Questions tagged [language]
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44
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
18
votes
2answers
1k views
Was a sefer torah ever actually written in Greek?
This answer to a different question states that the only other language a sefer torah can be written in and be kosher is Greek. (Rambam, Hilchot Sefer Torah 1:19 says that this Greek no longer exists ...
10
votes
1answer
128 views
Counting Sefirah in a made up language
Can one fulfill the mitzvah of counting the Omer by counting in a language that only he/she understands? What if a few people understand? An entire goup?
9
votes
1answer
573 views
Are the seventy distinct languages and nations listed?
It's a well known concept that there were 70 nations and 70 original languages. Is there any agreement about which ones they were/are? I found this which lists the nations, but I'm interested in ...
8
votes
1answer
136 views
Why doesn't the Torah use more efficient ways to say “both” or “each” when describing the Mishkan utensils?
In Parshas Terumah, in the description of many of the utensils of the Temple, the Torah seems to be very repetitive in its description of parts that are meant to be the same. For example, chapter 25 ...
7
votes
1answer
313 views
Would a Greek sefer torah be read from in Greek?
If a sefer Torah was written in Greek, would it have been publicly read from in the Greek translation only, or would they also use a Hebrew scroll?
6
votes
0answers
92 views
Unknown La'az in Teshuvot Rashi
In the Elfenbein (1943) edition of Teshuvot Rashi, in the teshuvot from Rashi to the rabbis of Auxerre ('סימן ג), Rashi writes "לשון דמות צלם" is "אאמיינדליי" in la'az. Elfenbein writes in his ...
6
votes
0answers
320 views
What is a “royal language”?
In explaining the gemara (Avoda Zarah 10a) and Rashi, Tosfos write (sv שאין להם לא כתב ולא לשון):
לכך פירש ר"י כתב לשון חשוב שהמלכים משתמשין בו כעין חכמת יונית....לשון
מלכות קאמר
.......
5
votes
0answers
62 views
How should Rashi's comment about Noah's belief be parsed?
Rashi in his commentary to Genesis 7:7 writes:
אף נח מקטני אמנה היה מאמין ואינו מאמין שיבא המבול ולא נכנס לתיבה עד שדחקוהו המים
I see (at least) two ways to read this:
Noah believed in general (...
5
votes
0answers
791 views
Saying “Elokim” when not referring to Hashem
People often say "Elokim" instead of "Elohim" when speaking in order to avoid taking God's name in vain. I have observed, however, that some people always substitute the word "elokim" for "elohim" ...
4
votes
1answer
137 views
How is it “well-known” that Esav hates Ya'akov?
Rash"i in Breishit 33:4 cites Sifrei, by stating:
הֲלָכָה הִיא בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁעֵשָׂו שׂוֹנֵא לְיַעֲקֹב
It is a well-known halacha that Esav hates Ya'akov
How is this "well-known"? Based on ...
4
votes
0answers
57 views
Source for galuta d'galuta גלותא דגלותא?
I so clearly remember from my days of Talmud study the phrase גלותא דגלותא, meaning a place that was REALLY far away, seriously in exile, "deep diaspora", totally removed from eretz yisrael. Maybe it ...
4
votes
0answers
283 views
Must all parts of Hatarat Nedarim be said in a language which we understand, or only some parts?
Introduction
Before Rosh Hashanah, it's customary to do the "annulment of vows" ceremony. There are good reasons for this ceremony. Though the ArtScroll Siddur commentary warns:
Annulment is ...
4
votes
0answers
81 views
Is it forbidden to learn Hebrew/Aramaic during Tisha B Av?
Hebrew and Aramaic are languages of Jewish sefarim (religious books) and it is forbidden to learn/read sefarim during Tisha B Av because it gives joy to man to do so.
Is it then likewise forbidden to ...
3
votes
0answers
26 views
Does language change affect what hyssop is valid for the ḥatat ritual?
In Parah 11:7, we learn that hyssop that is called simply "hyssop" (אזוב) is valid for use in sprinkling mei ḥatat, but hyssop that has an accompanying name (such as "blue hyssop", etc.) is unfit.
Is ...
