NARR 39-40

CCAR RESPONSA

New American Reform Responsa

25. Yiddish Torah Blessings

QUESTION: Some new Soviet immigrants who have attended services at the synagogue regularly have been given aliyot to the Torah. Their spoken English is poor, they know very little Hebrew, and they would like to recite the Torah blessings in Yiddish. Is that appropriate? (Sidney Kowalsky, Detroit MI)ANSWER: Prayers in the vernacular have a long tradition among us (W. Jacob Contemporary American Reform Responsa #135). It is clear that a large proportion of our people were no longer familiar with Hebrew even in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Neh 8.9), so the Scriptural reading had to be translated for them. By the time of the Mishnah, the common people no longer used Hebrew, therefore, the shema, tefilah and the birkhat hamazon were permitted in the vernacular (M Sotah 7.1). This, then, also was the later decision of the Talmud (Sotah 32b ff3; therefore individuals should pray with full knowledge of what they were saying. A parallel stand was taken by later authorities, so the Sefer Hassidim of the eleventh century (#588 and #785) stated that those who did not understand Hebrew should pray in the vernacular. Maimonides provided a similar statement (Yad Hil Ber 1.6), while the Tur and Shulhan Arukh made a distinction between private and public prayers. Private prayers were preferably read in Hebrew, while those in the congregation might be recited in the vernacular. A preference was expressed, but this did not exclude the vernacular in either instance (Tur Orah Hayim 101; Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 101.4). Aaron Chorin, Eliezer Lieberman and others, who defended the changes made by the Reform movement in the last century and its use of the vernacular, however, insisted that a number of prayers should continue to be recited in Hebrew (Qinat Haemet; Or Nogah Part I). They felt that nothing stood in the way of using the vernacular. Torah blessings were among the prayers which could be recited in the vernacular. I am sure that in your congregation as in most, the prayers before and after the reading of the Torah are normally read in Hebrew, but if an individual does not have sufficient mastery of Hebrew we would certainly consider them equally appropriate if read in English. As we are making every effort to encourage Russian Jewish immigrants to become part of synagogue life, we should include them in this part of the service by reading the appropriate prayers in Yiddish, or for that matter in Russian if they do not know Yiddish. At a later stage I am sure they will master Hebrew and continue their participation in synagogue life.July 1990

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