The English Language

The English Language is an international language that serves as one of the three main languages used by Chabad chassidim throughout the world (alongside Lashon Hakodesh and Yiddish). The use of the language developed primarily due to the location of the Rebbe's court, which serves as the center of the chassidus in an English-speaking country, and the Rebbe's ideological approach of spreading Torah and Yiddishkeit throughout the world, which necessitates mastery of the English language as a basic communication tool.

The Rebbe himself mastered the English language and conversed in this language with people who met with him, and also sent letters in this language, but his teachings and philosophy were never printed in English by the official publishing institute of Chabad chassidus (although translations of his writings were printed in English also by Kehot Publication Society).

In general, the Rebbe did not encourage the study of the language, and when required to address it - he took a compromising approach.

English is an ancient language that developed over nearly fifteen hundred years and underwent many transformations until it became the most widely spoken language in the world.

In fact, this language includes a mixture of different languages brought by immigrants who established England, with many words from different cultures being added over the years until it became the language with the largest vocabulary (approximately 600,000 words, ten times that of an average language).

Although the language is spoken in many countries, the different dialects of the language are very similar to each other (compared to other languages), which facilitates mutual understanding between speakers of different dialects of the language, and helps its spread and transformation into an international language.

The Chabad Usage of the Language

A Chabad advertisement in English published in the world press, calling on the public to increase in mitzvos and good deeds to bring Moshiach

With the immigration of the Frierdiker Rebbe to the United States in 5700 (1940) and establishing his residence in building number 770 on Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood, the center of the Chabad court moved to America, and the chassidim began to use the English language in order to manage day-to-day life in encounters with the local population.

With the establishment of institutions, a conflict arose between the Chabad desire to preserve Yiddish as the language spoken among chassidim, and the necessity of the hour to establish English as the institutional language, in order to successfully integrate children who had not acquired the Yiddish language and whose parents speak only English at home.

As a first step, the Frierdiker Rebbe established that in the Lubavitcher Yeshiva institutions, they would study simultaneously in both English and Yiddish, which would provide a solution on one hand for English-speaking parents who want their children to study in Chabad institutions, and on the other hand would preserve the Yiddish language as the spoken language among chassidim, through gradual learning of the language by children who do not speak this language in their private homes.

Subsequently, with the establishment of the Oholei Torah institution as an educational institution of pure kodesh, Yiddish was established as the language of instruction, and in parallel, the English language became the dominant language in the 'Lubavitcher Yeshiva'.

Despite attempts to preserve Yiddish as the daily spoken language, the English language began to gradually displace it, especially among Crown Heights residents. This process intensified when the shlichus movement gained momentum and the Rebbe's demand to spread Yiddishkeit throughout the world, a cause that led many young people to seek better mastery of the English language in order to succeed in connecting with people, and on the other hand brought baalei teshuva to Chabad centers who do not understand Yiddish, creating discomfort when speaking this language when they participate in conversation.

At the end of the process, most Chabad educational institutions in America switched to teaching almost exclusively in English, and despite the Rebbe's protests, this is the dominant language in Chassidic-Chabad dialogue in the United States.

Unlike the Crown Heights neighborhood where there are still many chassidim who use the Yiddish language, in all the Chabad centers established around Chabad houses throughout the continent, English serves as the only language.

The Rebbe's Perspectives on English

The Rebbe responded negatively to learning English: "To spend much time now improving English - it is not worthwhile for him. And according to the statement of my father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, may I be an atonement for his resting place: 'How much longer must the trough (matters of Torah and mitzvot) be brought to the horse, it's time already for the horse to go to the trough.'"

Learning the Language

In general, the Rebbe opposed exceptional investment in learning the English language at the expense of investment in other areas, especially at the expense of Torah study.

Already in 5710 (1950), when a young man wanted to set aside time for learning the language in order to be more successful in spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus, the Rebbe answered him: "To spend much time now improving English - it is not worthwhile for him. And according to the statement of my father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, may I be an atonement for his resting place: 'How much is the measure that one should bring the trough (Torah and mitzvot) to the horse. The time has already come for the horse to go to the trough.'"

On another occasion, the Rebbe connected the rejection of learning English with faith and trust in Moshiach's imminent arrival, and rejected learning English during hours after the yeshiva learning schedule saying: "Why do you need English? Moshiach is coming soon!"

