Reading Rashi

In his words

Rashi wrote his commentary to be a running commentary 33:08, explaining only what needs it. So you don't learn half a page and then go back: as soon as you come to a little bit of a pause, you don't wait. You put in the Rashi right away 33:40. And every Rashi has two parts to it 33:22: the dibbur hamaschil (the bold quote) and the comment.

Rashi gets the same word sheet as the Gemara: a heading with the dibbur hamaschil, then all its words. Then the question is what Rashi is doing. Often So Rashi is supplying the case. 38:11

Worked example from a class

Westwood advanced, Jan 1, 2012: the class writes down all the words of a Rashi (13:09), reads just the English (27:33), then asks what Rashi is doing: supplying the case, not yet the main point (37:50). In the Gittin class a blank is left in the translation for Rashi to fill in (33:22).

Hear him teach it

283 moments found so far in 236 transcribed classes; more appear as transcription continues. Tap one to play from that moment.

1. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 28, 2011 · 43:33“Now, the Hebrew word memshin can mean two different things.”Shows how Rashi explains the root of the dispute through the meanings of the word.
2. Westwood · Advanced class, Jan 1, 2012 · 37:50“look at the dibbur hamaschil of Rashi. It's Mishal Min Kofer. That's a quote from the Braza, right?”Uses the dibbur hamaschil to ask what Rashi is doing: supplying the case the Braisa leaves out.
3. Westwood · Advanced class, Jan 6, 2012 · 4:28“So, Rashi has been busy filling in the cases, remember? The previous Rashis?”Asks what Rashi is doing: supplying the case that the Braisa leaves out.
4. Westwood · Beginner class, Jan 9, 2012 · 31:17“The answer is, as is explained by Rashi, the answer is that at this point in the Gemara we were thinking that fig trees do not drop their fruit.”Rashi supplies the missing assumption that makes the case work.
5. Westwood · Beginner class, Feb 8, 2012 · 54:19“the language of Rashi is, a coal goes out. A coal in Gemara language means a voice like a rumor.”Rashi supplies the reason the owner already knew of his loss.
6. Westwood · Advanced class, Feb 29, 2012 · 10:08“We are observers here, okay? We're not here to say our own stuff yet. We're looking at what Rashi's saying.”Read what Rashi actually says (two separate court cases) before adding your own ideas.
7. Westwood · Advanced class, Apr 25, 2012 · 5:17“I mean, Rashi doesn't have to say something that's so obvious that you would know it already.”Asks what Rashi adds: Rashi supplies the actual factual testimony, since witnesses testify to facts, not conclusions.
8. Westwood · Beginner class, May 7, 2012 · 15:43“OK, now you know by now that the way Gemara works is, unless it's a brand new subject, every step is linked to the previous step, right?”Each step must be read against the previous one to understand what it is coming to do.
9. Westwood · Advanced class, May 9, 2012 · 22:25“Rashi's saying shehizeh kufr shel zeh. He's coming to explain why it's Mamona, right?”He asks what Rashi is doing: giving the reason why kofer counts as money.
10. Westwood · Advanced class, May 11, 2012 · 24:25“So, what's Rashi doing? He doesn't just say things, you know, if they're not necessary.”Asks what Rashi adds beyond the Gemara: specifying the unborn child.