The 10 RashiYomi Rules
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat Terumah
Vol 5 #8 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple
Visit the RashiYomi website: http://www.Rashiyomi.com/
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel, President, Feb 22, 2007


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: REFERENCES
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: Commentary on a verse is provided thru a cross-reference to another verse. The cross references can either provide
    • (1a) further details,
    • (1b) confirm citations, or
    • (1c) clarify word meaning.
    This examples applies to Rashis Ex25-06c
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex25-06b.htm

Verse Ex25-01:08 discusses the materials used in construction of the Temple. For example Verse Ex25-06 states And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering;... And this is the offering ...which ye shall take of them: gold,.... oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense; Rashi explains the underlined words spices...for the sweet incense by referencing the appropriate citation dealing with this incense procedure. Verses Ex30-01:10 describing the daily incense offering, states: And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of acacia-wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, ....And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of sweet spices; every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at dusk, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before HaShem throughout your generations.... Notice how the cited passage gives further details to the incense procedure; for example the cited passage indicates the further details that the incense was offered twice daily in the morning and dusk.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi only mentions one inference from the cited verse. Proper understanding of Rashi requires mentioning other inferences from the cited verses. For example the incense altar was one cubit high. Such additions to Rashi should not be perceived as emendations of the Rashi text but rather as logical consequences of our method of understanding Rashi.

    2. RASHI METHOD: WORD MEANING
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: The meaning of words can be explained either by
    • (2a) translating an idiom, a group of words whose collective meaning transcends the meaning of its individual component words,
    • (2b) explaining the nuances and commonality of synonyms-homographs,
    • (2c) describing the usages of connective words like also,because,if-then, when,
    • (2d) indicating how grammatical conjugation can change word meaning
    • (2e) changing word meaning using the figures of speech common to all languages such as irony and oxymorons.
    This example applies to Rashis Ex25-31a Ex25-31b Ex25-18b Ex25-18c
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu10-02e.htm

Note the enigmatic use of the word hard in the following verses: Ex25-18 states And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; make them hard, at the two ends of the ark-cover. Verse Ex25-31 states And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: you shall make the candlestick hard, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it.

The meaning of hard in these verses is clarified by the following cross-reference: Verse Ex25-36 states Their knops and their branches shall come from it; the whole of it one hard work of gold.

Hence the Rashi comment: Hard means sculptored from one piece vs. soldered from many pieces.

Sermonic Points: The Candellabrah of course symbolizes light and knowledge. As we all know even religious people who receive their knowledge by Divine revelation, can differ in their views. The most important obligation on each person is to have internal consistency relative to one's own premises. The Torah symbolically affirms this internal consistency by having the Menorah come from one block of Gold vs. a soldered unit from several diverse pieces. By creating the one-block requirement the Torah symbolically affirms the need for consistency for each person's viewpoints.

    3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi explains verses using grammar principles, that is, rules which relate reproducable word form to word meaning. Grammatical rules neatly fall into 3 categories
    • (a) the rules governing conjugation of individual words,Biblical roots,
    • (b) the rules governing collections of words,clauses, sentences
    • (c) miscellaneous grammatical, or form-meaning, rules.
    This examples applies to Rashis Ex25-40a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu08-04g.htm

To properly understand this Rashi we must combine the alignment and grammar methods.

    We first align 3 verses stating that Moses created the tabernacle according to what God taught him in the mountain:
  • Verse Ex25-40 discussing the candellabrah states And see that thou make them after their pattern, which is being shown thee in the mount.
  • Verse Ex26-30 states And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mount.
  • Verse Ex27-08 discussing the construction of the altar states Hollow with planks shalt thou make it; as it hath been shown thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

In translating the above verses we are guided by the textbook conjugation rules govering passive tenses. Thus certain Hebrew conjugations indicate present while others indicate past. The tenses have been underlined in the above aligned passages. Notice how two of the three verses indicate that Moses was previously shown the temple construction while he was on the mount. However the verse discussing the construction of the candellabrah indicates that Moses was being shown the candellabrah construction at that moment. This aligned contrast motivates the following Rashi comment: Moses was shown the Temple construction on the mountain. He understood the construction of all utensils. However the Candellabrah construction had to be shown to him a second time; apparently Moses found this construction difficult and therefore it had to be repeated. From this we infer that Moses found the Candellabrah construction the most difficult of all the temple constructions.

Sermonic Points: Moses was an angel and a perfectionisht. By contast, the candellabrah symbolizes education - the transition from ignorance to knowledge. Moses found the process of education difficult to comprehend since he could not empathize with ignorance. It is for this reason that God had to show him twice the image of the candellabrah.

    4. RASHI METHOD: ALIGNMENT
    BRIEF EXPLANATION: Aligning two almost identically worded verselets can suggest
    • (4a) 2 cases of the same incident or law
    • (4b) emphasis on the nuances of a case
    • (4c) use of broad vs literal usage of words
    This examples applies to Rashis Ex25-40a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu08-04g.htm

We have presented an example of the alignment method in our discussion of the candellabrah, in rule #3, Grammar. There we showed how aligned verses emphasizes the past vs. present. We also indicated that Moses was shown the Candellabrah a second time because of his angelic difficulty in empathizing with ignorance. It would be productive to reread this example now.

