Rashi-Is-Simple Mailing List
(C) Dr Russell Jay Hendel, 1999
Http://www.Shamash.Org/Rashi/
Volume 1 Number 24
Produced Apr 16 1999
Topics Discussed in This Issue
------------------------------
v0415 Administrivia: Shorter Postings||CBrown||Zvi Fleisher||Web
v3z14-49 An enlightening obscure source from Zvi Fleisher
v3a1-5 4 ways to see simplicity--from child to genius
v3b13-6 Quickie / Cute Translations
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
v0415 Administrivia
WEB SITE APPEARANCE
===================
Shamash staff helped me with the web site. You simply have to
* go to shamash (www.shamash.org)
* go to /rashi/
There is no need to type index.htm anymore.
You can download the htm files...they are designed to have at
most two lines of HTML (one at top and one on bottom)
SHORTER POSTINGS
================
I am going back to the original intention of having these Thursday
postings shorter. In particular I am doing many TRANSLATIONS at one
time and am leaving out the long discourses on etymologies (there
will still be shorter discourses). As the web site shows we have
divided up Rashis into
* Rashis from nuances (like Verbs + Prepositions)
* Rashis from OVerall Biblical structure
* Rashis dealing with traditional grammar and style
* Rashis dealing with translations
There is no point to spend alot of time on the translations. On
the other hand some of them can be sort of "cute"---please see
the ones in this issue.
HOW TO READ THE POSTINGS
========================
I still get comments on lengths of postings. Here are some ideas
I have received from readers:
--One doctor gets Rashi Is Simple in his office and reads postings
between patient visits
--One teenager told me that his goal is to read one posting per
issue per week
--One woman teacher told me she was leaving them for the summer
when she has more time
--Finally my original intention was that people should just read
* the Biblical text
* the Rashi
* the brief explanation
You can safely skip the rest unless you are interested in a
particular list or have scholarly interests in it.
If you read with any descent type wordprocessor you can
AUTOMATICALLY skip to the next posting by doing a FIND command
on *#*#*#*#*#*# (this will take you to the next posting if you
are in the middle of one and don't want to read further)
CHAIIM BROWN"S QUESTION
=======================
Chaiim asked a question before Pesach which I am just getting
around to now. It will take several issues. However the Rashi
on 3-1-5 is a gem for educators. Please read it.
ZVI FLEISHER
============
Finally Zvi Fleisher provided a beautiful obscure source from
his own Rashi website that sheds light on the GREEN-RED
controversy we spoke about last week.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v3z13-49 An obscure source on 3-13-49 from Zvi Fleisher
-----
From: HFleis4270@aol.com
To: rjhendel@juno.com
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 12:05:30 EDT
Subject: Re: Rishonim rarely disagree
Kvod R' Hendel, nr"u
Thank you for your most informative insights into Rishonim. You open
new vistas!!!
Re: admdm and yrkrk you might find a piece I found in the Pardes
Yosef which I've included in my weekly parsha posting interesting.
Ch. 13, v. 49: "Y'rakrak o adamdam" The Toras Kohanim 5:14:2
says that the double letters indicate depth and strength of
colouring, green of greens and red of reds. However, we find the
mishneh N'go'im 1:2 which says that adamdam is like wine which is
poured into water. This seems contrary to the above T.K. The
Pardes Yosef answers that the mishneh refers to the nature of
pisoyon, spreading of the negah, just as wine spreads its colour
through water. The T.K. is referring to the depth of colour.
B'virkas haTorah,
hakoton Zvi A. Fleisher
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
[MODERATOR: I again Thank Zvi for his excellent posting. We need
more postings on this list. In passing I note that this Mishneh
probably explains the opposing views cited by Ibn Ezra--which he
tried to refute-- that doubling of root letters denotes weakening
not strengthening. I say "which he tried to refute"--instead of
saying that the Ibn Ezra possibly believed this view---because
as I showed last issue the Ibn Ezra CHANGED HIS TONE FROM HIS
COMMENTS IN THE BIBLICAL COMMENTARY TO HIS COMMENTS IN HIS PSALMIC
COMMENTARY.
Both his tone and demeanor are totally different in Psalms. Indeed
the Ibn Ezra goes out of his way to show that we are sometimes
FORCED to interpret root doubling as denoting intensity.
As I indicated last time the Ibn Ezra in effect shifted the
controversy, not from a controversy of AUTHORITIES, but to a
controversy of LISTS. The issue was not WHO SAID WHAT but rather
how the lists of verbs with DOUBLED ROOTS are consistent or
inconsistent with the idea of intensity or weakening.
