I just saw this mentioned on another question. She said that some ultra-Orthodox in Israel speak only Yiddish and consider it to be blasphemy to speak Hebrew. Does this have something to do with not accepting the State of Israel as legitimate? Or is there another reason?
2007-12-12 12:41:04 · 15 answers · asked by MBC 4 in Travel ➔ Africa & Middle East ➔ Israel
Mant Orthodox Jews consider Hebrew a holy language, since it is the language of the Torah. Thus, using Hebrew in order to conduct business or curse someone out for driving too slowly seems positively blasphamous.
When Israel first became a state, there was a push from secular Jews to abandon anything that smelled like the old world, and speak only Hebrew. The pressure was so strong, that children who arrived from Europe spoke their mother languages (Polish, Yiddish, German) in secret, or not at all. These kids were even taught to be ashamed of the languages their parents spoke.
When Israel was young, there was a push to create a national identity, to forge a common culture, in order to bring into existence some form of a collective consciousness. Thus, Hebrew was the language everyone had to speak. On the other side of the fence were the orthodox Jews who wanted to use Hebrew only for Torah srudy and prayer. The battle raged on and on until Hebrew won, and Yiddish is only spoken in the orthodox enclaves of Israel.
A neighbor of mine, an author (passed away years ago) named Dan-Ben-Amotz was so affected by this that dozens of years after coming to Israel he was heard speaking Polish with his wife Batya Apollo in hushed whispers.
Professor Sami Shalom Schitrit writes that Arabic was a language he was too embarassed to speak anywhere but at home.
Nowadays the battle does not rage on anymore, since Israel is not as young as it used to be, and many people are proud of their identities and do not feel the need to forge a new Israeli identity.
2007-12-12 14:58:58 · answer #1 · answered by kismet 7 · 7⤊ 2⤋
Blasphemy In Hebrew
2016-12-10 09:54:06 · answer #2 · answered by latia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very few ultra Orthodox speak only Yiddish. And I say this as a person who has walked the streets of Mea Shearim many times (the ultra Orthodox enclave of Jerusalem) and mostly heard Hebrew being spoken on the street.
I have heard that part of the idea was to save Hebrew, which is the "holy tongue" for religious things such as prayer or study but for general conversation to use a different language.
Or you could be correct that some are so "anti Zionist" that they will not speak Hebrew conversationally (but would know the language from religious sources).
2007-12-13 12:01:22 · answer #3 · answered by BMCR 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The number of people who deliberetely don't speak Hebrew on secular matters is very low. But most of them would speak Hebrew to another person if that person doesn't speak Yidish. So this is to say that there is a small group of people who PREFER to use Yidish as oppose to Hebrew because Hebrew is a holy language. Among this group the number of those who actually hold the point of view that use of Hebrew for secular matters is actual blasphemy is really really tiny if there are any at all. It is not directly related to acceptance of the state of Israel, but it is usually the same group of people, so there is some common logic behind both issues.
2007-12-12 19:41:03 · answer #4 · answered by Lizard 4 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Some ultra-Orthodox believe that Hebrew is a holy language to the extent that it shouldn't be used for mundane things. Accordingly, they speak Yiddish and only speak Hebrew when studying the Torah or other religious works.
2007-12-13 04:02:55 · answer #5 · answered by Michael J 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
it has nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with religion.
hebrew is the language of the torah, the old testament, and the book is of course holy to jewish people. so some orthodox jews don't think they should be talking about mundane things like shopping or recipes in the sacred language of the torah. so they use yiddish for daily conversation and reserve hebrew for sacred study.
but the thing is that a new version of hebrew was developed about 100 years ago, modern hebrew, which is what is spoken in israel. it is very similar to biblical hebrew but not exactly the same. so some feel that you can speak in modern hebrew, including many orthodox people. i would think that the percentage of orthodox who don't speak hebrew conversationally would be very very small.
2007-12-12 17:05:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
Blasphemy is calling GOD evil. GOD IS GOOD all the time ! The HOLY SPIRIT miraculously HEALS people. And when those witnesses of GODS PRESENCE & HEALING WONDERS... call this miracle by the power of devils [unclean spirits], they are blaspheming the HOLY SPIRIT. Calling Jesus accursed, is actually balspheming the HOLY SPIRIT also. Because being accursed is having demon spirits instead of the HOLY SPIRIT. ------- Anyone can blaspheme the HOLY SPIRIT. Anyone can blaspheme the NAME of the LORD God. But to falsely accuse God of being evil unclean spirits isn't forgiven today nor tomorrow. It is the action of doing so. Blaspheming GOD has instant conscequences. For the non Christian who does this, they will be demonic oppressed. If the non Christian also is practicing occult when blaspheming GOD, then may be demonic possessed. For the Christian who blasphemes the HOLY SPIRIT, it is because they got into self righteous judging & victim of spiritual blindness. So they judge the power behind a Minister's Ministry of being demonic, they are self righteously judging & then blaspheming the HOLY PRESENCE upon the Godly Minister by calling it of the devil. This has immediate conscequences. They will suffer demonic oppression. GODS protection is lifted off. But a Christian can only become demon oppressed and not possessed. Because the Christian still has a new born spiritual heart. But they do come to their senses after so much misery in this condition, and come to repentance and their spiritual soul restored. Jesus did say that we are IN DANGER OF eternal damnation. So for the Christian, that could be experiencing hell fire [in this life]. The HOLY SPIRIT is pure, clean, separate from unclean spirits that are demons. Demons are unclean spirits. I have seen both non Christians & non Christians blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Just think of how many Christians judge Benny Hinn when a person gets miraculously healed. They judge this power of being demonic. These Christians are blaspheming the Holy Spirit the same as the Pharisees did. Calling the miraculous healing power of the devil. Non Christians are spiritually blind. So are Christians who have self righteously judged & condemned others or didn't forgive others. The Pharisees were spiritually blind when they saw the healing power of the Holy Spirit in action.
2016-04-08 23:45:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to the views of the ultra-religious, Hebrew (since it is the language of the Bible and prophets) was too holy to be spoken as a day-to-day language, so Yiddish was used. Hebrew was used on Shabbat.
2007-12-12 14:13:01 · answer #8 · answered by LadySuri 7 · 5⤊ 2⤋
They see Hebrew as only being used for religious purposes - another reason why I think the ultra-orthodox take Judaism to a level that makes them seem less Jewish.
Good Luck!!!
2007-12-12 19:14:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
some people considered hebrew to be too holy to use it for mundane day to day talk, so they decided to speak in yiddish and leave hebrew for 'holy speaking' i.e they would only pray in hebrew
2007-12-13 01:17:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