The 10 RashiYomi Rules
Their presence in Rashis on Parshath MiKeTz
Volume 17, Number 15
This weeks Weekly Rashi with Hebrew/English source tables
will be accessible, on Sunday, at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1715.htm
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel, President, Dec 22, 2011
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 Gn43-14d
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1319.htm
    Brief Summary: God will send your OTHER BROTHER and BENJAMIN (Gn43-14) REFERS to SHIMON who was taken prisoner (Gn42-36)

Verse Gn43-14d
Hebrew Verse וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי הָאִישׁ וְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם אֶת אֲחִיכֶם אַחֵר וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִין וַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי שָׁכָלְתִּי:
English Verse And may the Almighty God grant you compassion before the man, and he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin, and as for me as I am bereaved, I am bereaved.
Rashi Header Hebrew את אחיכם
Rashi Text Hebrew זה שמעון:
Rashi Header Enlish your…brother
Rashi Text English This is Simeon.

Verse Gn43-14d discussing Jacob's hopes to get back his children states And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, then I am bereaved. Rashi notes that the underlined words, your other brother references verse Gn42-36 discussing the imprisonment of Shimon. Hence the Rashi comment The verse statement Gn43-14 God will send your other brother and Benjamin references verse Gn42-36 which discusses the imprisonment of Shimon.

Text of Target Verse Gn43-14d Text of Reference Verse Gn42-36
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, then I am bereaved. And Jacob their father said to them, Me have you bereaved of my children; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and you will take Benjamin away; all these things are against me.
Rashi comments: The verse statement Gn43-14 God will send your other brother and Benjamin references verse Gn42-36 which discusses the imprisonment of Shimon.

Advanced Rashi: Actually both Shimon and Joseph were other brothers that were missing. Furthermore, at least in one case Rashi saw an unconscious hint in a verse to the restoration of Joseph (Gn43-08a: Judah's statement We will live refers to the restoration of all including Joseph. In fact Rashi takes Gn43-14e, God will send your other brother as referring to Joseph also!)

However the important point to emphasize is that Shimon was imprisoned Gn42-24 and Shimon was returned Gn43-23. Furthermore as indicated in Gn42-38 Jacob was too depressed to think about the restoration of Joseph. Hence Rashi emphasizes that other brother mainly refers to Shimon.

In fact this suggests that Rashi's main point was Even though we have interpreted other verses as referring or hinting to the restoration of Joseph we must interpret this verse as referring solely to the restoration of Shimon (Since Jacob was depressed and this was the issue at hand.)

      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 Gn41-19b
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: EMPTY FLESHED means EMACIATED (EMPTY is RELATED to LACK OF FULLNESS AND SUPPORT)

Verse Gn41-19b
Hebrew Verse וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת עֹלוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן דַּלּוֹת וְרָעוֹת תֹּאַר מְאֹד וְרַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר לֹא רָאִיתִי כָהֵנָּה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לָרֹעַ:
English Verse And behold, seven other cows were ascending after them, emaciated and of very ugly form and with meager flesh; I have not seen such ugly ones throughout the entire land of Egypt.
Rashi Header Hebrew ורקות בשר
Rashi Text Hebrew כל לשון רקות שבמקרא חסרי בשר, ובלעז בלושיש [מחוסרות]: 
Rashi Header Enlish and with meager flesh
Rashi Text English Heb. וְרַקוֹת בָּשָׂר Every expression of רַקוֹת in Scripture means “lacking flesh,” and in Old French [it is] bloses, deprived (deficient).

Students of Rashi must bear in mind that Rashi could sometimes use universal principles applicable in all languages. This particularly applies to the meaning methods.

