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(C) Dr Russell Jay Hendel, 2000
Volume 5 Number 1
Produced Jan, 23 2000
WARNING: USE FIX WIDTH FONTS (eg COURIER (NEW) 10)
Verses/Topics Discussed in This Issue with quicky explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------
v6-1-21
NEW NEW...With this volume SHORTER POSTINGS, MORE READER
QUESTIONS, REVISED RULES
v2q14-21
Question from Cheryl Zwiren on why Rashi omitted
citation of an obvious verse.
v2c16-20
VAYIVASH is spelled with a PATACH ("AH" sound as in
"FAT") vs a KAMATZ ("AU" sound as in "FOUGHT"). At the
end of a sentence it should have a KAMATZ. The
deliverate misspelling HINTS at an order reversal("it
became putrid & wormy).
v2b16-20
VARARUM means it WORMED. It is common to derive VERBS
from NOUNS. For example TO FLOWER, TO PLANT, TO BUILD (a building).
v2-16-16
Rashi uses SPIRAL curriculum. OMER means BUNDLE and
refers to a DRY MEASURE. It is the volume of 43.2 eggs.
Recent studies suggest that the idea diet consumes about
the volume of 43.2 eggs a day.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
RASHI IS SIMPLE
GOALS: To grammatically defend all 8000 Rashis on Chumash.
METHOD:Every Rashi will be defended with a LIST of comparable cases
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Laymen, Academicians, Rabbis, Yeshiva students
COMMENTS,QUESTIONS: EMail to address below; (minor edits may occur)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:Always given unless 'anonymous' is explicitly asked
(UN)SUBSCRIBE: Email to above with keyword "(UN)subscribe"
JOURNAL REFERECE: Pshat & Drash, TRADITION, Win 1980, R Hendel
NOTATION: eg v2b1-8 refers to Ex(Book 2) Chap 1 Verse 8 Rashi b(#2)
SPECIALS:...on Rambam,Ramban,Symbolism,Pedagogy,Daily Questions
EMAIL: RJHendel@Juno.Com,rashi-is-simple@shamash.org,
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VERSE: v6-1-21
======
NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW
NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW
With the start of volume 5 we are featuring
---SHORTER POSTINGS--everyone has been asking for more brevity
We are strictly following the mail-jewish and
Torah-forum guidelines of 25-50 lines per posting
This is the number of lines in the BRIEF EXPLAnATION
OF RASHI section (you can skip the rest)
---MORE READER POSTINGS--this is an email list---Please send in
your questions--we will try and have at least
one extra posting per issue. Send in any
questions
---SUMMARY OF RULES--Based on some term papers that some readers
did I am revising my RULE page. This will take
6 months...but it will contain those issues
with COMPLETE LISTS of certain rules.
Also the RULES will be footers on every issue
---DOWNLOADS--I am backlogged in the free downloads. I have to
carefully reread these BEFORE making them
available. During volume 5 I am trying to
catch up
Please send in your comments...this is your email group
Russell Hendel; Moderator Rashi Is Simple
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VERSE: v2q14-21
======
[ANSWERS IN CAPS]
From: "Cheryl Zwiren"
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:00:41 -0500
Subject: question regarding Rashi 2-14-21
Dr. Hendel -
Thank you for providing direction in helping us to understand Rashi.
I have a question regarding the Rashi in S'hmot 14:21.
Rashi is providing a list of sources to back up his claim
that punishment is meeted out through an East wind.
The 4 sources are
>Yirmiyahu 18:17,
>Hoshea 13:15,
>Yechezkel 27:26 and
>Yishayahu 27:8.
My question is: why did Rashi feel the need to cite
sources from N'viim, when an obvious source is located
right here in Sefer Shmot, Parashat Bo (10:13)?
Hashem caused an Eastern wind to bring about the Arbeh.
Why wasn't this included in Rashi's list?
