Yiddish Humor
Yiddish Humor
In the early 20th century, the Borscht Belt in the Catskills served as a popular summer vacation spot for Jewish immigrants seeking respite from the stress and density of city life. Many renowned Jewish comedians and entertainers launched their careers performing at hotels and resorts in the area, charming their audiences with Yiddish humor that often highlighted stereotypical Jewish traits.
The Yiddish language possesses a unique ability to capture and express much of our Jewish heritage, traditions, culture, and Weltanschauung. Several Yiddish words, such as Chutzpah, Schlep, or Klutz, have even made their way into the English dictionary. Who could imagine a world without Bagels, Gefilte Fish, Kneidlach, or Babka?
Yiddish has a long history, dating back over a thousand years when the first Jews settled in the present-day region of Germany. While Hebrew, known as the "holy tongue," was reserved for spiritual purposes, Jews of that time used a mixture of Aramaic and other languages for everyday speech. Upon settling in Germany and surrounding European countries, they developed their own distinct language, commonly known as Yiddish, which combined Hebrew, German, and various other languages.
It's important to note that Yiddish is not the only unique language among Jews; others include Ladino and Jewish Aramaic, among many more. On one hand, Yiddish became the common spoken language because Jews generally refrained from using Hebrew, the sacred language, for non-holy, everyday conversations. On the other hand, Yiddish allowed Jewish people to maintain their distinct identity and connection to their roots while engaging with the world. For over a thousand years, it was used for Torah study and observance of Mitzvot, giving it a certain level of sanctity beyond other non-Hebrew languages.
The idea of using secular languages for holy purposes began many years earlier. This week we begin reading a new book of the Torah, Sefer Devarim (Deuteronomy), which records Moses’s speech to the Jewish people before his passing. He offers both constructive criticism for their past mistakes and loving guidance and encouragement for their accomplishments, thereby preparing them to enter and settle the land of Israel.
As the verse states, “On that side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses commenced [and] explained this Law, saying (-Deuteronomy 1:5)”. The Talmud expounds on the words “Explained this Law” by teaching that Moses explained the Torah to the Jewish people in seventy languages. (Although today there are many additional nations and dialects, the Torah views them all as originating from 70 core nations and languages.)
The Jewish people at that time all understood the Hebrew in which the Torah was written. As the Midrash relates that the Jews were redeemed from Egypt on the merit of three things, one of which was that they didn’t change their unique spoken language. So what purpose was achieved by Moses translating the text into 70 languages?
On a deeper level, this oral translation of the Torah had a more profound, spiritual purpose. G‑d’s intent in giving the Torah is that it permeates mortal thought and thus elevates man’s understanding. Whenever a person studies Torah, regardless of one’s spiritual level, they are making its infinite truth part of their personal nature.
To translate means to make something that is inaccessible accessible. Moses translated the entire Torah into the 70 languages of the world to teach a fundamental lesson before his death—that the teachings and lessons of the Torah were relevant to all people, at all times, in all situations. He was showing, too, that the wisdom of the Torah is applicable and relevant in all areas of our world, and should serve as a source of light and illumination for our daily lives.
By being the first one to translate the Torah into a secular tongue, Moses made it easier for the Jewish people of future generations to continue this process. We can “translate” Torah’s ideals and principles to affect every arena in our dealing with the world—from politics to earning a living to interpersonal relationships—and thereby elevate them to holiness.
The same is true with our approach to the modern world. No entity, be it a language, a precious metal, or an invention, has a separate, independent identity. It was created by G‑d for a purpose: to reveal His glory and positively transform this world. As our Sages state, “Everything which G‑d created in His world, He created solely for His glory (-Pirkei Avot).”
Certainly, many advancements, such as AI and nuclear energy, have the potential to bring both tremendous good and, G-d forbid, the opposite, depending on how they are used. However, it is the responsibility of human beings to harness modern technology for meaningful and constructive purposes. Thereby we reveal the inherent purpose for which they were created: to make a home for G‑d in our lowly, mundane, physical world, and elevate it through the light of Torah and Mitzvot. This will be fully expressed and realized in the era of redemption!
