ÿþ<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE> Weekly Rashi Digest - </title> <style type=text/css> .TopHeader {font-size:16pt; font-family:Times Roman,Times Roman New; font-weight:900;} .header {font-size:15pt; font-family:Times Roman,Times Roman New; font-weight:900;} P {font-size:12pt; font-family: Times Roman,Times Roman New; font-weight:400} .ULHead {font-size:15pt; font-family: Times Roman,Times Roman New; font-weight:900} UL {font-size:12pt; font-family: Times Roman,Times Roman New; font-weight:400} OL {font-size:12pt; font-family: Times Roman,Times Roman New; font-weight:400} tt {font-weight: 100; font-size:10pt; font-family: courier; font-style: Normal} pre {font-family:courier,courier-new; font-weight:100; font-size:8pt} </style> </head> <body> <center> <table width=80%><tr><td> </center> <!-- Begin Header --> <Div class=TopHeader> <center> <Div class=TopHeader> <center> <b>The 10 RashiYomi Rules<br></font> <i>Their presence in Rashis on <u>Parshat DeVaRiM</u> </i> </font> </br> Volume 14, Number 23 <br> This weeks Weekly Rashi with Hebrew/English source tables<br> Is accessible at <a href=http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1423.htm><font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1423.htm</font></a> <br> (c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel, President, July 15 th, 2010 <br> <b>Visit the Rashi website</b> <a href=http://www.Rashiyomi.com>http://www.Rashiyomi.com</a><br> <font size=1><i> </i> </font> </center> </Div> <P> <tt>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.</tt> <tt>Although I frequently use my own English translations of biblical verses and Rashi comments, the Hebrew and English translations in the source tables are derived from online parshah files at chabad.org who in turn acknowledges the Judaica Press Complete Tanach, copyright by Judaica Press.</tt> </P> </center> <P><Font color=red face=Arial> <center><b> FULL HOUSE THIS WEEK ALL RASHI RULES ILLUSTRATED </b> </center> </font> </p> <!-- END HEADER --> <!-- END HEADER --> <a name=rule1> <!-- Rule #1 --> <P> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <b><U> 1. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i>REFERENCES</i><br> <tt>BRIEF EXPLANATION: Commentary on a verse is provided thru a <B>cross-reference</b> to another verse. The cross <U>references</u> can either provide <UL><LI>(1a) further <U>details</u>, <LI>(1b) confirm <U>citations</u>, or <LI>(1c) clarify word <U>meaning</u>. </ul> </tt></b> This examples applies to Rashis <b> Dt02-16c </b> <br> <U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n5.htm; </font> </b> <br><TT><U>Brief Summary:</u> The MEN OF WAR mentioned in Dt02-16 refers to 20+ year olds Nu14-29 on whom death was decreed. 20+ is military age (e.g. Nu01-20) </tt> </font> </ul> </Div> </Div> </td></tr></table> </p> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt02-16a </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> շٰԴ٠۷вéÁ¶è ê¼·Þ¼Õ¼ Û¼¸Ü зà°éÁµÙ Ô·Þ¼´Ü°×¸Þ¸Ô ܸÞÕ¼ê ޴缶è¶Ñ Ô¸â¸Ý: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> So it was, when all the men of war finished dying from among the people, </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÕÙÔÙ ÛÐéè êÞÕ ÕÒÕ'. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> So it was, when [all the men of war] finished </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> & </td></tr></table></center></p> <P>Verse <B> Dt02-16, </b> discussing the death of the <U>men of war</u> states <I> So it came to pass, when all the <U>men of war</u> had completed dying from the people, </i> Rashi clarifies the underlined words <U> <U>men of war</u> </u> by <B>referencing</b> verse(s) <B> Nu14-29,Nu01-20 </b> discussing the death decree on those who accepted the slander of the spies which states <I> Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from <U>twenty years old and upward</u>, who have murmured against me ....And the sons of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, <U>every male from twenty years old and upward</u>, </i> Hence the Rashi comment: <tt> The <U>men of war</u> mentioned in <B>Dt02-16</b> refers to the <U>20+ year olds</u> who accepted the slander of spies on whom was decreed death. These <U>20+ year olds</u> are called <U>men of war</u> since 20 is the age of military conscription (<B>Nu01-20</b>). </tt> </P> <P> <table width=95% bordercolor=black border=3 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2> <tr bgcolor=#cccccc> <td> <B>Text of Target verse Dt02-16 </b> </td> <td> <B>Text of Reference Verse Nu14-29,Nu01-20</b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <I> So it came to pass, when all the <U>men of war</u> had completed <U>dying</u> from among the nation, </i> </td> <td> <I> Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from <U>twenty years old and upward</u>, who have murmured against me ....And the sons of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, <U>every male from twenty years old and upward</u>, </i> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2> <B>Rashi comments:</b> <tt> The <U>men of war who died</u> mentioned in <B>Dt02-16</b> refers to the <U>20+ year olds</u> who accepted the slander of spies on whom was decreed death. These <U>20+ year olds</u> are called <U>men of war</u> since 20 is the age of military conscription (<B>Nu01-20</b>). </tt> </td> </tr> </table> </P> <P><B><U>Advanced Rashi:</u></b> Note the unusual feature that we have a nested <B>reference,</b> in the above example. <U>Men of war who died</u> references the <U>20+ year olds</u> on whom was decreed death and <U>20+ year olds</u> references the census where we are told that 20 is the age of <U>military conscription.