The 10 RashiYomi Rules
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat Re'eh
Volume 15, Number 1
This weeks Weekly Rashi with Hebrew/English source tables
Is accessible at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1501.htm
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel, President, Aug 5th, 2010
Visit the Rashi website http://www.Rashiyomi.com

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. 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.

    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 Dt15-06a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/dt11-30e.htm
    Brief Summary: The statement (Dt15-06) 'God will bless you if you observe as HE SAID' refers to (Dt28-03)

Verse Dt15-06a
Hebrew Verse כִּי יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְאַתָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹט וּמָשַׁלְתָּ בְּגוֹיִם רַבִּים וּבְךָ לֹא יִמְשֹׁלוּ:
English Verse For the Lord, your God, has blessed you, as He spoke to you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
Rashi Header Hebrew כאשר דבר לך
Rashi Text Hebrew והיכן דבר, (דברים כח, ג) ברוך אתה בעיר:
Rashi Header Enlish [For the Lord, your God, has blessed you,] as He has spoken to you
Rashi Text English And where did He speak about this?“Blessed are you in the city…” (Deut. 28:3). - [Sifrei]

Verse Dt15-06 promises blessings to the Jews if they observe God's commandments as God promised them. Rashi clarifies that this cross reference alludes to Dt28-03.

Target Verse Text Cross Reference Text Rashi Comment
Dt15-05:06 Only if you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to take care to do all these commandments which I command you this day. For the Lord your God blesses you, as he promised you; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. Dt28-02:03 And all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Rashi illumines the underlined words: The cross reference as God promised you in Dt15-06 refers to Dt28-03.

      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 examples applies to Rashis Dt16-09a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1304.htm Brief Summary: The phrase SICKLE ON SHEAF is an IDIOM referring to HARVEST.

Verse Dt16-09a
Hebrew Verse שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעֹת תִּסְפָּר לָךְ מֵהָחֵל חֶרְמֵשׁ בַּקָּמָה תָּחֵל לִסְפֹּר שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעוֹת:
English Verse You shall count seven weeks for yourself; from[the time] the sickle is first put to the standing crop, you shall begin to count seven weeks.
Rashi Header Hebrew מהחל חרמש בקמה
Rashi Text Hebrew משנקצר העומר שהוא ראשית הקציר:
Rashi Header Enlish from [the time] the sickle is first put to the standing crop, [you shall begin to count seven weeks]
Rashi Text English [I.e.,] from the time the omer is harvested [on the sixteenth of Nissan], which is the beginning of the harvest. — [see Lev . 23:10, Sifrei ; Men. 71a]

An idiom is a collection of words which means more than the sum of the meanings of each of the phrases' individual words. Verse Dt16-09a discussing the requirements to count 7 weeks from Passover to Shavuoth states Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee; from the time the sickle is on the sheaf [harvest] shalt thou begin to number seven weeks. . Rashi explains: The phrase(s) the sickle is on the sheaf is an idiom meaning harvest. As can be seen from the underlined words the Rashi comment is compactly and explicitly combined in the Biblical text.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi goes a step further and states The omer coincides with the beginning of the harvest. Rashi learns this from the explicit association in Lv23-10:11. In fact we could have approached this whole Rashi using an alignment of the Lv and Dt chapters both of which deal with the Passover-Omer-Shavuoth sequence. However, it was also important to emphasize that Rashi was identifying a Biblical idiom which is why we classified this Rashi as we did.

      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 Dt15-20a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n8.htm
      Brief Summary: The future conjugation can be used to indicate the habitual present: The FIRST BORN is EATEN before God in Jerusalem (However you yourself NEED NOT EAT IT)