    The synechdoche principle basically says that any language can use a good example to name an entire category. For example, in English,
  • the word honey can mean anything sweet.
  • Similarly bread can refer to any food.
  • Man can refer to any person (male of female)
  • day can refer to the entire 24 hour period
  • heart can refer to the entire person as in e.g., (Ps 43)My heart yearns for you, God which really means My entire person yearns for you God
  • The loss of a person can refer to the destruction of that person (Dt28-22i)

    The metonomy principle basically says that a word can be named by something related to it. Metonomy is closely related to synechdoche. Some typical examples of metonomy would be
  • hot refers to temper or pashion
  • going to bed refers to intimacy
  • by sweat will you obtain bread metonomycally refers to by hard word will you obtain food
  • He is a man of the cloth refers to the clergy
  • the pen is mightier than the sword means that publication can have greater impact than military means

Verse Gn41-19b discussing Pharoh's dream of the 7 full and emaciated cows states And, behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ill-favoured and emptied, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. Rashi explains: The Bible uses the word empty to indicate emaciation. Indeed an empty package has no support and is indented in appearance similar in look to an emaciated person. The emaciated person is not actually empty. Hence empty is a metonomy; emptyness is related, but not actually equal, to, the emaciated appearance.

      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 Gn42-16a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n24.htm
      Brief Summary: The prefix of a Biblical HEY can indicate declaration (The) or the interrogative.

Verse Gn42-16a
Hebrew Verse שִׁלְחוּ מִכֶּם אֶחָד וְיִקַּח אֶת אֲחִיכֶם וְאַתֶּם הֵאָסְרוּ וְיִבָּחֲנוּ דִּבְרֵיכֶם הַאֱמֶת אִתְּכֶם וְאִם לֹא חֵי פַרְעֹה כִּי מְרַגְּלִים אַתֶּם:
English Verse Send one of you and let him fetch your brother, and you will be imprisoned so that your words will be tested whether truth is with you, and if not, as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!
Rashi Header Hebrew האמת אתכם
Rashi Text Hebrew אם אמת אתכם. לפיכך הא נקוד פתח שהוא כמו בלשון תימה. ואם לא תביאוהו, חי פרעה כי מרגלים אתם:
Rashi Header Enlish whether truth is with you
Rashi Text English Heb. הַאמֶת, if the truth is with you. The “hey” is vowelized with a“pattach,” which is equivalent to an expression of wonderment. — [from Targum Onkelos]. And if you do not bring him, [I swear] by Pharaoh’s life, that you are spies.

Rashi lived before the era of Grammatical textbooks. Hence one of his functions was to teach the rules of grammar similar to modern textbooks. One aspect of grammar deals with the proper use of prefixes. Prefixes in Hebrew can indicate prepositional connectives, declarative articles or questions.

A prefix hey in Biblical Hebrew can indicate either a declarative article or an interrogative sentence. The punctuation of the hey depends both on its function as well as on the letters in the word it modifies.

There are about a half dozen Rashis on Hey. For example the very first question in the Bible occurs when God asks Adam if he ate the forbidden fruit. The Hey in that verse is punctuated with a chataf patach which Rashi explains is the default punctuation for interrogative heys (Gn03-11a). From time to time on several other verses Rashi comments on hey which has quite a number of subrules governing it.

Biblical verse Gn42-16a states Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved: Is there any truth with you? and if not by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies. The underlined phrase is interpreted by Rashi as a question (as indicated). However it is also possible to translated it declaratively: That your words will be examined - [to ascertain if] the truth is with you There is an interesting exegetical point here: Joseph by using an inquiry form - Is there any truth with you? - is accusing them of being liars - they are assumed guilty till proven otherwise. Joseph took a tough line to the brothers. He could have equally assumed them truthful until proven otherwise. That would be indicated in the Biblical text by a declarative hey. Hence the punctuation of the hey reflects the hard line tactics Joseph used which is also explicitly mentioned in the Biblical text Gn42-07.

The first letter of the sentence the truth is with you? is a Hebrew aleph. A hey when used declaratively with a following Hebrew aleph is punctuated with a kamatz (Cf. Gn42-18, Gn42-27). However when a hey is used interrogatively with a following aleph it is punctuated with a patach as in Gn42-16a and in Nu32-06.

    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 Gn42-03a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n24.htm
    Brief Summary: The SONS OF JACOB, JOSEPHS BROTHERS came to Egypt. RASHI: They had repented - they wanted brother Joseph back.

