Why Learn Hebrew?

Three things define a nationi: land, language, and history.ii Hebrew is the national
language of the Jewish people.
What of Yiddish, Ladino and other Jewish languages such as Bukhori, the mixed
language of Bukharian Jewsiii? In halakhic literature Yiddish and Ladino are called “the
language of a foreign people.”iv This is why in wedding documents names in these
languages always come second, e.g. “Moshe, who is also known as Moishe.”v
The Jewish people will never relinquish their land for a foreign territory such as
Uganda and they will never cease to remember and relive yearly their wondrous history.
Similarly, the Hebrew language is an essential part of Jewish identity and one should
learn it and speak it whenever possible.

According to the last major survey 41%vi of the Jewish people live in the land of
Israel, more than in any other land.vii Israel has become the Jewish demographic,
economic, cultural and Torah center of the world.
In the last century it has become the center of history-in-the-making for the
nation. Now, more than ever, is the time for Jewish people in the exile to strengthen their
connection to the land of Israel and the language of Israel. Learn the language of your
people. Identify with them.

Furthermore, it is not possible to fully understand the Tanach without knowing

Hebrew. Many American thinkers, including the drafters of the Constitution, learned
Hebrew in order to improve their comprehension of the Bible. In universities around the
world Hebrew is studied in order to be able to directly interact with the text.viii
It should come as not surprise that one of the major biblical commentators, Rabbi
David Kimhi (the Radak), wrote a dictionary on the Hebrew language and an exposition
on Hebrew grammar.ix Saadia Gaon, the head of the Babylonian academy of Sura, in
addition to a Torah commentary also wrote a Hebrew dictionary called the Agron.x
The following appears in a textbook for learning biblical Hebrew, "A translation
of the biblical text is a translator's "interpretation" of the text. The translator's beliefs
will often influence how the text will be translated and anyone using his translation is
seeing it through his eyes rather than the original authors. Only by studying the original
language of the Bible can one see the text in its original state."xi
Learning the language enables one to return to the source and learn the words as
they were written.xii

Aside from enhancing learning of Hebrew texts, knowledge of the language is

itself a source of spiritual inspiration. It is a key to Jewish philosophy and provides a
fertile environment for Torah thoughts.
The 19th century leader of German Orthodoxy, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch,
included innumerable insights that emerged from an understanding of the Hebrew
language. However, Hirsch was not unprecedented. Hebrew vocabulary and grammar
serves as the springboard for many midrashim and is used in every major Torah
commentary.

All great leaders of the Jewish nation throughout history knew Hebrew from
Moses to Maimonides, from Bar Kohba to Moshe Dayan. This is because the holy
language flows in the veins of those that draw their inspiration from the soul of the
nation. Poets and mystics, sages and prophets, philosophers and halakhicists, men of
spirit and men of action all these built their visions not only with the physical but also
with the spiritual building blocks of the Hebrew language.

“But isn’t biblical Hebrew very different than modern Hebrew?” The fear of
having to learn two Hebrew languages, one biblical and one modern, is a dread that
weighs heavily on the minds of those standing at the beginning of the long path to
Hebrew proficiency.
However, the fact is that if you can understand the Torah then you can understand
Modern Hebrew.xiii All Hebrew is relatively the same. Veritable proof of this is that no
synagogue in Israel has translations of the Torah unless they have a large number of
foreign speakers. Likewise, there is no Hebrew translation in existence of Maimonides’s
Code of Law since all Hebrew speakers can easily open up and understand it!

All in all, there are many powerful reasons to learn Hebrew: to have a nicer
vacation in Israel, to enjoy speaking with Israelis, to be able to read and understand the
Haggadda in Hebrew or to improve one's ability to learn the classic sources of Judaism.
However, there is one that is more fundamental than any of the others: Learn
Hebrew because you are Jewish. Hebrew is the national language of the Jewish people.
Aside from any side benefits, you should learn it because you are part of that nation; it’s
your language!

"All beginnings are difficult." However, anything that is truly worthwhile requires effort.

Hatzlacha Raba! (lit. "Much Success")

i
"A nation is a historically evolved, stable community of language, territory, economic life, and psychological make-up
manifested in a community of culture. It is only when all these characteristics are present that we have a nation. " - Stalin
Y''S (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation#cite_note-0) Admittedly Stalin includes more than three, but these three are the
most essential in this definition, coming first. Also, the following three criteria can be argued to be consequences of a nation
living its national life in its land.
ii
The Jewish people do not have an entirely shared history; however, we do have a connection to each other's history. Jews
of European origin learn Maimonides and Nachmanides despite the fact that Jews moved to Europe before either of these
two great luminaries. Jews of non-European origin learn Rashi and Abarbanel. Aside from these intellectual and even
emotional connections forged with Jewish figures in the process of learning about their works and life, there is a significant
amount of actually shared history which continued for the majority of the Jewish people up until some time around 700 CE.
iii
Another Jewish language is Bukhori, the language of Bukharian Jews, a mix of Persian, Hebrew, Arabric, and Uzbek.
Like most Jewish languages uses Hebrew characters. It can actually be heard today weekly on an Israel radio station Kol
Israel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukhori_language
iv
Rav Ari Shvat, The Mitvah of Speaking Hebrew, http://www.tora.co.il/shiurim/shvat/Hebrew1.doc
v
Rama Ev.H.129,16., Resp. Iggrot Moshe Ev.H.3,35. And see also in the writings of Rav Y.A. Henkin in the additions at
the end of part 1, p.229,1 and 4.
vi
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/942009.html
vii
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/96801
viii
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/138491
ix
Herald of Destiny, Rabbi Berel Wein, also: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=217&letter=K#653
x
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saadia_Gaon
xi
Jeff A. Benner, Learn Biblical Hebrew
xii
Evidence that the Torah is as it was received: http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/torahaccuracy/
xiii
with the exception of modern words which have entered most languages today in a similar fashion (e.g. telephone,
Téléphone (French), teléfono (Spanish), telefon (German and Swedish)