2 Friday, June 6, 1980
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
A Time for Mourning
Sunday was a tragic day for Israel, for the Jewish people, for those seeking
peace.
.
It was another sad day for Hebron, an area already strewn with terror and
agony.
Jewish theological students were massacred there in 1929.
A month ago, Arabs shot at Jews, killed six, inciting retaliations.
In the process, the Arab-Jewish relations reached another low point and the
hopes for an accord were shattered for no-one-knows how long.
Perhaps it will lead to an end to the government led by Menahem Begin.
The governing body of Israel has already been weakened. But a change in
government is the least of the factors in a situation filled with threatening
aspects. There were unfortunate violent occurrences in the years of Labor Party
domination. What matters is the urgancy to reach an accord, to end warfare, to
discourage retaliations that lead to tragedies like those afflicted upon the Arab
Ezer Weizman Between
Canossa and Caesaria:
Begin Had His Axt e Ready
Humans should not permit their blood pressure to rise
every time there is an exciting news development.
Especially in relation to Israel, patience is a marvelous
quality to nourish.
Why were people so overly excited over the Weizman-
Begin rift? Whoever studied the events preceding the break
in relations between these two gentlemen should have
known that Menahem Begin's campaigner in 1977 was a
different Ezer Weizman in 1979. Therefore the eruption in
1980, in view of Ezer's ambitions, as charged by the man he
glorified for the highest post in hisland nearly four years
ago.
Proof of the impending rift was provided by the Israel
prime minister himself less than a week before the defense
minister's resignation.
In the Jerusalem Post's home edition of May 23, an
article by Sarah Honig, headlined "Begin Signals to Weiz-
man: Comply or Quit," contained the following:
TEL AVIV — Prime Minister Menahem Begin
yesterday (May 22) subtly signalled Defense
Minister Ezer Weizman that he has a choice of
going to Canossa or going to Caesarea.
Herut leaders said Weizman was left with the
alternatives of humbly toeing the party line
(Canossa), or resigning his position and going
home (to Caesarea).
Caesaria's location in Israel is not a secret.
Neither is Canossa, when traced in the Random House
Dictionary of the English Language, which defines the
term as follows:
Canossa
•• (ke nos'e; It. Ka nos'sa), n. 1. a ruined
castle in N. Italy: scene of the penance of Emperor
Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire1before Pope
Gregory VII in 1077. 2. go to Canossa, to humble
oneself; apologize; submit: He will go to Canossa
before the day is over.
Why the panic among those who would speculate op-
timistically?
The Prophets of Doom, who should have learned better
by this time, should know that when Begin takes on an
antagonist he knows how to tackle him.
Hebrew Language: Its Charm,
Theologian's Acclaim for It
as a Must in His Studies
The words of the Hebrew tongue have a peculiar
energy. It is impossible to convey so much so briefly in
any other language.
Luther, "Table Talk," 1569.
Hebrew idioms run into the English tongue with a
particular grace and beauty . . . They give a force and
energy to our expressions, warm and animate our lan-
guage, and convey our thoughts in more ardent and
intense phrases than any that are to be met with in our
own tongue.
J. Addison. "Spectator," 1712.
A quiver full of steel arrows, a cable with strong
coils, a trumpet of brass, crashing through the air with
two or three sharp notes, such is Hebrew. A language
of this kind is not adapted to the expression of
philosophic thought, or scientific results or doubt, or
the sentiment of the Infinite.
The letters of its books are not to be many; but they
are letters of fire. This language is not destined to say
much, but what it does is beaten out upon an anvil. It is
to pour out floods of anger, and utter cries of rage
against the abuses of the world, calling the four winds
of heaven to the assault of the citadels of evil.
Like the jubilee horn of the sanctuary, it will be put
to no profane use; it will never express the innate joy of
the conscience or the serenity of nature; it will sound
the note of the holy war against injustice and the call
;ViOirrtA7-41',A
.
Between Caesaria and Canossa Exists a Satirical
Comment on Weizman Role ... Hebrew Acclaimed by
Christian Scholar . . . Efforts for Dictionaries
By Philip
Slomovitz
the Latest Hebron Tragedy
mayors.
The extremists' insistence upon the right to establish Jewish cultural and
settlement strongholds in the Hebron area could not have b
the wisest choice .
for action, even b.y the Gush Emunim. The settlements on th7tsraeli borders are
necessities for self-defense and cannot be abandoned, but there is a time for
concessions and the advice of the doves to abandon further settlement expan-
sions will have to be listened to.
In the interest of peace, every effort should be made to draw Arabs into
peaceful ranks. Part of the tragedy is that the Arab spokesmen, except -
Egypt's, refuse to communicate on the subject of amity. That is why concess
may be all the more vital.
The situation is tragic. The world reaction is antagonistic to Israel, the
evidence being in the UN and in the efforts of the European nations to encourage
recognition of the PLO. The road to peace is strewn with thorns -- with bombs!
Yet there must be retention of hope, else all will be doomed.
to the great assemblies; it will have accents of rejoic-
ing and accents of terror; it will become the clarion of
the neomenia and trumpet of judgment.
Renan, "History of Israel," 1888.
Popularity gained by the Hebrew language as a
medium of expression as well as the tongue of the Bible,
since the emergence of Zionism as a libertarian movement
and with the emphasis on Israel's rebirth, draws renewed
interest to the love for Hebrew in Christian as well as
Jewish ranks.
Emphasis on thig, interesting subject and the charm of
Hebrew is especially aroused at this time by Walter L.
Michel in the latest issue of Christian Jewish Relations,
published by the Institute of Jewish, Affairs in association
with the World Jewish Congress.