</u> </P> <P>We will revisit this example below in <B>rule #3, grammar.</b> </p> <a name=rule2> <!-- Rule #2 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <Div Class=Header> <UL> <Div Class=ULHead> <b> <U> 2. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i> WORD MEANING</i><br> <tt> BRIEF EXPLANATION: The <b>meaning</b> of words can be explained either by <UL><LI>(2a) translating an <B>idiom, </b> a group of words whose collective meaning transcends the meaning of its individual component words, <LI>(2b) explaining the nuances and commonality of <B>synonyms-homographs</b>, <LI>(2c) describing the usages of <B>connective words</b> like <I>also,because,if-then, when</i>, <LI>(2d) indicating how grammatical <B>conjugation</b> can change word meaning <LI>(2e) changing word meaning using the <B>figures of speech</b> common to all languages such as <I>irony</i> and <I>oxymorons</i>. </ul> </tt></b> This examples applies to Rashis <b> Dt01-12d </b> </b> <br> <U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1301.htm </font></b> <Br> <TT><U>Brief Summary:</u> TORACH=troubles; MASAH=business disputes; RIV=fights; </tt> </font> </uL> </Div> </Div> </td></tr></table> </P> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt01-12d </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> еÙÛ¸Ô Ð¶é¼Â¸Ð Ü°Ñ·Ó¼´Ù ظè°×²Û¶Ý Õ¼Þ·é¼Â·Ð²Û¶Ý Õ°è´ÙÑ°Û¶Ý: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> How can I bear your trouble, your burden, and your strife all by myself? </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÕèÙÑÛÝ </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> ÞÜÞÓ éÔÙÕ èÕÒàÙÝ: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> and your strife </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> This teaches that they [the Israelites] were contentious (Sifrei). </td></tr></table></center></p> <P>When Rashi uses the <B>synonym</b> method he does not explain the meaning of a word but rather the distinction between two similar words both of whose meanings we already know.</P> <P><UL>The following Hebrew words all refer to <I> hostile interactions between two people. </i> <LI><B> Tet-Resh-Cheth, Torach, </b> <I> harassments; </i> <LI><B> Nun-Sin-Aleph; Masah </b> <I> business disputes, </i> <tt>[ in Talmudic Hebrew, <B>Masah-OMatan</b> means business; ]</tt> <LI><B> Resh-Yud-Beth, Riv </b> <I> fights </i> </ul> </p> <P>In our article <I>Peshat and Derash: A New Intuitive and Logical Approach,</i> which can be found on the world-wide-web at <a href=http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rashi.pdf> http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rashi.pdf </a> we have advocated punchy translations of Biblical verses as a means of presenting Rashi comments. The following translation of verse <B> Dt01-13d </b> embeds the Rashi translation <TT> <B>Riv</b> means <I>fights.</i> </tt> <I> How can I bear by myself your harassments, (business) disputes and <U>fights.</u> <tt>[<U>Rashi:</u> The use of the words <U>fights</u> shows that, besides (legitimate) business disputes, the Jews were paranoic and (physically) fought.]</tt> </i> </P> <P><B><U>Advanced Rashi:</u></b> We could have also justified this Rashi by using the <B>database</b> method and reviewing all verses where the root <B>Riv</b> occurs. A sample verse might be <B>Gn13-07</b> <I>....there was a <U>fight</u> between the shepards of Abrahams flock and the shepards of Lots flock.</i> Such verses show that <B>Riv</b> does not just mean <I>dispute</i> but more precisely means <I>fights.</i> </P> <P>Another alternative for explaining this Rashi would be to use the <B>Format-Climax</b> method since the progression, <B>Torach-Masah-Riv</b> suggests that the last item, <B>Riv</b> is the most serious.</P> <a name=rule3> <!-- Rule #3 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2> <tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <Div Class=Header> <UL> <Div Class=ULHead> <b><U> 3. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i> GRAMMAR</i><br> <tt>BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi explains verses using <b>grammar</b> principles, that is, rules which relate reproducable word form to word meaning. <B>Grammatical</b> rules neatly fall into 3 categories <UL><LI>(a) the rules governing <B>conjugation</b> of individual words,Biblical roots, <LI>(b) the rules governing collections of words,<b>clauses, sentences</b> <LI>(c) <b>miscellaneous</b> grammatical, or form-meaning, rules. </ul> </tt></b> This examples applies to Rashis <b> Dt02-16a </b> <br> <U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n5.htm</font> </b> <BR><TT> <U>Brief Summary:</u> WHEN ALL DRAFTABLE MEN DIED THEN GOD SPOKE TO ME. Rashi: This teaches God only spoke to Moses for the sake of the community. </tt> </font> </uL> </Div> </Div> </td></tr></table> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt02-16a </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> շٰԴ٠۷вéÁ¶è ê¼·Þ¼Õ¼ Û¼¸Ü зà°éÁµÙ Ô·Þ¼´Ü°×¸Þ¸Ô ܸÞÕ¼ê ޴缶è¶Ñ Ô¸â¸Ý: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> So it was, when all the men of war finished dying from among the people, </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÕÙÔÙ ÛÐéè êÞÕ ÕÒÕ'. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> So it was, when [all the men of war] finished </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> & </td></tr></table></center></p> <P>The <B>multi-verse</b> rule simply states that some Biblical sentences span multiple verses. Knowledge of the <B>multi-verse</b> rule enables one to see distinct Biblical sentences as contributing meaning to each other. Today's example illustrates this.</P> <P>Verses <B>Dt02-16:17</b> state <I> So it came to pass, <U>when</u> all draftable men had completed dying from the nation, <tt>[then]</tt> the Lord spoke to me, saying. </i> We have indicated Rashi's comment, that the two verses form one sentence, by interpolating the typeset word <TT>then,</tt> indicating causal or temporal connection between the two verses. Rashi further elaborates: <tt> Why does the verse emphasize the causal relation that God spoke to Moses <I>after</i> the draftable men [who accepted the slander of the spies] completed dying? This causal relation indicates that God only prophetically spoke to Moses for the sake of the community. As long as people were dying and not going to enter Israel there was no need for God to speak to Moses.</tt> </P> <P><UL><B><U>Advanced Rashi:</u></b> We have studied <B>Dt02-16:17</b> using three Rashi methods: <LI> The <B>meaning</b> method taught us that the phrase <U>men of war</u> is an <B>idiom</b> meaning <U>draftable men.</U> <LI> The <B>reference</b> method taught us that the <U>draftable men who completed dying</u> refers to the 20+ year olds who accepted the slander of the spies on whom death was decreed. The <B>reference</b> method further teaches us that 20 is age of military drafting. These <B>references</b> in turn enable us to decipher the <B>idiom.</b> <LI> The <B>grammar</b> method taught us that the two verses - one speaking about the cessation of dying of draftable men and the other speaking about God delivering prophecy to Moses - were causally connected <I>because</I> God only spoke to Moses for the sake of the community. </ul> </p> <a name=rule4> <!-- Rule #4 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <b><U> 4. RASHI METHOD:</u> <i> ALIGNMENT</i><br> <TT>BRIEF EXPLANATION: Aligning two almost identically worded verselets can suggest <UL><LI>(4a) <B>2 cases</b> of the same incident or law <LI>(4b) emphasis on the <b>nuances</b> of a case <LI>(4c) use of <b>broad vs literal</b> usage of words</uL> </tt></b> This examples applies to Rashis <b> Dt01-23b </b> <br> <U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1301.htm</font> </b> <BR> <TT> <U>Brief Summary:</u> a) Kuph-Cheth and Kuph-Cheth Eth means TAKE. b) Kuph-Cheth M means SELECT. Hence Rashi translates I SELECTED 12 MEN... </tt> </font> </uL> </Div> </Div> </td></tr></table> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt01-23b </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> Õ·Ù¼´ÙØ·Ñ Ñ¼°âµÙà·Ù Ô·Ó¼¸Ñ¸è Õ¸Ð¶ç¼·× Þ´Û¼¶Ý éÁ°àµÙÝ â¸é¸è вà¸éÁ´ÙÝ Ð´ÙéÁ Ð¶×¸Ó Ü·é¼Á¸Ñ¶Ø: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> And the matter pleased me; so I took twelve men from you, one man for each tribe. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÕÐç× ÞÛÝ </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> Þß ÔÑèÕèÙÝ éÑÛÝ Þß ÔÞáÕÜêÙÝ éÑÛÝ: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> so I took& from you </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> from the select that were among you, of the finest that were among you (Sifrei). </td></tr></table></center></p> <P> The table below presents an <B>aligned</b> extract of verses or verselets in <B> Dt01-23b, Dt01-15 </B> Both verses/verselets discuss the taking of 12 representatives for the Jewish people. The <B>alignment</b> justifies the Rashi comment that: <tt> In creating a hierarchical judicial system Moses <U>took</u> the 12 tribal leaders that had already arisen in the tribes. But in creating a representative group to spy on Israel Moses <U>selected</u> 12 men. The nuances of <U>selected</u> connote a new selection from the choicest and finest. </tt> </P> <p> <table width=95% bordercolor=black border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2> <tr bgcolor=#cccccc> <td> Verse </td> <td> Text of Verse </td> <td> Rashi comment </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <B> Dt01-23b </b> </td> <td> <I> And the response pleased me well; and I <U>selected</u> twelve men of you, one from each tribe; </i> </td> <td rowspan=2 width=50%> <tt> In creating a hierarchical judicial system Moses <U>took</u> the 12 tribal leaders that had already arisen in the tribes. But in creating a representative group to spy on Israel Moses <U>selected</u> 12 men. The nuances of <U>selected</u> connote a new selection from the choicest and finest. </tt> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <B> Dt01-15 </b> </td> <td> <i> So I <U>took</u> the chiefs of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them chiefs over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. </i> </td> </tr> </table> </p> <a name=rule5> <P> <!