The 10 RashiYomi Rules
Their presence in Rashis on Parshat Boh-Beshalach
Vol 19#17 - Adapted from Rashi-is-Simple 
(c) RashiYomi Incorporated, Dr. Hendel President, Jan. 17th, 2013
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GOALS
The goal of the Weekly Rashi Digest is to use the weekly Torah portion to expose students at all levels to the ten major methods of Rashi's commentary. Continual weekly exposure to these ten major methods facilitate the acquisition, familiarity, and facility with the major exegetical methods. This year, 2012-2013, we are concentrating on the grammar rule. We acknowledge benefitting from Dr. Isseroff's book, An Introduction to Rashi's Grammatical Explanations in the Book of Genesis, 1985, Published by the Torah Education Department of World Zionist Organization, MP Press Inc, ISBN 965-222-049-3. For a full  lightning statement of all Rashi rules see the Appendix.

NEW: Starting with Shemoth we will be listing references, secular articles on grammar that enhance the Rashi experience.  Starting with VaayRah we will list homework assignments - typically verses to look up - so that interested readers can further check suggested explanations. NEW

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Plural vs. Singular Daily Rashi: Sunday January 20 2013

All languages have the capacity to indicate plurality - many vs one:
•	In English, the plural is indicated by a terminal s: For example, apples, would indicate many apples.
•	In Hebrew, the plural can be indicated by a terminal mem, or in the case of the Hebrew construct, by a terminal yud.

The biblical Hebrew verb, BaChur, presents an interesting usage of singular and plural.
•	The verb Bachur (Beth Cheth Resh) means to choose
•	In the plural the noun exclusively refers to young men (teenager-20s), men who are easily picked out of a crowd as capable of doing hard tasks
•	While the singular this verb can also refer to young men, when the singular is used in a context that naturally requires plural, the word means choicest and best. Examples are presented below.
Thus this root actually refers to different things in singular and plural.

Examples:
•	(Ju20-15) From Benjamin were conscripted 700 choicest men

Here by saying 700 choicest men vs 700 choicest there is an emphasis on using the singular and hence the word means choicest

•	(Ju14-10) Samson made a party because this was the custom of the young men

Here by using the plural the reference is generally to young men whether they are choicest or not.

•	Ex14-07a (Rashi) And Pharoh took 700 chariot of the choicest.

Here by using the singular chariot with singular Bachur there is an emphasis on singular implying a meaning of choicest.

Construct State Daily Rashi: Monday January 21 2013
 
Rashi lived before Grammar Textbooks, as we know them today, were available. 
•	Today you can purchase many types of Grammar books. Using these books you can learn all about verbs, their conjugations, plurality, gender and pronouns.
•	In Rashi’s time such books were rare. Furthermore, the few grammar books that did exist were not written in a student friendly manner that facilitated learning.
Hence, one of Rashi’s primary jobs in his commentary was to teach grammar. 

A basic grammatical concept, common to all languages is the construct. 
•	Give me Jim's garment
•	He fixed the car's wheel
•	He was warm because of the blanket of the bed
•	He used the cup of oil to light the Chanukah lamps
In the above examples the keywords, of, and apostrophe s, indicate the construct.
As can be seen the construct indicates that the references of the two words belong or are associated with each other.

Notice in English there are several ways to indicate construct. Similarly, in Hebrew, there are several ways, typically one and two letter suffixes to indicate the construct. 

Using this concept Rashi explains why Ex10-22b chooses between the following two phrases:
•	Sheloshah Yomim, three days
•	Shelosheth Yomim, a triplet of days
The terminal suffix, Tauv, indicates a construct state which in English would correspond to a triple of days vs three days. The emphasis would be on a single unit of three days instead of three scattered days. This highlights the intensity of the plague of darkness: It is not just that they were immobilized and lost three days of productivity, but rather they were immobilized for three consecutive days and e.g. could not go out and obtain extra food and water.

Verbs  Daily Rashi: Tuesday January 21 2013

 What is the difference between the following English sentences.
•	I ate the apple.  
•	I will eat the apple.
•	Eat the apple
•	Be involved in eating apples

The above sentences show a difference in both
•	Form and
•	Meaning. 

The differences in form, actually the form of the verb, is indicated by the underline. The sentences differ in when and for how long the apple was eaten, that is, at what time relative to the present moment was the apple eaten.
•	Past: I ate the apple.  
•	Future: I will eat the apple.
•	Command: Eat the apple
•	Infinitive: Be involved in eating apples.

