Proofs may be from OTHER VERSES:#16 of 20
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OVERVIEW:
========
In this module we explore Rashis that derive their
lesson from OTHER VERSES.
There are three basic techniques of Rashi in these
verses.
CROSS REFERENCES THAT CONFIRM
=============================
One basic technique of Rashi in these verses is to
>CONFIRM BIBLICAL CROSS REFERENCE<. Thus the Bible
might say >I GOD PROMISE YOU SUCH AND SUCH AS I
HAVE SAID< and Rashi will then indicate where God
has said this.
CROSS REFERENCES THAT CLARIFY
=============================
A Second basic technique of Rashi in these verses is to
>CLARIFY MEANING IN ONE VERSE BY AN OTHER VERSE<.
CROSS REFERENCES THAT DEFINE
============================
A third technique is where the Bible explicitly says
>DO PROCEDURE X THE SAME WAY I TOLD YOU TO DO PROCEDURE Y<
REFERENCES
==========
Material in this module comes from
http://www.rashiyomi.com/ov.htm
Todays posting deals with one (complex) Rashi theme
Complete details may be found at
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h1n13.htm
TODAYS UNIT
===========
In todays unit we review a Rashi that seems to be
reporting a tradition. Actually closer analysis
shows that this Rashi is derived explicitly from
an OTHER VERSE. This OTHER VERSE has 5 interpretations!
Moreover Rashi on this other verse contradicts himself
on Chumash showing that he just considered his commentary
as one possible opinion.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
EXAMPLE 43, 44, 45: Ex24-14c Ex17-10b Ex35-30a
==================
THE VERSES
----------
All three verses mention the person named >CHUR<
THE RASHI
---------
RASHI: >CHUR< was the son of >KALEV< and >MIRYAM<*1
THE OTHER VERSE
---------------
Rashi seems to be reporting a tradition.
Actually however Rashi can be derived from an OTHER VERSE.
It says explicitly in 1Ch2-18:19
>And Kalev the son of Chetzron GAVE BIRTH TO AZUVAH A WIFE
and YERIOTH and these are his sons YAYSHER & SHOVAV & ARDON
And Azuvah died, and Kalev married Ephrath and she gave
birth to Chur<
THE CONCLUSION
--------------
So we are explicitly told that
---Churs Father was KALEV
---Churs Mother was EPHRATH
THE FATHER?
----------
It seems reasonable to identify KALEV with the famous spy
KALEV mentioned in Nu13--the same spy who stood with Joshua
and refused to join the spys in their slander of God (saying
that God could not bring us to the land of Israel).
The only problem is that Nu13-06 speaks about KALEV BEN YEFUNEH
while 1Ch2-18 speaks about KALEV BEN CHETZRON. This is even
further complicated by the fact that 1Ch2-9 calls him KLUVAI
BEN CHETZRON.
But using Chronicles it is easy to construct a genealogical
tree as follows
{LIST}
Genealogical tree: Jacob the Patriarch gave birth to Yehuda
who gave birth to Peretz who gave birth to Chetzron who gave
birth to 3 sons. KLUVAY gave birth to Chur whose father is
also called KALEV. Since KLUVAY and KALEV sound alike and
since they are both called Churs father it is reasonable to
say that KLUVAY and KALEV are the same person
=============================================================
VERSE DESCENDANT
====== ==============================
1c-2-4 PERETZ
1c-2-5 CHETZRON
1c-2-9 YERACHMEAL RAM KLUVAY
1c-2-15 David
1c-2-19 Chur
{END OF LIST}
THE MOTHER
----------
We are told that Churs mother was EPHRATH.
However 1C2-18 speaks about Kalev giving birth to AZUVAH
HIS WIFE. This strange verse which says that a man gave
birth to his wife gives rise to 5 explanations.
One explanation (given by Rashi!) is that Kalevs wife
died on the operating table and Kalev named his daughter
after his wife---so indeed >Kalev gave birth to Azuvah
his wife (ie named after her).
Isnt this a simple reasonable explanation. There are
4 other explanations.