Verse Dt15-20a
Hebrew Verse ִפְנֵי יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹאכֲלֶנּוּ שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אַתָּה וּבֵיתֶךָ:
English Verse You shall eat it before the Lord, your God, year by year, in the place the Lord chooses-you and your household.
Rashi Header Hebrew לפני ה' אלהיך תאכלנו
Rashi Text Hebrew לכהן הוא אומר, שכבר מצינו שהוא ממתנות כהונה אחד תם ואחד בעל מום, שנאמר (במדבר יח, יח) ובשרם יהיה לך וגו':
Rashi Header Enlish You shall eat it before the Lord, your God
Rashi Text English [Scripture] is addressing the kohen , for we have already found [a statement to the effect] that it [the firstborn] is part of the dues given to kohanim , whether the animal is unblemished or whether it is blemished. For it is stated, “and their flesh [i.e., of the firstborn animals] shall be yours [i.e., the kohen 's]” (Num. 18:18). - [Bech. 28a] [In both cases, the kohen is entitled to eat the entire animal. The difference between the blemished and the unblemished animals is that the blemished animal is slaughtered outside the Temple, and its flesh may be eaten anywhere by anyone invited by the kohen . The unblemished animal, however, must be slaughtered in the Temple courtyard, its blood dashed on the altar, and its fat burned on the altar. The flesh must be eaten by the kohen and his household within the time allotted for eating it.]

Most people are aware of three tenses - past, present, and future. But Hebrew and English really have 14 tenses. The sentence I walk to synagogue daily indicates what grammarians call the habitual present. The intent of the statement is not to tell something that happened, that is happening, or that will happen. The intent is to tell my habits. I have a habit of walking to the synagogue. But I may not walk every day. Another example might be the sentence When thirsty one drinks water. Again this indicates a grammatical conditional habitual present. The emphasis is on how you quench your thirst - with water. The emphasis is not on what you are actually doing - drinking water.

In Hebrew the same grammatical form or conjugation may indicate two meanings. In particular the future conjugation, indicated by prefixing a root with the letter tauv can indicate either a future activity or a habitual activity. Let us see how this applies to Dt15-19:20.

If we interpret this verse as a future activity then we would translate All the firstling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstling of your bulls, nor shear the firstling of your sheep. You shall eat it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, you and your household. In other words, you yourself must eat the firstborn in Jerusalem. However since the future conjugation in Hebrew can also have a meaning of habitual present we can translate the verses as follows: All the firstling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstling of your bulls, nor shear the firstling of your sheep. One eats it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, you and your household. In other words When the firstborn is eaten it is eaten in Jerusalem. Like other habitual presents the emphasis is on the how of the habit rather then on who should do the activity in the future.

As we shall see below in rule 5 the firstborn is a priestly gift which is eaten by the Priests. So the owner does not eat it! Rather the Priest eats it. For this reason Rashi translates the verse One eats the firstborn in Jerusalem.

This Rashi is continued in rule #5, contradiction below.

    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 Dt15-03a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1304.htm
    Brief Summary: a) The NON JEW: Keep his loan debts in the 7th year b) Your BROTHER (Fellow Jew): Waive his debt in the 7th year.

Verse Dt15-03a
Hebrew Verse אֶת הַנָּכְרִי תִּגֹּשׂ וַאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֶת אָחִיךָ תַּשְׁמֵט יָדֶךָ:
English Verse From the foreigner you may exact; but what is yours with your brother, your hand shall release.
Rashi Header Hebrew את הנכרי תיגוש
Rashi Text Hebrew זו מצות עשה:
Rashi Header Enlish From the foreigner you may exact
Rashi Text English This is a positive command (See Ramban.). - [Sifrei]

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Dt15-03a Both verses/verselets discuss maintaining loans. The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: It is prohibited to maintain a loan on a fellow Jew in the 7th year (The loan amount must be waived). The Bible explicitly states that one must take extra precautions to avoid maintaining a loan against a Jew (Dt15-09). Consequently, it is a positive commandment to maintain loans against non-Jews so that sufficient income will be maintained facilitating waiving the few outstanding loans against Jews.

Verse Text of Verse Rashi comment
Dt15-03a
  • a) The NON JEW: Keep his loan debts in the 7th year
  • b) Your BROTHER (Fellow Jew): Waive his debt in the 7th year.
It is prohibited to maintain a loan on a fellow Jew in the 7th year (The loan amount must be waived). The Bible explicitly states that one must take extra precautions to avoid maintaining a loan against a Jew (Dt15-09). Consequently, it is a positive commandment to maintain loans against non-Jews so that sufficient income will be maintained facilitating waiving the few outstanding loans against Jews.
Dt15-03
  • a) The non Jew.: Keep his loan debts in the 7th year
  • b) Your Brother (Fellow Jew): Waive his debt in the 7th year.