[ANSWER
2-10-13 speaks about an eastern wind that
>CARRIED the Arbeh
By contrast 2-14-21 speaks about an eastern wind that
>IS FIERCE
Similarly the citations from Yirmiyahu, Hoshea, Yechezkel, Yishaya
speak about
>PUNISHMENT
SO RASHI IS SIMPLE. HE FOUND SUPPORT FOR VERSES THAT
SPEAK ABOUT PUNISHMENT WITH OTHER VERSES THAT SPEAK
ABOUT PUNISHMENT. BUT HE DID NOT BRING 2-10-13 WHICH
SPEAKS ABOUT THE **CARRYING** ABILITY OF THE EAST WIND
IN FACT IF YOU LOOK AT THE RASHI ON 2-10-13 RASHI DOES
NOT SPEAK ABOUT THE fierceness OF THE WIND BUT ABOUT
ITS position
A MORE INTERESTING QUESTION IS HOW RASHI KNEW THAT
>THE EAST WIND IS THE FIERCEST
WE WILL GO OVER THAT IN A FUTURE ISSUE (MAYBE THIS WEEK)
Rashi is quoting the M'chilta here.
I'm trying to get a copy of it.
I'd like to see the sources quoted there, but in parallel,
[THE BEST WAY TO GET THE MECHILTA IS TO PURCHASE THE COMMENTARY
CALLED THE
>MALBIM
THE MALBIM's COMMENTARY ON CHUMASH IS REALLY A COMMENTARY ON
THE MECHILTAH AND SIFRAY. HE ALSO WROTE ON THE PROPHETS]
if you have the time, I would like to hear your insights.
[THIS IS AN EMAIL GROUP..WE ENCOURAGE ALL QUESTIONS]
Thank you.
Cheryl Zwiren
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v2c16-20
======
v2c16-20 and (the leftover manna) became wormy & putrid
RASHI TEXT:
===========
v2c16-20 The sentence uses a reverse order.
>First an object becomes PUTRID
>and then it becomes WORMY.
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
=========================================
There is a grammatical anomaly in the verse--
the punctuation of VAYIVASH(putrid) has a
>PATACH sound ("AH" as in "FAT")
>but should be a KAMATZ ("AU" or "O" as in "FOUGHT")
The rule is that ENDS OF SENTENCES change PATACHS to KAMATZs
and therefore VAYIVASH which is at the end of a sentence should
have a KAMATZ not a PATACH. A quickie summary of this rule is
>PATACH ("ah" as in "FAT") in the sentence MIDDLE
>KAMATZ ("ah" as in "FOUGHT") in the sentence END
--------------------------------------------
|QUESTION 1 |
|---------- |
|How would you prove that verbs change |
|their PATACH to a KAMATZ at the end of a |
|sentence. What tools would you use? |
|A model answer is contained below in |
|{LIST1} |
--------------------------------------------
The solution to why VAYIVASH has a PATACH vs a KAMATZ lies in the
understanding of BIBLICAL PUNS or HINTS. A HINT occurs when the
verse clearly means one thing but another meaning is hinted at.
A simple example would be 2-3-15
>this is My (Gods) Name forever
Simple enough. But the word
>FOREVER (LOLAM)
is spelled peculiarly--and looks like the Hebrew word
>LAyLem (Steathily or hidden)
which HINTS at the idea that God's name is INEFFABLE (hidden).
Another example might be 1-16-5
>May God Judge between Me(Sarah) and You(Abraham)
The word BETWEEN ME AND YOU is spelled fully making it appear
as if it reads
>May God Judge between Me(Sarah) and you(feminine) (Hagar)
which hints at the idea that Sarah fought not only with Abraham
but also with Hagar. We interpret these puns or hints to be
deliberately added meanings to the simple meaning of the text.