To give one more example (From my Lower Merion Synangogue Chumash
class where we discussed this last Wednesday)---consider Eychah-1-20
--my intestines ChMRMRoo.
Now ChMR means clay/dirt/filth. Thus we have the Biblical phrase
Filthy waters (ChMR). What then could the doubled root--ChMRMRoo
mean:
Well...if it means "My stomach is turning" we would have to admit
that a "turned" stomach is only a WEAKENED form of ChMR=FILTH.
But if it means e.g. "I have diarhea (i.e. total collapse of all
stomach support...see the rest of the verse for similar ideas)"
then we would have to admit that diarhea is an INTENSE form
of ChMR = Filth.
We could and should examine each Double root word to see consistency
with weakening vs intensification of meaning. Only then after
examining these lists and trying things both ways can we appreciate
the nuances of the Mishnah and Torath Kohanim.
Russell Hendel; Moderator, Rashi-is-simple]
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v3a1-5 .and **HE** will slaughter the ox before God
------ and (then) the **PRIESTS** will receive the blood
RASHI TEXT:
----------
* This teaches us that even a non priest can slaughter
The requirement of a performing priest in the sacrifices starts from
the act of "receiving the blood in a temple vessel"
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
----------------------------------------
* There are many ways to understand this Rashi, some of them, more
punchy than others. We give 4 approaches:
THE ELEMENTARY APPROACH: If you list {LIST1} all the sacrificial
=======================activities in this chapter you will find that
the verbs have NO subject mentioned until the act of receiving the
blood in a temple vessel which requires a priest ("And the Priest
will receive the blood"). So Rashi Is Simple: acts before the receipt
can be done by anybody; acts after the receipt can only be done by
a priest.
THE INTERMEDIATE APPROACH: Instead of just making one list (for the
========================= activities of the burnt offering sacrifice
mentioned in this chapter) we can make a spreadsheet---a list of
lists---each column would represent another chapter and another
sacrifice and each column would contain in its rows all the
activities for that sacrifice{LIST2}. Lo and behold, not just in
chapter 1, but in almost EVERY chapter, priests are only mentioned
from the receipt of the blood. Thus Rashi is Simple--the repeating
pattern proves that priests are only needed from the sacrifical
activities involving blood.
THE ADVANCED APPROACH: In addition to the change of subject
===================== in {LIST1}---(there is no subject in the
initial list of sacrificial activities but priests are mentioned
by the blood activities)--ADDITIONALLY, there is a plurality change.
The initial verbs are in the singular (And HE shall rest his hands
on the sacrifice ..and HE shall slaughter...) while the remaining
activities are said in the plural (...and THE PRIESTS shall receive
the blood and THEY shall throw....).
Thus it is clear that in describing the sacrificial activities TWO
people are being addressed...the person bringing the sacrifice
who is addressed in the singular and the Priests offering the
sacrifice who are addressed in the Plural.
THE PROFOUND APPROACH: Here we do not look at ANY lists. We have
====================== an EXPLICIT verse and Paragraph that
"While the Levites will work in the temple area(4-18-6)
You (the Priests) will be responsible for 'altar work'..
but the stranger who comes near will die (4-18-7)"
As if this verse wasn't explicit enough we have a further verse that
"..It is the levites...who will serve ...it is they who
will slaughter sacrifices " (Ez 41-11)
"...and the Leviim were responsible for slaughtering the
Passover sacrifices (Chr2-30-17)"
Thus Rashi is Really Simple---the distinctions are not learnt from
these Leviticus verses at all..rather they are learned from explicit
statements in other verses!!! Rashi is simply showing how these
other explicit verses shed light on the subtle changes in plurality
and subject that occur here. Thus Rashi did not LEARN anything from
these verses he rather EXPLAINED the nuances based on explicit
statements elsewhere.
I have occasionally indicated that the principle of "derivations from
other verses" is one of the most overlooked principles in learning
Rashi. How often have we seen a student milk a poor verse to death
only to find out that Rashi did not learn it from that verse but
from another verse!!!!
These 4 approaches show a spectrum of intellectual activity that
allows both children and advanced scholars to learn the same thing
but on different levels. Rashi encouraged everyone to learn...for
there is a straightforward simplicity to be found at every level.
This by the way gives new light to the hackneyed phrase "Both these
and these are the words of the living God" which is usually used to
show that DIFFERENT opinions both can be Divine!! Not so!! There is
one law!! Everyone agrees that laymen can slaughter and priests are
only needed from the blood activities and forward. But this one law
can be learned in MANY WAYS....and both the elementary way and the
profound way..the learning of schoolchildren and the learning of
advanced scholars are Divine (Compare the Talmudic statement that
the world exists in the merit not of the learning of scholars but
of schoolchildren).
