#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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VERSE: Gn01-02e
RASHIS COVERED: Gn01-02e Gn01-06a Gn01-06b
Gn01-07a Gn01-09a Gn01-10a
========================= Gn01-02e ==========================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
As we approach a new year I will attempt to deal
with those Rashis whose explanations may be lengthier
The procedure will be to give a succinct summary in the
Rashi digest but to refer the interested reader to essays
which can be found at www.RashiYomi.com.
REFERENCE
Today we continue the symbolic analysis of Gen 1. For full
details see http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gen-1.htm, for my
paper published in BOR HATORAH, Vol 13e, GENESIS 1
DESCRIBES THE CREATION OF THE WORLD NOT THE CREATION
OF PROPHECY.
The symbolic interpretation of a Biblical chapter requires
3 distinct stages. First we prove that the chapter MUST be
interpreted symbolically. This is done using the following
CRITERIA
The chapter has
- a theme sentence (eg God created heaven and earth)
- which is inconsistent with the rest of the chapter
- But the rest of the chapter uses terms with
clear known Biblical symbolic meaning
- And these symbols are consistent with the theme.
We then identify the
- general theme
- the symbolic terms used
Finally we interpret the chapter symbolically using
the symbolic terms in the chapter
EXAMPLE 1 Ecclesiastes 12
-----------------------
Ecclesiastes 12 has a theme REJOICE IN YOUR YOUTH BUT
YOU WONT GET AWAY WITH IT IN OLD AGE (Ecc11-09). But
Eccl 12 does NOT speak about old age--it speaks about
shaking beams, broken windows etc. However the symbolic
meaning of these items (BROKEN WINDOWS=Poor eyesight,
SHAKING BEAMS=bad bones etc) is consistent with the
main theme of old age. Hence we are REQUIRED to
interpret Ecc 12 as symbolically referring to old
age. THIS INTERPRETATION IS FULLY ACCEPTED BY EVERY
MAJOR RELIGIOUS (AND NON-RELIGIOUS) COMMENTARY.
EXAMPLE 2 Gen 1
---------------
Genesis 1 has a main theme of creation of the world. But
the chapter is inconsistent with this theme. First of all
numerous references are made to the people that ALREADY
existed (Eg Kain built a city; The SNAKE people spoke Eve
into sinning, Gn01-02 speaks about the world as it HAD
BEEN before (Formless and void)). Furthermore Gn01-02
speaks about PROPHECY (See the list below--the phrase
WIND OF GOD always refers to prophecy in the Bible--never
to strong winds).
So it seems reasonable to interpret Gen-1 as describing
the creation of prophecy(not the creation of the world)
The early days in Gn01 describe HOW TO BE A
FIND PERSON (a prerequisite for prophecy) These verses
follow known symbolsm. They in fact can be equated with
the 6 stages of psychologically curing a person overinvolved
with physical pleasure and straightening him out. These
6 stages are as follows:
- Gn01-02 emotional world in turmoil (Formless/void)
- Gn01-03 Man aware of inner world (LIGHT of dreams)
- Gn01-06 Man develops BOTH physical and spiritual life
- Gn01-06 Man capable of ENJOYING spiritual interests
- Gn01-07 Spiritual life fully integrated into lifestyle
- Gn01-09 Physical life fully separated to fixed times/places
- Gn01-10 Individuality of physical life preserved
So our hypothetical person who was overly indulged in
physical life has learned to integrate both the physical
and spiritual into his lifestyle with distinct times and
individuality for both. See below for more details
=============================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== ====================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: SYMBOLISM
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS SYMBOLISM
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #29
SEE BELOW LIST975e
Symbolism of Gen 1-Creation of Prophecy,not world
------------------------ ------------------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST975f
List of verses with WIND OF GOD referring to PROPHECY
------------------------ ------------------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST975g
List of verses with LIGHT referring to INNER JOY
------------------------ ------------------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST975h
List of verses with WATER referring to EMOTIONS
=============================================================
====================== LIST975e =================================
Gn01 in general refers to the creation of prophecy. The
creation acts mentioned in the first few days refer to making
someone a fine person(Being a fine person is a prerequisite
to becoming a prophet) To make this clear we suppose we deal
with a person who is overinvolved in physical pleasure. We
describe 8 stages by which this person is transformed into
someone respectable.
=================================================================
RASHI STAGE OF LIFE SYMBOL
======== ================================== =====================
Gn01-02 Only physical pleasures water*1
Gn01-02e Aware of need for spiritual Hovering wind*2
Gn01-03 Inner world of dreams Light*3
Gn01-06a Spirit-Physical split Sky*4
Gn01-06b Mundane:Physical/spiritual 2 types of waters*5
Gn01-07a Integrate spiritual into lifestyle God FIXED spiritual*6
Gn01-09a Physical, only 1 part of life Waters vs land*7
Gn01-10a Individuality of physical*8 gathered water=waters
NOTES
------
*1 See LIST975f (WATER=day to day ordinary emotions)
WATER would refer to non-focused emotions (the type you
have when you have a few beers and so to speak hang loose
-- WATER describes emotions of sharing and comradery) It
is characteristic of people overinvolved in physical
pleasure
*2 See LIST975f (HOVERING WIND = PROPHECY)
Rashi discusses the word HOVERING. Think of a person involved
in physical pleasure. Very often they OSCILATE between getting
more involved spiritually or not. This OSCILATION
picturesquely resembles a HOVERING bird (We use here the
method of SYMBOLISM by FORM)
*3 See LIST975h (LIGHT=Prophecy/dreams) I take LIGHT here
in its most general sense of referring to intellectual
enLIGHTenment. In other words our patient involved in
physical pleasure becomes aware of his inner spiritual
world (either thru dreams or just general intellectual
insights)
*4 If - WATER = EMOTIONS and
- SKY separates LOWER and HIGHER water
THEN
- SKY symbolizes SEPARATION of HIGHER and LOWER
day-to-day emotions
Once the person becomes aware of his spiritual self
he has to have 2 parts to his life. One part when
he devotes himself to the physical and one part
when the physical is not spoken about but he devotes
himself to the spiritual
*5 If a person is to leave his physical-pleasure world
then he MUST learn to enjoy the spiritual world he
has discovered (Otherwise his needs will not be met
and he will return). Thus an important stage in
rehabilitation is learning to enjoy -- derive pleasure
-- from the newly discovered spiritual world.