3
votes
0answers
42 views
What's the basis for “דברה התורה כלשון בני”א" (Torah used common language)?
The Sages used the "דברה התורה כלשון בני אדם" excuse (acc. to the WIKI page) in two ways - in the Gemmorah to resolve [the problem of] repeating languages in the Torah (like עלה נעלה or פדה תפדה) and ...
3
votes
0answers
91 views
Why does Echad mi Yodeia switch languages in middle?
Why does echad mi yodeia switch from hebrew (eg. אֶחָד מִי יוֹדֵעַ? אֶחָד אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ.) to arameic (eg. שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא), back to hebrew (eg. ...
3
votes
0answers
51 views
Shamor and Zachor beyond Shabbat
Much is written about the relationship of Shamor and Zachor in relation to Shabbat but Shamor and Zachor are also used for Pesach (at least the first day) - Shmot 13:3
Moses said to the people, "...
3
votes
0answers
100 views
What is Ashdudis?
This Artscroll sidur mentions "Ashdudis" in its introduction. This language being spoken by a portion of the Jewish population at the time of Ezra is apparently attested by Nechemya 13:24, although ...
2
votes
0answers
36 views
Question about the comma in Psalm 82:1
I've a short question about Psalm 82, verse 1.
The hebrew reads: מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת־אֵל בְּקֶרֶב אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁפֹּט
So how should one read these verse?
1. Is it that G-d will ...
2
votes
0answers
36 views
Where does HaShem stands and in which council?
Psalm 82 teaches that Elohim (אלהים) stands (נצב to position oneself) within the council/congregation (עדת-אל) of El, among/amidst (בקרב) elohiem (אלהים) He judge (ישפט).
Someone told me to look at ...
2
votes
0answers
38 views
Megilat Ester linguistics - why inline translations?
M"E is full with "inline" translations or clarifications from Hebrew to Parsi and vice verse, for example:
פור הוא הגורל
הֲדַסָּה הִיא אֶסְתֵּר
בחודש השנים עשר הוא חודש אדר
This is pretty unusual I ...
2
votes
0answers
38 views
מלא יד - full hand, meaning?
I've a question about the combination of words מלא יד as shown in verses like Shemot 29:35, 32:29, Vayikra 8:33, Bamidbar 3:3, 1 Divrei HaYamim 29:5, 2 Divrei HaYamim 6:4, 6:15, 13:9, 29:31 etc...
...
2
votes
1answer
627 views
best Hebrew-English Tanakh in printed form, interlinear if possible?
I've been using the Artscroll Interlinear series to read the Torah and it's helping me make a lot of progress in finally learning Tanakh Hebrew. But outside of the five scrolls and the psalms, ...
2
votes
0answers
71 views
Usage of final nun with kamatz
Frequently, in Tanac"h, the 3rd person female plural uses an end nun with a kamatz ןָ rather than nun-heh נָה.
Is there any reasoning of preference of one usage vs. the other?
2
votes
0answers
62 views
Moadim a time to witness?
The word Moadim (מועדים), Moadei (מועדי) or singular Mo'ed (מועד) is most often translated as a appointed (fixed) time (or season).
From the visual look of it these words seem to have a connection ...
2
votes
0answers
90 views
“Bli neder” and shevuot
As far as I understand from the discussion here, a "neder" is a vow forbidding or consecrating objects, whereas a "shevua" governs personal actions. For example, one would make a neder to declare wine ...
2
votes
0answers
177 views
Hebrew being Lashon HaKodesh, is the inclusion and exclusion of certain phonemes and sounds in the language significant?
For instance, the English sounds of "J", "W","Th", and "Ch" are for the most part unused in Hebrew. Although as an exception, I've seen a Yemenite Chazan use some of these sounds while reading the ...
1
vote
0answers
24 views
Does the verse וארשתיך… count as the language of Kiddushin?
Following the discussion about different formulations of non-Orthodox Ketubahs on this site.
A couple wishes to find a milder non-Orthodox formulation of the Kiddushin. So they chose that the groom ...
1
vote
0answers
19 views
How did Adam got his intellect?
