The 10 RashiYomi Rules 
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat VaYayShev 
 Vol  2#8 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple  
Visit The RashiYomi Website : http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
 (c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr Hendel President, Dec-22-2005 
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 at all levels to acquire a familiarity and facility with the major exegetical methods.

IN THIS WEEKS RASHIs: Curing teenage immaturity:How? The Egyptian bondage: Why?

1. RASHI METHOD : OTHER VERSES   
This example applies to Rashis Gn38-08a 
URL Reference : (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gn38-08a.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 Gn38-08 states   And Judah said unto Onan: 'Go in unto thy brother's wife, and (YBM) perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.'   וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְאוֹנָן, בֹּא אֶל-אֵשֶׁת אָחִיךָ וְיַבֵּם אֹתָהּ; וְהָקֵם זֶרַע, לְאָחִיךָ.  Rashi clarifies the underlined words (YBM) perform the duty of a husband's brother; raise up seed to thy brother by cross referencing an other verse. Verse Dt25-05:06 states   If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not be married abroad unto one not of his kin; her husband's brother shall (YBM)  go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her. And it shall be, He will be like the first-born and he shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead, that his name be not blotted out of Israel.   כִּי-יֵשְׁבוּ אַחִים יַחְדָּו, וּמֵת אַחַד מֵהֶם וּבֵן אֵין-לוֹ--לֹא-תִהְיֶה אֵשֶׁת-הַמֵּת הַחוּצָה, לְאִישׁ זָר:  יְבָמָהּ יָבֹא עָלֶיהָ, וּלְקָחָהּ לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וְיִבְּמָהּ.  וְהָיָה, הַבְּכוֹר אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד--יָקוּם, עַל-שֵׁם אָחִיו הַמֵּת; וְלֹא-יִמָּחֶה שְׁמוֹ, מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.  Here Dt25-05:06 clarifies Gn38-08: When a brother-in-law marries his sister-in-law he perpetuates his deceased brother's family name. 

2. RASHI METHOD : WORD MEANINGS / new meanings 
This example applies to Rashis Gn37-30a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/gn37-30a.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, new meaning  method. An idiom refers to a collection of words whose meaning as a whole differs from the sum of the meanings of its component words. 

Verse Gn37-30 states   And he returned unto his brethren, and said: 'The child is not; and as for me, whither shall I go?'   וַיָּשָׁב אֶל-אֶחָיו, וַיֹּאמַר:  הַיֶּלֶד אֵינֶנּוּ, וַאֲנִי אָנָה אֲנִי-בָא.  Rashi translates the underlined phrase I---where do I go as an idiom meaning I am hopeless. Similar idioms exist in English. 

3. RASHI METHOD : GRAMMAR / conjugation 
This example applies to Rashis  Gn37-31b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/gn37-31b.htm  

The grammar  method seeks to apply and teach Hebrew grammar.  One component of grammar deals with the construct. The construct in any language refers to the lingual method by which the possessive is indicated--in English we use the word of as in the trees of New York . 

Verse Gn37-31 states   And they took the coat of Joseph, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood;   וַיִּקְחוּ, אֶת-כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף; וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים, וַיִּטְבְּלוּ אֶת-הַכֻּתֹּנֶת בַּדָּם.  Gn37-31 is a rare gem of a verse. The Hebrew word Kaph-Tauv-Nun-Tauv occurs twice with two different spellings. 
•	The construct state which indicates the possessive, coat of starts with the Hebrew vowel, the shva:כְּתֹנֶת
•	The non construct state indicates an ordinary coat, and starts with a koobutz: הַכֻּתֹּנֶת
Rashi points this distinction out. In fact, this Rashi point is a general point about Biblical Hebrew: The vocalization of the first letter of a long word will frequently change to a shva for the construct state. 

Here are 5 other Hebrew words whose non-construct does not begin with a shva while the construct does begin with a shva. רקיע מטר כתנת שגר שנה 

4. RASHI METHOD : ALIGNMENT
This example applies to Rashis  Gn37-10a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/gn37-10a.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 . 

Note the contrast in the following two aligned verses 
Verse Gn37-05:11 states   And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them: 'Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and bowed down to my sheaf.' And his brethren said to him: 'Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?' And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said: 'Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.' And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him: 'What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down to thee to the earth?' And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.   וַיַּחֲלֹם יוֹסֵף חֲלוֹם, וַיַּגֵּד לְאֶחָיו; וַיּוֹסִפוּ עוֹד, שְׂנֹא אֹתוֹ.  וַיֹּאמֶר, אֲלֵיהֶם:  שִׁמְעוּ-נָא, הַחֲלוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר חָלָמְתִּי.  וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים, בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶה, וְהִנֵּה קָמָה אֲלֻמָּתִי, וְגַם-נִצָּבָה; וְהִנֵּה תְסֻבֶּינָה אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם, וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִי.  וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ, אֶחָיו, הֲמָלֹךְ תִּמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ, אִם-מָשׁוֹל תִּמְשֹׁל בָּנוּ; וַיּוֹסִפוּ עוֹד שְׂנֹא אֹתוֹ, עַל-חֲלֹמֹתָיו וְעַל-דְּבָרָיו.  וַיַּחֲלֹם עוֹד חֲלוֹם אַחֵר, וַיְסַפֵּר אֹתוֹ לְאֶחָיו; וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה חָלַמְתִּי חֲלוֹם עוֹד, וְהִנֵּה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְאַחַד עָשָׂר כּוֹכָבִים, מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לִי.  וַיְסַפֵּר אֶל-אָבִיו, וְאֶל-אֶחָיו, וַיִּגְעַר-בּוֹ אָבִיו, וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה הַחֲלוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר חָלָמְתָּ:  הֲבוֹא נָבוֹא, אֲנִי וְאִמְּךָ וְאַחֶיךָ, לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְךָ, אָרְצָה.  וַיְקַנְאוּ-בוֹ, אֶחָיו; וְאָבִיו, שָׁמַר אֶת-הַדָּבָר.  