-------------------------------------------------
|QUESTION 2: |
|========== |
|Can you make a list of Biblical verses which |
|have double meanings and hints? What tools |
|would you use? {LIST2} below provides a partial|
|answer. |
-------------------------------------------------
We now apply this idea of "TWO VERSES IN ONE" to our misspelled
VAYIVASH. If the Torah had used the proper order
>it became putrid (VAYIVASH) and wormy
then, since PUTRID is in the middle of the sentence it would
be spelled with a patach. However it is actually written
>it became wormy and putrid (VAYIVASH)
Since VAYIVASH is at the end of a sentence it should be spelled
with a KAMATZ. Therefore the PATACH spelling HINTS at a reversed
order.Thus when Rashi (Following the Mechiltah) says
>the sentence order should be reversed
he really means that the misspelled word, VAYIVASH
>hints at a secondary sentence of reversed order.
We now explain WHY the Torah first reversed
the ordinary order and then hinted at the right order. Why
not simply write
>and it became putrid and wormy.
This is answered in the Midrash Rabbah
>Normally it becomes putrid, you throw it out
>and it becomes wormy in the garbage. But God
>wanted to single out & expose those who didn't have
>faith and kept the Manna over---so He reversed
>the order--it became wormy first (so that
>everyone saw it because it wasn't thrown out)
>and then later became wormy
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
=========================
We make 3 comments
#1--GRAMMATICAL vs EMPIRICAL APPROACHES
---------------------------------------
There are two approaches to this Rashi. One approach is
>empirical-philosophical
Rashi was bothered by an inconsistency of the verse with
empirical reality. For in the real world an object
becomes PUTRID before it becomes WORMY and therefore the
order in the verse
>became wormy and putrid
looks wrong. Rashi corrects this by advising us that the
sentence should be read reversed.
A second approach seeks not empirical but rather
>grammatical reasons
for the problems in the sentence. My teacher, from whom
I learned Rashi, Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveitchick once
publicly stated in his weekly shiurim
>When learning Chumash it is always better if
>possible to avoid the stormy waters of philosophy
>and seek the placid waters of Grammar.
This is the approach we have adopted on this email group
#2--Claim of EXPLICIT INTENDED HINT vs PSHAT
--------------------------------------------
Notice that we are not claiming that this is the simple meaning
of the verse--but we are claiming that the verse EXPLICITLY
hints at this by DELIBERATELY using a misspelling. In other words
we are claiming INTENTIONALITY and EXPLICITNESS. This does not
however contradict the simple meaning of the text. However it
eleveates HINTS from the status of a DRASH (homily) which you
are free to believe or not. The reader MUST believe the HINTS
showed above since the Torah went out of its way to explicitly
indicate them with a deliberate misspelling.
#3--Rishonim Complement not disagree
-------------------------------------
We often claim this on this email group that Rishonim do not
disagree with each other but complement each other. This is not some
personality quirk of me or some wishful thinking. Thus
the commentaries on the Shmoth Rabbah assert that the Mechiltah
and Shmoth Rabbah complement each other---first it became slightly
putrid--not enough to throw it out but enough to become wormy--then
it became wormy--then it became more putrid. The net effect is that
people walking by saw the wormy manna of those that didn't trust
God.
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
===========================================================
{LIST1} {Verses where a PATACH changes to a KAMATZ if the
cantillation is strongly pausal (ZAKEF, ETHNACH, SILUK)
Other cantillations leave the spelling PATACH. The
cantillations (Biblical grammar marks) measure how strong
a pause is involved}
VERSE WORD CANTILLATION PUNCTUATION
======== ======= ============ ===========
5-32-15 YivOt Zakef Kamatz
Job40-21 YisCOV Ethnachta Kamatz
1R19-6 YishCOV Sof Posook Kamatz
2-22-26 YiscCov Zakef Kamatz
1-28-11 YischAv Tipchah Patach
1-30-16 Yischav Marich Patach
1-34-2 Yischav Marich Patach
{LIST2} {All Rashis dealing with DEFICIENT/FULL spellings.
