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VERSE: Lv17-05a
========================= Lv17-05a =============================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY:
-----------------
One of Rashi's 10 major goals is the explanation of GRAMMAR
the same way modern textbooks explain GRAMMAR. There are three
major GRAMMAR submethods:
(a) The goal of the ROOT submethod is to explain all
conjugations and meanings of Biblical roots.
Biblical roots are conjugated with letter prefixes and suffixes
to indicate (i) tense (ii) person (iii) gender (iv) plurality
(v) mode (vi) object (to whom the activity is done) and (vii)
mood. Each of these conjugations has a specific meaning.
Furthermore, these conjugations take on different forms for
roots with weak letters.
(b) The SENTENCE submethod deals with grammatical attributes
of sentences such as (i) word arrangement (Verb Subject vs
Subject Verb) (ii) sentence type (interrogative, command)
(iii) compound sentences (iv) apposition and (v)
paragraph / sentence development.
(c) The MISCELLANEOUS grammatical methods deal with
(i) agreement (in gender and plurality), (ii) the construct
(iii) pronoun reference (iv) ellipsis (v) noun-verb transforms
(e.g. to dust) (vi) special word usage(e.g. how to use
numbers) (vii) suffix-prefixes (e.g. terminal HEY means
towards).
EXAMPLE 1: Lv17-05a
-------------------
In Grammar school we learn about 3 tenses: PAST, PRESENT
and FUTURE. Actually there are about a dozen tenses.
We show below three uses of the Present tense--they
differ in whether the action
- occurs once or many times
- actually happened.
-----------------------------------------------------
- SIMPLE PRESENT:
---------------
I AM EATING AN APPLE indicates ACTUAL EATING, ONCE
- HABITUAL PRESENT
----------------
I GO TO THE 5th AVENUE SYNAGOGUE indicates
REPEATED ACTUAL GOINGS, that USUALLY TAKE PLACE
(I am not claiming I go every Shabbath)
- INFORAMTION PRESENT
-----------
TO GET TO THE CITY I TAKE A CAB indicates
INFORMATION--there is no indication that I ever
did or will take a cab
-----------------------------------------------------
Hence Rashi translates Lv17-05 which contains
a present conjugation as follows
--------------------------------------------
The purpose [of the temporary Wilderness ordinance
that requires people who wish to eat meat to
offer a peace offering in which they partake] is
so that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
which they USUALLY offer in the open fields
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
to the Lord, to the door of the Tent of Meeting,
to the priest, and offer them for peace
offerings to the Lord.
----------------------------------------------
In this example Rashi interpreted the PRESENT
CONJUGATION as meaning the HABITUAL PRESENT.
Rashi in turn explains the HABITUAL PRESENT
as indicating FREQUENTLY RECURRING ACTIVITY
(but it need not always happen)
In other words Rashi interprets the verse
to indicate a community pattern (offering
on the open field) which had to be remedied
by bringing offerings to God (This problem however
was not something that everyone did all the time)
LIST703i below contains several tenses with
indications of conjugation in Hebrew and English
================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =======================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: GRAMMAR
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS 14 TENSES
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #9
SEE BELOW LIST703i
List of Rashis using the 14 Tenses
================================================================
========================= LIST703i ==================================
List of Rashis using the 14 Tenses
=====================================================================
VERSE TRANSLATION OF VERSE TENSE
======== ======================================== ===================
Gn04-01a Adam HAD ALREADY known his wife*1 PAST PERFECT*1
Gn32-32b Jacob WAS LIMPING when he left*2 PROGRESSIVE PAST
Ex33-07a Moses takes the tent every day HABITUAL PRESENT
Lv17-05a they [usually*6] offer in open fields HABITUAL PRESENT
Ex20-08a CONTINUALLY REMEMBER the Sabbath*3 PROGRESSIVE COMMAND
------ ----------------------------------- ------------
Gn29-08a Until shepards gather & ROLE the stone*4 CONDITIONAL SIMPLE
Ex18-16a Whoever HAS a case COMES to me*4 CONDITIONAL SIMPLE
------ ----------------------------------- ---------------
Gn29-15b You, my relative, SHOULD WORK for nought SUBJUNCTIVE*5
Ex15-06d Your right hand always PULVERIZES enemys PRESENT-HABIT
Ex15-07b You CONTINUALLY SMASH ENEMIES PRESENT-HABIT
NOTES
-----
*1 HAD ALREADY indicates the PAST PERFECT; that is, an activity
that happened before another Past activity. In English this
is indicated using the AUXILLIARY VERB HAD. In Hebrew it
is indicated with the PAST CONJUGATION (The ABSOLUTE PAST
is indicated in Hebrew with PREFIX VAV+FUTURE).