The WJCongress' Institute of Jewish Affairs renders
immeasurable services with the political and social
analyses and studies of the status of Jews in world Jewish
communities. It has a special function in studies of
Christian-Jewish relations, and the essay by Michel is part
of these efforts.
Walter L. Michel's article in the WJCongress brochure is
entitled "Why Study Hebrew." The author is a student of
the Lutheran School in Chicago. In his article he states:
Theologic a
- l education which neglects the study
of Hebrew is like a house built on sand, and the
flood of the various theological views, the many
religious and secular claims can easily lift it from
its foundations and sweep it away to destroy it in
the tides of the times. Only genuine and con-
cerned study and understanding of the Old Tes-
tament, which is under-girded by a knowledge of
Hebrew, can provide and serve as a sure found-
ation and bulwark against the flood of claims, e.g.
ancient and modern Gnosticism, antinomianism,
Jesusoloatry or Christomonism and against the
various forms of anti-Semitism, which mark
Christian history.
Serious study of the Old Testament must begin
with the investigation 'of the Hebrew text and this
is only possible for those who have at least a basic
knowledge of the Hebrew language. A knowledge
of Hebrew is the basic exegetical tool for the study
of the Old Testament. All other critical methods
depend on a knowledge of Hebrew.
A pastor who had acquired a basic knowledge
of Hebrew has an enormous advantage over those
who have not. Such a pastor will be able e.g.,
1. To use tools for biblical study confidently.
These are dictionaries, concordances, commen-
taries, books and articles which expound on the
meaning of Hebrew words and expressions, and
which have been provided by biblical scholars in
their constant research and vigilance throughout
the ages, so that the biblical text can be under-
stood as genuinely as possible and translated
with as much vigor as the times allow;
2. To produce the necessary exegesis and in-
terpretation of a text or pericope in preparation
for a sermon, lecture or class presentation with-
out needing to rely totally on the scholars and
secondary sources and literature;
3. To understand the reasons for the often shar-
ply differing translations of the same verse as
presented by the various new Bible translations
such as the Jerusalem Bible, the' New English Bi-
ble, the New American Bible, the Living Bible, the
Today's English Version, etc.;
4. To counsel educated and uneducated persons
alike, who are deeply troubled by the differences
in translations and to help them in their very real
intellectual and spiritual need;
5. To appreciate the beauty, depth and meaning
of a biblical expression which no translation,
however adequate and timely, can convey be-
cause the message is so often inseparable from the
words and phrases of the original language.
No one would suggest that a serious student and
teacher of Martin Luther should not know Ger-
man, or a serious student and teacher of William
Shakespeare should not know English. It should
therefore be quite obvious that a serious student,
teacher and preacher of the Word needs to know
Hebrew.
For the sake of the Word and its proper study
the Christian Church needs a dedicated group of
faithful servants who are able to understand and
transmit the eternal challenge and assurance of
the Word. This task should not be left to a few
professional scholars but involve all pastors who,
equipped with a basic knowledge of Hebrew, can
enter into an intelligent and creative dialogue
with the results of scholarship and with the He-
brew text itself, for the glory of God and the bene-
fit of all who, hear the Word and follow it.
Finally, it is not difficult to learn Hebrew, con-
trary to all rumors. It is not any more difficult
than to learn to type or to play football or to tinker
with the car or to remember all the things one
needs from the store. All one needs is a motivation
and discipline and great and unexpected joys will
be the reward.
In this fashion, a young theological student expresses
appreciation of the beauty inherent in the Hebrew Ian-
, guage, while calling attention to the importance of the
knowledge of Hebrew by students for religious leadership.
How else will theologians understand the basis for spiritual
teaching? To understand the Bible it must be studied in its
original, and that calls for a knowlege of Hebrew.
For Jews, the Michel essay is an especially welcome
encouragement not to abandon the language. Not only be-
cause of Israel alone, where Hebrew is the language of the
state, but because of the historic heritage, which makes
Hebrew the tongue of the people, is Hebrew so important. It
is a basis for Jewish living and spiritual strength.
Hebrew as a Vital Diplomatiic
Medium Now Gaining Sources
for Technological Viability
Hebrew was treated for centuries as the Lashon
HaKodesh, as the Holy Tongue. It was for prayers and for
communicative use by the scholars.
Then came the transformation, the application of the
language as a means for communication, for use in every-
day exchanges of views and its resort to the street and the
market place.
Elizer Ben-Yehuda pioneered in making it the '
guage of the Jews of Palestine, with emphasis on spreai,
its vitality as the tongue of Jews everywhere. He succeeded.
Hebrew became the language of Israel, first on a par with
Yiddish and then as its superior. There were the langu -
battles, but Hebrew has definitely become the spo
tongue of Israel and the forces laboring for Israel.
Israel's role on the world scene with the rebirth of
statehood necessitated introduction of diplomatic terms in
the Hebrew language. The head of the Jewish section of the
Library of Congress, D. Lawrence Matwick, authored the
Diplomatic Hebrew Dictionary which is of immense value
to all in the diplomatic service and to Hebrew scholars.
Now a need is emphasized for technological Hebrew
terms. The Technion authorities in Haifa have already
indicated that encouragement is being given scholars de-
voting themselves to such a compilation which may become
part of the chair in Hebrew established with the financial
aid of the Greater Detroit Jewish community.
In all instances, the creative forces working on ex-
panded dictionaries draw upon the Bible and Talmud for
guidance in forging new terms. The new effort for a He-
brew Technological Dictionary will surely be of great inter-
est not only in Israel but for Jews everywhere.
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