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 Nu01-51c URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w33n20; Brief Summary: Non-Priests/Levites serving in the Temple will die, the same way Korach's followers died (Nu16-35,Nu18-03)

Verse Nu01-51c discussing that non-priests/levites inappropriately coming near Temple will die states And when the tabernacle is to set forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death Rashi clarifies the underlined words death by referencing verse(s) Nu16-35, Nu18-03 which states And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense...And they shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the Tent; only they shall not come near the utensils of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor you also, die. Hence the Rashi comment: As the underlined words show, the statement in Nu01-51c that the stranger who comes near shall be put to death cross references the death penalty mentioned in Nu18-03 for improper coming near which is consistent with the death at the hands of God that befell the followers of Korach who improperly came near to God.

Text of Target verse Nu01-15c	Text of Reference Verse Nu16-35, Nu18-03
And when the tabernacle is to set forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death	And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense...And they shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the Tent; only they shall not come near the utensils of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor you also, die.
Rashi comments: As the underlined words show, the statement in Nu01-51c that the stranger who comes near shall be put to death cross references the death penalty mentioned in Nu18-03 for improper coming near which is consistent with the death at the hands of God that befell the followers of Korach who improperly came near to God.

Todays Rashi rule combines the grammar and meaning method. Consequently we repeat this explanation in both rule 2,meaning and rule 3, grammar.

Although most conjugation rules refer to the conjugation of verbs, there are also conjugation rules for transfroming nouns into verbs. We list several common methods for transforming nouns into verbs:
• create the noun: e.g. to flower
• remove the noun: e.g. to dust
• use the noun: e.g. to hammer
• the verb(activity) done to this noun: e.g. Dt21-04b: neck the calf, in other words kill it with a blow to the neck

Todays Rashi rule combines the grammar and meaning method. Consequently we repeat this explanation in both rule 2,meaning and rule 3, grammar.

Although most conjugation rules refer to the conjugation of verbs, there are also conjugation rules for transfroming nouns into verbs. We list several common methods for transforming nouns into verbs:
• create the noun: e.g. to flower
• remove the noun: e.g. to dust
• use the noun: e.g. to hammer
• the verb(activity) done to this noun: e.g. Dt21-04b: neck the calf, in other words kill it with a blow to the neck

The table below presents an aligned extract of verses or verselets in Nu01-03a Both verses/verselets discuss who will be conted in the census. The alignment justifies the Rashi comment that: Military conscription starts at age 20.

Verse	Text of Verse	Rashi comment
Nu01-03	Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of names, every male by their polls; From twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel; you and Aaron shall count them by their armies.	Military conscription starts at age 20.
Nu01-03	Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of names, every male by their polls; From twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel; you and Aaron shall count them by their armies.

The table below presents presents two contradictory verses. Both verses talk about service of the Levites The underlined words highlight the contradiction. One verse says Levites start at 25 while the other verse says Levites start at 30. Which is it? Do the Levites start at 25 or 30? Rashi simply resolves this using the 2 Stages method:
• The levites start training at age 25;
• they start actual Temple service at age 30.

Summary	Verse / Source	Text of verse / Source
Levites start training at 25.	Nu08-24	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, This is it what concerns the Levites: from 25 years old and upward they shall go to be posted on posts for theservice of the Tent of Meeting;
Levites start actual service at 30	Nu04-02a	Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, From 30 years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the army, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, about the most holy things;
Resolution:	2 Stages:	The levites start training at age 25; they start actual Temple service at age 30.

Advanced Rashi: Traditional Rashi-ists would explain this contradiction by incorrectly appealing to word nuances or to alignment. For example aligning the two verses listed above we see a hinted contrast of come to be posted vs. to do work in the temple. This contrast of nuances hints at a distinction of actual work vs training to be posted.

We however have explained this Rashi using the contradiction method. What is important is the fact of contradiction. True there might be supportive nuances emanating from alignment but the fact of contradiction justifies a resolution. We try the three methods of resolution - 2 stages, 2 aspects, broad-literal meaning - and find that the 2 stages approach neatly suggests training-performance. This approach of seeking a natural resolution by appeal to real-world phenomena is characteristic of the contradiction method. In fact the contradiction method, although sometimes it uses verses, very often relies on intuitive logic to naturally resolve a textual contradiction by appeal to real world phenomena such as the training-performance sequence.

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 Nu04-05:15 discussing the responsibilities of the Priests in the Temple states
• General: And when the camp sets forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and
• Details:
  • they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of Testimony with it;...
  • And upon the table of the bread of display they shall spread a cloth....
  • And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, ...
  • And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, ...
  • And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, ....
  • And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it;....
• General: And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the utensils of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; then....(the Kehatites come...and carry)

Rashi generalizes the detail clause Ark, table, lampstand, golden altar,instruments of ministry.... as illustrative of the general clause, Aaron's sons shall come and cover the sanctuary and states: All utensils used in the Holies are included even if not explicitly enumerated, for example, the utensils for offering incense on the Golden altar. We believe this comment evident and consistent with the Rabbi Ishmael style guidelines.

Today, we ask the following database query: How often are censii taken? 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: God continually counted the Jews with either a complete census or a census of those fallen during a plague. Such obsessive counting typically indicates great attachment and fondness. We conlude God had great love for the Jewish people. The list below presents the results of the database query and shows examples

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 Nu03-39b Nu03-46a Nu03-49a Nu03-50a URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rule1414.htm Brief Summary: 300 Firstborn Levites remained. 22000 Firstborn redeemed by Levites. 273 firstborn redeemed @ 5 per head=$1365. Redeemers identified by lottery

Background: Originally the firstborn served at the sacrifices. When the Jews sinned by the Golden calf God took this privilege away from them and gave it to the Levites. The process of transfer of responsibility from the firstborn to the Levites was called a redemption process. The redemption process is described in the table below. Because this aspect of the Bible involves computations and spreadsheets we classify this Rashi as non-verse/spreadsheets.

Very roughly there are 3 types of redemption:
• The 300 Levites that were firstborn remained in service
• There was an exchange of 22000 Levites for 22000 Firstborn
• The remaining 273 non Levite firstborn were redeeemed at $5 shekel per person or $1,365 aggregate.

There was the further problem of who to collect the $1,365 from. After all each particular firstborn could claim he corresponded to an actual Levite and didn't have to pay. Therefore the redemption was done by lottery which picked 273 firstborn each of whom paid $5 shekel.