The 10 RashiYomi Rules 
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat ShofTim 
 Vol  1#28 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple  
Visit The RashiYomi Website : http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
 (c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr Hendel President, Sep-9-2005 
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 Dt16-18c:f 
URL Reference : (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/dt16-18d.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. 

Verse Dt16-18 states   Judges and police shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, tribe by tribe; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.   שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים, תִּתֶּן-לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ, לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ; וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת-הָעָם, מִשְׁפַּט-צֶדֶק.  A series of Rashi's on this verse state: You must appoint judges that are expert, and righteous. You must appoint judges for each city and for each tribe. 

A casual perusal of the verse shows hints of these ideas. Words like gates or tribes hint as what Rashi suggested. But the real source of Rashi's comments comes from an other verse which explicitly makes these requirements. Verse Dt01-13 states   Get you, men known to your tribes, wise men, and understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads over you.'   הָבוּ לָכֶם אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים וּנְבֹנִים, וִידֻעִים--לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם; וַאֲשִׂימֵם, בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם.   As can be seen, the proper perspective in this case, is that Rashi derives his comments from an other verse, and sees hints of the other verse in the current verse. 

2. RASHI METHOD : WORD MEANINGS / new meanings 
This example applies to Rashis Dt16-18a Dt16-18b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/ dt16-18a.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 synonym method. Rashi will sometimes explain the meaning of a word; on other occasions Rashi will take two similar meaning words, or synonyms , and explain the differences in meaning between them.. 

Verse Dt16-18 states   Judges and police shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, tribe by tribe; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.   שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים, תִּתֶּן-לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ, לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ; וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת-הָעָם, מִשְׁפַּט-צֶדֶק.  Rashi makes the simple comment that 
•	judges adjudicate cases while 
•	police enforce the law. 
In this case Rashi did not explain the meaning of unknown words, but rather explained the difference in nuances between two words with similar meanings, police and judges. 

3. RASHI METHOD : GRAMMAR / conjugation 
This example applies to Rashis  Dt19-03a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/ the-35.htm  

The grammar  method seeks to apply and teach Hebrew grammar.  One component of grammar deals with the usage and rules governing special words such as the. 

The letter ה which means the can refer, in both Hebrew and English, either 
•	to a proper noun 
•	a particular object or event 
•	the best or most established. 

The verses below illustrate how ה can refer to the best or most established. 

•	Verse Gn41-01 states   And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.   וַיְהִי, מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים; וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם, וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל-הַיְאֹר.  

      Here the river refers to the most famous of Egyptian rivers, the Nile. 

•	Verse Dt19-03 states   Thou shalt prepare thee the road, and divide the borders of thy land, which the LORD thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.   תָּכִין לְךָ, הַדֶּרֶךְ, וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת-גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ, אֲשֶׁר יַנְחִילְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ; וְהָיָה, לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כָּל-רֹצֵחַ.  

      Here the road refers to the most established road of the land, the thruway. 
  
•	Verse Ex40-29 states   And the altar of burnt-offering he set at the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meal-offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.    וְאֵת, מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה, שָׂם, פֶּתַח מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל-מוֹעֵד; וַיַּעַל עָלָיו, אֶת-הָעֹלָה וְאֶת-הַמִּנְחָה--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה, אֶת-מֹשֶׁה.   

	Here the minchah refers to the most frequent of Minchah offerings: the daily minchah libation offered with morning and 	evening offerings. 

•	Verse Ex21-06 states   then his master shall bring him unto the Judge, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.    וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֲדֹנָיו, אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים, וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֶל-הַדֶּלֶת, אוֹ אֶל-הַמְּזוּזָה; וְרָצַע אֲדֹנָיו אֶת-אָזְנוֹ בַּמַּרְצֵעַ, וַעֲבָדוֹ לְעֹלָם.   

      Here the judge refers to the judge at his best time--when the court is in session. 

•	Verse Ex22-01 states   If a thief be found breaking in thru the tunnel, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.   אִם-בַּמַּחְתֶּרֶת יִמָּצֵא הַגַּנָּב, וְהֻכָּה וָמֵת--אֵין לוֹ, דָּמִים.  

	Here the permissibility of killing a thief caught in the tunnel refers to the house tunnel. The idea is further elaborated in the Talmud and early authorities: If the thief is in the house tunnel then he expects to be confronted by the house owner and is therefore prepared to defend himself with force. Consequently you may preempt the use of force. But if you find a thief e.g. in a tunnel in the house garage then since the thief does not expect to meet the owners therefore he does not expect to need to use force--consequently you don't have the right to kill him. 