We refer to the time when a verb or activity was done as the tense of the verb. For example, a past tense means the activity was done formerly, that is, in the past.
•	The first 3 sentences differ in when the apple was eaten: past or future
•	The last sentence differs from the first three in duration: How often apples are eaten.

Quite simply:
•	Eat the apple is a command to eat the apple at some single point in the future
•	Be involved in eating apples refers to a general eating of apples in many points in the future.
We refer to the phrase be involved in eating apples as the infinitive since there are potentially an infinite number of times when the activity could take place. (Actually in English, eating, is a gerund; however as we will see in the next paragraph, Hebrew, uses the infinitive when translating this sentence)

In Hebrew we punctuate
•	The command with an initial shva: Zechor
•	The infinitive with an initial komatz: Zachor

Hence the Rashi comment on Ex13-03:
Bible: Moses said to the people: be involved in remembering (Zachor) this day on which you exited Egypt
Rashi: (It is not enough to commemorate the exodus at one point in time;) one must be involved in remembering Egypt every day.

 Verbs - Active and Passive Voice 
Daily Rashi: Wednesday January 23 2013
 
All languages have the capacity to express concepts in the active or passive voice. Here are some simple examples in English.
•	Active: I ate the apple
•	Passive: The apple was eaten by me.
Both these sentences describe identical scenes. They however differ in style. 

Style conveys extra nuances of meaning. A skilled author can use style to indicate things not explictly stated in the text  There is no one set of rules for style. As we go through the year we will tune our ears to the various nuance implicit in use of active and passive. We present below a Rashi on today's Parshah.

Today we explore how passive and active give rise to different idioms.

The root Yud-Tzade-Gimel (or Nun-Tzade-Gimel) means to stand.
In the active causative mode (hifil) it means to place, to make permanant, to establish 
•	(Amos 5:19) Place justice in your gates, 
•	(Gn33-15) Please I will place with you from my own herds

In the passive mode (hofal) it means to remain: 
•	(Ex10-24) You can go serve God, but your cattle and herds must remain

In both cases the word stand is used as a figure of speech.
•	Standing such as a standing tree or a standing tooth is a good example of being permanant and rooted and hence means to establish and  to place
•	Standing is also a good example of standing vs. walking and hence means remaining in place

In both cases the Figure of Speech method used is call Synecdoche. Here are some other examples of Synecdoche
•	Honey is a good example (and hence means or refers to ) of anything sweet
•	Glass is the typical material for glasses and hence glass can refer to a wooden cup
•	Leaders are good examples of countries and hence reference to countries may mean reference to their leaders.

The following reference discusses Figures of Speech in general. Rashi uses this technique quite often.

REFERENCES

[1] Arthur and Barney Quinn, Figures of Speech: 60 Ways to Turn a phrase, NY Taylor and Francis 2010.

Plural vs. Singular Daily Rashi: Thursday January 24 2013

In every language, grammar will sometimes be violated for social reasons as a sign of respect or politeness. The following verse is typical.

Example 1:(Gn29-27)
Background: Jacob protested that he had worked seven years for Laban in order to marry Rachel and instead he was given Leah. Laban agrees to give him Leah if he works another seven years.
Biblical text: If you fulfill your obligation this week [to stay married to Rachel and celebrate the seven post-marital days] then we will give you this one [i.e. Leah] also.

Notice the underlined we:
•	Leah is stating that he will give to Jacob, Rachel
•	But the biblical text in describing this uses the plural: we will give you Rachel.

In English, we call this the royal we: The royal we consists of using the plural form to describe the singular. It is used as a sign of respect for a very prestegious person to whom many people report. By using the word we instead of he, it is indicated that the activity is not done by one serson but rather by one person in consultation with, or with the awareness of his entire staff.

Here are some other examples of the royal we in the Bible.

Example 2: (Gn01-26)
Biblical text: And God said [to Himself]: We will make man in our image
Rashi: It really means I will make man in my image. However, the royal we is used to show that God's creation of man reflects the awareness of his heavenly court.

Example 3: (Gn39-20)
Biblical text: And Joseph's masters took him and placed him in prison.

Example 4: (Ex21-29)
Background: An owner was negligent in watching his ox who had an established pattern of goring and gored yet another person (and killed him).
Biblical Text: ...the ox will be stoned and the masters will also die.

Interestingly, the Rashi commentary on the last two examples is not brought on the given verses but rather brought by Rashi in his commentary on Gn20-13.