Finally we give humble acknowledgement to the Malbim for both
the advanced and profound approach.
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
------------------------
*
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
----------------------------------------------------------
* {LIST1} {Of verbs denoting sacrificial activity in 3-1
The list shows that Priests are not required till
the sacrificial activities using blood--later we
will observe that this also consistent with
the change from the singular (the person bringing
the sacrifice) to the plural (Priests offering it)}
ACTIVITY VERSE SUBJECT PLURAL
======== ===== ======= ======
Bring animal 3-1-3 no subject singular
hand resting 3-1-4 no subject singular
slaughter 3-1-5 no subject singular
receive blood 3-1-5 By Priest Plural
Throw blood 3-1-5 By Priest Plural
Strip the skin 3-1-6 no subject singular
Cut animal up 3-1-6 no subject singular
supply fuel 3-1-7 By Priest Plural
Arrange fuel 3-1-7 no subject Plural
Arrange organs 3-1-8 By Priest Plural
Rinse insides 3-1-8 no subject singular
Offer it to God 3-1-9 By Priest Singular
* {LIST2} {Spreadsheet of activities Vs selected sacrifices}
KING'S
ACTIVITY OXEN SHEEP OXEN GOAT
ALL-UP ALL-UP PEACE SIN
OFFERING OFFERING OFFERING OFFERING
======= ======== ======== ======== ========
Bring animal no subject no subject no subject no sbjct
hand resting no subject no subject no sbjct
slaughter no subject no subject no subject no sbjct
receive blood By Priest Priest*
Throw blood By Priest By Priests By Priest no sbjct
Spill Blood ** no sbjct
Strip the skin no subject
Cut animal up no subject no subject
supply fuel By Priest
Arrange fuel no subject
Arrange organs By Priest By priests
Rinse insides no subject no subject
Offer it to God By Priest No Subject
Sacrifice it By Priest By Priest no sbjct
FOOTNOTES:
=========
** Blank spaces denote that the activity is not mentioned in that
particular sacrifice
* Actually for the sin offering the verbs are TAKE, PLACE, SPILL
vs RECEIVE, THROW.
CROSS REFERENCES:
----------------
*
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
----------------
* Malbim
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
--------------------------------------------------------------
* OTHER VERSES | LISTS | GRAMMAR
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v3b13-6 MiSPaChaTH = A GROWTH (From YSF = TO add)
------
NOTE: The challenge in all these Rashis is to get a
corresponding English term that captures all the nuances
that Rashi indicates. The reader is invited to check
the English translations and read Rashis words and see if
my suggestions work or not. In each case I give a modest
etymology or review Posookim. Where appropriate I give
lists.
These two etymologies show that a MM can denote PLACE
======================================================
V3d13-45 SaFaM = MUSTACHE--at the place (M) of the MOUTH
V2z25-8 MiKDaSh= House (M) of HOLINESS (KDS)
See {LIST1} (Inspired by Silverstein commentary on
Rashi (in English) who gives a list of words
where M+ Word = Place of that concept
These two etymologies show that deep wounds/abcesses are
denoted by words meaning LOW(SCh) or LESS (PChTh).
=========================================================
V3-13-11 ShChiN = BOIL (An inflammation not caused by heat)
Most probably ShChiN comes from SCh=Low and denotes
an abcess deep (low) in the skin
v3d13-55 PChTheTh from PChTh= Pit
So PChTheTh = a Deep Wound
NOTE: One of my students in my Lower Merion Synagogue class
suggested that the Tzraath symptom "A deeper looking white
like the deeper look of the sun from a shadow" could
mean that it gives the appearance of a deep wound (which
gives more intensity in appearance)--in other words,
DEEP=INTENSE LOOKING.(I have not found any other
satisfactory explanation of why "the sun looks DEEPER than
a surrounding shadow".
Rashi here gives nuances of rarely occuring roots. Some of
these roots only occur a few times in Tnach
==========================================================
v3-13-38 BeHaRoTH = A Bright (BHR) Spot
v3b13-2 Rashi cites Job-37-21 describing the
aftermath of a rainstorm--"..a bright sparkle
in the overcast skies..."--apparently BHR
comes from both BRH=separate and BRH=opulent
and would denote the type of "break"thru in the
skies we see after a storm. It would denote a
sparkling piece of light (BRH) breaking thru
(Separating) the clouds
v3a13-23 TChTh = In its place -one of the half dozen
meaning of TChTH{LIST2}
v3b13-23
v3c13-23 TzRV = a SCAB. The root only occurs 2 other times.