Over 1% of all Rashis deal with use of the, ה We have only presented a few examples. They however are typical of Rashis on this subject. 

4. RASHI METHOD : ALIGNMENT
This example applies to Rashis  Dt16-21a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/ dt16-21a .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 .

The following 4 verses all prohibit some aspect of idolatry. 
•	Verse Ex20-03 states    Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, עַל-פָּנָי.
•	thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;      לֹא-תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל, וְכָל-תְּמוּנָה, אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל, וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת--וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם, מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ.  
•	Verse Lv25-47 states   And if a stranger who is a settler with thee be waxen rich, and thy brother be waxen poor beside him, and sell himself unto the stranger who is a settler with thee, or to the offshoot of a stranger's family,   וְכִי תַשִּׂיג, יַד גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ, וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ, עִמּוֹ; וְנִמְכַּר, לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ, אוֹ לְעֵקֶר, מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר.  Verse Lv26-01 states   Ye shall make you no idols, neither shall ye rear you up a graven image, or a pillar, neither shall ye place any figured stone in your land, to bow down unto it; for I am the LORD your God.   לֹא-תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם אֱלִילִם, וּפֶסֶל וּמַצֵּבָה לֹא-תָקִימוּ לָכֶם, וְאֶבֶן מַשְׂכִּית לֹא תִתְּנוּ בְּאַרְצְכֶם, לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת עָלֶיהָ:  כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.  
•	Verse Dt16-21 states   Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.   לֹא-תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה, כָּל-עֵץ:  אֵצֶל, מִזְבַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה-לָּךְ.  

As can be seen from the alignment of these 4 verses all aspects of idolatry are prohibited 
•	possession (i.e. having), even though you didn't manufacture them 
•	personal manufacture (i.e. make unto thee)
•	manufacture for others (Here we use the fact that Lv25-47 and Lv26-01 are speaking about idolatry in the context of a person who sells himself to non-jews. Consequently we interpret this as manufacture for others) 
•	Do not plant trees for idolatrous purposes 

Here the alignment of the 4 verses creates a context: All types of idol-related activities are prohibited whether a) you merely own them b) you produce them for yourself c) you produce for others d) you only plant them and nature grows them. By viewing the prohibition of planting for idolatrous purposes in the more general context, of idol-related activities, we obtain a greater appreciation of the specificity of the prohibition. 

5. RASHI METHOD : CONTRADICTION 
This example applies to Rashis  Dt16-22a Dt16-22b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ dt16-22a .htm

 The contradiction  method seeks to derive Biblical content by assuming a resolution to contradictory  verses. Rashi had 3 main methods to resolve contradiction : The two contradictory verses could be speaking about a) two stages  of one process, b) two aspects  or attributes of one entity, or c) the contradictory verses could be resolved assuming a broad or literal interpretation  of the words causing the contradiction.

The following five verses contain contradictory statements about the desirability of creating monuments. 

The following verse states that monuments are prohibited 
•	Verse Dt16-22 states   Neither shalt thou set thee up a monument, which the LORD thy God hateth.    וְלֹא-תָקִים לְךָ, מַצֵּבָה, אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ.   

The following verses indicate the desirability or requirement of creating monuments/altars 
•	Verse Ex20-21:22 states   And if thou make Me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto Mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon.    וְאִם-מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה-לִּי, לֹא-תִבְנֶה אֶתְהֶן גָּזִית:  כִּי חַרְבְּךָ הֵנַפְתָּ עָלֶיהָ, וַתְּחַלְלֶהָ.  וְלֹא-תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת, עַל-מִזְבְּחִי:  אֲשֶׁר לֹא-תִגָּלֶה עֶרְוָתְךָ, עָלָיו.   
•	Verse Dt27-05 states   And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt lift up no iron tool upon them.   וּבָנִיתָ שָּׁם מִזְבֵּחַ, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ:  מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים, לֹא-תָנִיף עֲלֵיהֶם בַּרְזֶל.  
•	Verse Gn28-18 states   And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.   וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יַעֲקֹב בַּבֹּקֶר, וַיִּקַּח אֶת-הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר-שָׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו, וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתָהּ, מַצֵּבָה; וַיִּצֹק שֶׁמֶן, עַל-רֹאשָׁהּ.  Verse Gn35-01 follows up on Gn28-18 by showing that God liked Jacob's altar/monument. Gn28-19 states   And God said unto Jacob: 'Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there; and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau thy brother.'   וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית-אֵל וְשֶׁב-שָׁם; וַעֲשֵׂה-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ--לָאֵל הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלֶיךָ, בְּבָרְחֲךָ מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיךָ. We infer from Gn28-18 that God approved of Jacob's monument/altar. 

