The 10 RashiYomi Rules 
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat KiThiSaH 
 Vol  2#20 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple  
Visit The RashiYomi Website : http://www.RashiYomi.Com/
 (c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr Hendel President, Mar-16-2006 
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 DIGEST: SPECIAL! Did the letter Samech really float in mid air in the 10 commandments. 
 
1. RASHI METHOD : OTHER VERSES   
This example applies to Rashis Ex32-27a 
URL Reference : (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex32-27a.htm 

The other verse  method seeks to illuminate the contents of a target verse by cross referencing other verses which either 
•	(a) confirm the target text or 
•	(b) add details to it. Additionally the other verse  method can 
•	(c) shed light on word meaning. 

The execution mentioned in Verse Ex32-27 states   And he said unto them:  Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.'   וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שִׂימוּ אִישׁ-חַרְבּוֹ, עַל-יְרֵכוֹ; עִבְרוּ וָשׁוּבוּ מִשַּׁעַר לָשַׁעַר, בַּמַּחֲנֶה, וְהִרְגוּ אִישׁ-אֶת-אָחִיו וְאִישׁ אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ, וְאִישׁ אֶת-קְרֹבוֹ.  is justified by an other verse which requires a death penalty for idolatry: Verse Ex22-19 states   He that sacrificeth unto the gods, save unto the LORD only, shall be utterly destroyed.   זֹבֵחַ לָאֱלֹהִים, יָחֳרָם--בִּלְתִּי לַיהוָה, לְבַדּוֹ.  There are many other Biblical verses requiring a death penalty for idolatry.

2. RASHI METHOD : WORD MEANINGS / new meanings 
This example applies to Rashis Ex30-35a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/ex30-35a.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 naming by form  method. Certain words are named by their form: examples are given below.. 

Verse Ex30-35 states   And thou shalt make of it incense, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, mixed well, pure and holy.   וְעָשִׂיתָ אֹתָהּ קְטֹרֶת, רֹקַח מַעֲשֵׂה רוֹקֵחַ, מְמֻלָּח, טָהוֹר קֹדֶשׁ.  The Hebrew root מלח can mean salted, sea-ship, mixed. The relation of these 3 meanings is a good example of the application of the Rashi word meaning rules which are common to all languages. 

The fundamental meaning of the root is sea ship or sea navigation. We now apply the appearance/form  rule which states that words can shift meaning to items of similar form and appearance. Examples are common in all languages: For example, the orange dress names a color by a fruit that has an orange color. Hence this is an example of naming by something similar in form/appearance. Other examples of word naming by appearance are the pentagon, surfing the net, brain storming, etc. 

Quite simply then a sea thru which a ship navigates appears foaming wavy white much the way a bank of salt appears. 

Continuing the use of appearance we see that mixture is the activity form of thorough salting  Hence salt meaning mixture would be similar to brain storming and surfing the net both of which name activities by other activities with similar forms. 

3. RASHI METHOD : GRAMMAR / conjugation 
This example applies to Rashis  Ex33-07a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/ex33-07a.htm  

The grammar  method seeks to apply and teach Hebrew grammar.  One component of grammar deals with The various tenses of verbs: past, present, future, progressive, perfect, habitual..... 

Verse Ex33-07 states   Now Moses will take the tent and to pitch it without the camp,; and he called it The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought the LORD went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp.   וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת-הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה-לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה, הַרְחֵק מִן-הַמַּחֲנֶה, וְקָרָא לוֹ, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד; וְהָיָה, כָּל-מְבַקֵּשׁ יְהוָה, יֵצֵא אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, אֲשֶׁר מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה.  

The Hebrew word יקח is conjugated in the future tense, which is normally translated he will take. 

However the future conjugation can also refer to a habitual present. For example, in the following sentences the present tense (in English) does not indicate a present action but rather an ongoing habitual action that happens every day, whether now, in the past or in the future: (a) I eat an apple every day,(b) I pray in shule every day, (c) We celebrate our wedding anniversary every year. 

According to Rashi, in Biblical Hebrew we would express these thoughts of habitual present by using a future conjugation. In other words, according to Rashi, the future conjugation can equally mean the future or the habitual present. Hence in Hebrew you would say I will eat an apple every day, and this would mean the same as saying in English I eat an apple every day. 

Hence following Rashi we would translate Verse Ex33-07 states   Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it The tent of meeting   וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת-הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה-לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה, הַרְחֵק מִן-הַמַּחֲנֶה, וְקָרָא לוֹ, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד; וְהָיָה, כָּל-מְבַקֵּשׁ יְהוָה, יֵצֵא אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, אֲשֶׁר מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה.  

4. RASHI METHOD : ALIGNMENT
This example applies to Rashis  Ex32-07c 
URL reference :(c) http://www.RashiYomi.com/ex32-07c.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 underlined reference to the Jewish nation in the following two aligned verses: 
•	Verse Ex32-07 states   And the LORD spoke unto Moses: 'Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have dealt corruptly;   וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה:  לֶךְ-רֵד--כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ, אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלֵיתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.  
•	Verse Ex33-01 states   And the LORD spoke unto Moses: 'Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land of which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying: Unto thy seed will I give it--   וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, לֵךְ עֲלֵה מִזֶּה--אַתָּה וְהָעָם, אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלִיתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:  אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר, לְזַרְעֲךָ, אֶתְּנֶנָּה.  

Hence the Rashi comment: When God told Moses to lead the Jews to the land that He, God, promised them He uses the expression the nation; by contrast when God criticizes the Jews for sinning He refers to them as your nation. This hints to converts of Moses which were part of Moses' nation but not part of the Jewish nation. It is extremely reasonable to conjecture that the incitement to worship idols came from converts who formerly were idol worshippers. 

