The 4 Usages of >AT THAT TIME< :#3 of 3 ########################################################### # 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE # # Feb 23, 2001 # # Rashis 610-610 Of 7800 (7.7%) # # # # # # http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ # # # # # # Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, # # (c) 1999-Present, RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President # #Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit# # # # # # # # VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES # # http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm # # # # # # WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS # # # ########################################################### - GRAND SUMMARY - OVERVIEW: ======== RULE: The phrase "AT THAT TIME" is used in 4 ways -1-It indicates that the previous event enabled APPRECIATION Dt03-21 >AT THAT TIME(after the conquest of the 2 kings) I said to Joshua--Just as God conquered these 2 kings so will God help you conquer in the future< -2- >AT THAT TIME< indicates a TEMPORARY situation eg Nu22-04c >Balak was king of Moab AT THAT TIME< -3-It indicates CONTRAST (THEN vs BEFORE) eg Dt09-20>AT THAT TIME(after Golden Calf) I prayed for Aaron< -4-It indicates that the previous event CAUSED something eg Dt10-01 >AT THAT TIME(after praying for atonement on Golden calf) God commanded me to write (again) 10 commandments< SPECIAL FEATURE ON METHODOLOGY ============================== This module enables us to appreciate 4 very important Rashi principles. They are as follows #1: THE #VERSES, #RASHIS, vs #RULES ================================================= * Here are statistics on the phrase >AT THAT TIME< --the phrase >AT THAT TIME< occurs in 18 verses --rashi on >AT THAT TIME< occurs in 6 Rashis --all 4 Rules of usage of >AT THAT TIME< are covered by Rashi --We can then apply these 4 rules to all 18 verses. #2: THE PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY: DOES IT ALWAYS WORK ===================================================== * Notice how our approach does NOT suffice with explaining 1 verse and 1 Rashi. Rather we must explain ALL 18 times that the phrase AT THAT TIME occurs. Otherwise we have not understood the Rashi #3: THE USE OF WORKBOOK METHODS BY RASHI ======================================== * The examples are presented in WORKBOOK form--these fill-ins are ideal for any home or class schooling situation Ideally a teacher could teach the GENERAL RULE and indicate one or two examples. The other examples would then be filled in or explained by the student with appropriate hints in the form of supportive verses. This module could be comfortably used for a month of lessons. DR LEIBOWITZ vs DR HENDEL ========================= * The traditional >Dr Leibowitz< approach to Chumash would ask for an identification of >Rashis problem<. In this verse the problem seems to be >Why the extra phrase< in the verse >And I supplicated to God AT THAT TIME< By contrast our approach is database oriented. The issue is that the phrase AT THAT TIME occurs 18 times in the Bible and is used in 4 specific ways. There is nothing bothersome about the phrase; we are only commenting on its meaning While Rabbi Dr Boncheck visited the U.S. I asked him how he felt about my suggestion that Rashi should be approached in a >DATABASE< method vs a >PROBLEM< approach (>WHAT IS BOTHERING RASHI<). He said he didnt see a problem with this alternative approach. TODAYS UNIT =========== In todays unit we bring the GRAND SUMMARY of all examples of verses where it says >AT THAT TIME< REFERENCE: ========= This module comes from the following digest in the Rashi-is-Simple series For the original source of this grand summary see http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt03-23b.htm http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h7n6.htm Todays posting is cited almost verbatim from the original #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#* EXAMPLES: -------- METHOD 1: ENABLING APPRECIATION ------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ In the following verses the phrase AT THAT TIME indicates that a previous event ENABLED APPRECIATION of a present event (There are no Rashis but there are explicit indications in verses) ------------------------------------------------------ 1) Dt04-14 After the 10 commandments, AT THAT TIME, God commanded me to teach you laws NOTE: It explicitly says in Ex20-17 that "God revealed Himself to you IN ORDER THAT HIS FEAR be on you" So the revelation of the Decalogue ENABLED you to APPRECIATE the laws afterwards 2) Dt03-21 and I commanded Joshua AT THAT TIME, you have seen how God conquered these 2 kings: So will God conquer the Canaanite kings AGAIN: The previous conquest ENABLED APPRECIATION of the future conquests 3) Gn21-22 AND AT THAT TIME (After God had punished Avimelech for trying to abduct Sarah (Gn20)) Avimelech came to make a peace treaty with Abraham and said "We