Rashi resolves the above contradictions as follows: 
•	Many-stone altars are permitted  (Ex20-21:22, Dt27-05)
•	One-stone altars were permitted (and beloved) by the Patriarchs (Gn28-18, Gn35-01) but 
•	are prohibited to us (Dt16-22). 

Rashi gives no indication as to why these distinctions should hold. I offer the following suggestions: A one-stone altar is in effect a blemished altar-- it shows an on-the-cuffness, something done without alot of work. Throughout the offering procedures blemishes and lack of excellence disqualify offerings. However the Patriarchs were continuously involved in outreach. Hence they needed to continually create on-the-spot altars for purposes of outreach.  To them, one-stone altars were both permissible and desirable.

6. RASHI METHOD : STYLE
This example applies to Rashis  Dt16-19a:e 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ dt16-19a .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? 

Verse Dt16-19:20 states   
•	Thou shalt not wrest judicial decisions; 
•	thou shalt not favor persons; 
•	neither shalt thou take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. 
•	Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee

•	 לֹא-תַטֶּה מִשְׁפָּט,
•	 לֹא תַכִּיר פָּנִים; 
•	וְלֹא-תִקַּח שֹׁחַד--כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים, וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִם.  
•	 צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ.   

The bullets above show a detail-theme approach. To achieve the theme of righteousness the verse recommends 
•	not reaching improper verdicts 
•	not favoring litigants 
•	not allowing unseemly Judge conduct Rashi gives an example: A judge should not accept a bribe even though he would have come to that decision anyway and he knows from independent sources that his decision is correct. 

Notice how the paragraph structure motivated Rashi to change the simple Biblical text, don't accept bribes, to don't accept bribes, even for correct decisions. Had Rashi interpreted don't accept bribes literally it would simply be a re-iteration of the first bullet, don't reach improper verdicts. It is the paragraph structure that suggests an emphasis of impropriety in three items: Hence the Rashi that prohibits impropriety in a) verdicts b) respect for litigants and c) the Judges themselves.  

7. RASHI METHOD : Formatting
This example applies to Rashis  Dt16-20a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ dn .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 methods of making inferences from context 

Verse Dt16-20 states   Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.    צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ.   

Rashi interprets the repeated phrase righteousness righteousness pursue to indicate an emphasis: If you acquitted, by accident, a guilty person (i.e. made him appear righteous), then uphold that verdict even though you found it to be in error. 

It is interesting that Rashi does not explicitly make this comment on Dt16-20a. Rather Rashi vaguely says: Have a nice court atmosphere. The explicit statement by Rashi that improper verdicts of righteousness should be upheld occurs in Ex23-07a. Such criss-crossing of Rashis occasionally occurs. 

8. RASHI METHOD : DATABASES
This example applies to Rashis  Dt12-25b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ dt17-20b .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. 

Today we ask the query: List the commandments that promise a reward for observance.  The query returns the 7 results listed below.

Here are the seven commandments where reward is mentioned. 
•	Verse Dt11-19:21 states   And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.    וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת-בְּנֵיכֶם, לְדַבֵּר בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ.  וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.  לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם, וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם, עַל הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם--כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, עַל-הָאָרֶץ.   
•	Verse Dt24-19 states   When thou reapest thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands.    כִּי תִקְצֹר קְצִירְךָ בְשָׂדֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ עֹמֶר בַּשָּׂדֶה, לֹא תָשׁוּב לְקַחְתּוֹ--לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, יִהְיֶה:  לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ.   
•	Verse Dt12-25 states   Thou shalt not eat blood; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD.   לֹא, תֹּאכְלֶנּוּ--לְמַעַן יִיטַב לְךָ וּלְבָנֶיךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ, כִּי-תַעֲשֶׂה הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה.  
•	Verse Dt22-07 states   thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.    שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת-הָאֵם, וְאֶת-הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח-לָךְ, לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ, וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים.   
•	Verse Ex20-11 states   Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.    כַּבֵּד אֶת-אָבִיךָ, וְאֶת-אִמֶּךָ--לְמַעַן, יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ, עַל הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ.   
•	Verse Dt16-20 states   Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.    צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ.   

