The 10 RashiYomi Rules 
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat Tazria
Vol 1#8 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple 
Visit The RashiYomi Website: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr Hendel President, Apr 7 2005
English translations of the Bible come mostly from the Davka translation with changes made by me

The goal of this Weekly Rashi Digest is to use the weekly Torah portion to expose students at all levels to the ten major methods of commentary used by Rashi. It is hoped that continual weekly exposure to these ten major methods will enable students of all levels to acquire a familiarity and facility with the major exegetical methods.

1. RASHI METHOD: OTHER VERSES   
This example applies to Rashis Lv12-02c
URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv12-02c.htm

The other verse method seeks to confirm the contents of a target verse by cross referencing other verses which either confirm the target text or add details to it. Additionally the other verse method can shed light on word meanings.

Lv12-02 states Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives, and bears a male child; then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her menstruation, shall she be unclean.  So Lv12-02 states that a woman giving birth is in a state of ritual impurity just as a menstruant is in a state of ritual impurity.  Here, the Torah uses the method of cross referencing procedures, that is, citing other verses talking about the procedures mentioned. The procedure cross-referenced is the menstruant impurity  mentioned in Lv15-19: And if a woman has a discharge, and the discharge of her flesh is blood, she shall be ritually unclean because of her menstruation 7 days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 

Rashi further elaborates on this cross-reference that Child birth impurity is like menstruant impurity. Rashi explains that childbirth and menstruation are independent and equal sources of  ritual impurity (and hence, childbirth, confers ritual impurity even if there is no flow of blood).

2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANINGS / new meanings 
This example applies to Rashis Lv13-03b
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/nu08-04c.htm

The word meaning method seeks to present dictionary meaning. Rashi uses 10 vehicles to infer word meaning. The 8 methods of naming method seeks to explain meaning using ideas common to all languages such as naming by form, function, substance, and feel. For example, both the United Nations and the Pentagon are institutions designed to protect people. But the United Nations is named by its function--to Unite Nations, while the Pentagon is named by its shape. Similarly a glass of water is named by the substance, glass, from which it is made, while the state of hardship is named by how it feels.

Lv13-03b discusses the various types of leprosy. The Sin-Aleph-Tauv (SeAyTh) leprosy in named by the Hebrew root, Nun-Sin-Aleph which, among other things, means cloud (cf. Proverbs 28:14). Hence the SeAyTh refers to a cloud-white leprosy. Here the color, cloud-white, is named by an object, the cloud, which has this color, just as in English an orange hat names a color, orange, by an object, the orange, which has the color orange.

3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR / conjugation
This example applies to Rashis  Lv12-04b Lv12-04c
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/lv12-04b.htm

The grammar method seeks to apply and teach Hebrew grammar. One goal of grammar is to present the various attributes of nouns such as the possessive. Lv12-04 is one of these rare peachy verses which contains two conjugated forms of a word illustrating the full spectrum of possibilities. Such verses facilitate learning since all possible cases are present. Lv12-04 states And she shall then continue in the blood of purifying for thirty three days; she shall touch no consecrated thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. Rashi comments: A Hebrew noun word that terminates with a non-aspirated hey refers to the noun itself. By contrast, a Hebrew noun word that terminates with an aspirated hey refers to the possessive of the noun. Hence the Hebrew Tahara means purifying while with a terminal aspirated h, Taharah  it means her purifying. 

4. RASHI METHOD: ALIGNMENT
This example applies to Rashis  Lv13-48b Lv13-48c
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/lv13-48b.htm

The alignment method seeks to extract nuances from the minor differences in the alignment of two almost identical verses. The contrast of the two almost identical verses points to an emphasis and equality in the minor aligned nuances. Another goal of alignment is the discovery of meaning. Today we consider the following verses describing the leprosy impurity that can occur in clothes. 

Lv13-47:48 states
The garment also where the disease of leprosy is, whether it is 
•	a woollen garment, or 
•	a linen garment; or
•	in the warp, or 
•	in the woof; of linen, or of woollen; or
•	in a skin, or
•	in worked skin;

Rashi elegantly states on the aligned contrast: skin vs worked skin:
•	skin refers to raw leather
•	worked skin refers to processed leather.

5. RASHI METHOD: CONTRADICTION  / 2 aspects
This example applies to Rashis Lv13-33a
URL reference: (c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/lv13-33a.htm

The contradiction method, made explicit in Rabbi Ishmael's 13 exegetical principles, seeks to infer biblical content by resolving contradictory biblical verses. Rashi used 4 methods to resolve contradiction. The following 2 verse clauses show a  contradiction in what has to be shaved.

•	Lv13-33 states And he shall shave
•	but the leprosy spot he shall not shave

Rashi resolves the contradiction by using the contradiction resolution method of 2-aspects: He shall shave the rest of his head but he shall not shave the leprosy spot. Simple and clear.

Furthermore, since the leprosy spot occurs in a bald spot Rashi further clarifies: he shall leave a perimeter of two hairs around the bald spot so that its boundaries are clear [Because if he shaved all the rest of his head then, since the leprosy is a bald spot, his entire head would be bald and we would no longer be able to recognize the original leprosy spot]

7. RASHI METHOD: Bullets
This example applies to Rashis  Lv13-06b Lv13-08a
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv13-31a.htm

The bullet method seeks to make inferences from the biblical text based on parallel structure which implies similarity among the parallel items. What we have called the bullet method is better known as the Rabbi Ishmael exegetical rule of context.  What we have added to the Rabbi Ishmael exposition is the idea that parallel structure is one method of making inferences from context. The Bible itself does not contain bullets but there are a variety of methods to infer parallelism. An important component of the bullet method is the careful examination of paragraph phrases and keywords. Today we examine parallelism in Lv01-08.