The deficiently spelled word can
be read differently suggesting that 2 words apply to
the same situation (So Eg Ephron's temporary appointment
showed a combination of his being a COMMON PERSON and
a DiSTINGUISHED person at the same time). Further
details are given in the footnotes}
VERSE METHOD WORD-1 WORD-2 Nature of DEFICIENCY
======== ========= ======= ============ =========================
1z1-14 2 words Sunlight Curse Weather can help/hurt *4
1z6-2 2 words Good Put makeup Pretty at time of makeup*7
1b16-5 2 words me-you me-her Sarah had hurt Hagar *5
1c18-1 2 words sitting sat Began to get up&sat down*6
1a23-10 2 words common distinguished temporary appointment *6
2a3-15 2 words forever hidden God's name is ineffable*3
2c23-2 2 Words dispute Rabbi/head*2 Don't override Court head
2b31-18 2 Words Complete Bride*1 Torah received like bride
FOOTNOTES
*1 Thus we read two sentences
>God gave Moses the tablets WHEN HE WAS FINISHED
>God gave Moses the tablets LIKE THE GIVING OF A BRIDE
*2 Thus we read two sentences
>Don't answer a dispute to follow a majority
>Don't answer a court-head to follow a majority
(Hence opinions in trials always start from the younger
court members and go up till the head of Court is reached)
Rashi himself points out that Chazal are NOT intending this
to mean the simple meaning of the text. Rather
>They gave this other interpretation because of the
>deficient spelling (which Justifies a dual interpretation)
*3 Thus we read two sentences
>Gods name is forever
>Gods name is hidden (ineffable)
*4 In other words the changing climate (sun & moon) can
lead to colds. On the other hand the sun also aids in growth.
So the sun aids both growth and destruction.
*5 That Sarah seriously hurt Hagar is clear from the
explicit statement
> return to your mistress and SUFFER under her(1-16-9)
Rashi simply points out the likely possibility that the stress
caused by Sarah towards Hagar (the "evil eye") caused a
miscarriage (which is the reason for the promise of another
conception and birth(1-16-11)). However the main point of the
verses is that Sarah was angry at BOTH Hagar and
Abraham and Hagar suffered under her. Note how Rashi uses the
alignment method here---every other BETWEEN ME AND YOU in the
Bible is spelled deficiently {LIST2}
*6 A person who stands, WAS SITTING but is NOT NOW SITTING.
A person who IS SITTING is obviously not standing. So a
person who BOTH SIT and SAT could be a person who started
to get up and then sat down. Similarly by Ephron we analyze
as follows: YSHAV can mean in Hebrew a COMMON PERSON (eg 2R4-13).
A distinguished person is NOT COMMON NOW but WAS COMMON. By
contrast a NON DISTINGUISHED person IS COMMON NOW. Since Ephron
is called both we conclude that he received a temporary
appointment---he was a common person who LOOKED distinguished
but really wasn't (So the LOOKED and ACTUAL cause the WRITTEN
and SPOKEN forms of SIT-SAT).
Note the element of creativity needed to discover a concept like
>Temporary appointment
which combines features of both the PAST and PRESENT tense.
*7 In other words the Judges waited till the women would "dress
themselves up" and then took them. Rashi hilights the vulgarity of
the practice by emphasizing that most woman "dress themselves up"
when they are going seriously with somebody (eg when they are about
to get married).