As can be seen these seven commandments span a wide spectrum of commandment types: 
•	Easy commandments: Letting the mother bird go  (Dt22-07)
•	Communal commandments: The obligations for societal justice (Dt16-20)
•	Commandments you'd do anyway: e.g. not eating blood (Dt12-25)
•	Non-intended acts: such as leaving forgotten sheaves to the poor (Dt24-19)
The wide spectrum of commandments leads to the comment by Rashi: One gets similar rewards for observing any commandment. Rashi makes this inference from the wide spectrum of verses, demonstrating that the reward is universal.

9. RASHI METHOD : SPREADSHEETS
This example applies to Rashis  Dt19-03b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ dt19-03b .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.

Verse Dt19-03 states   Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which the LORD thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.   תָּכִין לְךָ, הַדֶּרֶךְ, וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת-גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ, אֲשֶׁר יַנְחִילְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ; וְהָיָה, לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כָּל-רֹצֵחַ.  

Rashi here simply notes that tri-partating a path results in making four, not three, separate sections. A graph illustrating this is presented below. 

=================================================== 
          Cut #1     Cut #2     Cut #3 
----------X----------X----------X---------- 
Quarter 1   Quarter 2  Quarter 3 Quarter 4
 ===================================================

In this case Rashi clarifies complex algebraic relationships. 

10. RASHI METHOD : SYMBOLISM
This example applies to Rashis  Dt18-03d
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ dt18-03d .htm 

The symbolism method seeks to extract meaningful inferences from the symbolism of the biblical text.  The concept of symbolic interpretation is very involved. A good, compact, clear reference explaining when symbolism can be used and how to apply it may be found in my article Genesis 1 speaks about the creation of prophecy not the world which you can find at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gen-1.htm . Today we explore the symbolism in Dt18-03d  which describes the symbolism of the priestly gifts of belly, shoulder and cheek.

Verse Dt18-03 states   And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the belly.   וְזֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים מֵאֵת הָעָם, מֵאֵת זֹבְחֵי הַזֶּבַח--אִם-שׁוֹר אִם-שֶׂה:  וְנָתַן, לַכֹּהֵן, הַזְּרֹעַ וְהַלְּחָיַיִם, וְהַקֵּבָה.  

The general idea that offerings in general, and priestly gifts have symbolic meaning has been fully developed in elsewhere. The essay mentioned above presents some basic arguments. 

Rashi following the symbolists ingeniously connects this verse with Verse Nu25-06:09 states   And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. And he went after the man of Israel into the chamber, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand.    וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא, וַיַּקְרֵב אֶל-אֶחָיו אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִית, לְעֵינֵי מֹשֶׁה, וּלְעֵינֵי כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְהֵמָּה בֹכִים, פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד.  וַיַּרְא, פִּינְחָס בֶּן-אֶלְעָזָר, בֶּן-אַהֲרֹן, הַכֹּהֵן; וַיָּקָם מִתּוֹךְ הָעֵדָה, וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ.  וַיָּבֹא אַחַר אִישׁ-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-הַקֻּבָּה, וַיִּדְקֹר אֶת-שְׁנֵיהֶם--אֵת אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאֶת-הָאִשָּׁה אֶל-קֳבָתָהּ; וַתֵּעָצַר, הַמַּגֵּפָה, מֵעַל, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.  וַיִּהְיוּ, הַמֵּתִים בַּמַּגֵּפָה--אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים, אָלֶף.   

Note how the bold words, belly, correspond in both verses. Similarly, notice how it is very reasonable to create a correspondence between the underlined words, spear vs. shoulders, since spears are thrown with the arm-shoulders. 

The above two associations motivate us to seek a correlate of cheeks. I would suggest, following the English phase, his jaws dropped, indicating astonishment, that the cheek is a symbol of astonishment which corresponds to the leadership crying mentioned in the above verses. This is my suggestion. 

Rashi cites a verse in Psalms, stating that Pinchas prayed during this affair. Rashi then associates cheek with prayer. 

I think it safe to say that two associations in the above verses are clear: belly and shoulder-spear. The association of these verses seems to symbolically affirm that whenever we give priests gifts we symbolically remind ourselves of their job to protest sexual excesses. The the murder-protest of Pinchas, when he killed the Jewish and Midianite leader having public sex, is an extreme example of this role of the priest. 

Conclusion

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