The 10 RashiYomi Rules 
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat BaMiDBaR
Vol 1#14 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple 
Visit The RashiYomi Website: http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr Hendel President, Jun 1, 2005
English and Hebrew translations of the Bible come mostly from the www.MECHON-MAMRE.org  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 Nu01-02c
URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu01-02a.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 meaning. 

Nu01-02a states Take ye the count of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their heads;  שְׂאוּ, אֶת-רֹאשׁ כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם--בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת, כָּל-זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם.  Rashi illuminates the meaning of the underlined phrase: count...all males by their head, by cross referencing an other verse, Ex38-26  a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that passed over to them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.  בֶּקַע, לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת, מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל, בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ--לְכֹל הָעֹבֵר עַל-הַפְּקֻדִים, מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה, לְשֵׁשׁ-מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים, וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים.  Ex38-26 in turn is clarified by the biblical commandment requiring counting the Jews by counting their corresponding half-dollar (half-shekel)donations: Ex30-11:16 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: When thou takest the count of the children of Israel, according to their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary--the shekel is twenty gerahs--half a shekel for an offering to the LORD. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of the LORD. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of the LORD, to make atonement for your souls. And thou shalt take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for your souls.   וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.  כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת-רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם, וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ לַיהוָה, בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם; וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה בָהֶם נֶגֶף, בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם.  זֶה יִתְּנוּ, כָּל-הָעֹבֵר עַל-הַפְּקֻדִים--מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל, בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ:  עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה, הַשֶּׁקֶל--מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל, תְּרוּמָה לַיהוָה.  כֹּל, הָעֹבֵר עַל-הַפְּקֻדִים, מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, וָמָעְלָה--יִתֵּן, תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה.  הֶעָשִׁיר לֹא-יַרְבֶּה, וְהַדַּל לֹא יַמְעִיט, מִמַּחֲצִית, הַשָּׁקֶל--לָתֵת אֶת-תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה, לְכַפֵּר עַל-נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם.  וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת-כֶּסֶף הַכִּפֻּרִים, מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְנָתַתָּ אֹתוֹ, עַל-עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד; וְהָיָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְזִכָּרוֹן לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, לְכַפֵּר עַל-נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם.   As can be seen, the other verse(s), Ex30-11:16 and Ex38-26 clarify that the census referred to in Nu01-02a was accomplished by counting heads and heads were counted by counting the half-dollar donations that each person made..

2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANINGS / new meanings 
This example applies to Rashis Nu03-04a
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/dt05-07a.htm

The word meaning method seeks to present dictionary meaning. Rashi uses 10 vehicles to infer word meaning.  A major word meaning submethod is the idiom or new meaning method. An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different than the sum of the meanings of its component words.

Rashi clarifies that the biblical phrase on the face of is an idiom meaning during the lifetime. The following verses show usage of this idiom:
•	Nu03-04  And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office during the lifetime of Aaron their father.   וַיָּמָת נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא לִפְנֵי יְהוָה בְּהַקְרִבָם אֵשׁ זָרָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, וּבָנִים, לֹא-הָיוּ לָהֶם; וַיְכַהֵן אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר, עַל-פְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֲבִיהֶם
•	Gn11-28  And Haran died during the lifetime of his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.  וַיָּמָת הָרָן, עַל-פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו, בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ, בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים.  
•	Ex20-03 Dt05-07 I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods during My lifetime (i.e. never).  אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים:  לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, עַל-פָּנָי.  

3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR / conjugation
This example applies to Rashis  Nu01-18a
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/nu01-18a.htm

The grammar method seeks to apply and teach Hebrew grammar.  One component of grammar deals with verb conjugation. It is well known that verbs change their meaning based on conjugation.  Today we study the biblical root Yud-Lamed-Daleth ילד. This Biblical root refers
•	to a woman giving birth, if the root is conjugated in the active, KaL, mode
•	to a man fathering a child, if the root is conjugated in the causative, Hifil mode
•	to documenting the birth, to establishing genealogy, or to declaring pedigree (e.g. with a birth certificate), if the root is conjugated in the interactive, Hithpael mode.

Many people, based on what they learned in grade school, think the Hithpael mode refers to reflexive meaning. There are actually four theories put forth by grammarians on the Hithpael. Rashi frequently interpreted the Hithpael as meaning interactively.