-- Rule #5 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <Div Class=Header> <UL> <Div Class=ULHead> <b><U> 5. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i> CONTRADICTION</i><br> <tt>BRIEF EXPLANATION:Rashi resolves <B>contradictory</b> verses using 3 methods. <UL><LI>(5a) Resolution using <B>two aspects</b> of the same event <LI>(5b) Resolution using <B>two stages</b> of the same process <LI>(5c) Resolution using <B>broad-literal</b> interpretation. </ul></tt></b> This examples applies to Rashis <b> Dt01-27c </b> <br> <U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n5.htm</font> </b> <BR><TT> <U>Brief Summary:</u> The Jews complained that GOD HATES US. But God loved the Jews? The Jews projected their own hatred of God onto God. </tt> </font> </uL> </Div> </Div> </td></tr></table> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt01-27c </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> Õ·ê¼µè¸Ò°àÕ¼ ѰиԳܵÙÛ¶Ý Õ·ê¼¹ÐÞ°èÕ¼ Ѽ°é´à°Ð·ê Ù°¾Ô¹Õ¸¾Ô йê¸àÕ¼ ÔÕ¹æ´ÙиàÕ¼ ޵жè¶å Þ´æ°è¸Ù´Ý ܸêµê йê¸àÕ¼ Ѽ°Ù·Ó Ըб޹è´Ù Ü°Ô·éÁ°Þ´ÙÓµàÕ¼: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> You murmured in your tents and said, 'Because the Lord hates us, He took us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand[s] of the Amorites to exterminate us. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÑéàÐê Ô' ÐêàÕ ÔÕæÙÐàÕ ÞÐèå ÞæèÙÝ </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> ÔÕæÐêÕ ÜéàÐÔ ÔÙêÔ. ÞéÜ ÜÞÜÚ Ñéè ÕÓÝ, éÔÙÕ ÜÕ éàÙ ÑàÙÝ ÕÙé ÜÕ éêÙ éÓÕê Ð×ê éÜ éçÙÐ ÕÐ×ê éÜ ÑâÜ, ÜÞÙ éÔÕÐ ÐÕÔÑ àÕêß éÜ éçÙÐ, ÕÜÞÙ éÔÕÐ éÕàÐ àÕêß ÜÕ éÜ ÑâÜ. Ðèå ÞæèÙÝ éÜ éçÙÐ ÔÙÐ, éàÙÜÕá âÕÜÔ ÕÞéçÔ ÐÕêÔ, ÕÐèå Ûàâß éÜ ÑâÜ, ÕÔÕæÙÐàÕ ÞÞæèÙÝ Üêê ÜàÕ Ðê Ðèå Ûàâß: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> Because the Lord hates us, He took us out of the land of Egypt </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> His taking us out was due to hatred [they claimed]. This may be compared to a mortal king who had two sons and two fields, one well irrigated, the other dependent upon rain only. To the son he loved, he gave the well irrigated field, and to the one he hated, he gave the one dependent upon rain only. The land of Egypt is a well irrigated country, for the Nile rises and irrigates it, while the land of Canaan is dependent upon rain only. He took us out of [the irrigated] Egypt to give us the arid land of Canaan (Num. Rabbah 17). </td></tr></table></center></p> <P> The table below presents two <B>contradictory</b> verses. Both verses talk about the emotional attitude of God to the Jews. The underlined words highlight the <b>contradiction.</b> One verse says <I> God <U>hates</u> us [the Jews] </i> while the other verse says <I> ...because of God's <U>love</u> of you [the Jews] </i> Which is it? Does God love or hate the Jews. Rashi simply resolves this using the <B> broad-literal </b> method: <tt> The statement that <U>God loves the Jews</u> is true. The statement of the Jews <U>because of God's hatred of us</u> can be interpreted using the psychological phenomena of <B>projection</b> - that is, the Jews projected their own hatred of God onto God's attitude towards them. </tt> </P> <p> <table width=95% bordercolor=black border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2> <tr bgcolor=#cccccc> <td> Summary </td> <td> Verse / Source </td> <td> Text of verse / Source </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <TT> God hates the Jews </tt> </td> <td> <B> Dt01-27 </b> </td> <td> <I> And you murmured in your tents, and said, <U>Because the Lord hated us <tt>[the Jews]</tt></u>, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. </i> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <tt> God loves the Jews </tt> </td> <td> <B> Dt07-08 </b> </td> <td> <I> But because of <U>the Love of the Lord towards you <tt>[the Jews]</tt></u>, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn to your fathers, has the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of slav </i> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Resolution: </td> <td> <B> Broad-literal</b> </td> <td> <TT> The statement that <U>God loves the Jews</u> is true. The statement of the Jews <U>because of God's hatred of us</u> can be interpreted using the psychological phenomena of <B>projection</b> - that is, the Jews projected their own hatred of God onto God's attitude towards them. </tt> </td> </table> </p> <!-- Rule #6 --> <a name=rule6> <P> <!-- Rule #6 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <Div Class=ULHead> <UL> <b><U> 6. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i> STYLE</i><br> <tt>Rashi examines how rules of <B>style</b> influences inferences between general and detail statements in paragraphs. <UL><LI><B>Example:</b> Every solo example stated by the Bible must be <i>broadly</i> generalized; <LI><B>Theme-Detail:</b> A general principle followed by an example is interpreted <B>restrictively</b>---the general theme statement <I>only</i> applies in the case of the example; <LI><B>Theme-Detail-Theme:</b> A Theme-Detail-Theme unit is interpreted as a <I>paragraph.