Advanced Rashi: This Rashi was brought to my attention by one of the Rabbinical members of the Rashi newsletter in Chicago. He made several interesting comments which are worth noting. First, there is a controversy among the Rishonim whether the sentence The Non Jew: Maintain the loan; Your Brother: don't maintain it (waive it) indicates a permission or requirement. Allow me to explain this. The phrase maintain the loan (to a Non Jew) by itself would be interpreted as a command. However when this phrase occurs contrastively For a Non Jew: Maintain... For a brother (Jew) do not maintain the phrase indicates not a requirement/ command but rather a permission. That is throughout the Bible and in ordinary literature the contrastive phrase is heard as meaning For a non Jew: It is permissable to maintain while for a Jew it is prohibited to maintain. So the statement of those Rishonim that the phrase here indicates a requirement appears at first glance, peculiar. If the contrastive style indicates permission why are we calling this a requirement and command.

Secondly, my Rabbinic host pointed out that there are differences in Rashi manuscripts on what Rashi says. In fact some Rashi manuscripts leave out the Rashi comment on this verse alltogether. As an example the Davka CD I use does not have any Rashi comments on this verse.

Based on the above two comments it would appear that the text and analysis of this Rashi would require a critical examination of manuscripts. However a fundamental belief of this Rashi newsletter is that all Rashi problems can be solved by rules and universally applied methods. Suppose a repeated rule justifies a certain reading of the text? Suppose further that no other rule justifies an alternative reading? Wouldn't we be justified in upholding the corresponding version of the Rashi comment even if no supporting manuscript exists?

I explained to my host (This was Fall 2007) that the great Biblical exegetical master, Malbim, explains, that A contrastive style always indicates permission unless there is some extra Biblical emphasis in which case the contrastive style indicates requirement vs. prohibition. The Malbim does not state his principle here. He rather states it on Lv02-11:12. He also discusses it in his compendium of rules, The Morning Star, where he brings several examples.

    Applying this principle of the Malbim to the Rashi at hand I would argue as follows:
  • Dt15-09 explicitly states Watch out lest you harbor an evil thought as follows: 'The 7th year is near, the year of loan-annulment' and therefore you will have a miserly view on your brother the poor.
  • So the Bible explicitly requires us to do whatever is possible to avoid harboring these natural evil thoughts to abstain from loaning in the 7th year.
  • But then not waiving loans to non-Jews becomes a positive requirement since the added influx of funds facilitates loaning Jews since more money is available.
  • By contrast if I waived loans to non Jews and then a Jew came for a loan I might hesitate not anticipating the added budget needed.

For the above reasons I have cited the Rashi and interpreted it the way I have done. I am cognizant that many people including Rabbis consider themselves enlightened and accept the need to critically examine manuscripts. I therefore offer the above analysis as a complementary approach to dealing with issues of textual veracity.

Praise be Him who chose them and their learning!

      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 examples applies to Rashis Dt15-20a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n8.htm
      Brief Summary: Firstborn animals are gifts to the priest. Hence we translate ONE EATS THE FIRSTBORN IN JERUSALEM.

Verse Dt15-20a
Hebrew Verse ִפְנֵי יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹאכֲלֶנּוּ שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אַתָּה וּבֵיתֶךָ:
English Verse You shall eat it before the Lord, your God, year by year, in the place the Lord chooses-you and your household.
Rashi Header Hebrew לפני ה' אלהיך תאכלנו
Rashi Text Hebrew לכהן הוא אומר, שכבר מצינו שהוא ממתנות כהונה אחד תם ואחד בעל מום, שנאמר (במדבר יח, יח) ובשרם יהיה לך וגו':
Rashi Header Enlish You shall eat it before the Lord, your God
Rashi Text English [Scripture] is addressing the kohen , for we have already found [a statement to the effect] that it [the firstborn] is part of the dues given to kohanim , whether the animal is unblemished or whether it is blemished. For it is stated, “and their flesh [i.e., of the firstborn animals] shall be yours [i.e., the kohen 's]” (Num. 18:18). - [Bech. 28a] [In both cases, the kohen is entitled to eat the entire animal. The difference between the blemished and the unblemished animals is that the blemished animal is slaughtered outside the Temple, and its flesh may be eaten anywhere by anyone invited by the kohen . The unblemished animal, however, must be slaughtered in the Temple courtyard, its blood dashed on the altar, and its fat burned on the altar. The flesh must be eaten by the kohen and his household within the time allotted for eating it.]

