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: Ex14-03a GRAMMAR-sentence(development)
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Rashi sees verses Ex14-02:03a as forming one
unit with a CAUSE-EFFECT relationship. We indicate
this relationship between the two constituent verses
by the interpolated words in brackets
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Speak unto the children of Israel,
that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth,
between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon,
over against it shall ye encamp by the sea.
And [BECAUSE OF THIS TURNING BACK]
Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel:
They are entangled in the land, the wilderness
hath shut them in.
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Here we have interwoven the Rashi comment
with the verses themselves.
EXAMPLE: Ex25-28a GRAMMAR-conjugation(7Modes)
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Ex25-28a states
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And thou shalt make staves of acacia-wood,
and overlay them with gold.
The table IS CARRIED by them.
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Rashi identifies the GRAMMATICAL conjugation
of the capped words, IS CARRIED
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The Hebrew Nun-Sin-Aleph (NeeSaH) is
in the PASSIVE CONJUGATION---it indicates
that the table is CARRIED by these staves
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There is a further subtlety to Rashi
- VeNeeSaH BaM means the table
WILL BE CARRIED BY THEM
That is the literal interpretation is
the FUTURE tense.
- However a rule of Biblical grammar states
that the FUTURE conjugation can be used
to indicate the ongoing HABITUAL PRESENT
Hence we have translated
The table is CARRIED by them.
Here we have used
- the PASSIVE (carried)
- habitual/informational present (IS CARRIED)
That is the sentence does not speak about one
act that was done, is done or will be done but
rather speaks about INFORMATION--it tells us
the function of the staves without committing
ourselves to any particular act.
EXAMPLE: Ex25-22a ALIGNMENT-2cases
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Verse Ex25-22a states
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And I will MAKE AN APPOINTMENT with you there
And I will SPEAK WITH YOU
- - - - - - -FROM above the ark-cover,
- - - - - - -FROM between the two cherubim
.....
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Rashi
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The ALIGNMENT indicates 2 CASES of the same
theme. When God wants to talk to Moses
- He will first make an APPOINTMENT to talk
with him in the Temple
- He will then actually SPEAK to him there
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Further clarification of this Rashi occurs
in Lv01-01a where Rashi, again thru the use
of ALIGNMENT, contrasts, Jewish vs Non-Jewish
prophecy
- Non-Jewish prophecy is sudden without
preparation
- Jewish prophecy is courteous with adequate
preparation.
EXAMPLE: Ex29-02b ALIGNMENT-2cases
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Verse Ex29-02b states
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and unleavened bread, and
- cakes unleavened MIXED with oil, and
- wafers unleavened SPREAD with oil;
of fine wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
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Rashi explains the capped ALIGNED words
----------------------------------------
There were two types of FLOUR offerings
- CAKES: uncooked flour mixed with oil
- WAFERS: cooked flour spread with oil
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This distinction of Rashi is also born
out by similar distinctions in Lv02.
Note: Rashi's introduction of COOKED
vs UNCOOKED is a logical consequence
of the MIX-SPREAD distinction. You can't
really SPREAD oil on flour since it is not
hard---you have to mix it. Similarly you
can not MIX oil with CAKES since they are
hard--you have to SPREAD it.
EXAMPLE: Ex25-22c STYLE-theme-detail
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Verse Ex25-22 states
------------------------------------
[GENERAL THEME]
And there I will meet with thee,
and I will speak with thee from
above the ark-cover,
from between the two cherubim which
are upon the ark of the testimony,
[DETAILS]
all things which I will give thee
in commandment unto the children of Israel.
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Rashi comments on the THEME-DETAIL structure
------------------------------------
The
- THEME STATES: God speaks to Moses
- DETAIL STATES: Speaks about commandments
The Rabbi Ishmael style Rules require us
to interpret the THEME-DETAIL restrictively
- God only spoke to Moses when He had to
deliver commandments (It was never for
personal reasons)
------------------------------------
This same theme (God only spoke to Moses
about national concerns of commandments
but not about personal matters) is echoed
in Dt02-16:17
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So it came to pass,
when all the men of war were
consumed and dead from among the people,
that HaShem spoke unto me saying:
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Note: Rashi literally states
-----------------------------------
This "VAV" is extra
-----------------------------------
Some Rashi commentators have erroneously
interpreted the word "VAV" to refer to
the LETTER "VAV". They therefore erroneously
believe that an extra "VAV" existed in Rashi's
Biblical text.
But we have never found any Biblical text
with an extra VAV in this verse.
Rather I interpret the word "VAV" to mean
sentence conjunct. Let me explain this.
The letter "VAV" can refer literally to
itself and also has MEANING - it can mean
any type of CONJUNCTIVE activity. Hence
it is usually translated AND, OR, etc.
Since "VAV" can mean "AND" therefore "VAV"
(by using the METONOMY principle) can refer
to any "CONJUNCT". That is if I eg. say
I went to the store AND bought milk then
the letter "VAV" can refer to the CONJUNCTED
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE, "bought milk."
So in summary "VAV" can refer either
- to the LETTER "VAV"
- to the CONJUNCTED SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
connected by the "VAV"
So when Rashi says
-----------------------------
This "VAV" is extra and there
are many such in the Bible
--------------------------
Rashi is really saying
--------------------------------
This subordinate clause is extra
and there are many such THEME-DETAIL
structures in the Bible
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I think this is the simple way of
taking this Rashi.
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