#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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VERSE: Nu03-08a
RASHIS COVERED: Nu03-08a Dt10-08d
Dt18-05a Nu03-09a Nu08-16a
======================= Nu03-08a =====================
VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
------------------
======================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =============================
RASHI RULE CLASS: OTHER VERSES
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS FURTHER DETAILS
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #1
SEE BELOW LIST214a *10
Overview of lists Levites a)Sing b)Watch c)Help
------------------------ -----------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST214b
List of verses shows Levites serve BY SONG
------------------------ -----------------------------
SEE BELOW LIST214d *1
List of verses shows Levites serve by HELPING OUT
------------------------ -----------------------------
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS INFER MEANING
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #5
SEE BELOW LIST214c
List of verses shows SERVICE of GOd done STANDING
NOTES
------
*1 The remaining Levite service (WATCHING TEMPLE) is
inferred not thru the technique of OTHER VERSES
but rather thru the technique of ALIGNMENT and
CHAPTER STRUCTURE. Therefore see the next
posting in this digest
-- http://www.RashiYomi.com/nu03-10b.htm
for the completion of the review of the derivation
of the 3 levite services (SONG,TEMPLE GUARD,HELP)
------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ----------------
*10 Both Nu08-16a and Nu03-09a speak about
---------------------------------------
The LEVITES being GIVEN GIVEN to the
Priests to help in their work
---------------------------------------
Rashi comments as follows
--------------------------------------
- They are GIVEN to help GUARD temple
- They are GIVEN to SING in Temple
--------------------------------------
It is very tempting to see Rashi as
inferring the above from the repetition
of the word GIVEN. We even have a Rashi
rule and series about REPEATED WORDS.
Indeed REPETITION can denote INTENSITY
and as such it can mean EITHER physically
GIVEN (Sucy as to help guard) or
emotionally GIVEN (Such as to help in Song)
But this is incorrect reasoning!!!
The proper technique to use here is the
method of OTHER VERSES. For the method of
OTHER VERSES simply asks the question
----------------------------------
What do other verses tell us
about Temple service
----------------------------------
The answer is very simple--The other
verses brought in the lists of this
posting and the next posting show
3 distinct Levite services
- Singing in temple
- (Honor) Guarding the temple
- Helping out in Temple procedures
Thus the method of other verses
yields the inference that LEVITES
GIVEN TO PRIESTS refers to singing
and guard AND THIS IS TRUE WHETHER
THE WORD given IS DOUBLED OR NOT
(After seeing the force of the
above argument the reader will
ask---so why is the word GIVEN
doubled then..to which I answer
--- I dont know AND ALSO Rashi
does not comment on this)
===========================================================
=================== LIST214a ==========================
This is an overview list. In this list we review
the 3 services that the Levites do. We list a
list or posting for each service.*10
=======================================================
SERVICE This service discussed in LIST..
=========== ===========================================
Sing List214b
Help out List214d
Guard Tmpl List314a *1
NOTES
-----
*1 List314a is found in posting
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu10-03b.htm
---------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------------
*10 Thus each posting contains many verses
supporting the thesis that the Levites
do that particular service
I have not found a clear statement in Jewish
law that Levites are obligated to do 3 distinct
services. The Rambam (See Book of Commandments
Positive Commandments #22 and #23) seems to
group HELP and SING as one commandment (Which
indeed it might be) but nevertheless they are
two distinct types of service
=======================================================
==================== LIST214b =========================
In this list we bring verses supporting
the thesis that the Levites served God by SINGING
=======================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE showing Levite service of SONG
========== ============================================
1Ch15-16 David appoints Levites to Sing to God
2Ch07-06 The levites with instruments praising God
2Ch31-02 The levites ...should SERVE THANK & PRAISE
Dt10-08d Levites separated to serve God...to BLESS*10
------------------ LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------------
*10 Rashi seems to say differently on this verse
The verse and Rashi are as follows
--------------------------------------------
God separated the Levites to bear the ark;
to stand-serve before him (RASHI: These
are the priests who state the priestly
blessing) and to bless him(RASHI: The
levites bless in song)
--------------------------------------------
I however would first suggest that there
is no need to see Rashi as uprooting
a perfectly straightforward verse
from its grammatical setting.
The verse in bullet form quite simply states
-----------------------------------------
God separated the Levites
- to bear the ark
- to stand-serve before him
- to bless him
-----------------------------------------
So the verse is CLEAR---the verse is
speaking about the LEVITES (not the
priests) who both stand-serve and bless.
However Rashi is telling us WHEN
it is best for the Levites to sing song
and bless God. The best time is while
the Priests give their priestly blessing
At such times the Levites would STAND-SERVE
as an honor guard. They would then sing
songs of praise.
So Rashi was not interpreting the
different phrases of the verse as
referring to different groups of
people (priests levites) but rather
Rashi simply told us when these events
happened.
In fact the PRAISE-BLESSING is
connected (in time) with the PRIESTLY
BLESSING showing that in the temple
the Levite-s singing was connected with
the priestly blessing. (I however
have not found an explicit statement
of my approach in the Jewish Law books)
The notion of an honor guard for the
priests during their blessing is
consistent with the other guard
duties of the Levites.
I believe this is the simplest approach
to Rashi and does not require grammatical
surgery
====================================================
======================= LIST214c ===================
This list shows us that the word SERVE really
does not occur by itself. Rather the word
SERVE is always connected with STANDING.
Thus we would translate the verses as
---the levites STAND-SERVE before God*10
Rashi states that all SERVICE was done STANDING
(This is consistent with the notion of HONOR
GUARDING)
====================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE with STAND-SERVE
======== ===========================================
Nu16-09 isnt it enough that you stand serve
Dt10-08 levites separated to stand-serve
Dt17-12 priests who stand-serves*1
Dt18-05a God chose him to stand-serve
-------- -------------------------------------------
Ex28-35 when he comes to serve
Ex28-43 when they come to altar to serve
Ex30-20 serve by altar
NOTES
-----
*1 In the old days all learning (which is what
the verse speaks about) was done standing
*2 In these verses we only have the word SERVE
but it is obviously connected with some
type of standing (eg COME SERVE or ALTAR SERVE
--etc in both cases STANDING MOTION is implied)
Also see *10
-------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -------------
*10 The technical rule is the Rabbi Ishmael rule
of inferring meaning
If several verses use the term COLORED BALL
and one verse uses the term RED-COLORED-BALL
then we infer that the term COLORED BALL
means RED
So too here: Many verses speak about SERVICE
They we have 4 pivotal verses speak about
STAND-SERVE. Hence we infer that SERVICE
means HONORED SERVICE (Service while standing)
===================================================
================= LIST214d =======================================
In this list we bring verses showing that
Levites had a separate task to HELP out
in temple services
==================================================================
VERSE Text of Verses showing that Levites help in Temple
=========== ======================================================
2Ch30-16:17 Levites help with eg slaughter of sacrifices
Nu08-09 Levites chosen to work in temple and ATONE on JEWS
Nu03-08a Levites chosen to watch utensils and do WORK OF JEWS*1
NOTES
-----
*1 Rashi inteprets this to refer to the Levite HONOR GUARD
We in fact DO bring this verse when we discuss the honor
guard in the lists of the next posting. But in light
of the other verses an additional simple meaning is that
Levites help out in procedures (like slaughter of
sacrifices) that procure atonement for the Jews
==================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 17 Number 24
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 17 Number 24