By Ianne Sherry
On Tuesday the 6th of February we had the incredible opportunity of learning with Leah Rosenthal. The lesson began by looking at the list from the Talmud of rituals that are allowed to be completed in foreign languages and those which can only be completed in Hebrew. We went on to discuss what functions speech serves in human culture including communication, music, and connecting with others. I realized that the language we choose to speak in and the words which we use have a great impact on the way we experience the world around us and how we are perceived. Ms. Rosenthal pointed out how in modern times not all Jews speak Hebrew and they also did not all speak Hebrew at the time of the Talmud. This forced the Rabbis to acknowledge the reality of Jews being connected to multiple cultures through their multiple languages. They concluded that sometimes these other cultures can be brought into Judaism however at other times they cannot.
Leah then gave us time in chevrutas to closely examine an example of each category of ritual, one that can only be completed in Hebrew and one that can be competed in any language. My chevruta and I were very excited when we thought we figured out the difference between the two categories. We noticed that the mitzvot being done in any language are the ones done on an individual level and those that must be done in Hebrew are the ones that are done on a communal level. When we came back together Leah Rosenthal expanded on that idea. She explained that it is all about identity. All people have multiple components that shape their identity including their mother tongue, religion, and the communities of which they are a part. She went on to say that our ritual lives are not molded in one shape.
Some Jewish rituals are focused on the individual themselves, while others are focused on the individual as a member of the greater Jewish people. At times the words of the individual must be marginalized in order to reinforce the communal narrative, as occurs when the mitzvot must be done exclusively in Hebrew. The list of mitzvot that can be done in any language are mainly personal declarations of faith and belief whereas the mitzvot that must be done in Hebrew allow for each individual to feel a moment of connection with the larger Jewish narrative.
Leah concluded by stating that our Jewish lives are made up of various moments of connection to various parts of our identities. Throughout time in Israel hopefully each of us will get the opportunity to strengthen the Jewish part of our identity, while continuing to grow and explore the other components as well. The Rabbis of the Talmud understood what is still true today- a well-rounded and self-assured individual is beneficial to the Jewish community. By closing ourselves off from other cultures we would be doing our community a disservice. Rather, we must learn from those around us and embrace all parts of our identities, while continuing to be active participants in the Jewish community.