    The table below presents two contradictory verses. Both verses talk about the eating of firstborn. The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says firstborn animals are priestly gifts while the other verse says you (the Israelite) should eat the firstborn. Which is it? Are firstborn animals gifts to the priest or do they belong to the Israelite. Rashi simply resolves this using the broad-literal. method: The future conjugation typically refers to future activity: If we translated this verse using the future it would read. You should eat the firstborn in Jerusalem. However the future conjugation can also refer to habitual present activity: If we translate the verse using the habitual present it reads: One eats the firstborn in Jerusalem. Because of the fact that these are priestly gifts we translate the verse as the habitual present.

Summary Verse / Source Text of verse / Source
The first born animals are priestly gifts Nu18-08:15 And the Lord spoke to Aaron, Behold, I also have given you ... to you have I given them by an ordinance forever. ... Every thing that opens the womb in all flesh, .... whether it is of men or beasts, shall be yours; .....
One eats the firstborn before God Dt15-19:20 All the firstling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; ... One eats it [the firstborn] before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, you and your household.
Resolution: Broad-Literal The future conjugation typically refers to future activity: If we translated this verse using the future it would read. You should eat the firstborn in Jerusalem. However the future conjugation can also refer to habitual present activity: If we translate the verse using the habitual present it reads: One eats the firstborn in Jerusalem. Because of the fact that these are priestly gifts we translate the verse as the habitual present

Advanced Rashi: Rashi makes a futher contradiction resolution based on whether the firstborn animal was blemished or not. An unblemished animal must be eaten by the Priest and the resolution of the contradiction - you shall eat it in Jerusalem - is to translate the verse as a habitual present - one eats it in Jerusalem. The rules governing blemished firstborn are also brought down by Rashi. This would require bringing in other verses dealing with blemished amimals which we will do in future years.

    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 Dt14-26a,b,c URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w7n15.htm
    Brief Summary: a) GENERAL: Buy what you want. b) DETAIL: Steak, lambchops, wine, bear. c) GENERAL: What you want. Rashi: Meat, fruit juices/wine, milk, honey.

Verse Dt14-26a
Hebrew Verse וְנָתַתָּה הַכֶּסֶף בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תְּאַוֶּה נַפְשְׁךָ בַּבָּקָר וּבַצֹּאן וּבַיַּיִן וּבַשֵּׁכָר וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁאָלְךָ נַפְשֶׁךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ שָּׁם לִפְנֵי יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׂמַחְתָּ אַתָּה וּבֵיתֶךָ:
English Verse And you shall turn that money into whatever your soul desires; cattle, sheep, new wine or old wine, or whatever your soul desires, and you shall eat there before the Lord, your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
Rashi Header Hebrew בכל אשר תאוה נפשך
Rashi Text Hebrew כלל:
Rashi Header Enlish [And you will turn that money] into whatever your soul desires
Rashi Text English This is a כְּלָל, a general statement [not limited to anything in particular. Whereas the next expression,]

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a Theme-Development-Theme form. In other words a broad general idea is stated first followed by the development of this broad general theme in specific details. The paragraph-like unit is then closed with a repetition of the broad theme. The Theme-Detail-Theme form creates a unified paragraph. The detailed section of this paragraph is therefore seen as an extension of the general theme sentences. Today's example illustrates this as shown immediately below.