Lv01-08 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
•	When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a swelling, a scab, or bright spot, and it is on the skin of his flesh like the disease of leprosy; then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests; And the priest shall look on the disease in the skin of the flesh; and 
•	 A:	-	if the hair in the plague has turned white, and 
	-	the disease looks deeper than the skin of his flesh, 
it is a disease of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
•	B: If the bright spot is white in the skin of his flesh, and 
 	-	if it looks not deeper than the skin, and 
	-	the hair on it has not turned white; 
then the priest shall shut up him who has the disease for seven days;
•	C: And the priest shall look on him the seventh day; and, behold, 
	-	if the disease appears to have stayed in place, and 
	-	the disease has not spread over the skin; 
then the priest shall shut him up seven days more;
•	D: And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, 
	-	if the disease is somewhat dark, and 
	-	the disease did not spread in the skin, 
then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is a scab; and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
•	E: But if the scab spreads out in the skin, after that he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, 
he shall be seen by the priest again; And if the priest sees that, behold, the scab spreads in the skin, 
then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprosy.

This is a very complicated biblical paragraph. In fact it describes entire chapters in the leprosy laws. Note the various consequences of leprosy listed in the above paragraph and the five underlined phrases.
•	A: pronouncement of unclean
•	B: shut up for seven days
•	C: shut up for seven days more
•	D: (after being shut up for 2 periods of 7 days) wash clothes and be clean
•	E: pronounce unclean

The laws of leprosy in fact describe (a) when leprosy is pronounced unclean to begin with, (b) when leprosy is shut up for 7 days, (c) when leprosy is shut up for a second period of 7 days, (d) when after being shut up for two periods of seven days one needs washing to be clean.

In would be impossible in this short weekly digest to cover all the laws of leprosy. So we suffice in following Rashi and distinguishing between cases D and E: Rashi states: 
•	Case E refers to someone who has been shut up for two week periods and also has the signs of leprosy. Such a person is called a fully confirmed leper. To achieve purification from this full leprosy state requires, besides ritual immersion, the shaving and sacrificial procedure mentioned in Lv14
•	By contrast Case D refers to someone who was shut up for two weeks but did not develop signs of leprosy. Such a person is called by the bible pure and only requires washing. Since washing (or immersion) is a standard purification procedure for other types of impurity we see that such a person is not really pure, but rather pure from full leprosy. The person still has the status of non-full leprous impurity.
To summarize:
•	non-full leprous impurity, is achieved after two weeks of shut up without signs and only requires ritual immersion
•	full leprous impurity is achieved after two weeks of shut up with signs and requires the full purification procedure of Lv14.

Again: Rashi's inferences here are based on context (what we call the bullet rule). The contrasting keywords pronounce unclean vs. wash clothes and be clean are seen in context to refer to full impurity vs. ordinary impurity (That is the word pure in context refers to ordinary impurity)!

8. RASHI METHOD: DATABASES
This example applies to Rashis  Lv13-02c Lv14-36a
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/lv13-02c.htm

The database method seeks to discover biblical ideas using the methods of modern database theory and sequential query language (SQL). The Talmudic sages and Rashi were totally familiar and frequently used all aspects of modern database theory. 

In today's example we make the query: How does the Bible describe that things become ritually impure?  The examples uncovered by the query clearly show that in one instance, in leprosy impurity, that a formal declaration of a priest is required. Hence the law: All other statuses of impurity, such as impurity from contact with a dead body, are achieved objectively, by the cause of the impurity being present; by contrast, leprosy impurity is achieved by both (a) the cause of the impurity being present and (b) a declaration of the priest.  To illustrate the consequences of this law, if you touch a dead ox then you become ritually impure while if you have leprosy spots you don't become impure until a priest examines you and declares you ritually impure. A partial output of the database query of verses is presented below:

Example 1: Lv11-23:24 But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination to you.
And for these you shall be unclean; whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening.

Example 2: Lv11-04:08 Nevertheless these shall you not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those that divide the hoof; the camel, because it chews the cud, but its hoof is not parted; it is unclean to you. And the coney, because it chews the cud, but its hoof is not parted; it is unclean to you. And the hare, because it chews the cud, but its hoof is not parted; it is unclean to you. And the swine, though its hoof is parted, and is cloven footed, yet it chews not the cud; it is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall you not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.

Example 3: Lv11-29:32  These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the rat, and the mouse, and the tortoise after its kind, And the gecko, and the monitor-lizard, and the lizard, and the snail, and the chameleon. These are unclean to you among all that creep; whoever touches them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening. And upon whatever any of them, when they are dead, falls, it shall be unclean; whether it is any utensil of wood, or garment, or skin, or sack, whatever utensil it is, where any work is done, it must be put in water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; so it shall be cleansed.

Example 4: Lv13-02:03 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a swelling, a scab, or bright spot, and it is on the skin of his flesh like the disease of leprosy; then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests;  And the priest shall look on the disease in the skin of the flesh; and if the hair in the plague has turned white, and the disease looks deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a disease of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

Conclusion

This week's parshah contains no examples of the style, symbolism and spreadsheet methods. This concludes this weeks edition. Visit the RashiYomi website at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ for further details and examples.