</i> Consequently the details of the paragraph are generalized so that they are seen as illustrative of the theme. </ul> </tt></i> This examples applies to Rashis <B> Dt02-26a </b> <br> <U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1301.htm </b> </font> <BR> <U>Brief Summary:</u> <TT> Although the Egyptians severely tortured the Jews God did not immediately destroy them but rather offered them peace and the right to repent. From this Moses inferred that all war should be preceded by an offer of peaceful coexistence. </tt> </div> </div> </td></tr></table> </p> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt02-26a </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> ոжéÁ°Ü·× ޷ܰи۴ÙÝ Þ´Þ¼´Ó°Ñ¼·è ç°ÓµÞÕ¹ê Ð¶Ü á´Ù×Õ¹ß Þ¶Ü¶Ú° ׶éÁ°Ñ¼Õ¹ß Ó¼´Ñ°èµÙ éÁ¸ÜÕ¹Ý ÜµÐÞ¹è: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> So I sent messengers from the desert of Kedemoth to Sihon, king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÞÞÓÑè çÓÞÕê </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> Ðã âÜ äÙ éÜÐ æÕàÙ ÔÞçÕÝ ÜçèÐ ÜáÙ×Õß ÜéÜÕÝ, ÜÞÓêÙ ÞÞÓÑè áÙàÙ Þß ÔêÕèÔ éçÓÞÔ ÜâÕÜÝ. ÛéÑÐ ÔçÑÔ ÜÙêàÔ ÜÙéèÐÜ ×Öè ÐÕêÔ âÜ âéÕ ÕÙéÞâÐÜ, ÕÒÜÕÙ ÜäàÙÕ éÜÐ ÙçÑÜÕÔ ÕÐã âÜ äÙ Ûß äê× ÜÔÝ ÑéÜÕÝ, Ðã ÐàÙ çÓÞêÙ Ðê áÙ×Õß ÑÓÑèÙ éÜÕÝ. ÓÑè Ð×è ÞÞÓÑè çÓÞÕê, ÞÞÚ ÜÞÓêÙ éçÓÞê ÜâÕÜÝ [ÑÓÑèÙÝ]. ÙÛÕÜ ÔÙÙê ÜéÜÕ× Ñèç Ð×Ó ÕÜéèÕã Ðê ÔÞæèÙÙÝ, ÐÜÐ éÜ×êàÙ Þß ÔÞÓÑè ÐÜ äèâÔ ÜÐÞè (éÞÕê Ô Ð) éÜ× Ðê âÞÙ, ÑÞêÕß: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> [And I sent messengers] from the desert of Kedemoth </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> Even though the Omnipresent had not commanded me to call to Sihon in peace, I learned to do so from the incident at the desert of Sinai, i.e., relating to the Torah which preceded (ç¸Ó°Þ¸Ô) the world. When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to give the Torah to Israel, He took it to Esau and Ishmael. Although it was clear to Him that they would not accept it, nevertheless, He began with them in peace. So too, I first called to Sihon with words of peace. Another explanation Þ´Þ¼´Ó°Ñ¼·è ç°ÓµÞÕ¹ê Moses said to God, I learned this from You, Who preceeded (ç¸Ó·Þ°ê¼¸) the world. You could have sent one flash of lightning to consume the Egyptians, but instead, You sent me from the desert to Pharaoh. saying, (Exod. 5:1)  Let my people go patiently. (Midrash Tanchuma) </td></tr></table></center></p> <P> Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in an <B>example</b> form. In other words an <B>example</b> of a law is stated rather than the full general rule. The reader's task is to <B>generalize</b> the <B>example.</b> The idea that all Biblical laws should be perceived as <B>examples</b> (unless otherwise indicated) is explicitly stated by Rashi (<TT>Pesachim 6.</tt>). This is a rule of <B>style</b> since the rule requires that a text be perceived as an <B>example</b> rather than interpreted literally. The Rabbi Ishmael <B>style</b> rules govern the interpretation of <B>style.</b> </P> <P>Verses <B> Dt02-26:33 </b> discussing an initial offer of peace, prior to declaring war on Sichon, states <I> And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, <U>Let me pass through your land; ..... I will purchase food that I eat...</u> But Sihon ... would not let us pass by him; for the Lord your <U>God hardened</u> his spirit, .... And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you; .... Then Sihon came out against us,... And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and <U>we struck him</u>, and his sons, and all his people </i> Rashi commenting on the underlined phrases states: <TT> Moses <B>generalized</b> from God's dealing with Pharoh. Although Moses knew that Pharoh's <U>heart would be hardened</u> and God would <U>defeat him</u> nevertheless God initially offered Pharoh <U>peace</u> and the right to repent. Based on this incident Moses inferred that even though he knew that God would <U>harden</u> Sichon's heart and he would be <U>defeated</u>, Moses sent an initial offer of peace and good will. </TT> </P> <P><B><U>Advanced Rashi:</u></b> We read the rest of Rashi as follows <TT>From God's dealing with Egypt we also infer that when God gave the Torah, even though he knew that the world would reject it, He initially offered the rest of the world the Torah in peace.</tt> In this reading of Rashi we have taken Rashi's second explanation and made it primary. Since the 2nd explanation states that the basic driving force for Moses' inference was Egypt we therefore feel justified in inferring that the Midrashic statement that God offered the Torah to all nations was in fact inferred from a <B>generalization</b> of God's dealing with Egypt. </P> <P>I might hasten to add that there is some faint scriptural support. A famous controversy on the Rashi at <B>Ex18-01</b> <I> Jethro heard ...all God did to Moses and to Israel...</i> is whether Jethro heard <U>only</u> about the incidents prior to <B>Ex18,</b> the manna and the defeat of Amalayk, or whether Jethro also heard about events mentioned later in the Bible, such as the receipt of the Torah.</P> <P> Everyone knows that Scriptural order does not imply temporal order. But why should anyone <U>suspect</u> that the Revelation happened before Jethro came! A possible answer is that Jethro brought back to Moses his wife and children. But at the Revelation all Jews separated from their wives! It would not make logical sense that Moses reunited with his wife prior to the Revelation where all people separated! So it would be reasonable that <B>Ex18</b> the reunision of Moses and his family happened after <B>Ex19</b> the Revelation.