    Verse Dt14-26 discussing what second tithe money can redeem states
    • General: And you shall bestow that money for all your soul desires
    • Detail:
      • for oxen, or
      • for sheep, or
      • for wine, or
      • for strong drink
    • General: for all your soul desires

Because the General-Theme-General style is perceived as a paragraph, therefore, we take the Detail phrase as a development of the general phrase. The logical conclusion would be You can buy meats and plant derived drinks.

Quite startingly the Rambam, Second Tithes, 7:1-3, states that honey, milk and eggs are also OK. The Rambam's logic is that You can buy items that grow from land-based food (cattle, sheep) as well as items derived from land-based-food animals (wine but also honey, milk and eggs). True, the Rambam categorizes and defends the law! But wouldn't it be more logical to simply state meats and plant-based drinks.

Problems like this arise frequently in interpretation of the General Theme General law. At the 20th MidWest Jewish Studies Conference I suggested that two style rules are operating here: The Rabbi Ishmael Style rules as well as the Broad-Restriction style rules. The broad-restriction style rules in this verse focus on the word all which broadens the appicability of the verse. In the Talmud the Rabbi Ishmael rules are frequently contrasted with the broad-restriction rules as two approaches to Biblical exegesis. However on our Rashi list we classify the broad-restrictive rule, emanating from an analysis of the adverb all, as an inference based on the special word rule, which is a subrule of either the meaning or grammar rule. The Rishonim according to the approach I am suggesting here combine the two rules in their legal decisions.

    Here is how the two rules combine:
  • The verse mentions examples of what you can redeem: cattle and penned animals.
  • However since the theme-detail-theme style is used I am required to generalize these examples.
  • If the verse did not use the word all I would simply generalize the detail clause restrictively and only allow animal meats but not honey, milk and eggs since these last three items are animal-derived.
  • But the word all broadens! Consequently in addition to animal meats we allow animal derived products such as honey, milk and eggs.
  • However we still prohibit water, salt and spices which are neither animal nor animal-derived.
  • The subtlety in this derivation is that both restriction and broadening are used. Animals and cattle are broadened to include derived products like milk, eggs, and honey but are also restrictively interpreted so as to prohibit water, salt and spices which have nothing to do with animals.

This idea of combining the Talmud's broad restriction rule with the Rabbi Ishmael Style rules, or, using the language of this email newsletter, rules #2/3 special word meaning with rule #6,Style, this combination, seems to solve many problems in the Rabbi Ishmael style exegesii. The interested (or skeptical) reader should, when studying a Rabbi Ishmael rule, study the verse to see if the word all is mentioned and if so I would strongly expect that the the style generalizations are not as restrictive as they normally would be.

    7. RASHI METHOD: FORMATTING
    BRIEF EXPLANATION:Inferences from Biblical formatting: #NAME?
    • Use of repetition to indicate formatting effects: bold,italics,...;
    • use of repeated keywords to indicate a bullet effect;
    • rules governing use and interpretation of climactic sequence;
    • rules governing paragraph development and discourse
    This examples applies to Rashis Dt15-08c
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w2n20.htm
    Brief Summary: LOAD LOAD him up - if he doesn't want charity then LOAN him.

Verse Dt15-08c
Hebrew Verse כִּי פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ:
English Verse Rather, you shall open your hand to him, and you shall lend him sufficient for his needs, which he is lacking.
Rashi Header Hebrew והעבט תעביטנו
Rashi Text Hebrew אם לא רצה במתנה, תן לו בהלואה:
Rashi Header Enlish and you shall lend
Rashi Text English If he does not want [your money] as a [charitable] gift, give it to him as a loan. — [Sifrei ; Keth. 67b]

We have explained in our article Biblical Formatting located on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf, that the Biblical Author indicates bold, italics, underline by using repetition. In other words if a modern author wanted to emphasize a word they would either underline, bold or italicize it. However when the Biblical author wishes to emphasize a word He repeats it. The effect - whether thru repetition or using underline - is the same. It is only the means of conveying this emphasis that is different.