The Hebrew root Yud-Lamed-Daleth ילד occurs in the interactive mode in Nu01-18a   And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.  וְאֵת כָּל-הָעֵדָה הִקְהִילוּ, בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי, וַיִּתְיַלְדוּ עַל-מִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם:  בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת, מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה--לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם.  As can be seen the above English translation mirrors the Rashi interpretation of documenting the birth or establishing genealogy. Many other English translations also follow Rashi (Such as e.g. the Stone Chumash). We call documenting birth, as interactive(hithpael) birth, since you establish the fact of your birth (and to whom you were born) by interacting with society and other people(by producing recognized documentation).

4. RASHI METHOD: ALIGNMENT
This example applies to Rashis  Nu01-03a Nu03-15a
URL reference:(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/nu01-03a.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 either to a) two cases, b) several nuances, or c) an equality of the verses which leads to an understanding in meaning.

Today we contrast two verses dealing with census. 

•	Nu01-03a  from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: ye shall number them by their hosts, even thou and Aaron. 
•	Nu03-15a  'Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.' 

==========================================================================
•	Nu01-03a  Number the Jew                from 20 and above      all eligible for army service
•	Nu03-15a  Number the Levite Children    from 1 month and above
==========================================================================

•	Nu01-03a  מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה, כָּל-יֹצֵא צָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל--תִּפְקְדוּ אֹתָם לְצִבְאֹתָם, אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן.  
•	Nu03-15a  פְּקֹד אֶת-בְּנֵי לֵוִי, לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם:  כָּל-זָכָר מִבֶּן-חֹדֶשׁ וָמַעְלָה, תִּפְקְדֵם.  

The verses are almost identical. Notice that Nu01-03a gives a reason for counting 20 year olds--they are eligible for army service, which Nu03-15a does not give a reason why babies are only counted from 1 month and above. This alignment led Rashi to comment (paraphrased):  Just as the counting for 20 year olds has a reason, eligibility in the army, so too, counting of 1-month olds and above has a reason: One month is the cut-off age at which a baby is considered too have fully viable status.

6. RASHI METHOD: STYLE
This example applies to Rashis  Nu03-06a
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/dt06-06a.htm

 The Rabbi Ishmael Style rules are usually thought of as applying to technical legal matters. However in a broader sense they apply to paragraph styles. The fundamental focus of the Rabbi Ishmael style rules is to precisely delineate the relationship between paragraph themes and development details: 
•	Are the details examples of a general theme, or, do the details exhaust the paragraph theme? In other words 
•	should the examples and details be interpreted literally and exclusively or should they be interpreted broadly and generally? 
Still another way of looking at style is that it answers the question: 
•	How should the paragraph theme and details / examples be integrated? 

Today we examine the verses which describe the service of the levites. The Bible uses the topic-sentence--development--topic-sentence style. We describe this as the theme-detail-theme style. It is similar to the general-specific-general style rule listed in the 13 exegetical rules of Rabbi Ishmael that are recited every morning at the beginning of davening. The paragraph, which actually has a theme-subtheme-detail-subtheme-theme structure is presented below.

Nu03-05:09  And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 
THEME: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 
•	And they shall keep his charge, 
•	SUB-THEME: and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 
•				DETAILS: And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, 
•	SUB-THEME: and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 
THEME: And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given unto him from the children of Israel. 

 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
.  הַקְרֵב, אֶת-מַטֵּה לֵוִי, וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ אֹתוֹ, לִפְנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן; וְשֵׁרְתוּ, אֹתוֹ.
•	  וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת-מִשְׁמַרְתּוֹ, 
•	 וְאֶת-מִשְׁמֶרֶת כָּל-הָעֵדָה,ִלפְנֵי, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד--לַעֲבֹד, אֶת-עֲבֹדַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן.
•	  			וְשָׁמְרוּ, אֶת-כָּל-כְּלֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד,	
•	 וְאֶת-מִשְׁמֶרֶת, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--לַעֲבֹד, אֶת-עֲבֹדַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן.
  וְנָתַתָּה, אֶת-הַלְוִיִּם, לְאַהֲרֹן, וּלְבָנָיו:  נְתוּנִם נְתוּנִם הֵמָּה לוֹ, מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.  

The theme-detail-theme style requires that the detail part of the paragraph be perceived as examples which are generalized to items similar to the main theme. This approach is listed in the Rabbi Ishmael exegetical rules. It is also the logical consequence of a theme-development-theme style.  The above paragraph has a theme, subtheme and detail
THEME: Levites serve the Priests
SUB-THEME: Levites watch the charge of the Priests and Israelites
DETAIL (EXAMPLE): The Levites watch the Temple utensils.

