[Avodah] Did the Patriarchs Speak Hebrew?

Zev Sero zev at sero.name
Wed Dec 20 06:01:31 PST 2017


On 19/12/17 02:37, Professor L. Levine via Avodah wrote:
> . And it was not a private language spoken by a single person but a 
> language of Canaan, and many people in Egypt knew it for the countries 
> were close together--particularly the ruler, for it is customary for 
> kings and rulers to know several languages.

Then how is it that Yosef could pretend not to know it and need an 
interpreter.  More, how is it that Par'oh, who knew all the other 
languages, didn't know this one?


[Email #2. -micha]

On 19/12/17 12:46, Mandel, Seth via Avodah wrote:
> There is no proof that anyone spoke Hebrew. Chazal say that dibb'ra Torah
> bilshon b'nei odom, and the Torah was written in Hebrew because that is
> what the Jews understood at the time of Moshe Rabbeinu and the N'vi'im.

Rashi Bereshis 2:23
Bereshis Rabbah 18:4

[Eamil #3. -micha]


On 20/12/17 08:56, Mandel, Seth wrote:
> I am talking objective proof, from the T'NaKh and other documents.

> Medrashim of Chazal teaches us important ideas, but are not meant to be 
> literally true. They do not intend to be a historical document, but 
> rather contain important moral and ethical teachings which are 'emes in 
> the spiritual sense.

1. This medrash is clearly intended literally.  Not only does it not 
contain any important moral or ethical teaching, it cites a simple 
linguistic proof (albeit based on a very small sample of languages).

2. Rashi only cites those medroshim that he believes are necessary for 
pshat.

-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
zev at sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all


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