Why Moses Translated the Torah to 70 Languages - Something Spiritual on Parshat Devarim

Autoplay Next

Why Moses Translated the Torah to 70 Languages: Something Spiritual on Parshat Devarim

Topics:

Rabbi Yehuda Stern lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with his wife Estee and their children. He is Rabbi at the Sydenham Shul, and director of Young Jewish Joburg, catering to Jewish students and young professionals.

More in this section

1:45
Your Personal Judge and Police Officer
1:48
Parents Speaking in One Voice?
View All »

Join the Discussion

Sort By:

NewestOldest

6 Comments

Ron Stackler Malibu, California July 20, 2018

Perhaps Moses wanted to proselyte the gentile nations surrounding Israel and scattered throughout her world.Until the Council of Nicea in the 4th Century when Constantine made it a capitol offense for a Jew to convert a Christian to Judaism, the Jews were competitive with the various Greek philosophers , arguing in the Agora ( marketplaces of the Greek world ) and winning converts to Judaism.
Living in a free society with protections for freedom of religion, speech , association we should lno longer be constrained by the Nicean Creed. Reply

Jim Barrie July 19, 2018

Captions please for Deaf Reply

drbill Los Angeles July 19, 2018

Then what happened to all the languages Moshe allegedly interpreted? The Septuagint, Onkelos, et. al, which was distorted further by the Christians; this makes no sense. I think the intent is for Chabad to say that it was "in the air, the ecology of mind," but it sure was not written. Reply

Anonymous July 15, 2018

I severely disagree with your statement. You cannot fully understand the Bible without returning to the original tongue. With that said, the translations serve as the doorway to understanding to the Bible. And, one does begin to see the limitations of the secondary languages when the comprehension of the ideas, the Truths, in the Bible grows deep and subtle. Then, with comprehension you begin to understand how powerful the original language truly is in which the Bible is written. You begin with the translation. But, you must end with the original language. There is no other way other than knowing the original language from the first. Reply

Yehuda Stern July 16, 2018

in response to Anonymous:

I think we are in agreement. Two sentences from your comment resonate with me:

a: "With that said, the translations serve as the doorway to understanding to the Bible."

b: "You begin with the translation. But, you must end with the original language." Reply

Ephraim California February 23, 2018

I understand the issue being discussed but any translation of the Torah renders it inaccurate compared to the original biblical Hebrew. How can one truly learn the Torah fully in a translation? Reply