Verse Gn42-03a
Hebrew Verse וַיֵּרְדוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף עֲשָׂרָה לִשְׁבֹּר בָּר מִמִּצְרָיִם:
English Verse So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Rashi Header Hebrew וירדו אחי יוסף
Rashi Text Hebrew ולא כתב בני יעקב, מלמד שהיו מתחרטים במכירתו ונתנו לבם להתנהג עמו באחוה ולפדותו בכל ממון שיפסקו עליהם:
Rashi Header Enlish So Joseph’s…brothers went down
Rashi Text English But Scripture did not write “the sons of Jacob.” This teaches that they regretted selling him and decided to behave toward him in a brotherly manner and to ransom him for whatever amount of money would be demanded of them. — [from Gen. Rabbah 91:6, Tan. Mikeitz 8]

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Gn42-03a Both verses/verselets discuss the Jews journeying to Egypt for food. The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: The Jews were not just Jacob's sons. They were also Joseph's brother. They no longer wished Joseph dead. They wanted him back.

Verse Text of Verse Rashi comment
Gn42-03 And Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt The Jews were not just Jacob's sons. They were also Joseph's brother. They no longer wished Joseph dead. They wanted him back.
Gn42-05 And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

      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 Gn41-55a Gn41-54a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: Egypt at first had stored food but then it too suffered from the famine.

Verse Gn41-55a
Hebrew Verse וַתִּרְעַב כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּצְעַק הָעָם אֶל פַּרְעֹה לַלָּחֶם וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה לְכָל מִצְרַיִם לְכוּ אֶל יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּעֲשׂוּ:
English Verse When the entire land of Egypt hungered, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread, but Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph; what he tells you, do.
Rashi Header Hebrew ותרעב כל ארץ מצרים
Rashi Text Hebrew שהרקיבה תבואתם שאצרו חוץ משל יוסף:
Rashi Header Enlish When the entire land of Egypt hungered
Rashi Text English For their grain, which they had stored, had decayed, except that of Joseph. — [from Mid. Tanchuma Mikeitz 7]

The table below presents presents two contradictory verses. Both verses speak about the famine in the time of Joseph. The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says and the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread while the other verse states And all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.' Which is it? Did Egypt have food or was there a famine there? Rashi simply resolves this using the 2 Stages method: Initially when the famine started outside of Egypt, all of Egypt had food, since Joseph had advised them to store food. But the food rotted and Egypt too was then in famine

Summary Verse / Source Text of verse / Source
Egypt had food Gn41-54 and the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Egypt had a famine Gn41-55 And all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.'
Resolution: 2 Stages Initially when the famine started outside of Egypt, all of Egypt had food, since Joseph had advised them to store food. But the food rotted and Egypt too was then in famine

    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 Gn43-20a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n24.htm
    Brief Summary: Joseph wished to cry on seeing his brother - Rashi: He also heard from his brother how he was missed.

Verse Gn43-20a
Hebrew Verse ַיֹּאמְרוּ בִּי אֲדֹנִי יָרֹד יָרַדְנוּ בַּתְּחִלָּה לִשְׁבָּר אֹכֶל:
English Verse And they said, Please, my lord, we came down at first to purchase food.
Rashi Header Hebrew בי א-דני
Rashi Text Hebrew לשון בעיא ותחנונים הוא, ובלשון ארמי בייא בייא:
Rashi Header Enlish Please, my lord
Rashi Text English Heb. בִּי, an expression of entreaty and supplication, in Aramaic: בָּיָיא בָּיָיא. Rashi bases this translation on Onkelos.

Certain Biblical paragraphs are stated in a example form. In other words an example of a law is stated rather than the full general rule. The reader's task is to generalize the example. The idea that all Biblical laws should be perceived as examples (unless otherwise indicated) is explicitly stated by Rashi (Pesachim 6.). This is a rule of style since the rule requires that a text be perceived as an example rather than interpreted literally. The Rabbi Ishmael style rules govern the interpretation of style.

Verse Gn43-29:30a discussing Joseph's emotional reaction upon seeing him after 17 years of separation states And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. And Joseph made haste; for his insides yearned upon his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. The Rabbi Ishmael example rule requires generalization of this passage. In this case we simply generalize from ...his eyes and saw to ..he saw and spoke; he lifted up his eyes and saw and spoke about family to his brother Benjamin and Joseph made haste..and he sought to weep

Advanced Rashi: As indicated Rashi is simply generalizing the verse. Rashi is indicating that besides seeing his brother other things aroused his emotions. We have indicated above that Joseph and Benjamin spoke. The Talmud fills in what probably happened. Joseph asked Benjamin about his family and the reasons for their names. Benjamin then explained that each of the ten children were named after his missing brother. One child was named swallow because Joseph was swallowed; another child was named Eldest because missing Joseph was eldest. Another child was named MyBro because Joseph was Benjamin's brother. The Talmud reasonably conjectures that this also aroused Joseph's emotions.