CROSS REFERENCES:
=================
Volume 4 Number 16, v1$1-14--reviews verses of hinting
by misspelling.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
=================
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
===============================================================
USAGE
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v2b16-20
======
v2b16-20 and they didn't listen to Moses and they
left over (the manna) till morning and
it(the manna) WORMED worms and became
disgusting
RASHI TEXT:
===========
v2b16-20 The Hebrew word
>VAYARUM
comes from the Hebrew Word
>RMH=WORM
so that VAYARUM is the VERBAL form and means
>WORMED
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
=========================================
It is well known that words that designate objects (NOUNS) may
be used to coin new words denoting activities (VERBS). Some
simple examples are
>he DUSTED the cabinet (ie he REMOVED the dust)
>he HAMMERED the nails into the cabinet (ie he USED the hammer)
>the cherry tree FLOWERED (ie it produced FLOWERS)
So Rashi is simple, the Hebrew word
>VaYaRUM
must be a verbal form of the Hebrew word
>RMH=WORM
so that the meaning of
>VaYaRUM, would be "To WORM" (to produce worms).
This would be simple to such English verbs as
>TO FLOWER
>TO BLOSSOM
>TO BUILD (make a building)
The above completes our explanation of Rashi. However the more
curious reader may notice that the relation between OBJECT
and ACTIVITY differ---sometimes you PRODUCE the object (eg to
FLOWRE) while sometimes you REMOVE the object (eg to DUST)
while sometimes you USE the object (eg to hammer).
--------------------------------------
|QUESTION 1: |
|========== |
|Can you provide a list of NOUN-VERB |
|pairs which illustrate the various |
|ways NOUNS and VERBS relate? A |
|partial list is provided below in |
|{LITS1} |
--------------------------------------
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
=========================
As I have explained several times, Rashi teaches not only
>grammatical rules
which deal with how the same root can refer to different
activities but Rashi also teaches
>semantic rules
which deal with how the same reference can be perceived
as an object, activity, property etc.
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
===========================================================
{LIST1} {VERB-NOUN pairs that are related. Thus (1st row)
from the NOUN, "FLOWER" we derive the VERB "To
Flower" which means to PRODUCE flowers}
THE VERB THE NOUN VERB does the Following to NOUN
========= ======== ===============================
To Flower Flower To PRODUCE it
To Dust Dust To REMOVE it
To Hammer Hammer *1 To USE it
To drink Drink *1 To USE it
To fan Fan *1 To USE it
To uproot Root *2 To Remove it
To sing Song *1 To PRODUCE it
To build building *1 To PRODUCE it
To plant plant To produce it
FOOTNOTES
*1 We are simply asserting that the VERB and NOUN are related
as shown. We are not asserting that the VERB or NOUN came first
Thus some people may think that the object plant came first
and afterwards the activity "to plant" came while eg they
may believe that the activity "to build" came first and
afterwards the object "building". We are simply showing the
relationship between the two.
*2 In English the word UPROOT and ROOT are slightly different.
In Hebrew the words SRSH and SRSH are identical
CROSS REFERENCES:
=================
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
=================
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
===============================================================
GRAMMAR | SEMANTIC TRANSFORMATIONS
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
VERSE: v2-16-16
======
v2-16-16 And they measured an OMERS worth
v2-16-36 The OMER is 1/10th of an EYPHAH
RASHI TEXT:
===========
v2-16-16 "OMER" is the name of a (dry) measure
v2-16-36 Measures of volume are as follows{LIST1}
MEASURE EQUIVALANT VOLUME
======= =================
egg volume of an egg
Reviith a Cupful=volume of 1.5 eggs
Log volume of 6 eggs=4 cups =1 Quart
Kav volume of 4 logs=4 quarts=1 Gallon=24 eggs
Sah volume of 6 kavs=volume of 144 eggs
Ayfah volume of 3 Sahs=volume of 432 eggs
Omer volume of 1/10 Eyphah=volume of 43.2 eggs
BRIEF BUT COMPLETE NARRATIVE EXPLANATION:
=========================================
This Rashi looks simple enough---Rashi is simply explaining
the meaning of a word. We however point out some subtleties
that the average reader may have bypassed.
Rashi uses the teaching technique known as SPIRAL CURRICULUM.
In SPIRAL CURRICULUM you
>first introduce the topic lightly WITHOUT details
>and then on a 2nd go around introduce it fully
The initial introduction helps students understand the topic
more fully.
