domesticated donkeys incapable of fighting. Moses went
 to free the Jews and did not even ride on a fighting
 donkey!

 Rashi points out that Abraham and Messiah also rode
 on such donkeys.

 Although one reading of Rashi suggests that there was
 a special donkey that lived 1000s of years we think it
 preferable to interpret the verses as referring to
 a donkey species.


*2 The 2nd plague brought on Egypt consisted of Frogs
 humiliating the Egyptians. What could be more humiliating
 than a frog class known for its jumping.

 Rashi appears to have two possible interpretations of this
 verse
 a) One frog went up over egypt
 b) The frogs (as a species) went up

 But I would unify these two interpretations: It was ONE
 FROG SPECIES (known for its jumping).

 My father (Abraham Hendel) cited a friend Rabbi Schechter
 who liked this interpretation (since it solves a problem
 raised by the Malbim). However I was asked not to be
 too harsh on the Malbim (Who after all came up with
 this principle). Yasher Coach for the advice.

*3 There are many verses where Leviathan is considered by
 the Bible to be THE best known Monster. The Bible also
 makes it clear that the Leviathan will be eaten by
 the righteous in the future world (Cf Jb40-25, Ps74,14,
 Is26 and Is27)

*4 The Malbim explained these Rashis in his commentary
 On leviticus. I have augmented the Malbims explanation
 by adding the idea of an intuitive translation.

 We translate the verse as BRING THE SACRIFICES FROM
 THE SPECIAL ANIMALS.

 Such a translation emphasizes that e.g. these animals
 should not have missing organs, be used for idolatry
 or sexual purposes etc.
================================================================









=======The word THE can refer to THE BEST GUESS=================

 For example, Gn18-07b says that Abraham asked THE LAD to give
 food to the his angel guests. It doesnt say he asked A LAD
 but rather it says he asked THE LAD. So the obvious guess
 is that he asked his son, Ishmael, but did not eg asked
 hired help. Notice that these Rashis cannot be proved but
 are reasonable guesses. That is why we placed them last.

================================================================
VERES    THE MEANS TEXT OF VERSE         WHAT IS THE BEST?
======== ========= ====================  =======================
Nu11-27a THE BEST  THE BEST KNOWN LAD    Moses' Son,Gayrshom*1
Gn18-07b THE BEST  THE BEST KNOWN LAD    Abrahams son,Ishmael*1
Ex12-37b THE BEST  THE BEST MEN          20 year olds(military*2
Dt02-17b THE BEST  THE BEST MEN          20 year olds(military*2
Gn41-01b THE BEST  THE BEST CANAL        The Nile (Jr46-07)*3
Ex23-31b THE BEST  THE BEST River        Prath (Gn02-14b)*3
Gn41-14a THE BEST  THE BEST PIT          Prison*4
Dt03-25b THE BEST  THE BEST MOUNTAIN     Jerusalem*5
Dt03-25c THE BEST  THE BEST WHITE HOUSE  The Temple*5
Dt12-09c THE BEST  THE BEST REST Shiloh  (Home of temple)*6
Dt12-09d THE BEST  THE BEST Inheriatance Jerusalem(temple home)*6
Ex20-21e THE BEST  THE BEST PLACE        The Temple mount*7
Gn28-11a THE BEST  THE BEST PLACE        The temple mount*7
Dt19-03a THE BEST  THE BEST ROAD         The THRUWAY*8
Gn06-02a THE BEST  THE BEST leaders      Prophets*9
Ex22-12a THE BEST  THE BEST WOUNDS       Lion wounds*10
Nu14-37a THE BEST  THE SPECIAL PLAGUE    See footnote*11


NOTES
=====
*1 The Best guess on who was helping is the children.

*2 Only 20 years old and up are eligible for army service
 Hence the phrase THE MEN OF WAR or just THE MEN
 probably refers to these men

*3 Among all canals the NILE is the most famous and best.
 Cf Jr46-07 for the phrase A CANAL which does not have
 to refer to the NILE. Similarly THE RIVER refers to
 the PRATH river which according to Gn02-14b is the BEST
 of rivers (it is listed last in a list of 4 paradisial
 rivers)

*4 Joseph was talking, who we know was in prison. Prisons
 in ancient times were in pits (to prevent escape).
 Cf The mideval DUNGEON

*5 Moses was praying for the right to go to Israel. It
 seems reasonable that in particular he wanted to see
 the Temple and Jerusalem since he had worked on sacrifices

*6 The chapter is talking about the fact that YOU MUST
 OFFER SACRIFICES IN JERUSALEM. Hence the statement
 that YOU HAVE NOT YET COME TO THE INHERITANCE AND
 AND REST refers to all places the Temple was (shiloh
 Jerusalem etc).