Rashi paraphrased connects the example with the theme and subtheme: Just as the watching of the Temple utensils includes guarding the temple utensils from approach by Israelites so too in general, the Levites served the priests by creating a Temple guard that ensured that non-priests did not approach the Temple [In fact there actually was a sort of Levite honor Guard that stood watch at night giving the Temple the same honor that Kings received in their palaces. Rashi further supports his interpretation which we have justified here by style with Nu18-01:08 which also speaks about the Levites serving the priests and preventing non-Priests from approaching the Temple]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

7. RASHI METHOD: Formatting
This example applies to Rashis  Nu03-09a
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu03-09a.htm
 
Modern formatting has a variety of vehicles which the writer uses to either create emphasis or point to an underlying unity. Three common examples of modern formatting are (a) bold-italic-underline, (b) paragraph indentation including use of line spaces, (c) use of bulleted lists. 

Authors use these formatting devices as follows:  (a) All authors know that bold-italic-underline indicates emphasis. The Bible did not use bold-italic-underline but instead uses repetition to indicate emphasis. (b) Modern authors use indentation and line spaces between paragraphs to point to an underlying unity in a paragraph. The Bible indicates paragraph unity by using the theme-detail-theme, detail-theme, or theme-detail styles. (c) Modern authors use bulleted lists to indicate contrastive emphasis--the bullets together are seen as spanning a domain of ideas while each individual bullet is seen as indicating a separate and distinct idea. The bible indicates bulleted lists by either using repeated keywords or parallel structure. 

The reader will recognize the theme-detail-theme, detail-theme and theme-detail methods as three of the 13 exegetical methods of Rabbi Ishmael. What we have added is the explanation that the Rabbi Ishmael rules focus on biblical examples: Are these biblical examples understood as exhaustive of the whole law or are they understood as examples to be generalized? Similarly the reader will recognize that we have called the bullet method is the Rabbi Ishmael rule of context. What we have added to the Rabbi Ishmael exposition is the idea that parallel structure and repeated keywords are two method of making inferences from context

Today's example is particularly interesting since it is a rare instance in which the bible actually uses formatting. Nu03-09 states   All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand   כָּל-פְּקוּדֵי הַלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר פָּקַד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, עַל-פִּי יְהוָה--לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם:  כָּל-זָכָר מִבֶּן-חֹדֶשׁ וָמַעְלָה, שְׁנַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים אָלֶף.  The Masoretic tradition requires that the word Aaron be dotted on top of it. Following Rashi we have interpreted this dotting as the equivalent of the modern strikeout.  A strikeout indicates that the concept represented by the word should be stricken or erased. Hence the Rashi comment: Aaron's name is dotted [stricken out] to indicate that he was not counted among the Levites [since although he was Levite by family, he was also a Priest; the lack of counting affirmed he was a separate entity].

9. RASHI METHOD: SPREADSHEETS
This example applies to Rashis  Nu03-39b
URL reference:(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/Nu03-39b.htm

The spreadsheet method seeks to explain complicated biblical inferences using geometry, algebra and spreadsheets.  We use the term spreadsheet loosely to denote anything specific (not tone) and complicated. The Rashi need not use algebra and geometry. Rashi might simply illustrate a complicated example.

Today we show how algebra or spreadsheets can clarify the meaning of texts with a numerical anomaly. By way of background recall that originally the FirstBorn served as priests; that is, the first born officiated at offerings. After the sin of the Golden Calf the FirstBorn were replaced by the Levites-Priests. The Bible gives an accounting of a) how many FirstBorn there were, b) how they were replaced by Levites.
==================================================================
ITEM		VERSE 		CENSUS	   RASHI EXPLANATION	
=======         =======        ======	   =================
Gershon		Nu03-22		7500
Kehath		Nu03-28		8600
Merari		Nu03-34		6200
------		-------		-----
Computed total - - - -        22300      
Bible's total  Nu03-43        22000      Replaced by 1st born
                              -----
Error                           300      Levite 1st born not replaced
===================================================================
So Rashi is simple: Only non-FirstBorn levites could replace FirstBorn (Since the Firstborn levites replaced themselves). Although the actual number of Levites were 22300, the sum of the Levites in the three Levite branches, nevertheless, the number available for exchange with firstborn was 22000. The difference, 22300-22000=300, represented the FirstBorn Levites that had no need of replacement. The spreadsheet above justifying these observations clarifies this.

Conclusion

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