The Torah’s Message Is for Everyone

The Torah states: “These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan.” (Deuteronomy 1)

The rabbis ask: “How did Moshe Rabbeinu, Moses our rabbi, begin to teach?” They answer their own question and say, “Moses began to explain the Torah in the world’s seventy languages.”

Even though there are hundreds of times as many languages, the question remains, didn’t the Israelites all speak the same language? Didn’t they speak Hebrew? Of course they did. So why would Moses need to explain the Torah in every language? It is because the Torah has universal import.

Too often we focus our Jewish learning on the mastery of the Hebrew language. Too often we mistake the Torah’s language for its essence. While Hebrew is of course important it does not always unlock its secrets; it cannot always unravel its mysteries. This is why Moses taught the Torah in many languages.

The lesson is clear. The most important thing about Torah is its teachings. These must be translated into every language. And these teachings must be interpreted according to everyone’s ability.

The Torah may have been given to one people, but it was never meant for one people alone. It was never meant for a privileged few.

The Torah is meant for all. It is meant for the world. It’s that each and every human being is created in the image of God is the world’s inheritance.

And that message must be proclaimed in whichever language we speak.