5. RASHI METHOD : CONTRADICTION 
This example applies to Rashis  Ex34-07b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex20-05b.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. 

Notice the very subtle contradiction between the following verses 
•	Verse Ex34-07 states   keeping mercy unto the thousands of generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin;    נַצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה--פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים.  
•	Verse Dt07-09 states   Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy to them that love Him and keep His commandments for a thousand generations;   וְיָדַעְתָּ, כִּי-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים:  הָאֵל, הַנֶּאֱמָן--שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָו, לְאֶלֶף דּוֹר.  

Which is it? Does God reward people for one thousand generations or does he reward them for thousands (at least 2000!) of generations? 

Rashi resolves this through a strange use of the literal-broad method of interpretation. Dt07-09 is interpreted literally and restrictively with the following punctuation: Verse Dt07-09 states   Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy 
•	to them that love Him and 
•	to those who keep His commandments, for a thousand generations;   וְיָדַעְתָּ, כִּי-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים:  הָאֵל, הַנֶּאֱמָן--שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָו, לְאֶלֶף דּוֹר.  

Thus we have the Rashi comment: 
•	For those who serve God by only watching/ observing his commandments God pays gratitude for only 1000 generations. 
•	For those who do more than just serve God, but love God, God  pays gratitude for 2000 generations. 
Again, the strange emphasis on word proximity (...to a thousand generations to those who observe...) is not natural to Biblical Hebrew grammar, but rather reflects an attempt to resolve a contradiction.

Philosophically, we conclude that the God rewards service from love superior to service from mere observance. 

6. RASHI METHOD : STYLE
This example applies to Rashis  Ex30-12a Ex30-15a Ex30-16a Ex30-16b 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex30-12a.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? 

Notice the General-Detail-General structure of the following paragraph: Verse Ex30-12:15 states   
•	GENERAL: 'When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, according to their number, then shall they give every man an atonement for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; 
		DETAIL:that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 
		DETAIL: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. 
		DETAIL:Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of the LORD. 
		DETAIL:The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, 
•	GENERAL: when they give the offering of the LORD, to make atonement for your souls.   

•	כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת-רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם, וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ לַיהוָה, בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם; GENERAL
•	 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.  GENERAL

Hence the several Rashis The above paragraph applies to any census. That is there is a biblical obligation to perform all censii by counting coins, not people, and there is a punishment of pestilence if counting of people is done directly. 

The Biblical chapter 2S24 recounts a punishment of a plague that took the lives of 70,000 people because King David counted the people directly. 

The philosophical point behind this prohibition is that necessity is the mother of invention; by allowing large populations we create the need for further resources which are then created by the people. However when we try and control the population and resources we stint creativity and this leads to unnecessary self-fulfilling prophecies. 

7. RASHI METHOD : Formatting
This example applies to Rashis  Ex30-06a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex30-06a.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 repeating keyword before creates a bullet effect in the following verse: Verse Ex30-06 states   
And thou shalt put it 
•	before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, 
•	before the ark-cover that is over the testimony,
 where I will meet with thee.   וְנָתַתָּה אֹתוֹ
•	 לִפְנֵי הַפָּרֹכֶת, אֲשֶׁר עַל-אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת--
•	לִפְנֵי הַכַּפֹּרֶת, אֲשֶׁר עַל-הָעֵדֻת,
 אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לְךָ, שָׁמָּה.  

Hence the Rashi comment: The golden altar must be both 
•	before the veil separating the ark in the holy of holies from the holy-only part of the sanctuary 
•	centrally situated before the ark cover 

In other words the veil separates the ark and the golden altar. However the golden altar could be on the left right or center of the veil. Since the biblical text states before the ark cover  it implies that the golden altar should be centrally located. 

9. RASHI METHOD : SPREADSHEETS
This example applies to Rashis  Ex32-15a 
URL reference :(c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex32-15a.htm 

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

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 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. 

Note the underlined emphasis in the following verse: Verse Ex32-15 states   And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand; tablet that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.   וַיִּפֶן וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה, מִן-הָהָר, וּשְׁנֵי לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת, בְּיָדוֹ:  לֻחֹת, כְּתֻבִים מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם--מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה, הֵם כְּתֻבִים.  Hence the Rashi comment The Stone Tablets were each a perfect cubit cube. The 10 commandments were inscribed on both sides--that is a person on either side could read the 10 commandments. 

In fact the Yalkut Shimoni a midrashic compilation, ילקות שמעוני cites several views on the double readability of the 10 commandments: (a) they were written twice, once on each side; (b) they were written four times, twice on each side, one right side up and one right side down; (c) they were written 8 times, four times on each side, one in each corner. Philosophically this corresponds to several views of educational pedagogy: Thus writing on both sides signifies learning with a partner. Similarly writing 4 times on each side emphasizes group learning. 

Rashi continues with the following cryptic phrase The letters in the tablets were held up miraculously. 

The traditional interpretation of this miracle is that for example the Hebrew Samech ס if written on both sides would create a hollow slab in mid air and this was miraculously held up in mid air. 

But attribution of such extraordinary miracles is unnecessary. A more reasonable approach is that the miracle was that when the ten commandments were written on each side of the tablets then the Samech ס on one side never corresponded to a Samech on the other side. In other words the letters of the 10 commandments were written and bored through to the center on each side and by miracle the samech on one side did not correspond to the samech ס on the other side so that all the letters were held up. 

There is a temptation to exaggerate miracles. I believe the above interpretation more reasonable. It is also consistent with Judaism's approach not to exaggerate miracles except when explicitly stated.

In this verse Rashi clarified a complex geometric construction---hence we classify the Rashi method as the spreadsheet method.

Conclusion

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