#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
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VERSE: Nu20-01b
PARSHAH BACKGROUND:
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Two Rashis in this weeks Parshah deal with the OVERALL
STRUCTURE of the Biblical text. More specifically these
Rashis focus on why two Biblical events are related one
after the other.
Thus on Nu20-01b Rashi says
"The DEATH OF MIRYAM is told RIGHT AFTER the red
heiffer ceremony in order to show that just as the
red heiffer ATONES so too does the death of righteous
people atone"
Similarly on Nu20-02a Rashi says
"The fact that the people had no water is related
right after we are told about Miryams death. Thus
we infer that Miryams merit ENABLED the Jews to
have water while she was alive"
How are we to take these two Rashis? In other words when 2
Biblical events are related one after the other Rashi
assumes we are justified in connecting them. But HOW FAR CAN
we go? HOW are we entitled to connect two Biblical events
that are related close to one another.
RULE:
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The topics of two Biblical paragraphs, written one
right after the other, may be connected in 1 of 4 methods:
METHOD 1: The 1st chapter is a CAUSE of the 2nd chapter
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EXAMPLE:The chapter on the Nazaarite who abstains from wine
(Nu06) is written right after the chapter on the Temple
rite for the women suspected of adultery(Nu05). This
teachers us the obvious lesson that whoever sees a women
who has to go thru the adulterous wife ceremony(which is
very humiliating) will be so shocked that they will become a
Nazaarite and abstain from wine. In other words the
adulterous wife ritual CAUSES nazaaritism(Nu06-02a)
METHOD 2: The 1st chapter is a MERIT ENABLING the 2nd
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EXAMPLE: The chapter on going to war (Dt20) is written after
the chapter on court procedures (Dt19). This teaches the
obvious fact that a just judicial system will be a MERIT
that enables us to win wars(Rashi on Dt20-01a)
METHOD 3: The 2nd chapter holds DESPITE the 1st chapter
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EXAMPLE: Thus Lv19-03c says "honor your parents" &
observe the Shabbath. This is interpreted to mean
that we should observe the sabbath DESPITE the fact
that eg our parents told us to desecrate it (In other
words if there is a conflict between honoring ones
parents and keeping the Sabbath the Sabbath wins)
METHOD 4: There is a theme UNIFYING these chapters & others
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Thus Nu25-11 thru Nu27-23 have a unifying theme of
preparing the Jews for LEAVING the wilderness and ENTERING
the land of Israel. We have the following paragraphs
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-Pinchas(not Moses)avenges public non-jewish sex(Nu25-11:18)
-Elazar is to prepare for war with Midyan(Nu26-01:51)
-Laws of division of Israeli land (Nu26-52:56)
-Completion of deaths from sin of Spies(Nu26:57-65)
-Laws of inheritance for girl-only families(Nu27-01:11)*
-Moses makes Joshua leader before his death(Nu27-12:23)*
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Rashi only comments on the starred(*) items but the unifying
theme holds for all.
Let us now look at further examples
EXAMPLES
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METHOD 1: In the following Rashis the event mentioned in
the 1st chapter is the CAUSE of the event mentioned in
the second chapter
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# VERSE TOPIC IN 1st CHAPTER TOPIC IN 2nd CHAPTER
==== ======== ==================== =====================
(01) Nu06-02a Adulterous wife rite Nazaarite from wine*1
(02) Gn38-01a Brothers sell Joseph Judah leaves brothers*1
(03) Gn23-03c Abraham offers Isaac Sarah dies*1
(04) Gn02-20a Adam Eve are Naked Snake gives Eve Apple*2
NOTES
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*1 Thus "whoever see the humiliating Adulterous wife rite"
will be so shocked that he will abstain from wine
Similarly "Judah advised his brothers to sell Joseph"
and so when they regretted it they blaimed him and he
had to "separate from them."
Similarly "Sarah died" from the shock that "Abraham
offered Isaac."
*2 In other words because the snake saw Adam and Eve naked
therefore he became Jealous and wanted Adam killed so
he could marry Eve.
ALthough this sounds a bit wild there is strong supporting
evidence. Gn04-01 uses the past perfect form
"And Adam HAD BEEN FAMILIAR with his wife & they had
a child"
So the sequence of chapters is
"Adam was lonely"
"God makes Eve"
"Adam and Eve are naked"
------------------------"Snake tempts Eve"
"Adam has a child with Eve"
Thus the sequence of chapters (Naked--->child) is
clearly interrupted by the Snake story.