    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 example applies to Rashis Gn43-23a
    URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n24.htm
    Brief Summary: a) YOUR God, b) YOUR father's GOD merited you this. Rashi: If you aren't worthy then your father is.

Verse Gn43-23a
Hebrew Verse וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁלוֹם לָכֶם אַל תִּירָאוּ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבִיכֶם נָתַן לָכֶם מַטְמוֹן בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵיכֶם כַּסְפְּכֶם בָּא אֵלָי וַיּוֹצֵא אֲלֵהֶם אֶת שִׁמְעוֹן:
English Verse And he said, Peace to you; fear not. Your God and the God of your father gave you a treasure in your sacks; your money came to me. And he brought Simeon out to them.
Rashi Header Hebrew אלהיכם
Rashi Text Hebrew בזכותכם, ואם אין זכותכם כדאי, ואלהי אביכם, בזכות אביכם נתן לכם מטמון:
Rashi Header Enlish Your God
Rashi Text English In your merit, and if your merit is insufficient, the God of your father, in the merit of your father, gave you a treasure. — [from Gen. Rabbah 92:4 according to Albeck’s edition, Lekach Tov, Sechel Tov]

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 indicated bullets by using repeating keywords.

That is, if a modern author wanted to get a point across using bullets - a list of similar but contrastive items - then the Biblical Author would use repeating keywords. Today's verse illustrates this principle.

    Verse(s) Gn43-20:23 discussing the guard's statement that the brothers could keep the money they found states And said, Oh my lord, we came indeed down the first time to buy food; And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the... sack, ... And other money have we brought down ... we can not tell who put our money in our sacks. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not;
    • your God, and
    • and the God of your father,
    has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money. And he brought Simeon out to them.
    The repeated underlined phrase God creates a bullet effect. The bullet effect in turn creates an emphasis on the distinctness of all enumerated items. Rashi interprets the distinctness as follows
    • See the found money as a gift of God.
    • Should you protest that you are not worthy of a gift of God then see the money as a gift of Your father's God.
    In other words the money was a gift of God. The langauge God, God of your fathers is simply a linguistically pleasant way of ascribing the gift to God without confronting a person who does not believe himself worthy.

      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 Gn41-50a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: The Bible uses the passive (was born) to emphasize the time or leadership qualities of the person born

Verse Gn41-50a
Hebrew Verse ּלְיוֹסֵף יֻלַּד שְׁנֵי בָנִים בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא שְׁנַת הָרָעָב אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לּוֹ אָסְנַת בַּת פּוֹטִי פֶרַע כֹּהֵן אוֹן:
English Verse And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of the famine set in, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti phera, the governor of On, bore to him.
Rashi Header Hebrew בטרם תבוא שנת הרעב
Rashi Text Hebrew מכאן שאסור לאדם לשמש מטתו בשני רעבון:   
Rashi Header Enlish before the year of the famine set in
Rashi Text English From here is derived that a person may not engage in marital relations during years of famine. — [from Ta’anith 11a]

    We ask the following database query: What mode - active vs. passive - is used to indicate birth. The reader is encouraged to perform the query using a standard Biblical Konnkordance or search engine. This database query yields the list below. The list justifies the following Rashi inference:
  • The active - so and so begat so and so - is the normal style to indicate genealogy
  • The passive - so and so was born to so and so - is used to indicate emphasis on the time or leadership qualities of the person born. The list below presents the results of the database query and shows examples.

Verse Style Verse text Emphasis
Gn41-50a Passive And unto Joseph was born two sons before the years of famine came [Rashi: Implying that children should not be born in times of famine (abstention).]
Gn10-21 Passive And to Shem also,was born children the father of all the Eberites, [Emphasizes that Shem and Ever were the major bearers of the monotheistic tradition.]
Gn10-25 Passive And to Eber was born two sons the name of one was Split because during his lifetime the world split up [at the Tower of Babel.]