As the underlined phrases connote 
•	He first told the dream only to his brothers while 
•	the second time he told the dream to his family: both his father and brothers together. This e.g. could happen at dinner time or some other time of family gathering. Rashi's point is that after the brothers rejected the dream Joseph sought parental approval. 

5. RASHI METHOD : CONTRADICTION 
This example applies to Rashis  Gn37-10b Gn37-10c Gn37-11a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gn37-10b.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. 

Note the contradiction in the following verses: 
•	Verse Gn37-09 states   And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said: 'Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.'   וַיַּחֲלֹם עוֹד חֲלוֹם אַחֵר, וַיְסַפֵּר אֹתוֹ לְאֶחָיו; וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה חָלַמְתִּי חֲלוֹם עוֹד, וְהִנֵּה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְאַחַד עָשָׂר כּוֹכָבִים, מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לִי.  
•	Verse Gn37-10 states   And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him: 'What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down to thee to the earth?'   וַיְסַפֵּר אֶל-אָבִיו, וְאֶל-אֶחָיו, וַיִּגְעַר-בּוֹ אָבִיו, וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה הַחֲלוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר חָלָמְתָּ:  הֲבוֹא נָבוֹא, אֲנִי וְאִמְּךָ וְאַחֶיךָ, לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְךָ, אָרְצָה.  
•	Verse Gn37-11 states   And his brethren were angry with him; but his father kept the dream in mind.   וַיְקַנְאוּ-בוֹ, אֶחָיו; וְאָבִיו, שָׁמַר אֶת-הַדָּבָר.  

We see the contradiction: Gn37-10 states that Joseph's father yelled at him while Gn37-11 says he guarded the dream. 

Rashi resolves this contradiction using the method of two aspects 
•	Publicly Joseph's father yelled at him so as not to further inflame the brother's hatred 
•	Privately Joseph's father guarded the dream since he expected it to be true 

7. RASHI METHOD : Formatting
This example applies to Rashis  Gn37-02b Gn37-02c Gn37-02d 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gn37-02b.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 

The following verse beautifully delineates three stages in the development of immaturity. Verse Gn37-02 states   These are the generations of Jacob. 
•	Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being still a lad 
•	even with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; 
•	and Joseph brought evil report of them unto their father. 

•	  אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב, יוֹסֵף בֶּן-שְׁבַע-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת-אֶחָיו בַּצֹּאן, וְהוּא נַעַר
•	 אֶת-בְּנֵי בִלְהָה וְאֶת-בְּנֵי זִלְפָּה, נְשֵׁי אָבִיו;
•	 וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת-דִּבָּתָם רָעָה, אֶל-אֲבִיהֶם.  

•	Teenager: (Rashi) The verse calls Joseph a 17 year old lad: He engaged excessively in grooming activities (like many teenagers). These activities emphasized external form vs. content.
•	Rif Rafs: (Rashi)Joseph hung out with the maid servants rather than the older brothers. This corresponds to a circle of friends from the lower classes of society.
•	Slander: (Rashi) When you emphasize externals (grooming ) and have a lower class circle of friends (maidservants ) you end up slandering people's good deeds. 
The Bible in showing us how immaturity develops also advises us how to avoid it: 
•	Emphasize to your teenage children content besides externals 
•	Hang out with upper society occasionally 
•	Avoid slandering good people. 

8. RASHI METHOD : DATABASES
This example applies to Rashis  Gn37-01a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gn37-01a.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: If one person excels in a group how much space does the Bible devote to discussions of the group vs. the individual? ? The query returns the 5 results listed below. 

The answer to the question When one person excels in a group how does the Bible record the history of group/person is 
•	The Bible token mentions everyone in the group--typically for a verse or 2 
•	The Bible devotes a lot of text to the person who excels 

Rashi brings the first 3 examples in the list below. We have supplemented this list with two further examples. In each example in this list the excelling person has a great deal of Biblical text devoted to him while the surrounding group has minimal text devoted. 

Example 1: Gn05 , Gn06 records the 10 generations from Adam to Noach. Each generation has 3 verses. But the story of Noach has many verses 

Example 2: Gn11, Gn12 records the 10 generations from Noach to Abraham. These generations typically have 3 verses each. But the story of Abraham has many verses. 