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METHOD 2: In the following Rashis the event mentioned in
the 1st chapter is a MERIT enabling the event mentioned
in the 2nd chapter
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# VERSE TOPIC IN 1st CHAPTER TOPIC IN 2nd CHAPTER
==== ======== ======================== =====================
(05) Dt20-01a Judicial process Laws of War*1
(07) Nu20-02a Miryams death And there was no water*1
(08) Gn21-01a Egypt had chidren Sarah had a child*2
NOTES
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*1 In the merit of our following "Judicial process" we will
be able to "win wars"
Similarly after Miryams death there was no water. Thus
we have that in the merit of "Miryam" the Jews had water
*2 Again a close examination of the BIblical text shows a
past perfect
"And God punished Avimelech and his household"
"And Abraham prayed for Avimelech & his household"
"But God HAD ALREADY VISITED Sarah with a child"
In other words Sarah had already had a child.
The Bible deliberately juxtaposes "sarah having a child"
with "Abraham praying for Avimelechs household to have a
child" to teach us
"That whoever is a kind person and
prays for others will have their own
needs met first"
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METHOD 3: In the following Rashis the event or command in
the 2nd Rashi happens DESPITE the presence of the event
or command in the 1st Rashi
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# VERSE TOPIC IN 1st CHAPTER TOPIC IN 2nd CHAPTER
==== ======== ======================== =====================
(09) Lv26-01a Being a slave to Non Jew Prohibition of Idolatry*1
(10) Dt29-12a Curses We are before God*2
(11) Lv19-03c Fear Parents Watch Sabbaths*3
(12) Dt22-12a No Shaatnez Tzitzith*4
NOTES
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*1 On a superficial level Rashi seems to be connecting 2
verses.
Avoid idolatry DESPITE your being a slave to a non jew
(who encourages its violation). Do not think "I will
worship idols now and when I am free I will go
back to believing in God"
On a profound level Rashi sees a unifying theme to this
whole chapter. The chapter encourages observing the
shimitah laws which encourage abstaining from agriculture
once every 7 years so that people can devote themselves
to God and study. If one violates these laws he is
progressively punished. Here is the sequence of
punishments
{LIST} {Paragraphs in BEHAR}
VERSE LAW
===== ===
Lv25-01:12 Observe the 7 and 50 year Land sabbaticals
Lv25-13:24 If not you will have to sell your MOVABLES
Lv25-25:28 If not you will have to sell your LAND
Lv25-29:34 If not you will have to sell your HOUSE
Lv25-35:38 If not you will have to LOAN
Lv25-39:46 If not you will have to become a SLAVE
Lv25-47:54 If not you'll become a NONJEWISH SLAVE
Lv26-01:03 If not you'll be tempted to IDOLATRY
Thus Rashi does not merely teach juxtaposition of verses
but he also teaches juxtaposition of ALL paragraphs in
the chapter.
*2 Dt28 gives a long list of curses if the Jews violate
the commandments.
Dt29-12 says "You are all STANDING before God today" In
other words despite the curses for disobediance you are
still here before God(The implication being that no
matter how angry God gets he will not destroy you)
A further support for this theme can come from the
General-particular-General form
Dt28 GENERAL: Curses for disobediance
Dt29-12 PARTICULAR: You are standing here before God
Dt29-19 GENERAL: Curses for disobediance
Thus the General-Particular-General form shows that Gods
curses still allow us to "Stand before him"--in other
words they are educative curses not punitive.
*3 In other words (always) "Observe the Sabbaths"
DESPITE a request to the contrary "By your parents"
This can happen if eg your parents ask you to
desecrate the Sabbath. You must observe the
Sabbath even if your parents request to
the contrary.
And this can be generalized to all Torah laws(that
they take precedence over your parents request)
*4 Wear Tzitzith DESPITE the fact that they may have Shaatnez
Wool and linen together (In the priestly garments made of
Linen the Tzitzith were made of wool--thus the commandment
of Tzitzith OVERRIDES the prohibtion of wearing wool and
linen)
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Volume 6 Number 21
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
Volume 6 Number 21