The tradition says that Adam was created grown up and extremely intelligent. We know that his body was formed from the earth and his soul was blown into the body and then he became a living (talking) ...
1
vote
0answers
64 views
Common language and the language of the Scripture used in 1st century BCE?
I read from the internet where most articles say:
A. The common language used by the Jews around 1st century BCE to (at least) the beginning of 1st century CE was Greek and the Scripture they use is ...
1
vote
0answers
75 views
Rashi, Tosfot - Dialects
Is there a name for the dialect of Hebrew/Aramaic that Rashi and Tosfot use? Have there been any articles and/or books published on how to systematically approach Rashi and the Baalei Tosfot's ...
1
vote
0answers
56 views
What is the most effective way to translate non-Hebrew translations found in Rabbinic literature?
Non-Hebrew translations are often included by our Sages when attempting to clarify words or concepts.
There are myriad examples in RaSh"I (Shemot 5:7) and Hizquni (Wayiqra 11:16). For relatively ...
1
vote
0answers
34 views
Different roots applied to the same verse of 2 Samuel 11:24
2 Samuel 11:24 (Westminster Leningrad Codex) reads:
[וַיֹּרְאוּ כ] (וַיֹּר֨וּ ק) [הַמֹּורְאִים כ] (הַמֹּורִ֤ים ק)
Two of these come from the root (ק) ירה while the other two come from the root (...
1
vote
0answers
85 views
How come Torah does not have a distinctive word for “wife”?
[Edited] In Bereshit, Torah says the woman will be called Isha, that comes from Ish and is parallel to Ish. Later, Torah says Adam gave to אשתו a new name Chava. Now אשתו appears (out of nowhere) as "...
1
vote
0answers
42 views
כְּהַיּוֹם vs. כַּיּוֹם
Why does the word sometimes appear as כַּיּוֹם and sometimes as כְּהַיּוֹם? As a general grammatical rule, a heh with a patach gets subsumed into the preceding kaf, so why are these cases different? ...
1
vote
0answers
38 views
Would anyone know of good places in the NYC area which teach Biblical Hebrew?
I was not raised with any foundational Hebrew education. Most of the places that I've researched which teach Hebrew are all "Modern Hebrew" (spoken in Israel) courses and not Torah Hebrew (The ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
Do we have a religious obligation to “unify” the Hebrew dialects?
Let me start by saying that this question is not a criticism of any one community or their dialect. I'm asking this question from the mindset of there being possible religious obligations to use the ...
0
votes
0answers
52 views
Why is a side of a Talmudic page called “amud”?
On some occasions, I have heard one side of a Talmudic page called tzad meaning "side".
The more common term I have heard is amud meaning "pillar". Why is that term used, and when did this term first ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Differences and similarities between פרס and פרש
I wondered what the differences and similarities of the roots פרס and פרש are?
I noticed that both roots are used in Jeremiah 16:7 and Lamentations 4:4 for the 'deviding or sharing' of bread.
Any ...
0
votes
0answers
134 views
Orah, Or and Torah
I found this on the Aish website:
The accurate meaning of “Torah” is twofold. Firstly it comes from the word “הוֹרָה,” which means teaching. More precisely it means “teaching with direction,” i.e. ...
0
votes
0answers
81 views
אלי and עלי what's the difference?
Could someone explain the difference between (2 Samuel 15:4 for example) עלי and אלי (Ezra 9:4 for example)? what's the difference
They both refer to 'my' or 'me' because of the yod suffix right?
...
0
votes
0answers
37 views
To form, different roots
Are the roots צור (to form, shape, fashion) יצר (to create) and צר (to shape, form, model) related or do they just share similar meanings?
Are there any commentaries, scriptures, that connect these ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
Why does the gemara sometimes use a mashal to explain a statement?
Sometimes the gemara (or a braysa) will say something and then give a mashal (parable) to explain the true intent of what was previously said. Why does the gemara do this? Why not simply make the ...
-1
votes
1answer
72 views
what does the hebrew word chavivus - חביבות - mean
The Gemoro mentions the concept of chavivus - חביבות - in numerous places.
what would be the most acurate english translation / explanation of chavivus?
