Sotah 65

כל התורה בכל לשון נאמרה דאי סלקא דעתך בלשון הקודש נאמרה והיו דכתב רחמנא למה לי

that the whole Torah may be read in any language; for if you maintain that it may be read<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the synagogue (Rashi). ');">¹</span>

איצטריך משום דכתיב שמע

only in the holy tongue, wherefore had the All-Merciful to write 'And [these words] shall be'? — It is necessary because it is written 'Hear'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If he were of the opinion that the Torah can only be read in Hebrew, it would necessarily apply to the Shema'. Why, then, should he draw a conclusion from shall be? He does so to oppose the inference which the Rabbis draw from Hear. ');">²</span>

לימא קסברי רבנן כל התורה כולה בלשון קודש נאמרה דאי סלקא דעתך בכל לשון שמע דכתב רחמנא למה לי

It is likewise possible to say that the Rabbis hold that the whole Torah must be read in the holy tongue; for if you maintain that it can be read in any language, wherefore had the All-Merciful to write the word 'Hear'? — It is necessary because it is written 'And [these words] shall be'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which might otherwise be taken to indicate that the Shema' must be read in Hebrew. ');">³</span>

איצטריך משום דכתיב והיו

THE 'PRAYER'. [It may be recited in any language because] it is only supplication, and one may pray in any language he wishes. But may the 'prayer' be recited in any language? Behold Rab Judah has said: A man should never pray for his needs in Aramaic. For R. Johanan declared: If anyone prays for his needs in Aramaic, the Ministering Angels<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who convey the petitions to the Throne of Glory. ');">⁴</span>

תפלה רחמי היא כל היכי דבעי מצלי

do not pay attention to him, because they do not understand that language! — There is no contradiction, one referring to [the prayer] of an individual and the other to that of a Congregation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the latter, the help of the angels is not required. ');">⁵</span>

ותפלה בכל לשון והאמר רב יהודה לעולם אל ישאל אדם צרכיו בלשון ארמית דאמר רבי יוחנן כל השואל צרכיו בלשון ארמי אין מלאכי השרת נזקקין לו לפי שאין מלאכי השרת מכירין בלשון ארמי

And do not the Ministering Angels understand Aramaic? Behold it has been taught: Johanan, the High Priest, heard a <i>Bath Kol</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. This is evidently the incident related by Josephus (Ant. XIII, X, 3) of John Hyrcanus. ');">⁶</span>

לא קשיא הא ביחיד הא בצבור

issue from within the Holy of Holies announcing, 'The young men who went to wage war against Antioch<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Antiochus Cyzicenus, over whom the children of John Hyrcanus were victorious, v. loc. cit., and Derenbourg, Essai, p. 47.] ');">⁷</span>

ואין מלאכי השרת מכירין בלשון ארמי והתניא יוחנן כהן גדול שמע ב"ק מבית קדש הקדשים שהוא אומר נצחו טליא דאזלו לאגחא קרבא לאנטוכיא ושוב מעשה בשמעון הצדיק ששמע בת קול מבית קדש הקדשים שהוא אומר בטילת עבידתא דאמר שנאה לאייתאה על היכלא ונהרג גסקלגס ובטלו גזירותיו וכתבו אותה שעה וכיוונו ובלשון ארמי היה אומר

have been victorious.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This and the following announcements were made in Aramaic, so the angels must have understood it. ');">⁸</span>

אי בעית אימא בת קול שאני דלאשמועי עבידא ואי בעית אימא גבריאל הוה דאמר מר בא גבריאל ולימדו שבעים לשון

It also happened with Simeon the Righteous<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Possibly the High Priest Simon, son of Boethus, also called Cantheras, as Josephus describes him (op. cit. XIX, VI, 2). [For other views v. HUCA VIII-IX, p. 300.] ');">⁹</span>

ברכת המזון דכתיב (דברים ח, י) ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ה' אלהיך בכל לשון שאתה מברך

that he heard a <i>Bath Kol</i> issue from within the Holy of Holies announcing, 'Annulled is the decree which the enemy intended to introduce into the Temple'. Then was Caius Caligula<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The name is corrupted in the text. He ordered that his statue should be placed in the Temple and worshipped (Josephus, War II, X, 1.) ');">¹⁰</span>