3 other explanations translate the Hebrew word >ETH< as
>FROM< so that the verse reads >Kalev gave birth FROM
his wife Azuvah<
Finally the talmud Sotah 11a-12b suggests the following
weird explanation
--Azuvah, from the Hebrew root, AZV, to desert means a
deserted wife
--this could refer to Miryan who had leprosy (Nu12);
indeed Lepers were deserted and sat outside the camp
--When Miryan got better Kalev remarried her and called
her name EPHRATH. (So that indeed Miryan was Churs
mother since she is called Azuvah and Ephrath)
--The Talmud says that >Kalev gave birth to his deserted
wife (Azuvah)< because Kalev stuck with her despite her
leprosy till she was revived (ie reborn).
--The Talmud explains the phrase >And Azuvah died< to mean
she had leprosy that is akin to death.
So now we understand the Rashi on Chumash. Rashi was citing
the talmudic interpretation that Azuvah and Ephrath are
the same person and also identical with Miryam.
Notice how the Talmuds derivation seems >stretched and
fanciful<. Also notice how Rashi on Chronicles rejected
and disagreed with the talmudic interpretation and instead
gave a simple reasonable explanation (That his first wife
died on the operating table and he named the daughter
after her).
So we see how Rashi on Chumash mentioned the Talmudic
explanation while on Chronicles he dissented and gave a
much more reasonable explanation.
SUMMARY
-------
From the point of view of >commentary methodology< the
important point to emphasize here is that Rashi was not
reporting a tradition but rather using the technique
of >OTHER VERSES<.
A second important point to emphasize is that Rashi
frequently cites only one or two interpretations so
that the teachers can fill in other explanations. In the
BIblical verses mentioning Chur, Rashi cited the
most famous explanation, that of the Talmud that Azuvah
was Miryam. But on Chronicles we actually find 5
explanations--and interestingly we see that Rashi rejects
the Talmudic explanation in favor of a more rational
explanation. Thus we conclude that Rashi will sometimes
cite an explanation not because he believes it but rather
to lead into a discussion on multiple interpretations.
The LIST of explanations on this verse may be found in
footnote 2 below. Other comments on the Talmudic
interpretation may be found in the URL listed above
which summarizes that Maharshas comment on this Talmud
----------------------FOOTNOTES--------------------------------
*1 Interesting the 3 Rashis differ in style
One Rashi says >the son of KALEV, the husband of Miryam
One Rashi says >the son of Kalev, and Miryam was his mother
One Rashi simple say >the son of Miryam< (Kalev not mentioned)
Only one Rashi cites the Chronicle verse
*2
{LIST} {The five explanations of 1Ch-2-18:
Ch1-2-18 states as follows:
And Calev Ben Cheztron gave birth
to Azuvah his wife and
Yerioth
And these are the names of her sons:
Yaysher
Shovav
Ardon
The obvious PROBLEM is "How could he give birth to his wife!?!?"
There are five proposed explanations:}
================================================================
COMMENTATOR IDEA TRANSLATION
=========== =========================== ================
Rashi Azuvah was his daughter Gave birth to his
NAMED after his wife daughters Azuvah
(She died during pregnancy) (named after his)
wife and Yerioth;
And these were her
sons...
RadaQ "ETH=TO" can mean "FROM"*1 Calev gave birth
FROM his wives
Azuvah and..
RalBag "Eth=TO" can mean FROM*1 Calev gave birth
Yerioth was his daughter. FROM his wife Azvh
to Yerioth his
daughter..and these
are her(Azvh's)sons
Ralbag "Eth=TO" can mean FROM*1 Calev gave birth
Azuvah was his WIFE FROM his wife Azvh
Yerioth was a CONCUBINE (and from his
concubine Yerioth)
And these are the
names of his sons
Talmud Azuvah was indeed his wife Whoever marries for
Sotha Azuvah=Abandoned refers to the sake of heaven
11b-12a the fact that she was homely it is considered as
looking. So Calev did not if he "gave birth"
marry her for beauty *2 to his wife(because
he renews her
spirits)
FOOTNOTES:
==========
*1 The thesis that ETH can mean FROM has,of course,to be defended
RDQ gives numerous examples in his grammar books (MICHLOL,ROOTS)
2-9-29 (when I leave FROM (ETH) the city), is a good example.
*2 The Gemarrah goes a step further and says that AZUVAH is
identical with EPHRATH, Calevs 2nd wife 1C-2-19. They claim
she was Miryam--she had leprosy--making her abandoned (hence
the name AZUVAH=Abandoned)--he then remarried her after she
got cured and called her EPHRATH.
{END OF LIST}
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*