Verse Dt15-08c discussing the requirement to give charity illustrates this repetition principle. It states If there is among you a poor man of one of your brothers inside any of your gates in your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely load load him sufficient for his need, in that which he lacks. Rashi commenting on the repeated underlined words, load, load states Load him, as indicated, with a charity gift. If he doesn't want a charity gift load him with a loan. (In other words load in any way possible.)

      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 Dt16-20b
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n8.htm
      Brief Summary: 7 commandments have a reward of long life (Covers all: don't eat blood (Would do it anyway), honor bird parent(easy)...

Verse Dt16-20b
Hebrew Verse ֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ:
English Verse Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your God, is giving you.
Rashi Header Hebrew למען תחיה וירשת
Rashi Text Hebrew כדאי הוא מנוי הדיינין הכשרים להחיות את ישראל ולהושיבן על אדמתן:
Rashi Header Enlish that you may live, and you possess [the land]
Rashi Text English The appointment of fitting judges is sufficient merit to keep Israel alive and settled in their land. — [from Sifrei]

    Today we ask the database query: Which commandments mention a reward of long life or becoming well off for performing them? The query uncovers half a dozen major examples. An examination of these examples justifies the Rashi assertion that 7 commandments mention the reward of a long life or becoming well. These commandments cover the entire spectrum of commandments
    • Thus there are easy commandments (like letting the mother bird escape when capturing its young),
    • commandments whose violation is disgusting (like eating blood),
    • communal commandments (like have good justice), etc.
    Because these commandments cover the entire spectrum therefore we infer that all commandments if observed will provide a reward of long life.
    The table below presents results of the query along with illustrations of Rashi's comment.

Verse Verse Content Comments on commandment
Dt11-21a That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. General Observance of commandments
Dt24-19d When you cut down your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to fetch it; it shall be for the non-citizen, for the orphan, and for the widow; that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Leaving forgotten sheaves to indigent (No further action required)
Dt12-25b You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. Prohibition of eating blood (But blood is disgusting and most people would abstain anyway)
Dt22-07a But you shall let the mother go, and take the young to you; that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days. Letting mother bird free when capturing young (An easy commandment)
Ex20-12a Honor your father and your mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you. Honoring parents (Easy commandment; all can do it)
Dt16-20b Justice, only justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives you. Communal justice
Dt17-20b That his heart be not lifted up above his brothers, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. Requirements of King

    Notice how the commandments above span the entire spectrum
    • General commandments
    • Easy commandments
    • Commandments that would be done anyway
    • Communal commandments
    • Commandments peculiar to Royal house
    • Commandments without action
    Hence the Rashi comment: Observance of any commandment leads to reward. Note the interesting fact that although we have classified this as the database method it could equally be classified as coming from the Style rule of generalization from several verses.

    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 example applies to Rashis Dt14-06a,b,c
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n8.htm
    Brief Summary: Kosher animals must have a) split hoofs and b) two toes

Verse Dt14-06a
Hebrew Verse וְכָל בְּהֵמָה מַפְרֶסֶת פַּרְסָה וְשֹׁסַעַת שֶׁסַע שְׁתֵּי פְרָסוֹת מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה בַּבְּהֵמָה אֹתָהּ תֹּאכֵלוּ:
English Verse And every animal that has a split hoof and has a hoof cloven into two hoof sections, [and] chews the cud among the animals that you may eat.
Rashi Header Hebrew מפרסת
Rashi Text Hebrew סדוקה כתרגומו:
Rashi Header Enlish split
Rashi Text English Heb. מַפְרֶסֶת, split, as the Targum [Onkelos renders it].

    Verse Dt14-06 discussing the requirements of Kosher animals states And every beast that
    • parts the hoof, and
    • has the hoof cloven into two,
    and chews the cud among the beasts, that you shall eat
    Rashi clarifies: There are two requirements:
    • The hoof must be split and
    • there must be two toes.
    The pictures below clarify. Since this Rashi is clarified by pictures we consider it the use of the diagram method.


--------------------
'                  |
' -----------------|   Split hoof with one toe covering (not valid for Kashruth)
'                  |
'-------------------


--------------------
'                  |
' ------------------   Split hoof with two toe  coverings (valid for Kashruth)
'                  |
'-------------------

Conclusion

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