So on verse 16, Rashi simply says
>OMER is the name of a measure
It is simple, intuitive and non-technical. But on verse 36 Rashi
gives the full story
>OMER=the volume of 43.2 eggs (etc)
We also point out that the word OMER means
>bundle
and is a fitting name for a large volume. This is similar
to the work
>SAH
which means
>a burden
and also names a large volume (See below {LIST2}).
Finally we explain why both the CHUMASH and Rashi indicate in
detail HOW MUCH MANNA/FOOD the Jews ate everyday. We all know
the importance of a balanced diet with a variety of foods and
fiber. It turns out that the best recommended diets all seem
to have an OMER of food per day. We just give one example. The
popular DASH diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) which
has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce chances of heart
attack and stroke and several other diseases roughly advocates
per meal
>3-4 servings of bread or cereal
>2 fruits
>2 vegetables
>1 cup of milk or milk equivalant
It additionally advocates per day
>appropriate oil
>1-2 servings of fish/meat/eggs
{LIST3} shows how this comes out to one OMER of food per day.
COMMENTS ON RASHI'S FORM:
=========================
We have commented above on Rashis use of SPIRAL CURRICULUM
LISTS {For ADVANCED students and for those with more time}:
===========================================================
{LIST1} {Measures of Volume (in Hebrew) and how much each one
is. VOlumes are given in terms of equivalant numbers
of egg volumes. Where appropriate analogies with
English are mentioned}
MEASURE EQUIVALANT VOLUME
======= =================
egg volume of an egg
Reviith a Cupful=volume of 1.5 eggs *1
Log volume of 6 eggs=4 cups =1 Quart
Kav volume of 4 logs=4 quarts=1 Gallon=24 eggs
Sah volume of 6 kavs=volume of 144 eggs
Ayfah volume of 3 Sahs=volume of 432 eggs
Omer volume of 1/10 Eyphah=volume of 43.2 eggs
FOOTNOTES
*1 In English the standard cup is 8 onzes while in Jewish
law it is the volume of 1.5 eggs. The actual volumes
differ--but functionally they are the same..the standard
amount in one cup.
{LIST2} {Meanings of the Hebrew root, OMER, courtesy of RDK.
Note how OMER means both to BUNDLE and refers to a
dry measure "the bundle"; similarly the Hebrew root
SAH means both "A BURDEN" and reers to a dry measure
"the BURDEN" (the volume of 6 gallons)}
Wheat bundles Ruth2-7
To bundle 5-24-7 Metaphorically it means any intense usage
a bundle 2-16-16 Literally OMER=volume of 43.2 eggs
{LIST3} {This list shows the recommended servings of the DASH
---Dietary Approach to Stopping Hypertension--diet. The
diet has had many reviews showing it effective in reducing
blood pressure and curtailing incidence of several diseases
As shown the standard meal in this diet has the volume of
about 14 eggs corresponing to 42 eggs of food volume per
day. The Torah recommends an OMER per day, the volume of
43.2 eggs. To be consistent with the Torah this list does
not list liquid consumption}
FOOD # SERVINGS # EGGS ASSUMPTIONS
=============== ========== ====== =============================
milk equivalant 1 1.5 1 cup = Reviith=1.5 eggs
bread/cereal 4 1.5 Serving of wheat germ=1/4 cup
fruits 2 4 1 medium fruit=size of 2 eggs
vegetables 2 4 1 medium vege =size of 2 eggs
appropriate oil tablespoon 0 Tablespoon is negligible
fish/meat/eggs 1 3 1 serving fish=3 eggs
TOTAL @ MEAL 14 3 meals=3x14=42eggs=1 Omer
CROSS REFERENCES:
=================
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
=================
RULE CLASSIFICATION {See the web site for comparable examples}:
===============================================================
WORD MEANINGS
WORD MEANINGS
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End of Rashi-Is-Simple Digest
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