Gn03 discusses the sin of Adam/Eve/Snake in Paradise. Gn04-01,
the birth of Kayin HAD HAPPENED before the Paradise sin.
Rashi explains that the birth of Kayin belongs with the verse
prior to the Paradise sin chapter
--------------------------------------------------------
Adam and Eve were naked but not embarassed (Involved
in love making). She conceived and gave birth to Kayin
--------------------------------------------------------
Rashi explains that the snake saw Eve naked and wanted
Adam killed so he could marry her--hence the interruption
of the story and the use of the PAST PERFECT
*2 LIMPING connotes a PAST EVENT in one point in time. WAS LIMPING
connotes an ongoing past activity. In English an ONGOING
PAST ACTIVITY is indicated using the AUXILLIARY VERB, WAS.
In Hebrew it is indicated by the present conjugation.
*3 REMEMBER connotes a command that should be done once.
CONTINUALLY REMEMBER connotes a COMMAND TO CONTINUALLY
BE INVOLVED AND REPEAT A PERFORMANCE. There is no
PROGRESSIVE COMMAND in English. In Hebrew the PROGRESSIVE
COMMAND is indicated by the infinitive conjugation.
The Talmud explains that CONTINUALLY REMEMBER the
Sabbath implies that e.g. we should be looking the
whole week for good dishes, wine and good bread
for the Sabbath.
*4 (Gn29-08a) The Shepards are describing the following
- we are CURRENTLY doing nothing
- at some FUTURE time we will ALL be gathered
- at that moment we can ROLE the stone
In English this would be expressed as the sentence
----------------------------------
UNTIL WE GATHER AND ROLE THE STONE
----------------------------------
uses a SIMPLE PRESENT since the ROLLING is done
at the same time (PRESENT) as the gathering(PRESENT.
However Hebrew uses the ABSOLUTE FUTURE CONJUGATION
since the ROLLING will be done IMMEDIATELY AFTER
the SHEPARDS gather.
---------------------------------------------
UNTIL the shepards WILL GATHER and WILL ROLL the stone
---------------------------------------------
(Ex18-16a)In the second example
which does not use the word UNTIL
- the conditional is indicated with the FUTURE
-----------------------------
when someone WILL HAVE a case
-----------------------------
- the consequent action is indicated with the PRESENT
--------------------
then they COME to me
--------------------
In English we would use CONDITIONAL PRESENT
---------------------------------------
When someone HAS(PRESENT) a case they COME(PRESENT) to me
---------------------------------------
*5 The FUTURE connotes something that WILL HAPPEN. In
English we call this the INDICATIVE mode. The
SUBJUNCTIVE mode indicates something that is
EXPECTED to happen. Hence Laban says
----------------------------------------------
Because you are my relative you SHOULD work
for nothing?
----------------------------------------------
English indicates the SUBJUNCTIVE with the
auxilliary verb SHOULD. Hebrew indicates
the SUBJUNCTIVE using PREFIX VAV+PAST(Similar
to the way it indicates the FUTURE).
*6 Rashi's point here is that the HABITUAL PRESENT does
not REQUIRE that the activity be done ALWAYS by EVERYBODY
For example the sentence
--------------------------------------------------
We go to the 5th Avenue Synagogue
--------------------------------------------------
doesn't indicate that each member of the family
goes to synagogue every week; rather it indicates
that most family members frequently (but not always)
go to the 5th avenue synagogue.
================================================================
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Volume 29 Number 18
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2006, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 29 Number 18