iV. Halachic and Hagadic Rules of Interpretation.— The preceding exposition of the method and plan of the Midrash has prepared us to enter upon the Halachic and Hagadic rules of interpretation which were collect- ed and systematized by Elieser ben-Jose the Galilaeau Cb''b5tn ■'OT^), one of the principal interpreters of the Pentateuch in the 2d century of the Christian asra. Ac- cording to this celebrated doctor, whose sayings are so frequently recorded in the Talmud and the Siphri, there are thirty-two rules (ninn ti•^T'^^ D-'Cba) whereby the Bible is to be interpreted, which are as follows :
1. By the superfluous use of the three jmrticles nX, nS, and r]N, the Scriptures indicate in a threefold manner that something more is included in the text than the ap- parent declaration would seem to imply. Thus, e. g., when it is said. Gen, xxi, 1, "And the Lord visited (HK niir) Sarah ;" the superfluous HN, which sometimes
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mDRASH
denotes with, is used to indicate that with Sarah the Lord also visited other barren women. The second, C5, is used superfiuoHsly in the passage "take also your herds, and also (C5) your flocks" (Exod. xii, 32),to in- dicate that Pharaoh also gave the Israelites sheep and oxen, in order to corroborate the dcclarati(ni made in Exod. X, 25; while the superfluous TX, 2 Kings ii, 14, "lie also (?]X) had smitten the waters," indicates that more wonders were shown to Elisha at the Jordan than to Elijah, as it is declared m 2 Kings ii, 9. This rule is called ">T3''"l, inclusion, more being meant than said.
2. By the svperjluous use of the three pmiicles ~X, pi, and '{0, the Scriptures point out something which is to be excluded. Thus, e. g., "X in Gen. vii, 23, "And Noah only (~S) remained," shows that even Noah was near death, thus indicating exclusion. The superfluous pi in "Only (p"i) the fear of God is not in this place" (Gen. XX, 11), shows that the inhabitants were not al- together godless; while '{0 in Exod. xviii, 13, "And the people stood by Moses from (^^"C) the morning unto the evening," indicates that it did not last all day, but only six hours (Sabbath, 10 a). This rule is called ai^i^:, diminution, exclusion.
3. If words denoting inclusion follow each other, sev- eral things are included. Thus in 1 Sam. xvii,36, "Thy servant slew also (PS Ca) the lion, also (C5) the bear," three superfluous expressions follow each other, to show that he slew three other animals besides the two ex- pressly mentioned in the text. This rule is called il-"^"! "'I-'^I inx, inclusion after inclusion.
4. If woi-ds denoting exclusion follow each other, sev- eral things are excluded. Thus in Numb, xii, 2, " Hath the Lord indeed only spoken to Moses? hath he not also spoken to us?" the superfluous expressions p"l and ■jX wliich follow each other denote that the Lord spoke to Aaron and ^liriam before he spoke to Moses, tlius not only without the lawgiver being present to it, but bifore God spoke to him, and not only did he speak to Aaron, but also to Miriam, so that there is here a twofold ex- clusion. If two or more inclusive words follow each other, and do not admit of being explained as indicative of inclusion, they denote exclusion. Thus, e. g., if the first word include the whole, while the second only in- cludes a part, the first inclusion is modified and dimin- ished by the second. If, on the contrary, two or more exclusive words follow each other, and do not admit of being explained as indicative of exclusion, they denote inclusion. Thus, e. g., if the first exclude four, while the second only excludes two, two only remain included, ' 80 that the .second exclusive expression serves to in- ■ elude or increase. This rule is called "inx i;"!"^" 131""''C, exclusion offer exclusion, and the two excep- tions arc respectively denominated inx •^in'^l 'pX 'UV'Cb S?X "I'lS"'"!, inclusion after inclusion effecting diminution, and Tiaib xbx ail'i^S inX ^^^V'^•C "px, exclusion after exclusion effecting increase (comp. Pes- tachim, 23 a ; .Joma, 43 a : Megilla, 23 b : Kiddushin, 21 b; Buha Kama,^bb; Sanhedrin, 15 a; v,'\th Menachoth, 34 a).
n. Expressed inference from the minor to the major, called Tr"i1E'2 l^'TTl 3p. An example of this rule is to be found in .Ter. xii, 5, " If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, [inference] then how canst thou contend with horses?"
G. Implied inference from the minor to the major, called C'rO 1"2im bp. This is found in I'sa. xv, 4: "He swcarcth to his own hurt, and changcth not," hence how much less if he swear to his advantage (com p. Maccoth, 24 a).
7. Inference from analogy or parulkU, called niTS
iTl'iJ. Thus it is said of Samuel, that " there shall no razor come upon his head" (1 Sam. i, 11), and the same language is used with respect to Samson — "No razor shall come on his head" (Judg. xiii, 5); whereupon is based the deduction from analogy, that just as Samson was a Nazarite, so also Samuel {Xasir, G6 a).
8. Building of the father (iX "pIS) is the property of any subject which is made the starting-point, and to constitute a rule (-X, a father') for all similar subjects. Thus, e. g., in Exod. iii, 4, it is stated, " God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Mose.s, Mo- ses;" hence it concludes that whenever God spoke to Moses, he addressed him in the same maimer. See Hii/-