</P> <P>Why then did the Bible deliberately place <B>Ex18</b> Jethro's visit to Moses, <I>prior</i> to <B>Ex19</b> the Revelation! It would appear to me that the Bible did that to juxtapose <B>Ex17</b> the attack of Amalayk and <B>Ex18</b> the coming of Jethro. The Bible is making a contrast: <TT>Amalayk rejected the Exodus and the Jewish God and attacked the Jews while Jethro accepted the Exodus and converted to Monotheism, founding the society of Kainites who were monotheistic.</tt></P> <P>This contrast supports the Midrashic statement that God offered everyone the Torah. Most people ignored the offer. Amalayk did not like the invasion of their personal space and attacked the Jews, while Jethro embraced monotheism.</P> <a name=rule7> <!-- Rule #7 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <b><U> 7. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i> FORMATTING</i><br> <TT>BRIEF EXPLANATION:Inferences from Biblical <B>formatting</b>: #NAME? <UL> <LI> Use of <B>repetition</b> to indicate formatting effects: <B>bold,italics,...</b>; <LI> use of <B>repeated keywords</b> to indicate a <B>bullet</b> effect; <LI> rules governing use and interpretation of <B>climactic</b> sequence; <LI> rules governing <b>paragraph</b> development and discourse </ul> This examples applies to Rashis <b>Dt01-22c Dt01-22d</b> <br> <U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/dt01-22c.htm</font> </b> <BR><TT><U>Brief Summary:</u> Spies were to find a) easiest CITIES to conquer b) crooked ROADS with potential ambushes </tt> </div> </ul> </div> </td></tr></table> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt01-22c </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> Õ·ê¼´ç°è°ÑÕ¼ß ÐµÜ·Ù Û¼»Ü¼°Û¶Ý Õ·ê¼¹ÐÞ°èÕ¼ à´éÁ°Ü°×¸Ô вà¸éÁ´ÙÝ Ü°ä¸àµÙàÕ¼ Õ°Ù·×°ä¼°èÕ¼ ܸàÕ¼ жê Ըиè¶å Õ°Ù¸éÁ´ÑÕ¼ йê¸àÕ¼ Ó¼¸Ñ¸è жê Ô·Ó¼¶è¶Ú° вéÁ¶è à·â²Ü¶Ô Ѽ¸Ô¼ հеê Ô¶â¸è´ÙÝ Ð²éÁ¶è à¸Ñ¹Ð вܵÙÔ¶ß: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> And all of you approached me and said, Let us send men ahead of us so that they will search out the land for us and bring us back word by which route we shall go up, and to which cities we shall come. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> Ðê ÔÓèÚ Ðéè àâÜÔ ÑÔ </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> ÐÙß ÓèÚ éÐÙß ÑÔ âçÞÙÞÕê: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> by which route we shall go up </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> There is no road without a crooked portion. </td></tr></table></center></p> <P>We have explained in our article <a href=http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf> Biblical Formatting</a> located on the world wide web at <A href=http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf> http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf,</a> that the Biblical Author indicated <B>bullets</b> by using <B>repeating keywords.</b> </P> <P></b> That is, if a modern author wanted to get a point across using <B>bullets,</b> a list of similar but contrastive items, then the Biblical Author would use <B>repeating keywords.</b></P> <P>Bullets whether indicated through modern notation or through the Biblical method of repeating keywords always indicate contrastive emphasis - that is, each bullet is presumed to be a distinct item contrasted to the other items on the list. Very often the bullets are also used to indicate that the entire list is exhaustive of some spectrum. </P> <P><UL>This principle can be illustrated with verse <B>Dt01-22</b> which discusses Moses' instuction to the spiees: <i> And you came near me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall spy the land, and bring us word <LI><b>Of</b> which road to go up on, <tt>[to avoid ambushes on crooked roads]</tt> and <LI><b>Of</b> which cities to come to <tt>[for conquest.]</tt> </i> </ul> </P> <P><B><U>Advanced Rashi:</u></b> In summary Rashi sees the <B>repeating keyword,</b> <I>of,</i> as indicating <B>bullets.</b> The <B>bullets</b> in turn emphasize a group of distinct concerns for spies: the identification of the good roads and the identification of the easy cities to conquer. As usual we have embedded the Rashi comments in the above translation. </P> <a name=rule8> <!-- Rule #8 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <Div Class=Header> <UL> <Div Class=ULHead> <B><U> 8. RASHI METHOD: </u> </i>DATABASES</i> <br> <tt>BRIEF EXPLANATION:Rashi makes inferences from <B>Database</b> queries. The precise definition of <B>database</b> query has been identified in modern times with the 8 operations of Sequential Query Language (SQL).</tt></b><br> This example applies to Rashis <B>Dt01-23b</b> <br> </b><U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1301.htm </b> </font> <BR><TT><U>Brief Summary:</u> 1) LAQAX and LAQAX ETH means TAKE. 2) LAQAX M means SELECT. RASHI: SELECTION vs TAKING connotes selection of the choicest and finest. </tt> </div> </div> </td></tr></table> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt01-23b </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> Õ·Ù¼´ÙØ·Ñ Ñ¼°âµÙà·Ù Ô·Ó¼¸Ñ¸è Õ¸Ð¶ç¼·× Þ´Û¼¶Ý éÁ°àµÙÝ â¸é¸è вà¸éÁ´ÙÝ Ð´ÙéÁ Ð¶×¸Ó Ü·é¼Á¸Ñ¶Ø: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> And the matter pleased me; so I took twelve men from you, one man for each tribe. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÕÐç× ÞÛÝ </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> Þß ÔÑèÕèÙÝ éÑÛÝ Þß ÔÞáÕÜêÙÝ éÑÛÝ: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> so I took& from you </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> from the select that were among you, of the finest that were among you (Sifrei). </td></tr></table></center></p> <P>Today we ask the <B>database</b> query: <I> What prepositional connectives are used with the verb <u>to take.</u>. </i> The reader is encouraged to perform the query using a standard Biblical Konnkordance or search engine. The <B>database query</b> yields the list below. The list justifies the following Rashi inference: <tt> (1) In Biblical Hebrew the verb <I>to take</i> followed by no connective or by the connective <B>eth</b> means <I>to take.</i> (2) However the verb <I>to take</i> followed by the connective <B>Mem</b> means <I>to select.</i> </tt> The list below presents the results of the database query and shows examples </P> <P> <center><Table width=100% bordercolor=black border=2 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2> <tr> <td><B>Verse</b> </td><td><B>Text of verse</b> </td><td><B>Connective word used with verb <I>to take</i></b> </td><td><B>Meaning of the verb-connective phrase.</b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><B> Dt01-23b </b> </td><td><I> I <U>selected</u> 12 men.... </i> </td><td> Mem </td><td> Selected </td> </tr> <tr> <td><B> </b> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><B> Dt08-18 </b> </td><td> <I> I <U>took</u> the Levites to replace the Jewish firstborn </i> </td><td> None </td><td> Took </td> </tr> <tr> <td><B> Dt01-15 </b> </td><td><I></i> I <U>took</u> the heads of your tribes, established and wise people.... </td><td> Eth </td><td> Took </td> </tr> <tr> <td><B> Gn40-11 </b> </td><td> <I>I <U>took</u> the grapes and squeezed them into Pharoh's cup....</i> </td><td> Eth </td><td> Took </td> </tr> <tr> <td><B> Jo24-03 </b> </td><td> <I>I <U>took</u> your father, Abraham from ...</i> </td><td> Eth </td><td> Took </td> </tr> </table> </center> </p> <P>To recap there are only 14 verses in the entire Bible using the construction <I>EQax...</i> 13 of these verses use the form <I>EQax eth</i> or <I>EQax....</i> Only one verse <B>Dt01-23b</b> uses the form <I>EQax M.</i> And on that one verse Rashi translates <I>selected</i> rather than <I>take.</I> </P> <P><B><U>Advanced Rashi:</u></b>This is a peach of a Rashi amply showing the interaction between the <B>database method</b> the <B>grammar method, rule #3</b> and the <B>alignment method, rule #4.</b> It also shows the extreme sensitivity of the Talmudic mind to Biblical nuances. Rashi simple commented on the phrase <I>and I selected from you</i> by stating <TT>Selected from the choicest and finest.</TT> It is not immediately clear what Rashi is focusing on (or if you like, what is bothering Rashi). Some people might intuit that Rashi is commenting on the two words <I>take from-you.</i> But I have gone a step further. Rashi is commenting on the intrinsic meaning of the phrase <I>take from</i> which he translates as a dynamic new concept, <I>select.</i> Rashi then is really commenting that <I>select</I> vs <I>take</i> connotes taking from the finest and choicest. Thus we see that the whole Rashi is based on the very find point that <I>take</i> typically uses the word <I>eth</i> as a connective but <B>Dt01-23</b> is the only verse where the Hebrew <B>EQax</b> uses the connective word <I>mem.</i> Thus this deceptively simple-appearing Rashi shows broad erudition and verse-comparison capabilities similar to our modern computer capacity. </P> <P>In the very first article I ever wrote I stated <I> The only way we can insure respect for chazal is by portraying them as they were"men of vast encyclopedic knowledge, keen analytic insight, subtle ethical awareness, and moving moral motivation. The superiority of talmudic interpretation mu the flimsy and whimsical caprices of modern interpretation. Otherwise, even if modern interpreters do not lead the layman astray, his respect for midrashic rabbinics will be minimal. </i> I still stand by this statement and hope the elaborate study of <B>Dt01-23b</b> in <B>rules #3,#4,#8</b> gives a glimpse of this basic attitude on faith in the Talmudic sages. </P> <P>Praise be Him who chose them and their learning!</p> <a name=rule9> <!-- Rule #9 --> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <Div Class=Header> <UL> <Div Class=ULHead> <B><U> 9. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i> SPREADSHEETS</i><br> <tt>BRIEF EXPLANATION: The common denominator of the 3 submethods of the <B>Spreadsheet</b> method is that inferences are made from <U>non textual</u> material. The 3 submethods are as follows: <UL><LI><B>Spreadsheet:</b> Rashi makes inferences of a numerical nature that can be summarized in a traditional <B>spreadsheet</b> <LI><B>Geometric:</b> Rashi clarifies a Biblical text using descriptions of geometric diagrams <LI><B>Fill-ins:</b> Rashi supplies either real-world <U>background</u> material or indicates real-world inferences from a verse. The emphasis here is on the real-world, non-textual nature of the material. </ul> </tt> This example applies to Rashis <B>Dt02-03a</b> <br> </b><U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <b> <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n5.htm </b> </font> <BR><TT><U>Brief Summary:</u> turn/face NORTHWARDS = walk on the EAST coast, FROM the SOUTH end TO the NORTH end. </tt> </div> </ul> </div> </td></tr></table> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt02-03a </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> è·Ñ Ü¸Û¶Ý á¹Ñ жê Ô¸Ô¸è Ô·Ö¼¶Ô ä¼°àÕ¼ Ü¸Û¶Ý æ¸ä¹à¸Ô: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> You have circled this mountain long enough; turn northward. