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VERSE: Nu21-22a
======================== Nu01-22a ==============================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is to resolve contradiction between
two verses that contradict each other. This process of resolution
is called the Rashi method of CONTRADICTION.
Rashi had 4 methods of resolving contradiction.
Sometimes Rashi will resolve a contradiction by looking at
the two verses as two stages of one process. We call this the
Rashi submethod of TWO-STAGES.
EXAMPLE Nu01-22a Dt02-24:26
---------------------------
We have two verses discussing Moses relationship
with the land of Heshbon
- Dt02-24:25 states that God promised Moses CONQUEST
of this land
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Rise, take your journey, and pass over the brook Arnon;
behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite,
king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it,
and contend with him in battle.
This day will I begin to put the dread of you
and the fear of you upon the nations that are
under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report
of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish
because of you.
- However Dt02-26 states that Moses did not declare
war but requested a peace treaty with Heshbon!
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And I sent messengers out of the
wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon
with words of peace, saying,
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We can resolve this contradiction by considering
two stages in the war process
Dt20-10 states
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When you come near a city to fight against
it, then proclaim peace to it.
----------------------------------------
Thus war requires two stages
- #1 a request for peace
- #2 declaration of war (if request is denied)
LIST530a below presents other contradictory verse pairs
resolved thru the method of TWO STAGE
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ITEM DETAIL
======================== =========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: CONTRADICTION
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS TWO-STAGES
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #15
SEE BELOW LIST530a
Verse pairs illustrating 2 stages to a process
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======================== LIST530a ===================================
Verse pairs illustrating 2 stages to a process
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VERSE-1 VERSE-2 HOW THE TWO TEXTS ARE COMBINED
======= ======== ====================================================
Dt02-24 Dt02-26 In war: 1st) Request peace 2nd) Declare war*5
Lv02-14 Lv02-14 1st)Budded Full-grain barley;2)Roasted;3)Grounded
Ex07-03 Ex08-28 1st 5 plagues Pharoh didnt listen;then God hardened
Ex11-01 Ex11-09 ONE more of 10 plagues;2 MIRACLES on Red sea*3
Ex11-04 Ex10-29 FIRST: Moses announces 10 plagues;2nd:No see Phrh*4
Gn50-10 Gn50-10 GRANARY was THORNED;but Joe saved them:HonorJacob*14
Gn37-36 Gn39-01 Joe sold 4 times:Arabs to Midian to Arab to Egypt*13
Nu05-08 Nu05-08d Tithes/Terumah to GOD; GOD gives them to PRIEST
Ex14-27 Ex14-30a Egypt drowns IN sea; then thrown ON sea-shore
Ex15-01 Ex15-04 Egyptians THROWN UP;THEN SHOT down to sea
Ex16-13 Nu11-09 1st Dew bed; then MANNA; THEN dew blanket
Nu08-24 Nu04-03 Levites LEARN Temple at 25;THEN serve at 30
Nu16-32 Nu26-11a Korach sons 1st punished; then repented*1
Nu26-54 Nu26-55a Children inherit units;Parents give equally*10
Lv21-10 Lv16-32c Priesthood succession: Lineage 1st;Merit 2nd*2
NOTES
-----
*1 Nu16-32 and Nu16-33 together imply that KORACH AND ALL FOLLOWING
HIM DIED ALIVE BY FIRE AND EARTHQUAKE This contradicts Nu26-11
that the sons of Korach did not die
Note that Psalms 45-49 were written by the SONS OF KORACH
showing that they repented
*2 In other words if one of the high priests sons is
qualified for the position he is chosen. If not
a non-descendant (who is qualified) is taken.
Lv16-32c presents this SON-MERIT rule for priests
Dt17-20c generalizes this SON-MERIT rule for Kings.