    5. RASHI METHOD: CONTRADICTION
    BRIEF EXPLANATION:Rashi resolves contradictory verses using 3 methods.
    • (5a) Resolution using two aspects of the same event
    • (5b) Resolution using two stages of the same process
    • (5c) Resolution using broad-literal interpretation.
    This example applies to Rashis Ex25-02d Ex25-02c Ex25-02b
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex25-02d.htm

    Note the contradiction in the following verses.
  • Verse Ex25-02 discussing the voluntary gifts brought for the Temple states Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering; of every man who feels like donating ye shall take My offering.
  • By contrast verse Ex30-12:14 also discussing obligatory Temple taxes states When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, according to their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto HaShem, 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 HaShem. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of HaShem.

We see the contradiction: Which is it: Are temple gifts voluntary or obligatory? Are they non-fixed gifts or fixed taxes?

    Rashi resolves this contradiction using the 2 aspects method of contradiction resolution. There were two types of gifts:
  • Voluntary gifts: These were used to fund the actual building of the Temple. This is explicitly stated at Ex35-21:29 And they came, every one who felt like donating, ....for the work of the tent of meeting, ... And they came, both men and women, as many who felt like donating, and brought nose-rings, and ear-rings, and .... .... And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, .... The children of Israel brought a freewill-donation unto HaShem; every man and woman, who felt like donating to bring for all the work, which HaShem had commanded by the hand of Moses to be made.
  • Obligatory taxes: These funded various silver utensils in the sanctuary. This is explicitly stated in the verses And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was a hundred ... a beka per person, 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. And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets ....
  • Further Obligatory Tax uses: Rashi ingeniously finds another use of the obligatory half-shekel annual taxes in the following verses, Nu28-01:06 And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying: Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by fire, of a sweet savour unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in its due season. And thou shalt say unto them: This is the offering made by fire which ye shall bring unto HaShem: he-lambs of the first year without blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt-offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at dusk; and the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt-offering, which was offered in mount Sinai, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto HaShem. Rashi argues These obligatory daily burnt offerings were probably funded by the half-shekel annual tax. Although no verse connects the tax with the offerings, we know the offerings had to be offered, and we know the taxes had to be paid annually and therefore Rashi is justified in connecting the two items. The Rashi method justifying this is the database method and therefore this example will be repeated in rule #8 below, Databases.

Sermonic points: We can contrast the Jewish gift system with the American system. In the American system the political representatives come in two flavors---The house of representatives is proportional to the population while the senate is absolute and fixed per state. However all taxes in America are obligatory. By contrast the Jewish system knows of one parliament of representatives, based on learning maturity, but allows multiple types of taxes--voluntary and obligatory thereby creating choice to diverse types of people.

    6. RASHI METHOD: STYLE
    Rashi examines how rules of style influences inferences between general and detail statements in paragraphs.
    • Example: Every solo example stated by the Bible must be broadly generalized;
    • Theme-Detail: A general principle followed by an example is interpreted restrictively---the general theme statement only applies in the case of the example;
    • Theme-Detail-Theme: A Theme-Detail-Theme unit is interpreted as a paragraph. Consequently the details of the paragraph are generalized so that they are seen as illustrative of the theme.
    This examples applies to Rashis Ex25-12c
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex25-19a.htm

    Biblical verses Ex25-12 discussing the construction of the Temple Ark carrying rings states And they shall make an ark of acacia-wood:....
  • General: And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four feet thereof;
  • Detail: [with] two [of the 4] rings on one side of it,
  • Detail: and [with] the other two [of the 4 ] rings on the other side of it. ....

Rashi's comments have been placed in brackets. Rashi explicitly states The two subordinate clauses in the detail verses are explanations and clarifictions of the main sentence in the general verse. That is the verse is read as indicated: You will make 4 rings...with 2 on one side and 2 on the other.

Sermonic points: The Ark symbolizes the Torah which resided in it. The Ark symbolism teaches us valuable points about learning. Here there is emphasis that if we have 4 hours of learning a week we should not focus on one side of Jewish law but rather be multi-faceted, 2 sided, with our time resources. For example we should devote equal amounts of time to God-Man and Man-Man laws.

    8. RASHI METHOD: DATABASES
    BRIEF EXPLANATION:Rashi makes inferences from Database queries. The precise definition of database query has been identified in modern times with the 8 operations of Sequential Query Language (SQL).
    This example applies to Rashis Ex25-02d Ex25-02c Ex25-02b
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex25-02d.htm

We have presented this example above in rule #5, Contradiction. There we approached the Rashi from the contradiction aspect. Here we approach the same Rashi from the point of view of Databases. We ask the query: How way money gathered from the nation and where was it used? The query uncovers two types of taxes and three uses.