Example 5: (Ex11-08a)
Background: Moses loses his temper at Pharoh and assures him that after God brings the plague of the first born he will come down and bow to Moses, asking him to leave Egypt.
Biblical Text: ....and all these servants of yours will come down to me and bow to me saying, 'You: Leave with all your nation following you.

Notice that the verse says all these servants of yours will come down and bow but what actually happened as described in Ex12-30:31 is that Pharoh got up in the middle of the night ...and he called for Moses and Aaron in the night and said 'Get up and get out from my nation'

Thus we have here another example of the royal we! Moses speaks about the activities of Pharoh's servants instead of Pharoh himself in order not to embarass royalty and show respect for royalty.
  
APPENDIX
THE 10 RASHI RULE CATEGORIES / THE 30 RASHI RULES
Copyright 2001, Rashiyomi Inc., Dr Hendel President, www.Rashiyomi.com/rules-01.htm
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I-REFERENCE: Dt26-05d We went down to Egypt with a few people explained by Gn46-27: with 70 people
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II-MEANING / Lexicography / Dictionary:  EXAMPLE (Connectives) KI means IF,PERHAPS,RATHER,BECAUSE,WHEN,THAT (Rashi on Gn18-15a Gn24-33a  ) EXAMPLE (Nuances): YDA means FAMILIAR, not KNOW (eg Dt34-10a) eg Gn04-01 Adam was FAMILIAR with his wife EXAMPLE (Idioms) ON THE FACE OF means DURING THE LIFETIME (Rashi on Nu03-04a Gn11-28a Ex20-03c Dt05-07a) EXAMPLE (Synonyms) Marchesheth means  pot; Machavath means frying pan (Lv02-05a, 07a) EXAMPLE (Hononyms) SHAMAH can mean listen, hear, understand: (Gn42-23a) They didn't appreciate that Joseph understood them (Note: They knew he was listening) EXAMPLE (Metonomy) (Lv02-11a) Don't offer ...any honey as sacrifices RASHI: honey includes any sweet fruit juice
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III-GRAMMAR:  EXAMPLE: BA-ah means CAME;ba-AH means COMING(Gn46-26a) 
EXAMPLE: Hitpael conjugation has different rules if 1st root letter is Tzade (Gn44-16a) 
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IV-PARALLELISM: (Ex20-04) Dont POSSESS the gods of others Dont MAKE idols RASHI: So both POSSESSion & MAKING of idols are prohibited
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V-CONTRADICTION: (Nu04-03, Nu08-24a)Levites start Temple work at 25;  Levites start temple work at 30. RASHI: They apprentice at 25 but start actual service at 30.
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VI-STYLE: RABBI ISHMAEL RULES: EXAMPLE: (Simple verses should be generalized): (Rashi Pesachim 6) (Dt25-04a) Dont MUZZLE an OX while THRESHING RASHI: Dont STOP any WORKING ANIMAL from eating  
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VII-FORMATTING:  EXAMPLE (BOLD indicated by Repetition): Ex12-09c) COOK COOK it in water (So COOKED-COOKED is understood the same way bold is understood by modern reader) RASHI: Prefered to COOK it in water; But COOK it at all costs(Even if you dont have water) EXAMPLE: (BULLETS indicated by Repeating keywords) (Ex03-11a) Who am I - THAT I should go to Pharaoh - THAT I should take the Jews out of Egypt  RASHI: Repeated word THAT creates BULLET effect - Pharoh was a difficult king (Bullet one) - Jews were not yet ready for freedom (Bullet two) EXAMPLE (Climax assumed in any Biblical list): (Dt19-11a) If a man HATES, SPIES, CONFRONTS & KILLS. RASHI: Bible identifies 4 stages to murder(indicated by capped words
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VIII-DATABASE: EXAMPLE: God spoke to Moses to say over introduces about 7 dozen biblical commandments; God spoke to Aaron to say over only introduces 2 commandments. RASHI: (Lv10-03b) Aaron was silent when his sons died because they served in the Temple drunk; hence he merited that the commandment prohibiting priests to work in the Temple drunk, was given to him
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IX-NON VERSE: EXAMPLE: (Use of Algebra)(Ex38-26b) Temple donations of silver were 100 Kikar and 1775 Shekel from 630,550 half-shekels RASHI: So one Kikar of silver = 3000 Shekel.
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X: SYMBOLISM: EXAMPLE: (Use of puns) (NuXX-XX) Moses made a copper snake for people to look up to when bitten by snakes (so they should pray and recover) RASHI: (Nu21-09a) The Hebrew root for copper and snake are identical (Cf. The English copperhead) Moses  made the metal snake copper colored to symbolize the snake