      9. RASHI METHOD: NonVerse
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: The common denominator of the 3 submethods of the NonVerse 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 Gn44-12a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n6.htm
      Brief Summary: Ben was framed with robbery. To avoid suspicion the investigator went from oldest to youngest so discovery looked accidental.

Verse Gn44-12a
Hebrew Verse וַיְחַפֵּשׂ בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל וּבַקָּטֹן כִּלָּה וַיִּמָּצֵא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּאַמְתַּחַת בִּנְיָמִן:
English Verse He searched; he started with the eldest and finished with the youngest, and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.
Rashi Header Hebrew בגדול החל
Rashi Text Hebrew שלא ירגישו בו שהיה יודע היכן הוא:
Rashi Header Enlish he started with the eldest
Rashi Text English so that they would not detect that he knew where it was. — [from Gen. Rabbah 92:8]

Verses Gn44-12a discussing the frameup of Benjamin with a theft states And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and ending at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack. Rashi fills-in with real-world background. Ben was framed with robbery. To avoid suspicion the investigator went from oldest to youngest so discovery looked accidental.

Clearly the sole purpose of Rashi here, is to clarify the underlined detail beginning at the eldest as being consistent with a frameup.

      10. RASHI METHOD: SYMBOLISM
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi provides symbolic interpretations of words, verses, and chapters. Rashi can symbolically interpret either
      • (10a) entire Biblical chapters such as the gifts of the princes, Nu-07
      • (10b) individual items, verses and words
      The rules governing symbolism and symbolic interpretation are presented in detail on my website.

      This examples applies to Rashis Gn41-01b Gn41-02a Gn41-03a Gn41-04a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n24.htm
      Brief Summary: We provide a LINEAR SYMBOLIC translation of Pharoh's dream about the 7 years of plenty and 7 years of starvation.

Verse Gn41-01b
Hebrew Verse וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל הַיְאֹר:
English Verse It came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh was dreaming, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.
Rashi Header Hebrew על היאור
Rashi Text Hebrew כל שאר נהרות אינם קרוים יאורים חוץ מנילוס, מפני שכל הארץ עשויין יאורים יאורים בידי אדם ונילוס עולה בתוכם ומשקה אותם, לפי שאין גשמים יורדין במצרים תדיר כשאר ארצות:
Rashi Header Enlish by the Nile
Rashi Text English Heb. עַל-הַיְאֹר, lit., by the canal. No other rivers are called יְאוֹרִים except the Nile, because the entire land is covered with many man-made canals (יְאוֹרִים), and the Nile rises in their midst and waters them, for it does not usually rain in Egypt as it does in other countries.

We are all familiar with the basic idea of Pharoh's dreams. Pharoh dreamt of 7 thin cows devouring 7 plump cows. Joseph symbolically interpreted this to mean that 7 years of starvation would come and make people forget the 7 years of plenty which had preceded them. In the table below we provide a linear symbolic translation of Pharoh's dream and its interpretation.

Verse text Symbolic interpretation Source
Pharoh stood on the Nile Pharoh reviewed the Egyptian economy Gn41-01b
And from the river from the economy Gn41-01b
there arose 7 cows there arose 7 years Numerical symbolism
good looking and plump good years with plenty to eat Gn41-02a
grazing in the meadow with brotherhood and no economic jealousy Gn41-02b
But then 7 other cows came after them 7 other years followed them
bad looking and thin bad years with little to eat Analogy with Gn41-02a
and they stood by the cows on the river bank Two sets of years affected the economy but Gn41-04a
the bad looking cows consumed the good looking cows the bad years made people forget the good years Gn41-04a

Advanced Rashi: The above table uses the so called linear translation method. This method was introduced (or popularized) by Rabbi Dr. Benjamin Sharfman in his Linear Translation of the Bible and Rashi. Rabbi Sharfman's linear translation is still very popular among those who are beginners in learning Rashi. Rabbi Sharfman was in fact Rabbi of my synaggoue when I was young and I spent many enjoyable Shabbath afternoons listening to his very lucid explanations of Rashi.

Conclusion

This week's special issue contains examples of all Rashi methods. Visit the RashiYomi website at http://www.Rashiyomi.com for further details and examples.