 Note in the above intepretation we are interpreting
 the WHOLE phrase to refer to Temple places. We are
 not intepreting each particular word. Interpreting
 phrases vs words facilitates the flowingness of Rashi

*7 Radack brings about 4 verses where THE PLACE refers to
 the temple: Gn28-11,Ez03-12,Dt33-27,Es04-14.
 Thus eg we would translate Ex03-12 as PRAISE BE GOD
 FROM HIS TEMPLE OF HOLINESS. Similarly Gn28-11 means
 JACOB CAME TO THE TEMPLE PLACE AND PRAYED etc.These
 4 verses give credibility to this rare meaning of PLACE
 (We prefer translating it as THE TEMPLE, THE HOME OF GOD
 vs the usual translation of PLACE as GOD Himself)

*8 Clear--The best road is a thruway

*9 Rashi and Radack have a controversy on this verse since
 E-L-O-H-I-M can equally mean leaders, judges, prophets
 and angels.

 But Rashis translation is based on the word THE. THE ELOHIM
 means The best of leaders and would refer to prophets
 or angels.

 Thus the verse says that the Prophets sinned and snatched
 women.

 Rashi then describes this picturesquely by citing a legend
 that two Prophet-Angels names HELL etc rebelled against
 God.

 From the point of the verse I think it is clear that
 Rashi simply states that it was the prophets that were
 sinning

*10 Using Talmudic lingo we would say that a person paid
 to watch an object is responsible for SMALL accidents
 (like loss and theft) since he could have prevented it,
 but he is not responsible for BIG accidents (like
 armed robbery or lion attacks).

 The Biblical language is also clear and mirrors the
 Talmudic language. The paid watcher is not responsible
 for THE wounds (like those of a lion) but is responsible
 for A WOUND (like those of a dog which he could have prevented).


*11 Rashi says this was a special plague in which people
 died the way they sinned. The spies sinned with their
 mouths and were punished with a mouth plague.
==============================================================








=================THE can create new IDIOMS====================

 In the following examples the word THE refers to the
 BEST of something and creates an idiom. For example
 the phrase THE SMALL means SMALLEST. Similarly THE WOODERY
 refers to wooden utensils

==============================================================
VERSE      THE..   TEXT OF VERSE           THE IDIOM MEANS
========   =====   ====================    ===============
Dt07-07a   IDIOM   THE SMALL               Smallest*1
Dt07-07b   IDIOM   THE SMALL               Smallest*1
Gn09-24a   IDIOM   THE SMALL               Smallest*1
Ex07-19f   IDIOM   THE WOODERY             Wood utensils
Ex21-02c   IDIOM   THE FREE                Freedom*2
Gn42-27a   IDIOM   THE ONE                 The leader*3
Dt05-18a   IDIOM   THE GOOD AND UPRIGHT    Compromise*4

NOTES
=====
*1 Rashi makes an additional point. Since eg CHAM was
 not actually the YOUNGEST therefore if the Bible
 calls him the YOUNGEST it must mean the SPIRITUALLY
 YOUNGEST---that is the most immature.

 For proof that CHAM was not the youngest see Gn10
 Although the order in Gn05-32 and Gn06-10
 seem to suggest otherwise nevertheless Gn10 is clear
 that YEFETH is oldest (Gn10-01:14), CHAM is 2nd(Gn10-15:20)
 and SHAYM is 3rd (Gn10-21:32).

*2
 cf similar expressions using free found in
 2K15-08 (THE FREE HOUSE=A retreat) or Ez27-20 THE CLOTHES
 OF A FREEMAN.

*3 It is clear from eg Gn34 that Shimon and Levi were
 leaders(they initiated the retaliatory war against
 the city that raped their sister). Thus THE ONE must
 refer to the LEADER---since Shimon was imprisoned
 this must be Levi. (In the main posting I discuss
 another approach presented by Rabbi Dr Boncheck--
 however the present approach using simple grammar
 is preferable)

*4 Jewish law requires as part of the judicial process
 that all cases have a formal offer of compromise
 or arbitration if they so wish. In practice
 most monetary cases were settled by such compromise.
==============================================================


RASHI RULE USED: SPECIAL WORDS
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 9 Number 24


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 9 Number 24