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Zekelman Standards

5. Rashi

Learning רש”י is an integral component of learning חומש and fully understanding its פשט. Mastering רש”י skills requires fluency in its alphabet, its language, and its style. Close reading of the פסוקים should lead us to recognize the issues that רש”י will address and our need for his insight to complete our understanding.

Enduring Understandings

  1. Understanding the biographical background and historical context of a given מפרש will help us better understand his teachings.
  2. מפרשים are part of תורה שבעל פה, helping us to understanding the חומש. All are sacred, and many were written with רוח הקדש.

Essential Questions

  1. Who is this מפרש? / How does his biographical information impact his teachings?
  2. Where did this מפרש get this from? / Is it okay to disagree with a מפרש? / What would I be missing in my understanding of the פסוק if I hadn’t learned this?

5.01 Rashi Script

A. N/A

B. N/A

A. Identifies all letters of רש”י script correctly.

B. N/A

A. Identifies all letters of רש”י script correctly, and accurately transcribes all letters from any רש”י in רש”י script to handwriting script.

B. Reads a רש”י in רש”י script with נקודות accurately.

A. Accurately transcribes all letters from any רש”י in רש”י script to handwriting script.

B. Reads a רש”י in רש”י script with נקודות accurately and fluently.

A. Accurately transcribes all letters from any רש”י in רש”י script to handwriting script, adding נקודות.

B. Reads a רש”י in רש”י script without נקודות accurately and fluently.

5.02 Roshei Teivos

A. N/A

A. Decipher and translate common רש”י abbreviations (from list in attached Supplements) which appear in the רש”יs that are learned.

5.03 Vocabulary

Prepositions and conjunctions (connecting words)[17] and other vocabulary (adverbs, numbers, questioning words, etc.)[18]

A. N/A

A. Translate vocabulary that is commonly used in רש”י (from list in attached Supplements), which appear in רש”יs that are learned.

5.04 Group and Translate

A. Identifies nouns from a group of learned words, and gives examples of nouns in English.

B. N/A

C. N/A

D. N/A

E. N/A

F. N/A

A. Group and translate a רש”י as taught by the teacher.

A. Group and translate a רש”י after the teacher translated, but did not group it.

A. Group and translate short, basic and straightforward רש”יs – or portions of a longer רש”י – independently.

A. Group and translate רש”יs (including extensive and complex ones) independently.

Rashi Comprehension Skills

The students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of רש”י’s methodology while analyzing the components of his commentary.
  • Use מפרשי רש”י to better understand רש”י’s commentary

Enduring Understandings

  1. רש”י’s commentary follows particular rules which are prerequisites for understanding רש”י.
  2. “אני לא באתי לפרש אלא פשוטו של מקרא.”
  3. Literal meaning is not necessarily פשט; sometimes the “simple” meaning of the פסוק requires a figurative or deeper understanding.
  4. Learning רש”י isn’t an additional layer to our understanding but is a necessary component to complete our understanding.
  5. Close reading of the text is necessary in order to know what is bothering רש”י.
  6. רש”י’s commentary is precise and concise, and has multiple layers, so we need מפרשי רש”י to fully understand and appreciate it.

Essential Questions

  1. Why do I need רש”י?/ What is רש”י trying to do?
  2. How would I understand this פסוק without רש”י?
  3. What is פשט? / What is the “פשט” of this פסוק?
  4. What’s bothering רש”י? / How does רש”י make this פסוק clearer?
  5. How do the different elements and rules of רש”י help me find the information I need? / What clues should I be looking for? / What type of קושיא is רש”י addressing?[44]
  6. Why do I need this מפרש on a מפרש? / How does this מפרש help me better understand the פסוק?

[44] See the kinds of anomalies and קושיאs listed in 4.b.07.

5.05 Understanding Rashi

A. N/A

B. N/A

C. N/A

D. N/A

A. Explains the question and answer of רש”י in the פשט after it was explained by the teacher.

B. Uses the דיבור המתחיל to identify רש”י’s question in learned רש”יs, after this was pointed out by the teacher.

C. N/A

D. N/A

A. Explains the question and answer of רש”י in the פשט after it was explained by the teacher.

B. Uses the דיבור המתחיל to identify רש”י’s question in learned רש”יs, when this was not pointed out by the teacher.

C. N/A

D. Identifies what רש”י uses as a support for his answer, (whether it is from the פסוק, other פסוקים, a מדרש, or another source) in learned רש”יs after it was pointed out by the teacher.