see that God is with you" AGAIN: The previous punishments by God ENABLED APPRECIATION of Gods providence over Abraham METHOD 2: AT THAT TIME=TEMPORARY SITUATION ------------------------------------------------------ In the following verses the phrase AT THAT TIME indicates that the event was TEMPORARY ------------------------------------------------------ 4) Dt05-05 AT THAT TIME I stood between you and God to give you the 10 commandments NOTE: It explicitly says in Dt06 that the Jews did not want any further prophetic revelations because of their frightening nature---rather the Jews returned to their home life while Moses received prophecies. So the phrase AT THAT TIME indicates something temporary 5) Nu22-04c And BALAK ..was King of Moab AT THAT TIME RASHI: "AT THAT TIME" he was king; it was a temporary appointment METHOD 3: AT THAT TIME indicates CONTRAST ------------------------------------------------------ In the following verses the phrase AT THAT TIME indicates a contrast to the previous situation ------------------------------------------------------ 6) Dt09-20 "And I also prayed for Aaron AT THAT TIME concerning his sin of making the Golden calf" THE CONTRAST: Even though Aaron had made the idol nevertheless I prayed for him(Ex32-02:06) 7) Dt03-18 "And I commanded you(Reubenites) AT THAT TIME (after Moses had given them the lands of Og and Sichon (Dt03-12:15)) 'You must now help the Jews conquer Israel' THE CONTRAST: The Reubenites had just received the land that the Jews conquered; NOW (At THIS TIME) it was their turn to help the remainder of the Jews conquer Israel) 8) Dt02-34 9) Dt03-04 10)Dt03-08 11)Dt03-12a And we conquered the lands AT THAT TIME THE CONTRAST: Dt02-31 states "And God said (to Moses) SEE I ***begin*** to give you Sichons land" It further states in Dt03-02 "You will do to him(OG) the way you did to SICHON" Thus I would think that only BEGINNING CONQUEST (eg protection) was given. Instead the 4 verses state that "The Jews conquered EVERYTHING AT THAT TIME" (In other words, God had only promised an initial conquest but the Jews deserved and received all) 12) Dt01-16b 13) Dt01-18 And I commanded your (newly appointed) Judges AT THAT TIME (at the time of appointment) "Be slow in judgement; Don't be afraid of powerful people; treat poor and rich equally.." THE CONTRAST: An ordinary layman has the right in his personal business deals to "be afraid of powerful people" or to "treat the poor and rich differently. " However (Rashi) once you become judges you must treat all people equally and not be afraid of any power METHOD 4: AT THAT TIME indicates CAUSATION ------------------------------------------ 14) Gn38-01a AND AT THAT TIME (After Judah advised selling Joseph) Judah left his brothers and got involved with heathen merchants CAUSATION: The brothers blaimed the Joseph tradegy on Judah since he had advised selling Joseph. Thus the sale of Joseph (Gn37) CAUSED Judah's downfall 15) Dt03-26a (After the conquest of Sichon and OG) AT THAT TIME I (Moses) prayed to God (for permission to enter Israel) CAUSATION: Moses had been punished (with Non entry into Israel) because he had lacked deep faith in God (Explicitly said in Nu20-12). However in Dt03-02 God requested Moses "Don't be afraid of these mighty powers"; thus after Moses had conquered them Moses thought that since he had shown faith, God had forgiven him and therefore he could go into Israel. 16) Dt01-09b (After Moses relates how the Jews increased in number alot Moses says) "And I said AT THAT TIME how can I bear the sole responsibility of judging you." CAUSATION: The simple interpretation of this verse is explicitly stated in Ex18-13:26---Moses could not adjudicate all cases BECAUSE there were so many people. Therefore Moses had to delegate authority.(Rashi adds to this explanation a reason why it is bad for one person to judge every case---the possibility of Judicial error increases and then the Judge is punished for the error). We close with 2 nifty cases 17) Dt10-01 After Moses had prayed that God forgive the Jewish people for making the Golden calf AT THAT TIME God commanded Moses to make replacement tablets for the tablets he broke. CAUSATION: Can you guess the connection between "Moses praying for the Jewish people" (end of Dt09) and God allowing him to make two other tablets. 18) Dt10-08b After relating the sins of the Golden calf and the sin of complaints of no water at Mosayrah AT THAT TIME, God separated out the tribe of Levi to serve God CAUSATION: BECAUSE Levi did not sin in the Golden calf (Ex32-26) and BECAUSE Levi did not sin in the complaints about water, therefore they deserved to be picked by God for temple service. As Rashi cleverly notes, we knew from an explicit verse that the Levites did not sin with the Golden calf but we have no explicit statement that they did not sin by the complaints with water. However the phrase AT THAT TIME shows us they did not sin at in either case. #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*