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VERSE: Lv16-12a
RASHIS COVERED: Lv16-12a Lv16-13a Lv16-25b Lv16-16c Lv16-18a
============= Dr Hendel meets Rabbi Boncheck ==================
While Rabbi Dr. Boncheck was in the states I had a discussion
with him about his approach of starting the learning of Rashi
with the question WHAT IS BOTHERING RASHI. Rabbi Boncheck
of course follows in the footsteps of Dr Leibowitz who
started the learning of Rashi by seeking WHAT WAS RASHIS
QUESTION.
However the point of view on this email list is that many
Rashis can be better understood using the concept of STYLE
and OVERALL STRUCTURE
Here is an analogy. Suppose I am describing a trip from
Baltimore to Florida. I say
-------------------------------------------------
I went from BALTIMORE to the CAPITOL to the WOODS
to the COAST down to FLORIDA
-------------------------------------------------
A Rashi on my description might identify items on my
trip (e.g. CAPITOL=D.C.). These Rashis are presented
in the table below. As the footnotes show a productive approach
is that Rashi is simply describing the trip as one
continuous journey; that is Rashi is providing a cohesive
unity to the trip description.
Rabbi Boncheck said he doesnt disagree with such an approach
In a similar manner the Rashis on Lv16 are not bothered
by anything. Rather Rashi is simply giving a cohesive
unity to the trip of the Priest from the outside altar
to the inside altar during the procedures on the day
of atonement. These Rashis will be presented in the
table following this one.
Now let us examine the Rashis on my trip from Baltimore
to Florida
===============================================================
TRIP ITEM RASHIS EXPLANATION OF THIS TRIP ITEM
========= ===========================================
Baltimore Because Russell is now living in Baltimore*1
Capitol D.C. (Capitol of country not capitol of MD)*2
WOOD Virginia (Known for its scenic beauty)*3
COAST The Carolinas, known for their Beeches*3
Florida Where I wanted to go to*4
NOTES
=====
*1 Nothing is bothering Rashi. Rather Rashi is giving a
cohesive unity to the trip---it started in Baltimore
because Russell lives there
*2 Nothing is bothering Rashi--Rashi doesnt really think
that Capitol could refer to Albany (Capitol of NY) or
any other capitol. Rashi simply gives a cohesive
unity to the trip: If you start from Baltimore and
go to Florida then D.C. is the first place hit and
D.C. is the capitol (Of the U.S.)
*3 Nothing is bothering Rashi. Rashi is simply identifying
the worth of certain spots on a trip from Baltimore
to Florida: The Carolinas are noted for their Beeches
while Virginia is noted for its scenic beauty.
*4 Rashi again gives cohesive unity. Rashi is not bothered
that the trip stops there. He rather simply explains
that the goal of the trip was to end in Florida.
==============================================================
================ THE ALTAR SERVICES OF YOM KIPPUR ===============
`A diagram and time line might help.
`
`Here is a blueprint of the Temple layout. The capital
`letters indicate the SEQUENCE of Yom Kippur events mentioned in
`the verses. This will be further explained in the
`LIST below. The Priests trip starts at point A at the bottom
`of the diagram.
`
` WEST
` -------------------------
` B: Lv16-12 | ARK | HOLY OF HOLIES
` ---------- | | Called HOLIES(Lv16-20)
` Brings inside | |
` | |
` C: Lv16-13 | |
` ---------- | |
`Incense to fire| |
` | |
` D:Lv16-14 | |
` ---------- | |
`Sprinkle blood | |
`on Paroceth | |
` | |
`E:Lv16-15 | |
`---------- | |
`Sprinkle blood | |
`of he-goat | |
`on Paroceth | Paroceth Cover |
` -------------------------
`F:Lv16-16 | |
`--------- | |
`Sprinkle blood | |
`from outside | |
`to Paroceth |CANDELABRA TABLE | NORTH
` | |
` | |
` | |
` | | HOLIES
` | | Called TENT OF MEETING
`G:Lv16-17 | GOLD ALTAR | (Lv16-17, Lv16-20)
`--------- | |
`GO OUT to | |
`Gold altar | |
`Place blood | |
`on Altar horns | |
` | |
` | |
` | TEMPLE COVER(Door) |
` -------------------------
`
`
` A: Lv16-12
` ----------
` Takes altar coals COPPER ALTAR THE ALTAR
` Takes incense
`
`
`H:Lv16-25
`---------
`Offer sin offering fat on altar
`
` EAST
================================================================
# Vs TEXT OF VERSE WHICH ONE WHY NOT ALTERNATIVE
= == ================= =============== =========================
A 12 Take ALTAR coals COPPER ALTAR No sacrifices on Gold *1
B 12 BRING them inside To Holy of Holy *2
C 13 Incense on fire fire=burnt wood No fire on Gold *1
D 14 Sprinkle Parocet West to East He is INSIDE HolyHolies*3
E 15 Sprinkle Parocet West to East He is INSIDE HolyHolies*3
F 16 Sprinkle Parocet West to East DO SIMILARLY TO TENT *3
G 17 Blood on ALTAR =Gold Altar Analogy with Lv04 *4
H 25 Offer Fat on Altr =Copper Altar No sacrifices on Gold *1
NOTES
=====
*1 Ex30-01:09 deals with the construction of the GOLDEN altar.
