Hebrew

Hebrew is a language created by Zionist circles based on the Holy Tongue (Lashon HaKodesh) and as a substitute for it, serving as the official spoken language in the State of Israel. Among the Torah-observant community, opposition to the language arose, partly because of the use of the Holy Tongue for secular purposes, an opposition that our Rebbeim also joined. Nevertheless, our Rebbeim did not instruct to avoid using it, and the Rebbe uses this language and has even instructed several times to use it.

Origin

The name of the language "Hebrew" was originally a term for Lashon HaKodesh [the Holy Tongue].

With the establishment of the Zionist idea, in which the essence of a people is its nationality, and consequently for the Jewish people to begin being a "normal" people it needs a state and a language, Zionist elements began to "revive" Lashon HaKodesh and adapt it to rules they themselves established. They then began to speak in Lashon HaKodesh among themselves, and secular newspapers were even published in Lashon HaKodesh.

As part of its innovation, the pronunciation of the language was established with an accent combining the deficiencies of both Ashkenazic and Sephardic pronunciations: on one hand, the "kamatz" is pronounced like a "patach" and the "tzeirei" like a "segol," and there is no distinction between the emphasized and non-emphasized letter "tav" - like in the Sephardic pronunciation; and on the other hand - the letters "ayin" and "chet" are not pronounced from the throat - like in the Ashkenazic pronunciation.

They also began to introduce "modern" words into the language.

Our Rebbeim's Attitude Toward the Language

Use of the Language

"A certain part of the wicked of Israel who gathered in the Land of Israel seek to defile Jewish souls, to defile the holiness of the Land, to defile Lashon HaKodesh. And the strengthening of the kelipah [negative spiritual force] is so great that they seek to draw from holiness through names from Lashon HaKodesh, which they call their evil institutions in which they convert Jewish children, they want to eradicate the Jewish spark in the children of Israel. In Lashon HaKodesh with which Hashem created His world and gave us the Torah, they speak secular and forbidden matters, with one advantage that they added many new words until it is no longer Lashon HaKodesh, and if only they would add even more words, until no words of Lashon HaKodesh remain in their language, then the kelipah would have no nourishment from holiness". – The Frierdiker Rebbe

The Tzemach Tzedek once expressed: Since the destruction of the Holy Temple - the common Lashon HaKodesh is not correct.

With the beginning of speaking this language, the Charedi communities came out against the sweeping use of Lashon HaKodesh for secular needs and even lower. Our Rebbeim also protested against using the holy language for secular matters and permitted using this language only for holy purposes. In addition, the Rebbe Rashab warned that teaching Hebrew to children causes coldness toward their holy studies and harms their reverence for books written in Lashon HaKodesh, which becomes a language like all languages, and in 5678 (1918) he sent an article to Rabbi Eliezer Moshe Madesky explaining the severity of turning Lashon HaKodesh into the spoken language of the people.

However, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote that since foreign words were introduced into the Hebrew language, it is found that it is not Lashon HaKodesh, and the prohibition of speaking secular matters in Lashon HaKodesh does not apply to it. In another place he expressed about the language: "I do not call it Lashon HaKodesh because it has become utterly secular, through speaking in it also matters of disgust, abomination and abhorrence." On a certain occasion the Rebbe quoted this, but added that "nevertheless there are many words whose roots are from Lashon HaKodesh," and therefore it can be regarded as "a language related and close to Lashon HaKodesh."

There were also those who opposed the use of holy words, or words with halachic significance, for secular matters - such as the word "chashmal" (electricity), which according to one opinion is a name for one of the heavenly angels, which became a term for electronic power. Some argued that for this reason one should avoid using the word "chashmal" in this sense, but the Rebbe does not refrain from doing so.

Once when the weekly compilation was written in modern Hebrew, the Rebbe wrote that this is "strange Lashon HaKodesh."

In a holy talk on 19 Kislev 5734 [1973], the Rebbe spoke about how army personnel (this was during the Yom Kippur War) demand that they be given spirituality, but they call it by the name "morale." The Rebbe said: "I don't know how this 'epidemic' broke out. Usually they are particular there [in the Land of Israel] to use names that are specifically Lashon HaKodesh. But recently an 'epidemic' broke out that regarding several 'terms' - as they are called there - one must choose specifically a name from the languages of the gentiles, and therefore they call it by the name 'morale.' What is the need for a name from the languages of the gentiles?! - One could say 'mood,' 'strength of spirit,' 'faith in Hashem,' 'trust'; but they gave it a name, 'morale.' And since 'the common people' say 'morale,' therefore I also say 'morale.'"

When R' Yisrael Haber entered with his son for a private audience (yechidus) with the Rebbe and said something in English, the Rebbe was surprised that a child growing up in the Holy Land speaks not in Hebrew.

