Devarim 5781: The Words of Moses — The Torah’s First “Translation”

Introduction

This podcast was originally published in 2017 and even more relevant today.

Devarim 5781: The Words of Moses — The Torah’s First “Translation”

In many ways, the book of Deuteronomy — a series of long discourses by Moses — is a sort of “translation” of the earlier four books of the Torah. This characterization is quite ancient. In the midrash, the Rabbis connected the book of Deuteronomy associatively to the debate over translating the Torah into Greek centuries later. In so doing, they explored the questions of the ways in which Torah can enrich, and can be enriched by, other languages. At the root of their discussions is the notion that the Torah transcends language and that its words can be a source of healing.

Sources include Megillah 8b and Megillah 9a, Soferim 1:7, Devarim Rabbah 1:1 and Ezekial 47:11

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Credits
Rabbi Leon Morris – Pardes President, Faculty and Host for Pardes from Jerusalem Podcast
Arlene Harel – Production Coordinator
Rabbi Adam Titcher – Director of Digital Media at Pardes and Executive Producer

Leon Morris

Rabbi Leon Morris is President of Pardes and the first Pardes alumnus to lead the institution, having studied in both the Year (‘94-’95) and Summer (‘93, ‘94) Programs. Ordained by Hebrew Union College in 1997, Leon previously served as rabbi of Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, founding director of the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in Manhattan, and Vice President for Israel Programs at the Shalom Hartman Institute.

Leon has taught at Orthodox, Conservative and Reform institutions and has worked extensively with the Jewish community of India since serving there as a Jewish Service Corps volunteer in 1990. A regular contributor to the Jewish, Israeli and American press, he is also an editor of the Reform High Holy Day machzor Mishkan HaNefesh.