Example 3: Gn36, Gn37 records the genealogies and history of Esauv and Jacob. The genealogies and history of Esauv are terse; whole stories are often only hinted at in a few verses;  while the genealogies and stories of Jacob are dealt with in many verses. 

The above examples were brought by Rashi. To these examples I supplement further examples. 

Example 4: Nu07 and Nu08 describe the gifts at the consecration of the Wilderness Temple. The gifts of each of the tribes occupies 6 verses. The contribution of Aaron occupies a whole chapter. 

Example 5: 1C01 thru 1C12 deal quickly with all of human history to King David's time. By contrast 1C13 thru 1C17 are slow paced, describing the beginning of the centralization of temple worship under King David's reign. 

9. RASHI METHOD : SPREADSHEETS
This example applies to Rashis  Gn37-14a Gn37-14b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gn37-14a.htm 

We say that Rashi uses the spreadsheet  method on any clarification of a verse that is in addition to its meaning. 

Rashi will very often take a verse whose meaning is already understood and add a consequence to the verse. This consequence does not illumine a comparison with any other verse but simply illustrates further, something already understood. We call this the spreadsheet method since spreadsheets are very often used to derive consequences of otherwise understood data.  The spreadsheet method is also used when either a) Rashi gives an algebraic or computational explanation of a difficult verse or b) Rashi presents geometric diagrams to clarify the meaning of the verse. Any of these three methods: a) actual spreadsheets b) geometric diagrams or c) additional consequences of a verse is called the spreadsheet method. 

Verse Gn37-14 states   And he said to him: 'Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me back word.' So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.   וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ, לֶךְ-נָא רְאֵה אֶת-שְׁלוֹם אַחֶיךָ וְאֶת-שְׁלוֹם הַצֹּאן, וַהֲשִׁבֵנִי, דָּבָר; וַיִּשְׁלָחֵהוּ מֵעֵמֶק חֶבְרוֹן, וַיָּבֹא שְׁכֶמָה.  Note that the meaning of this verse is perfectly clear. However Rashi supplements the verse's clear meaning with further thoughts. For this reason we classify this Rashi as using the spreadsheet method. 

It is well known that place arouses. Here is a simple example: A man sins with a woman in a certain city; he is more likely to repeat the sin if he meets her in the same city then if he meets her elsewhere. 

The Joseph story is clear. He bragged, thru his dreams, that he wanted to reign over his brothers. His brothers in turn were infuriated. Finally when they were away from their father, 2 of the brothers suggested the ultimate solution, murder. 

Rashi simply points out that Schem, where Joseph's murder was plotted, is the same place where the would be murderers, Shimon and Levi, murdered a whole city for ignoring the rape of their sister, Dinah. 

We see Rashi's point: They wanted to kill him anyway. But their being in Schem, the place where they learned to solve problems thru murder, helped arouse them---it made the emotion stronger. 

That is all Rashi is doing: He is not attributing the desire to kill to Schem--it was there anyway. All Rashi is doing is saying that place arouses. 

A similar analysis can be made on the verse's point that Jacob sent Joseph from the valley of Chevron. Rashi, read literally,states that there is a contradiction to the fact that Chevron is on a mountain: But every mountain has a valley nearby (or it would not be a mountain). 

Rather, Rashi's real point is that Abraham was buried in Schem and place arouses. Abraham's most famous prophecy is Verse Gn15-13:14 which states   And He said unto Abram: 'Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.   וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם, יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי-גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם, וַעֲבָדוּם, וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם--אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, שָׁנָה.  וְגַם אֶת-הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ, דָּן אָנֹכִי; וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן יֵצְאוּ, בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל.  

We are never told why  the Jews had to suffer in Egypt for 400 years. After all it is unlike the merciful Jewish God to make anyone suffer even for a second, and even when it is deserved. Certainly, if there was a sin people could repent. 

Rashi's point is that by comparing the before and after of Egypt we find out the why  of Egypt. What changed before and after Egypt was respect for prophecy. 

Before Egypt Joseph was made fun of. His prophetic dreams were irrelevant. Nay, they were overshadowed by his teenage immaturity which ultimately led to a 12 year prison sentence. 

After Egypt, at least momentarily, the Jews respected prophecy (with intermediate lapses). When Moses told them they were going to be redeemed they did not sneer at Moses for being an Egyptian outsider. When Moses told them to slaughter the lamb, the Egyptian god, they cheerfully obeyed. 

It took 200 years of lack of prophecy--and all that is associated with it such as class distinctions, lack of regard for human feeling and life, etc.--to make the Jews realize that hating Joseph was a mistake; all prophecy---including mere dreams which only have spiritual content--should be respected. 

To recap: Jacob did not send Joseph because he was in Chevron. We know why he sent him. But place arouses -- the famous prophecy of Grandpa Abraham lurked in the recesses of Jacob's mind-- if the brothers wanted to try and erase prophecy then they deserved the Egyptian slavery to make them appreciate prophecy, absolutely, from all, and at all costs. 

Conclusion

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