שבועת העדות דכתיב (ויקרא ה, א) ונפש כי תחטא ושמעה קול אלה בכל לשון שהיא שומעת

slain and his decrees annulled. They noted down the time [when the <i>Bath Kol</i> spoke] and it tallied.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the time of Caligula's assassination. ');">¹¹</span>

שבועת הפקדון אתיא תחטא תחטא משבועת העדות

Now it was in Aramaic that it spoke! — If you wish I can say that it is different with a <i>Bath Kol</i> since it occurs for the purpose of being generally understood;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And Aramaic was the vernacular of the period. ');">¹²</span>

ואלו נאמרין בלשון הקודש מקרא ביכורים וחליצה כו' עד מקרא ביכורים כיצד (דברים כו, ה) וענית ואמרת לפני ה' אלהיך ולהלן הוא אומר (דברים כז, יד) וענו הלוים ואמרו אל כל איש ישראל מה ענייה האמורה להלן בלשון הקודש אף כאן בלה"ק

or if you wish I can say that it was Gabriel who spoke; for a Master has declared: Gabriel came and taught [Joseph] the seventy languages.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra. Gabriel was exceptional; but the other angels were ignorant of Aramaic. ');">¹³</span>

ולוים גופייהו מנלן אתיא קול קול ממשה כתיב הכא קול רם וכתיב התם (שמות יט, יט) משה ידבר והאלהים יעננו בקול מה להלן בלשון הקודש אף כאן בלשון הקודש

THE GRACE AFTER MEALS. [That this may be recited in any language is derived from] the text: And thou shalt eat and be full, and thou shalt bless the Lord thy God<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VIII, 10. ');">¹⁴</span>

חליצה כיצד וכו' ורבנן האי ככה מאי עבדי ליה מיבעי להו לדבר שהוא מעשה מעכב

— in any language wherein thou utterest a benediction.

ור' יהודה מכה ככה ורבנן כה ככה לא משמע להו

THE OATH CONCERNING TESTIMONY. [That this may be uttered in any language is derived from] the text: And if any one sin, in that he heareth the voice of adjuration<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 1. ');">¹⁵</span> — in whatever language he hears it. THE OATH CONCERNING A DEPOSIT. [That this may be uttered in any language] is derived from the analogous use of the phrase 'if any one sin' in the oath concerning testimony.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. ibid. 21. ');">¹⁶</span> THE FOLLOWING ARE RECITED IN THE HOLY TONGUE: THE DECLARATION MADE AT THE OFFERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS, THE FORMULA OF <i>HALIZAH</i>, etc. down to: WHENCE IS IT THAT THE DECLARATION MADE AT THE OFFERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS [MUST BE IN HEBREW]? [IT IS STATED], AND THOU SHALT ANSWER AND SAY BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD, AND ELSEWHERE IT IS STATED, AND THE LEVITES SHALL ANSWER AND SAY; AS THE LATTER MUST BE IN THE HOLY TONGUE, SO MUST THE FORMER BE IN THE HOLY TONGUE. But whence have we it of the Levites themselves [that they used Hebrew]? — It is derived from the analogous use of the word 'voice' in connection with Moses. Here it is written with a loud voice,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVII, 14. ');">¹⁷</span> and elsewhere it is written: Moses spake and God answered him by a voice;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XIX, 19. ');">¹⁸</span> as in the latter passage it was in the holy tongue, so also in the other passage it means in the holy tongue. WHENCE IS IT THAT THE FORMULA OF <i>HALIZAH</i> etc. What, then, do the Rabbis make of the word 'thus'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Upon which R. Judah bases the teaching that the formula must be in Hebrew. ');">¹⁹</span> — They require it to indicate that each act<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mentioned in Deut. XXV, 9, viz., loosing the shoe, spitting in his face, and pronouncing the formula. ');">²⁰</span> invalidates [the ceremony by its omission]. And R. Judah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From where does he derive this teaching? ');">²¹</span> — From the use of 'Kakah' instead of koh.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Both words signify 'thus'; and since the text has the longer form, he takes it as an indication that the formula must be in Hebrew and also that the omission of an act invalidates the ceremony. ');">²²</span> And the Rabbis? — They draw no inference from the use of 'Kakah' instead of koh.