At the end of this chapter, Ex30-09, it says DO NOT OFFER
ON IT (i.e. ON THE GOLD ALTAR) STRANGE INCENSE, ELEVATION
OFFERINGS, OR MINCHAH OFFERINGS. From this verse we infer
that animal/minchah offerings were only offered on the
fires of the COPPER ALTAR.
From this fact Rashi learns 3 things
* The fat of the sin offering was offered on the COPPER ALTAR
since no offerings were made on the Gold altar(Lv16-25b)
* The BURNING COALS mentioned in Lv16-12 referred to the
burning wood on the copper altar since that is the only
altar which had fires and offerings (Lv16-12a)
* the phrase PLACE INCENSE ON THE FIRE (IN THE HOLY OF
HOLIES) must mean PLACE INCENSE ON THE FIRE-COALS (ie
burning coals); it could not mean PLACE INCENSE ON THE
ALTAR FIRE since the Gold altar had no fire(Lv16-13a)
*2 As is clear from the diagram, BOTH the copper and gold altar
were OUTSIDE the Paroceth. Hence the phrase BRING INSIDE
could equally mean BRING INSIDE FROM THE GOLD ALTAR or
BRING INSIDE FROM THE COPPER ALTAR. Hence one cannot use
the phrase BRING OUTSIDE to prove which altar the Priest
brought from. (The proof that this is from the Gold altar
comes from an other verse--see footnote #1)
*3 There are 3 sprinklings on the PAROCETH. Sprinklings D & E
were sprinkled FROM west TO east since the Priest was
INSIDE the holy of holies and hence he sprinkled to the
western side of the Paroceth.
By contrast, sprinkling F took place FROM East TO West
since the Priest was OUTSIDE the Paroceth and hence he
sprinkled to the east side.
Rashi (Lv16-16c) learns this from the Biblical phrase
AND HE SHALL DO SIMILARLY TO THE TENT OF MEETING.
In other words just as he sprinkled in the holy of holies
so too he must now sprinkle in the TENT OF MEETING(which
is a name for the holies).
Rashi also observes that by use of GENERALIZATION,
one of the principles of Rabbi Ishmael, we infer that
both the TENT MEETING and HOLY-OF-HOLY sprinklings were
similar (One sprinkle above and 7 below). This is
explicitly indicated in the verse, Lv16-16 AND YOU
SHALL DO SIMILARLY.
*4 This is a rather deep Rashi, based on Yuma 58a. The verse
says (Lv16-18a) HE SHALL GO OUT TO THE ALTAR AND PLACE
BLOOD.
But the phrase GO OUT could equally refer to the GOLD
or COPPER ALTAR. Thus we cannot use the phrase GO OUT
to infer WHICH altar they went out to.
Similarly we cant use the contrast of phrases of
ALTAR BEFORE GOD (Lv16-18) vs ALTAR FROM BEFORE GOD(Lv16-12)
to infer which altar (since these phrases are used
interchangeably).
How then does Rashi know that Lv16-18 refers to the Gold
altar?
The answer, as I said, is deep. Not all Rashis come from
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, and LOGIC. Some Rashis come from STYLE
and ANALOGY. The Tractate Yuma simply observes that
we have a SIMILAR procedure mentioned in Lv04-06:07.
This similar procedure also has sprinklings on the PAROCET.
And it explicitly says in Lv04-07 that the altar is the
ALTAR OF THE INCENSE which is the Golden Altar (Ex30-07).
Thus this Rashi is done by ANALOGY and GENERALIZATION which
is one of the principles of Rabbi Ishmael.
The Tractate Yuma makes other inferences by analogy:
For example the remainder of the blood in Lv16 is poured
out on the Copper Altar (Just like in Lv04)
(Finally Rashi and the Gmarrah mention one difference
between Lv16 and Lv04---the sprinklings from East to
West to the Paroceth in Lv04 were done from BEHIND the
Gold altar while the sprinklings from East to West to
the Paroceth in Lv16 were done from BETWEEN the Gold
altar and Paroceth. This is inferred from the
phrase GO OUT: AND THE PRIEST SHALL GO OUT TO THE ALTAR
which implies he was between the altar and Paroceth)
================================================================
RASHI RULE USED: OVERALL STRUCTURE
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 10 Number 2
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 10 Number 2