A. Explains the question and answer of רש”י in the פשט after it was translated by the teacher, and רש”י’s question is easily understood.

 

B. Uses the דיבור המתחיל to identify the question in unlearned (short and straightforward) רש”יs.

C. Uses רש”יs question to categorize the type of  רש”י.

[47]

D. Identifies what רש”י uses as a support for his answer, whether it is from the פסוק, other פסוקים, a מדרש, or another source, in learned or unlearned (short and straightforward) רש”יs, when it is evident.

A. Explains the questions and answer in learned רש”יs (including long רש”יs, and when there is more than one answer) and in unlearned (short and straightforward) רש”יs.

B. Uses the דיבור המתחיל to identify the question in unlearned (short and straightforward) רש”יs.

C. Uses רש”יs question to categorize the type of  רש”י.

[47]

D. Identifies what רש”י uses as a support for his answer, whether it is from the פסוק, other פסוקים, a מדרש, or another source, in learned or unlearned (short and straightforward) רש”יs, when it is evident.

A. Explains the questions and answer in unlearned רש”יs, including long רש”יs, and when there is more than one answer.

B. Uses the דיבור המתחיל and עיקר שפתי חכמים to identify the question in unlearned רש”יs.

C. Uses רש”יs question to categorize the type of  רש”י.

[47]

D. Identifies what רש”י uses as a support for his answer, whether it is from the פסוק, other פסוקים, a מדרש, or another source, in unlearned (including long רש”יs with multiple sources) רש”יs, when it is evident.

A. Explains the questions and answer in unlearned רש”יs, including long רש”יs, and when there is more than one answer.

B. Uses the דיבור המתחיל and עיקר שפתי חכמים to identify the question in unlearned רש”יs.

C. Uses רש”יs question to categorize the type of  רש”י.

[47]

D. Identifies what רש”י uses as a support for his answer, whether it is from the פסוק, other פסוקים, a מדרש, or another source, in unlearned (including long רש”יs with multiple sources) רש”יs, when it is evident.

5.06 Summarizing Rashi

A. N/A

B. N/A

A. Restates רש”י’s commentary in one’s own words, for learned רש”יs.

B. Explains the פסוק according to רש”י, when רש”י deals with translation or other factual clarifications, for learned רש”יs.

A. Summarizes רש”י, stating the main idea in one’s own words, in learned or unlearned (short and straightforward) רש”יs.

B.  Explains the פסוק according to רש”י, for learned or unlearned (short and straightforward) רש”יs.

A. Summarizes רש”י’s commentary stating the main idea(s) in one’s own words , in learned or unlearned (including long and complex) רש”יs.

B.  Explains the פסוק according to רש”י, for learned or unlearned (including long and complex) רש”יs.

5.07 Dividing Rashi

A. N/A

A. Divides a learned רש”י into its various components (e.g. דיבור המתחיל, question, answer, supporting evidence).

A. Divides a learned or unlearned, (short and straightforward) רש”י into its various components (e.g. דיבור המתחיל, question, answer, supporting evidence).

A. Divides a learned or unlearned (including long and complex) רש”י into its various components (e.g. דיבור המתחיל, question, answer, supporting evidence).

5.08 Mefarshei Rashi [45]

A. N/A

B. N/A

C. N/A

A. For each of the מפרשי רש”י learned, explains the role of the commentary in relation to רש”י,i[46] and its particular style or שיטה.

B. Navigates from רש”י or a particular portion of רש”י to the מפורש that comments on or relates to it.[47]

C. Explains the רש”י according to the מפרשי רש”י learned.

[45] We recommend שפתי חכמים for grades 7 and 8. If a teacher chooses to advance further, they can go to גור ארי–ה and רמב“ן.

[46] I.e. elucidate, argue, etc.

[47] E.g.: For שפתי חכמים, the small letters within רש“י. For תרגום, to find the quote in אונקלוס when רש“י says כתרגומו. For רמב“ן or גור אריה, to locate the same דיבור המתחיל.

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