This website is devoted to explaining all 7700 Rashis
on Chumash. We are explaining the Rashis by classifying
them each into one of 30 rules.
FOR EXPLANATIONS OF THE 30 RASHI RULES VISIT either
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- http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule.htm
- http://www.Rashiyomi.com/RashiShortGuideHTMLBook.htm
- http://www.Rashiyomi.com/RashiShortGuide.htm
A new short but lively guide will soon appear.
EXAMPLE: Ex26-36a GRAMMAR-conjugation(meaning)
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Ex26-36a states
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And thou shalt make a SCREEN for the door of
the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet,
and fine twined linen, the work of the weaver
in colours.
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Rashi explains the capped word SCREEN
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The Hebrew root is SIN-CAPH (SK) which
means to COVER or PROTECT. Hence the
Hebrew word used doesn't mean so much DOOR
but rather SCREEN a (symbolically) protective
border
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EXAMPLE: Ex14-07a GRAMMAR-conjugation(passive)
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Ex14-07a states
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And he took six hundred DISTINGUISHED chariots,
and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains
over all of them.
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Rashi explains the capped word DISTINGUISHED
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The Hebrew root, BXR, BETH-CHETH-RESH, means
to CHOSE. The root with a SHURUK sound (oo sound),
BaXhooR, indicates the PASSIVE, CHOSEN, or
DISTINGUISHED
In other words each and every chariot was
specifically chosen for its excellence.
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EXAMPLE: Ex13-13c GRAMMAR-conjugation(noun-verb)
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Ex13-13c states
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And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem
with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it,
then thou NECK it; and all the first-born of man
among thy sons shalt thou redeem.
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Rashi explains the capped term NECK it
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They kill the animal by smiting it on the
NECK with a hammar or anvil
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Here Rashi explains the MEANING of a VERB,
ACTIVITY, as the STANDARD activity done to
the NOUN, OBJECT from which its name comes.
The NOUN means NECK--hence the VERB means
to NECK it, to KILL IT by smiting it on the
NECK.
There are many other NOUN-VERB pairs such
as TO FLOWER, TO DUST, TO BUILD etc.
Rashi also gives some exhortative points
on this verse
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The person did not redeem his donkey;
had he redeemed his donkey the money
would have gone to the priest; since
he deprived the priest of money he
must pay for this by losing the money
himself
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EXAMPLE: Ex15-02c GRAMMAR-conjugation(noun-verb)
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Ex15-02c states
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HaShem is my strength and song,
and He is become my salvation;
this is my G-d, and I will HABITATE HIM;
my father's G-d, and I will exalt Him.
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Rashi explains the capped words HABITATE HIM
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HABITATE HIM is the verb form of the noun
HABITATION.
(According to Radack who interprets
this way also it means I WILL MAKE GOD A HABITAT
Here the VERB form of the NOUN indicates
CREATION of the noun. Some other examples are
to FLOWER, to BUILD, which indicate CREATION
of the noun. So to HABITATE would mean to CREATE
a TEMPLE and HABITATION for God.)
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Our versions of Rashi carry the following
second interpretation
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Another possibility is that this refers
to NUN-VAV-YUD, nicety. It indicates that
we will tell the world how NICE GOD IS
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Interpreting this Rashi is not straightforward
The root NUN-VAV-YUD (NWI) is not Biblical.
However we can still use the root NUN-VAV-HEY
which comes from the NOUN, HABITAT. There
are three ways to make a VERB from a NOUN
- to CREATE the noun (e.g. to FLOWER)
- to REMOVE the noun (e.g. to DUST)
- TRADITIONAL USES of the noun (e.g. to HAMMER)
Above we have explained Rashi's first explanation:
- TO HABITAT, to CREATE a Habitat--this would
refer to the building of a Temple, a Habitat
for God
Here we used the TO CREATE noun-verb transform.
Rashi's second explanation uses the
TRADITIONAL USE transform
- TO HABITAT, to SPEAK glowingly about God
the way people speak about the co-inhabitants
of their house.
EXAMPLE: Ex13-02b GRAMMAR-miscellaneous(For-me)
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Ex13-02b states
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Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, whatsoever
openeth the womb among the children of Israel,
both of man and of beast, it is FOR ME.'
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Rashi explains the capped words FOR ME
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The words FOR ME throughout the Bible connote
a PERSONAL ASPECT. Here the statement that
the FIRST BORN ARE FOR ME echoes the verses
theme that the FIRST BORN are sanctified
to God God acquired the firstborn of the Jews
when He killed the firstborn of the
Egyptians and spared the firstborn of the Jews
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Perhaps Rashi sees in these words
reference to the obligations of the firstborn
to serve as Priests and officiate over
sacrifices. In such a case the FIRSTBORN
BELONG TO GOD refers to the fact that they
officiate at the Divine sacrifices.
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