{LIST3} {Review of all verses with root TzRV}
Ez-21-3 "..and all faces will become scabbed from
this hugh fire" (In fact big forest fires can cause
burns and scabs...one of the symptoms of a second
degree burn)
Prv-16-27...A wicked person digs (looks) for
trouble and his lips are scabbed with fire (i.e
it is very easy to reopen the wound)
v3b13-39 BHK = Scar White? From BK to break thru.
(If you compare SCAR WHITE and EGG WHITE you can
see how one is slightly less than the other..one
is TAMAY and the other is TAHOR)
Rashi here shows how to name hybrid colors
===========================================
v3a13-39 WEAK WHITE = Not Weak AND white but a Weaker White
(Rashi's point is that WEAK is an adjective not a
noun)
v3-13-19 REDISH WHITE = PINK
(Again Rashi's point is that the red is an adjective
The Rambam gives the analogy of a few drops of blood
in Milk. So MILK=White while the Blood dropped milk
would be pinkish)
Rashi here gives principles of Grammar
======================================
v3c13-8 TzRaATH is FEMININE (Associates with HEE)
v3d13-8 NGA (ailment) is MASCULINE (Associated with HOO)
v3-13-15 BSR (Flesh) is MASCULINE (Associated with HOO)
NOTE: These 3 Rashis account for most of the gender changes
in this portion.
RASHI TEXT:
----------
*
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
----------------------------------------
*
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
------------------------
*
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
----------------------------------------------------------
* {LIST1} {Words where MM etymologically means place}
WORD MEANING ETYMOLOGY USING MM=PLACE
==== ======= ========================
MZBaCh Altar Place (M) of Sacrifice (TVCh)
MShKN House-Palace Place (M) where you dwell (Schan)
MREH Mirror Place (M) of Sight (RAH)
MGDOL Tower Place (M) that is tall ( GDL)
MKDSH Temple Place (M) of Holiness (KDSH)
SFM Mustache Place (M) of Mouth
COMMENTS:
=========
This list is suggestive but not perfect. There are many
odditities. For example, SFM has the M at the end. Also note
that SFM denotes an object(mustache) in PROXIMITY to another
object(place) while Palace and Temple denotes objects whose
FUNTION is to provide a PLACE. Similarly MZBaCH (altar) denotes
a place where an ACTION takes place while MGDOL(Tower) denotes a
place with an attribute. Similarly MREH denotes more a SOURCE
rather than a place of sight.
{LIST2} {Meanings of the Root TChTh, courtesy of RDQ}
MEANING VERSE TRANSLATION
======= ===== ===========
Instead Is55-13 INSTEAD of a Thornbush there will sprout...
Bottom 1-6-16 3rd, 2nd and BOTTOM stories will the ark ..
Place 2-16-29 ..every person sit in his PLACE
Because 2S19-22 Because of this will he not die
Steathily 2S3-12 ...Steathily saying: "To whom does the land
belong"
Subjugation 2S22-41 Kneel my enemies underneath me
CROSS REFERENCES:
----------------
*
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
----------------
* Silverstein commentary on Rashi
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
--------------------------------------------------------------
* WORD MEANINGS
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
COMMUNICATIONS
--------------
Send via email SUBMISSIONS/responses/contributions to
rashi-is-simple@shamash.org
If you want your communication published anonomously (without
mentioning your name) simply say so (and your wishes will be
respected). All other submissions (whether thru Shamash or ANY
of my email addresses are made with the understanding that
they can be published as is or with editing)
NOTATIONAL CONVENTIONS
----------------------
e.g. v5b2-1 means as follows:
The "v" means verse
The "5" means Deuteronomy--the 5th book
The "2" means The 2nd chapter
The "1" means The 1st verse
The "b" means The second rashi on that
verse ("we rounded mount
Seir)
Similarly v5-2-1 would mean Dt 2:1 and probably refer to all
Rashis. (These conventions start with issue 14---beforehand
the notation is similar and will be updated retroactively
in the future)
Asterisks (*,#) in a list usually refer to footnotes that follow it
Parenthesis with the word List and a number--[LIST3] refers to
LISTS in the LIST section of each posting.
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------------
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------------
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OUR GOALS
---------
RASHI-IS-SIMPLE
* will provide logical explanations to all 8,000 Rashis on Chumash.
* the preferred vehicle of explanation is thru list of verses and exceptions
* These postings will be archived in Shamash in Quartuplet
-- By Volume and Number
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-- By Grammatical Rule
-- By quicky explanation
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provided they are defended with adequate examples.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
----------------------
For further information on the character of this list
* read your welcome note from Shamash
* read PESHAT and DERASH: TRADITION, Winter 1980 by Russell Hendel
End of Rashi-Is-Simple Digest
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*