On Hebrew

Q: Why do we still hold services in Hebrew?

A: The Sages were insistent on making Judaism and its liturgy intelligible to all.  In the Talmud they state that virtually every prayer may be recited in the language of one’s comfort.  In fact we still have included in many traditional volumes ancient translations of the Bible (called the Targum) and prayers (the Kaddish, for example, is in Aramaic).  On the other hand, we cling to Hebrew perhaps because it is the language of God, or perhaps because there is a spiritual fulfillment in annunciating the letters that our ancestors uttered in the past.  In this sense, we are at least as faithful to Hebrew as our forbears.

Sometimes the mystery of a language not understood can enhance the spirituality of the event.  When we cease thinking analytically we access the other part of our brain, the intuitive, so-called right side of the brain.  An anomaly? When we think less we are more attuned to feelings, sensations and our deeply rooted concerns.

Language is embedded in our soul.  Language allows us to traverse continents, worlds, make leaps of imagination, spur new constructs –and don’t forget we are the People of the Book – and Hebrew, in particular, borders on the awesome.  Glance at the English on the other side of the page.  We need to know what we are saying.  But the majesty conveyed by the Hebrew holds a different power.

Perhaps most telling of all is that if we had abandoned Hebrew as our unifying language it would have long ago become fossilized, meaningless to all except scholars.  Instead, generation after generation rises to the bima to express their solidarity with their past and present.

And who could dismiss the power of being able to pray in any synagogue anywhere in the world because Hebrew is the glue that binds us?