  • Voluntary gifts: Verse Ex25-02 discussing the voluntary gifts brought for the Temple states Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering; of every man who feels like donating ye shall take My offering.
  • Obligatory Taxes: But Verse Ex30-12:14 also discussing Temple gifts states When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, according to their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto HaShem, 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 HaShem. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of HaShem.

These two types of gifts were used for three purposes as follows:

  • Voluntary gifts: These were used to fund the actual building of the Temple. This is explicitly stated at Ex35-21:29 And they came, every one who felt like donating, ....for the work of the tent of meeting, ... And they came, both men and women, as many who felt like donating, and brought nose-rings, and ear-rings, and .... .... And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, .... The children of Israel brought a freewill-donation unto HaShem; every man and woman, who felt like donating to bring for all the work, which HaShem had commanded by the hand of Moses to be made.
  • Obligatory taxes: These funded various silver utensils in the sanctuary. This is explicitly stated in the verses And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was a hundred ... a beka per person, 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. And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets ....
  • Further Obligatory Tax uses: Rashi ingeniously finds another use of the obligatory half-shekel annual taxes in the following verses, Nu28-01:06 And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying: Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by fire, of a sweet savour unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in its due season. And thou shalt say unto them: This is the offering made by fire which ye shall bring unto HaShem: he-lambs of the first year without blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt-offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at dusk; and the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt-offering, which was offered in mount Sinai, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto HaShem. Rashi argues These obligatory daily burnt offerings were probably funded by the half-shekel annual tax. Although no verse connects the tax with the offerings, we know the offerings had to be offered, and we know the taxes had to be paid annually and therefore Rashi is justified in connecting the two items. The Rashi method justifying this is the database method.

    Sermonic points: We can contrast the Jewish gift system with the American system. In the American system the political representatives come in two flavors---The house of representatives is proportional to the population while the senate is absolute and fixed per state. However all taxes in America are obligatory. By contrast the Jewish system knows of one parliament of representatives, based on learning maturity but allows multiple types of taxes--voluntary and obligatory thereby creating choice to diverse types of people.

      9. RASHI METHOD: SPREADSHEETS
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: The common denominator of the 3 submethods of the Spreadsheet method is that inferences are made from non textual material. The 3 submethods are as follows:
      • Spreadsheet: Rashi makes inferences of a numerical nature that can be summarized in a traditional spreadsheet
      • Geometric: Rashi clarifies a Biblical text using descriptions of geometric diagrams
      • Fill-ins: Rashi supplies either real-world background material or indicates real-world inferences from a verse. The emphasis here is on the real-world, non-textual nature of the material.
      This examples applies to Rashis Ex26-05a Ex26-13a Ex26-13b Ex26-13c Ex26-09a Ex26-09b Ex26-08a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/ex26-09a.htm

    There are many blueprints, diagrams and computations in this beautiful Parshah. As is our usual custom we focus on one example: We show that the Tabernacle had dimensions of 30 cubits x 10 cubits. We then lightly discuss philosophical implications. In the diagram below the parenthesized numbers --(#)--indicate footnotes which are presented immediately after the diagram.

      

    ================================================================
                    TEMPLE BLUEPRINT & DIAGRAM 
    ================================================================
  
             WEST WALL: OUTSIDE = 8 boards(1)*1.5@board(2) = 12
             WEST WALL:  INSIDE = OUTSIDE - Thickness of Walls
                                = 12      - 2*1(2)
                                = 10

                      12
             __ __ ___ __ __ __ __ ___
             |                       |
NORTH        |        10             |   SOUTH = 
             |                       |   20 boards(3)*1.5@board(2)=
             |                       |   30
         30  |                       |
             |                       |
             |                       |
             |                       | 30
             |                       |
             |    ENTRANCE           |


    ================================================================
                    TEMPLE BLUEPRINT & DIAGRAM 
    ================================================================

      Notes:
    • (1) Verses Ex26-22:25 states And for the hinder part of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part. .... Thus there shall be eight boards,....
    • (2) Verse Ex26-16 states
      • Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a
      • cubit and a half the breadth of each board.
      • [We assume that the depth was less than breadth--say one cubit]
    • (3) Verses Ex26-18 and Ex26-20 states And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward: and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards.

    Sermonic Points: If we spent more time (and more verses) we would find that this 30 x 10 Temple, was divided into the Holies, 20 x 10, with the Temple and Candellabrah, and the Holy of Holies, 10 x 10 x 10, with the Ark containing the two tablets with the 10 commandments. The fact that the Holy of Holies forms a perfect cube, 10 x 10 x 10, with each dimension -- height, width, depth -- identically equal to 10, suggests that our learning should not solely focus on quantity but focus on a multi-faceted equal emphasis on all dimensions of learning. For example a person should devote equal amounts of time to Bible, Law and Logical Analysis, the three main dimensions of learning. This is symbolically affirmed by the equal-dimensionality of the Holy of Holy sides: 10 x 10 x 10.

    Conclusion

    This week's parshah does not contain examples of the Format and symbolism method. This concludes this weeks edition. Visit the RashiYomi website at http://www.Rashiyomi.com for further details and examples.