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> äàÕ ÜÛÝ æäàÔ </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> áÕÑÕ ÜÛÝ ÜèÕ× ÞÖè×Ùê Þß ÔÓèÕÝ ÜæäÕß, ÕäàÙÛÝ ÜæäÕß, àÞæÐÕ ÔÕÜÛÙß Ðê èÕ× ÞÖè×Ùê. ÕÖÔÕ éàÐÞè (éÕäØÙÝ ÙÐ, Ù×) ÕÙÑÕÐÕ ÞÞÖè× éÞé ÜÐèå ÞÕÐÑ: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> turn northward </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> Turn along the eastern side [of Moab], from the south to the north, facing northerward. Consequently, they were traveling in an easterly direction, and this is what is meant by  And they came from the sun rise [i.e., east side] to the land of Moab (Jud. 11:18). </td></tr></table></center></p> <P>Verse <B>Dt02-03a</b> states <I> You have wandered around this mountain long enough; <U>turn/face northward</u> </i> Rashi interprets the underlined phrase, <U>turn/face northward,</u> diagramatically, <tt><U>Face northward</u> means to walk along on the east cost from the south to the north.</tt> Rashi's diagramtic statement is illustrated in the diagram below. </p> <P> <pre> ' ---------NORTH-------------| ' | ' ^ ' |EAST ' | ' ^ ' --------- SOUTH -------------- </pre> </p> <a name=rule10> <table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> <Div Class=Header> <UL><Div Class=ULHead> <Div Class=Header> <UL> <Div Class=ULHead> <b><U> 10. RASHI METHOD: </u> <i> SYMBOLISM</i><br> <tt>BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi provides <B>symbolic</b> interpretations of words, verses, and chapters. Rashi can <B>symbolically</b> interpret either <ul><LI> (10a) entire Biblical <B>chapters</b> such as the <I>gifts of the princes</i>, <B>Nu-07</b> <LI>(10b) individual <B>items,</b> verses and words </ul> The rules governing <a href=http://www.Rashiyomi.com/gen-1.htm>symbolism</a> and symbolic interpretation are presented in detail on my website. </tt></b><br> This examples applies to Rashis <B>Dt01-44</b> <br> </b><U>URL Reference:</u> (c) <font color=blue>http://www.Rashiyomi.com/dt01-44a.htm</font> </b> <BR><TT><U>Brief Summary:</u> The LION kills through POWER; the BEE kills thru VENOM without using power. </tt> </div> </ul> </div> </td></tr></table> <P> <center><table width=95% bordercolor=black bgcolor=#ccffff border=5 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2><tr><td> Verse</td><td> Dt01-44a </td></tr><tr><td> Hebrew Verse</td><td> Õ·Ù¼µæµÐ Ըб޹è´Ù Ô·Ù¼¹éÁµÑ Ѽ¸Ô¸è Ô·ÔռРܴç°è·Ðê°Û¶Ý Õ·Ù¼´è°Ó¼°äÕ¼ жê°Û¶Ý Û¼·Ð²éÁ¶è ê¼·â²é¶Ùà¸Ô Ô·Ó¼°Ñ¹è´ÙÝ Õ·Ù¼·Û¼°êÕ¼ жê°Û¶Ý Ѽ°éµâ´Ùè â·Ó ׸è°Þ¸Ô: </td></tr><tr><td> English Verse</td><td> And the Amorites, dwelling in that mountain, came out towards you and pursued you as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, as far as Hormah. </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Hebrew</td><td> ÛÐéè êâéÙàÔ ÔÓÑÕèÙÝ </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text Hebrew</td><td> ÞÔ ÔÓÑÕèÔ ÔÖÐê ÛéÔÙÐ ÞÛÔ Ðê ÔÐÓÝ ÞÙÓ ÞêÔ, Ðã ÔÝ ÛéÔÙÕ àÕÒâÙÝ ÑÛÝ ÞÙÓ ÞêÙÝ: </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Header Enlish</td><td> As bees do </td></tr><tr><td> Rashi Text English</td><td> Just as a bee dies instantly after stinging a person, they too [the Amorites], upon touching you, died immediately. </td></tr></table></center></p> <p><UL>Military activity is often vigorously described using animal metaphors. Here we use the <b>symbolism</b> principle that items can <b>symbolize</b> their <b>function.</b> Examples are plentiful <LI><B>Nu24-09</b> states <I> He couched, he lay down as a <U>lion</u>, and as a great <U>lion</u>. Who shall stir him up? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you. </i> <LI><B>Jr05-06</b> states <I> Therefore a <u>lion</u> from the forest shall slay them, and a <u>wolf</u> of the deserts shall destroy them, a <U>leopard</u> shall watch over their cities; every one who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their apostasies are great. </i> <LI><B>Jr46-12</b> states <I> Her sound is like that of a <u>serpent</u> on the move; for they shall march with force, and come against her with axes, like wood cutters. </i> <LI><B>Dt01-44a</b> states <I> And the Amorites, who lived in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as <U>bees</u> do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. </i> </ul> </P> <P>The interpreter's task is to identify the unique military characteristics of each animal. Rashi commenting on the last verse <B>Dt01-44a</b> states <tt> The military characteristic of the bee is the swiftness of conquest without exertion of power. That is a <U>bee</u> kills thru an instantaneous sting with venom, not by the type of power and interactive fight shown by a lion. </tt> </P> <CENTER><Div Class=Header> <b>Conclusion</b> </Div></center> <P>This week's parshah contains examples of all Rashi methods. Visit the RashiYomi website at <a href=http://www.Rashiyomi.com target=_blank > http://www.Rashiyomi.com</a> for further details and examples.</P> </td></tr></table> </BODY> </html>