This interpretation of the text is further
clarified by the ALIGNMENT method.*11
Some further technicalities are noted in note *12
*3 Rashi Ex11-09a
*4 Rashi Ex11-04a Ex10-29
*5 Dt20-10 explicitly requires a request for peace
The resolution of this contradiction is brought in the
Rashi at Nu21-22a
--------------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ------------------------
*10 Here is a simple numerical example
Assume 3 people in Egypt
- Bob
- Dan and David Brothers
Assume
- Bob has 1 child
- Dan has 1 child
- David has 2 children
So GENERATION1(GEN1) has 3 units (Bob,Dan David)
And GEN2 has 4 units (1+1+2)
We now have 3 stages
STAGE 1
-------
Each GEN2 person gets same number of units (Say 2 units)
So Bobs child --2 units
-- Dans child --2 units
-- Davids-------4 units to 2 children
STAGE 2
-------
Now the units are coalesced at the family (GEN1) level
- Bob has 2 units(Since he has one child with 2 units)
- Dan-David has 6 units (Dans child 2 units and Davids 4)
STAGE 3
-------
- Bob gives his 2 units back to his child
- Dan-David give there 6 units equally to children so
-- Dans child receives 3 units
-- Davids 2 children receive 1.5 units each (Total of 3)
Here is a time map
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EGYPT(GEN1) CHILDREN STAGE1 STAGE2 STAGE3
-------------- ---------- ----------- ------------ ------------
Bob 1 child 2/8 2/8 2/8 @child
Dan-brother 1 child 2/8 6/8 brothers 3/8 @child
David-brother 2 child 4/8 6/8 Brothers 3/8 @2 child
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Although this may seem complicated it fulfills the 2 verses
- The actual exodus people from Egypt inherit
- The descendants determine inheritance
*11 We align Lv21-10 Lv16-32 as follows
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The priest --------------- ...annointed ...trained replace father
The priest who is advanced ...annointed ...trained --------------
*a *b *c *d *b
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As the double #b clearly shows there are two criteria
- priest is advanced (bigger than his brothers)
- priest replaces father
These conflicting criteria are resolved using
the RabbiIshmael method of 2 STAGES
- if the son is qualified pick him
- if not pick a qualified non-descendant
*12 Interestingly heridatary appointment is mentioned by
- Slaves (Lv25-41)
- Kings (Dt17-20)
- Priests (Dt18-05)
- Levites (1C23-13)
The Bible EXPLICITLY advances a LINEAGE-MERIT duality
for priests (As shown above by the alignment presented
in footnote #11).
We generalize this to Kings (Rashi Dt17-20c).
We do not apply this to slaves since merit is not involved
We also do not generalize this to Levites since
the Bible explicitly states that they replace the
first-born and hence merit is no longer relevant
(A qualified 1st born could NOT function as a
Levite because the Bible states explicitly that
they were replaced (See eg Nu03-40:43)
*13 There are 4 texts involved as follows
----------------------------------------
Gn37-27 states idea of sale to ARabs
Gn37-28 states Midianites passed but Joe sold to Arabas
Gn37-36 states Midianites sold Joe to Potifar
Gn39-01 states Arabs sold Joe to Potifar
-----------------------------------------
Rashi (Gn37-28a Gn38-28b) resolves these contradictions by
assuming 4 stages of sale:
- Brothers to Arabs (Gn37-27)
- Arabs to Midianites (Hinted at in Gn37-28)
- Midianites to ARabs (resolving Gn37-36, Gn39-01)
- Arabs to Egypt (Gn39-01)
*14 Gn50-10a. Rashi cites an Agaddah from the Talmud. We explain this
Talmudic agaddah here. However we preface our explanation with
the explanation given above
- Recall that Joseph saved the world from famine
- Granaries dried up and GREW THORNS except for Josephs
- Joseph gave food to these people and saved their lives
- One granary that dried up was called the THORNED GRANARY
- The people gave respect to Jacob since it was his belief
- in Josephs dreams which gave Joseph his greatness
The Talmudic Agaddah states
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All the kings came and took off their crowns and hung them
on Josephs coffin
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We interpret this to mean
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The kings TOOK OFF THEIR HATS TO JOSEPH
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This is a familiar English idiom.
The Agaddah states
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The Arabs and canaanites came to wage war with Josephs
brothers but could not because of Jacobs merit
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We need not interpret this literally. Very often Agaddah
uses the technique of EXAGGERATION. Recall that
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Jacobs two sons destroyed an entire Canaanite city;
Also recall that their attempt to murder Joseph led to
selling him to Arabs who brought him to Egypt
There were natural ill feelings.
However when the Arabs and Canaanites saw the greatness
of Jacob---that because he believed in the dream of the
bratty immature Joseph, who was a teenage tattletale and
hung out with rif-rafs, and then had a severe prison term
-- because Jacob believed in the dream, Joseph, despite
his past, grew to greatness and saved the world--
-- When the Arabs and Canaanites saw the greatness of
Jacobian prophecy, they TOOK OFF THEIR HATS TO HIM..since
they realized there was something higher in life..something
that could redeem them from their own low life to a
higher life
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In summary the Agaddah uses exaggeration -- WANTED TO DECLARE
WAR -- to indicate ill feelings. The Agaddah used metaphor--
TOOK OFF THEIR HATS--to indicate respect. All this is based
on the fact that Jacobs belief in Josephs dreams made him
what he became.
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Volume 26 Number 13
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2005, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 26 Number 13