Torah Methodology #5 - Prat U'Klal

The rule of prat u'klal is the opposite of klal u'prat. Just as a general category followed by a specific example limits things to the specific case, a specific case followed by a general category is all-inclusive and not limited to the specific example.

An example of this is Exodus 22:9, which says, "if a person gave someone else a donkey, sheep, ox or any other animal to watch..." "Donkey," "sheep" and "ox" are specifics (pratim); "any other animal" is a general (klal). This rule is therefore not limited to the three examples provided. It likewise applies to llamas, monkeys, and aardvarks.