On the other hand, the Rebbe did not accept excuses from young married men who claimed they could not go on shlichus because they didn't have a good enough command of English. For example, it is recorded in Rabbi Mordechai Kalmanson's journal from Nissan 5712 (1952), that the Rebbe responded to one young man who claimed this: "Regarding worldly matters you manage with the country's language, and suddenly this becomes a problem?" On another occasion, the Rebbe even encouraged individuals to invest in learning the language and know it thoroughly as a helpful means for spreading Chassidus.

When the Ministry of Education tried to force Chabad educational institutions in Israel to include English language studies as part of the curriculum, the Rebbe instructed activists to oppose this with all their might.

In a farbrengen on Shabbat Parshat Vayeshev 5748 (1987), an unusual reference was noted when the Rebbe expressed his dissatisfaction that the everyday language spoken between Chassidim was English and not Yiddish: "When 'prominent Chabadniks' gather to speak together, etc., I was surprised to hear that the language of conversation is - English!... This matter requires correction - as the greatness of 'they did not change their language' is well known..."

In that same talk, the Rebbe said that when going out on mivtzoim one should speak English with those being brought close, and the reason he himself gives the sichos in Yiddish is for several other reasons.

Additional References

When an article from Di Yiddishe Heim newspaper was submitted to the Rebbe for editing, which stated that American Jews had abandoned the Yiddish language and the primary and useful language was English, the Rebbe deleted the section and wrote: "Even if one were to say this is 100% true, there is no need or necessity to announce this matter, with the implication that this is how it will remain."

Publishing

Books

When the Rebbe arrived in the United States, he was appointed by the Previous Rebbe as chairman of the Chabad publishing house Kehot, and was asked to oversee the publication of English texts for children, alongside publishing the teachings of the leaders of Chabad Chassidus.

Initially, the Rebbe worked on editing accurate translations of basic prayer passages and blessings, and later on editing a daily calendar for children (published both for the year 5703 and 5704), and monthly content booklets for children, in addition to occasional special prospectuses and various publications in English.

In 5738 (1978), the Sichos in English committee was established, designed to meet the growing demand for Jewish texts in English, intended for the higher level of English-speaking audiences interested in overcoming language limitations and studying the Rebbe's teachings and philosophy.

This institution, under the direction of Rabbi Yonah Avtzon, became the official publishing house for Chabad literature in English, and serves as an independent branch of Kehot Publication Society operating under its name.

In 5746 (1986), the organization's activities expanded, and besides translating the Rebbe's original sichos, it began translating additional Chabad texts from the teachings of other Chabad Rebbes, as well as Chassidic stories and books of thought and philosophy by contemporary Chassidim.

Periodicals

As part of the activity initiated by the Previous Rebbe with women, which received great momentum through the Rebbe's initiative, in 5719 (1959) the Di Yiddishe Heim magazine of Nshei Ubnos Chabad began publication, combining two parts: one part in English and one part in Yiddish. The Rebbe greatly encouraged this publication, and even gave the magazine special attention by regularly editing the entire English section, which was edited by Mrs. Rachel Devorah Altein.

Similarly, when the Rebbe established the Tzivos Hashem organization in 5741 (1981), the organization began publishing a special children's magazine called The Moshiach Times, and this publication also received special attention from the Rebbe.

The Rebbe's Letters in English

Unlike most Chabad texts in English, which are published as translations of the Rebbe's words, there is a wide range of letters the Rebbe wrote to various individuals originally in English.

The uniqueness of these letters lies in the special expressions woven throughout them, as the use of the English language "forced" the Rebbe to use the first person in many places and refer to himself more directly, which is rare in Igros Kodesh in Yiddish and Hebrew.

These letters are published in two parallel series, one printed chronologically by year (published by the Sichos in English committee; in 5774 (2014) a parallel series in Hebrew began translating these letters by the editorial staff of Beis Moshiach weekly), and the second categorized by subject, published by the family of Rabbi Nissan Mindel who was entrusted by the Rebbe to type and edit the letters according to what the Rebbe dictated to him (this series is published in Hebrew translation under the title "Guide for the Perplexed Generation").

Further Reading

Rabbi Levi Goldstein, "If Only the Adults Didn't Know About It," Beis Moshiach Weekly, Issue 235, pages 46-47 (5759)