*6 The Root Ayin-Sin-Hey can mean to FIX Some examples are
---------------------------------------
Dt21-12 FIX her nails
2S19-25 He hadnt FIXED his mustache
----------------------------------------
The interpretation is clear. The person involved
in physical pleasure
- discovered his spiritual world
- and enjoys it.
Now he must learn to integrate it
into his daily lifestyle (that is to FIX his spiritual
interests (the same way we fix nails, hair or a suit))
*7 If WATER=SHARING EMOTIONS while LAND=SERIOUS EMOTIONS
then SEPARATION OF LAND/WATER means separating
the SHARING EMOTIONS from the SERIOUS EMOTIONS. This
could eg refer to a person who eg connects everything
with physical pleasure (Cant get it off his mind).
Part of his rehabilitation is to learn to have separate
components of life for each one (A person who has not
learned this is for example ALWAYS cracking physical
jokes which his colleagues find annoying)
*8 Rashi of course is focusing on grammar (The sentence
mixes SINGULAR and PLURAL)
---------------------------------------------
The gathered water (Singular) was called waterS
---------------------------------------------
Rashi here counteracts a tendency in some people when
becoming spiritual to insult their physical life by
saying that ALL PHYSICAL SATISFACTIONS
ARE THE SAME(eg all food is the same; all women
are the same etc)
This is a serious error since without a sense of
individuality (in the physical sphere) this person
will find an overpowering need to return to his
phsyical life.
The emphasis on individuality in the physical is
picturesquely depicted by referring to the TASTES
OF THE SAME FISH WHEN COMING UP FROM DIFFERENT
BODIES OF WATER(Rashi)
=================================================================
====================== LIST975f =================================
Phrase WIND OF GOD always refers to PROPHECY*1 *3
=================================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE (Phrase WIND OF GOD translated as PROPHECY)
======= =========================================================
1S10-10 Saul attained PROHECY and PROPHESIZED *2
Nu24-02 Bilam attained PROPHECY
1S11-06 Samuel attained PROPHECY
2C16-01 Azaryahu attained prophecy
1S19-20 King Sauls servants attained prophecy
Gn41-38 Josephs interpretation of Pharohs dream is PROPHETIC
Ex31-03 Bezalel (builder of Tabernarcle) given PROPHECy,WISOM..
NOTES
-------
*1 But compare eg 1S16-16 BAD WIND OF GOD referring to
paranoia/psychosis. The phrase WIND OF GOD (Without
further qualification such as BAD WIND OF GOD) always
refers to prophecy
*2 LIterally: The WIND OF GOD was on Saul and he prophesized
Thus this verse confirms the connection between the
phrase WIND OF GOD and PROPHECY
*3 The sister phrase WIND OF GOD (using the Hebrew Tetragrammaton
vs the word ELOHIM to refer to GOD) has a similar usage as
referring to prophecy
===============================================================
======================== LIST975g =============================
Verses where LIGHT refers to
- prophecy
- happiness
- spiritual insights
or any other intellectually metaphoric meaning*2
===============================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE with metaphoric usage of light
======= ========================================================
Nu06-25 God will LIGHTEN His Face on you
P097-11 Sown LIGHT belongs to the RIGHTEOUS
Lv08-08 The LIGHT and PERFECTION priestly garments*1
Is60-01 Arise, LIGHTEN for your LIGHT has come---Honor of God...
Es08-16 The Jews obtained LIGHT, HAPPINESS, JOY and HONOR
NOTES
-----
*1 These garments had prophetic capacity
*2 We could argue for a SPECIFIC interpretation of LIGHT
as PROPHECY but it is perhaps better to argue for
a GENERAL interpretation of LIGHT as SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS
===============================================================
======================== LIST975h ===============================
Verses where WATER or WATER related items
refer to EMOTIONS
=================================================================
VERSE Text of VERSE with WATER translated as EMOTIONS
======= =========================================================
So08-05 Many EMOTIONS can not erase strong love
Is57-20 The wicked have tumultuous EMOTIONS
P029-03 Gods prophecy stands above EMOTIONS
Gn49-04 You are impetuous like EMOTIONAL people*1
Ps69-02 Save me God for my EMOTIONS overwhelm me*2
NOTES
-----
*1 Here the Patriarch Jacob criticizes Reuben for
impetuously inteferring with his fathers marital
life.
Jacob is NOT that angry...Rather he sees Reuvens
behavior (Trying to tell his father which wife
to have relations with) as IMPETUOUS (like people
in bars) and not based on solid mature consideration
of all the facts.
Thus WATER here refers to the
type of emotions found in people who hang lose
over a few beers and just want to share without
doing anything serious. Since Reuben behaved like
this he wasnt worthy of the Kingship.
*2 The rest of this Psalm should be similarly interpreted
- the WATERS engulf my soul = EMOTIONS overwhelm me
- I sink in QUICKSAND = BITTER MEMORIES overpower me
etc
The important thing here is that the Psalmist uses
the properties of physical water (fluidity and
volume filling) to refer to the properties of emotions
(harping and obsession)
=================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
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Volume 19 Number 11
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 19 Number 11