In Educational Institutions

In his letter from Marcheshvan 5697 (1937) to Rabbi Yehuda Shmotkin from Petach Tikva (who apparently asked whether it is permissible to use the Hebrew language. In this letter, the Rebbe Rayatz also writes to him about "the obligation of Chassidic women and girls to stand in the first row in every project strengthening religion and Judaism in general"), the Rebbe Rayatz writes: "The language which the modernizers created and formed is like all languages and whistles of the chirpers and their agreements that this pronunciation movement indicates this thing and that pronunciation movement indicates another matter, which has neither prohibition nor permission and is merely optional. The main prohibition is to speak secular matters - because prohibited speech is forbidden in any language - but secular matters are repulsive to speak in the same language in which Hashem blessed be He gave us His holy Torah and in which the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks with His servants the prophets. Let us be grateful to the creator and former of the spoken language in Eretz Hakodesh (may it be built and established) who inserted several invented words, only agreed upon for language like all languages. And regarding what was written that those who speak this language say: 'our language is with us, who is master over us' - this is not specifically said in this language; in German, French, and English languages they also say 'who is master over us,' and one should not blame this spoken language just as one does not blame other languages."

The Rebbe addressed this question on several different occasions. In 5714 (1954), he wrote to the administration of the Talmud Torah in Kfar Chabad, who were considering changing the language of instruction in the institution from Yiddish to Hebrew - that they should insist on teaching in Yiddish, and especially when seeing how the opposing side fights for changes in education, we must preserve every detail in education and not change anything.

However, in 5728 (1968) (when there were differences of opinion among parents in Kfar Chabad about whether the language of instruction in the Talmud Torah should be in Yiddish or Hebrew), the Rebbe wrote regarding the use and study of the Yiddish language in the Talmud Torah in Kfar Chabad, that since the main purpose of the institution is education for fear and love of Hashem and for Torah study and observance of mitzvos, the main issue is not which language they learn in (but in places where language has an influence on matters of fear of Heaven, then language also has importance accordingly), and the matter is subject to the decision and opinion of the majority of parents. It requires examination whether acquiring the special qualities of the Yiddish language is the responsibility of the Talmud Torah or the obligation of the parents and the atmosphere at home.

Several times the Rebbe strongly opposed the "Hebrew in Hebrew" language teaching method, which was instituted by the maskilim (enlightened ones) and against which our Rebbes fought.

Regarding dedicating time from the schedule for Hebrew studies, the Rebbe wrote that "those who do this - rob the students of many hours from their holy studies. And through this, it also diminishes their knowledge in practical observance of mitzvos and fear of Heaven, and they cause them to stumble in matters of rabbinical law and also Torah law. Heaven forbid."

The Effort to Impose Hebrew in Israel

In the early years of the State of Israel, as part of the "melting pot" policy, with the goal of merging Jews immigrating from different countries into an "Israeli" people with Israeli culture, the state leadership fought for the imposition of the Hebrew language. Many changed their names and family names from other languages to Hebrew, willingly or by coercion, and there was also a war against the use of the Yiddish language, which was considered "diaspora-like" in the eyes of the Zionists.

For this reason, several organizations, such as "The Union for the Imposition of Hebrew in the Land of Israel" and the Tel Aviv Municipality, fought against the Talmud Torah Toras Emes in Tel Aviv, which was founded in 5684 (1924), and the Yeshiva Achei Temimim in Tel Aviv, which was founded in 5698 (1938), where they taught in Yiddish. But over the years and following the expansion of the children's population, these institutions, as well as other Chabad educational institutions established in the Land of Israel, gradually transitioned to teaching in Hebrew.

The Rebbe strongly attacked this approach, arguing that it would lead to a people united externally but torn from within:

"The difference in the work of Lubavitch, although among our students there are those who learn in Yiddish and those who learn in the Holy Language, is that all our effort and work is to unite them internally and in their inner essence... then there is no difference at all in which language they speak, since the content of their speech is one; while regrettably, several defenders of the language try to impose the unity of spoken language and increase the division in the hearts between fathers and sons, between the younger generation and the generation that educated and raised them until now. And what will it benefit his honor if they beat each other (physically or spiritually), man against his brother and son against his father, while calling out 'strike, you shall strike' specifically in the language of the Bible and not in the German language?" — Igros Kodesh Volume 10, Letter 2,988

External Links

• Letters of the Rebbe Rashab against the Hebrew language: Igros Kodesh Admor Harashab Volume 2, p. 482 * Ibid., p. 916
• Learning in Hebrew and with Sephardic Pronunciation, in the 'Nitzutzei Rebbe' section, Hiskashrus weekly, Parshas Ki Tisa 5782, page 12