VERSE: Gn48-22a


RASHIS COVERED: Gn48-22a Gn48-22b Gn48-22c Gn48-22d



RULE
====
{LIST}
The Hebrew word >SChM< can mean both SHOULDER, WAKE UP,
and PORTION. This LIST shows verses where these 3 meanings
occur. The foonotes show that a unified meaning to these
three usages is the concept of SHOULDER
===========================================================
MEANING    VERSE    TEXT OF VERSE
========== =======  =======================================
Shoulder   Gn09-23  They put the blanket on their shoulders
To wake up Gn26-31  They woke up in morning*1*2
Portion    Gn48-28  I gave you an extra >PORTION<*3*4

NOTES
=====
*1 When you get up in the morning it is your >SHOULDERS<
   that change position. Hence >WAKING UP< is called
   >SHOULDERING<

*2 The meaning >TO WAKE UP< usually occurs in the >CAUSATIVE
   TENSE<

*3 This is Rashi. Radack beautifully supplements Rashi by
   giving the English metaphor of a >ROAD SHOULDER<. This
   phrase means >SIDE< of the road and hence can also refer
   to a >PORTION< (Each >SIDE< of the plot= One >PORTION<)


*4{LIST}
  This is one of those Rare Rashis where Rashi himself
  gives the LIST supporting his thesis. This LIST shows
  verses where SCHEM means PORTION. All these verses
  can be translated with the word >PORTION<. They can
  also be translated using the RADACKs concept, (which is
  used in English also), of >The SHOULDER< of the road
  by which we indicate one >SIDE<
  ===========================================================
  VERSE     TEXT OF VERSE WITH SCHEM meaning PORTION
  ========  ========================================
  Ps21-13   For Thy enemies designated us 1>PORTION< of booty
  Ps60-08   God said ..I will divide out >PORTIONS< of land
  Hos06-09  They ambush travellers from the road >SHOULDERS<
  Tzf03-09  So They serve God together on one >SIDE<
  Gn48-22   I gave you an extra >SHOULDER< of land
  {END OF LIST}


Thus the simple meaning of Rashi is that >SCHEM< means >PORTION<
We now make 4 further clarifying comments on Rashi

COMMENT 1
=========
OTHER VERSES:
------------
Rashi cites Jo24-32 >And they buried Josephs bones in Schem<
to IDENTIFY what the extra Portion was that Jacob gave Joseph



COMMENT 2
=========
Why not give Schem to Shimon and Levi who fought for it?
-------------------------------------------------------
This question is implicitly asked by the Rashi commentator
the REEM.

The answer is given by Rashi---Joseph buried Jacob outside
of Egypt and in return for that burial Jacob gave Joseph
the opportunity to be buried in Israel by giving him an
extra plot of land


COMMENT 3
=========
Rashi seems to be saying that >SCHEM< means >SCHEM< not portion
---------------------------------------------------------------
Rashi says >SCHEM< means portion. But he also says that Schem
means >SCHEM itself<. Thus he >APPEARS< to go against the
simple meaning of the text. It would also be ungrammatical
for Rashi to translate the verse this way (>And I gave you
1 city of Schem over your brothers<--you never use numbers
with proper nouns since they are always one).

However I would interpret these two contradictory Rashis using
the principles of >STAGES<
--STAGE 1: >SCHEM< means >PORTION<
--STAGE 2: The >PORTION< referred to is >SCHEM ITSELF<
The added pun on >SCHEM=portion, SCHEM=The City itself<, gives
a certain nifty atmosphere and helps the student remember.



COMMENT 4
=========
But if Jacob cursed Shimon and Levi for what they did in Schem
why is he bragging about his >Conquest of Schem with MY SWORD
and MY BOW?<.

Rashi actually literally says >That I took with my SWORD AND
BOW: RASHI: This refers to prayer<.

So some people >INTERPRET< this Rashi to mean that Rashi
was taking the words >SWORD,BOW< out of their normal context
and translating them as >PRAYER<.

However there is no need to do this. We simply interpret the
verse to mean: >I give you Schem which I took with MY sword
and MY bow<.

Rashi is commenting on the emphasis on >MY< (Jacob could
have simply said: >I give you SCHEM which I took from the
Emorites<--why add military details).

Rashi is explaining that the conquest of Schem was not an
ordinary war. True Shimon and Levi won the initial battle
by destroying a whole city. But they did this by double
crossing them on a deal. Normal politics would consider this
an act of war. It would have meant nothing for the surrounding
nations to kill 70 people. Rashi therefore explains that the
surrounding nations did not follow up on the war because of
Jacobs prayers. And indeed we explicitly find a verse Gn35-05
>And the fear of God was on the surrounding cities and they
did not pursue Jacob<

In summary Rashi was commenting on something but he was not
changing the meaning of the words >SWORD, BOW<. Rather he was
adding that when Jacob fought he >ALSO< prayed.

I believe this is the proper way to learn Rashi


RASHI RULE USED: UNIFIED MEANING