Yes, I know your ilk from your original post, and you may correct me if I am wrong. You believe, do you not, that the Torah cannot be translated from the original Hebrew because every letter, every syllable, every word, every phrase, every juxtaposition carries with it a special meaning apparent only to those who have scrupulously analyzed these texts over centuries. Talmudists, some call them. To them (and you?) we must parse the words of the Torah to discern the lofty spiritual principles contained therein.
In my experience, those who make it their life to engage in such an endeavor fail miserably to apply the lofty principles they've discovered to their daily lives. I frankly think that the "science" here is bogus; it serves to sustain certain Talmudic institutions who fail to teach their students respect for others who may be different, and an obligation to make a contribution to society. In Israel, the situation is particularly aggravated as many of the most pious Torah parsers eschew military service on the grounds that they must study every jot and tittle of the Torah and Talmud, etc., leaving others to defend them and to die in their stead. Yes, I am angry. You expressed a view I have heard many times from these pious souls, and it is a view I think that they use to justify shutting themselves off from their worldly obligations. If I say the Torah cannot be translated, and that we must spend our lives in scriptural exegesis, I don't have to deal with worrisome things like army service and earning a livings sans government stipends. This is why I very much dislike the "it cannot be translated" school--I think many use this dogma as a smokescreen to advance a selfish and not entirely honorable agenda. |
