משנה: וְאֵילּוּ נֶאֱמָרִין בְּלָשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ. מִקְרָא הַבִּיכּוּרִים וַחֲלִיצָה בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים וּבִרְכַת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל וּפָרָשַׁת הַמֶּלֶךְ וּפָרָשַׁת עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה וּמְשׁוּחַ מִלְחָמָה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר אֶל הָעָם. מִקְרָא הַבִּיכּוּרִים כֵּיצַד. וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי יי֨ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר וְעָנוּ הַלְוִיִּם וְאָֽמְרוּ אֶל כָּל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹל רָם. מָה עֲנִייָה הָאֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן בְּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ אַף כָּאן בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ. חֲלִיצָה כֵיצַד. וְעָֽנְתָה וְאָֽמְרָה כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר וְעָנוּ הַלְוִיִּם וְאָֽמְרוּ מָה עֲנִייָה הָאֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ אַף כָּאן בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר וְעָֽנְתָה וְאָֽמְרָה כָּכָה עַד שֶׁתֹּאמַר בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה. MISHNAH: But the following must be said in the holy language: The recitation for the first fruits30The declaration in the Temple, Bikkurim 2:3:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Bikkurim.2.3.1">Mishnah Bikkurim 2:5., ḥalîṣah31The required declarations by the childless widow and brother-in-law in the ceremony which frees her to marry outside the family; cf. Yebamot12:3–4., blessings and curses32This is of purely antiquarian character, asserting that the curses detailed in Deuteronomy.27.11-26">Deut. 27:11–26 (each curse prefaced by a corresponding blessing: “Blessed be the man who will not …”) were pronounced in Hebrew, based on Joshua.8.34">Jos. 8:34; cf. Sotah 7:4:2-9" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.7.4.2-9">Halakhah 4., the priestly blessing33Numbers.6.22-26">Num. 6:22–26., the benedictions of the High Priest34In the service of the Day of Atonement, Yoma 7:1:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Yoma.7.1.1">Mishnah Yoma 7:1; cf. Sotah 7:6:2-4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.7.6.2-4">Halakhah 6., the portion about the king35The public reading from the Torah at the end of a Sabbatical year, Deuteronomy.31.10-13">Deut. 31:10–13; cf. Sotah 7:7:2-8:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.7.7.2-8.2">Halakhot 7–8., the portion about the calf whose neck was broken36The declarations Deuteronomy.21.7">Deut. 21:7 (the Elders), 8 (the priests); cf. Chapter 9., the [priest] anointed for war at the time he speaks to the people37Deuteronomy.20.1-9">Deut. 20:1–9; cf. Chapter 8.. The recitation for the first fruits, how? “You shall begin and say before the Eternal, your God38Deuteronomy.26.5">Deut. 26:5.” but further on it says, “the Levites shall begin and say to all the men of Israel in an elevated voice39Deuteronomy.27.14">Deut. 27:14. The implication of this verse is explained in the Halakhah.”. Since “beginning” further on means in the holy language, so also here in the holy language40This is an application of the third hermeneutical rule of R. Ismael: The meaning of a word is defined by one paradigm. It does not fit the mold of the second rule, “equal cut”, preferred by the commentators..
Ḥalîṣah how? “She shall begin and say: So shall be done to the man41Deuteronomy.25.9">Deut. 25:9.” but further on it says, “the Levites shall begin and say to all the men of Israel in an elevated voice”. Since “beginning” further on means in the holy language, so also here in the holy language. Rebbi Jehudah says, “She shall begin and say so,” [it is invalid] unless she says exactly that text42He disregards the dividing accent in the sentence and reads: “She shall begin and say so: it will be done to the man who will not build his brother’s house” instead of “She shall begin and say: thus will be done …” It gives a different twist to a derivation originating with R. Jehudah’s father’s teacher R. Eliezer in Yevamot 12:3:1-4:5" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.12.3.1-4.5">Mishnah Yebamot 12:4; cf. Sotah.33">Babli 33a/b..
הלכה: תַּנֵּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוּדָה. כָּל־מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּלָשׁוֹן הַזֶּה עֲנִייָה וָאֲמִירָה כָּכָה וְכֹה הַרֵי הוּא בְלָשׁוֹן הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. בִּנְייַן אַב שֶׁבְּכוּלָּן מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל. הָתִיב רִבִּי חַגַּי. וְהָֽכְתִיב וַיַּעַן לָבָן וּבְתוּאֵל. אִין תֵּימַר עַל יְדֵי עֲנִייָה. וְהָֽכְתִיב וַיֹּאמְרוּ. אִין תֵּימַר עַל יְדֵי אֲמִירָה. וְהָֽכְתִיב מֵיי֨ יָצָא הַדָּבָר. אִין תֵּימַר. בְּלָשׁוֹן הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. וְהָֽכְתִיב וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ לָבָן יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא. וְאִין תֵּימַר. קוֹדֶם לְמַתַּן תּוֹרָה. הֲרֵי פָרָשַׁת װִידּוּי מַעֲשֵׂר הֲרֵי הוּא לְאַחַר מַתַּן תּוֹרָה וְהוּא נֶאֱמַר בְּכָל־לָשׁוֹן. HALAKHAH: It was stated in the name of Rebbi Jehudah: Any place where it was said in any of these expressions: you begin and say, thus, and thus43The first and last expressions were mentioned in the Mishnah. כה “thus” is the introduction to the priests’ blessing, Numbers.6.23">Num. 6:23., it means in the holy language. Rebbi Eleazar said, the defining paradigm for all is: “Moses would speak and God would answer him by voice44Exodus.19.19">Ex. 19:19. This is not a reference to the statement of R. Jehudah, but to the argument of the Mishnah. While in that verse, the root ענה does not have the meaning of “to begin to speak” but “to answer”, the mention of קול “voice”, which was in Hebrew, transfers to the recitation of the Levites, who have to speak בְּקוֹל רָם “in the voice of the High”, where High is a Title of God, Is. 56:15; cf. below, Sotah 7:2:4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.7.2.4">Note 61..” Rebbi Ḥaggai objected, is there not written, “Laban and Bethuel began45Genesis.24.50">Gen. 24:50. As noted later, they spoke Aramaic.,” if you say because of “beginning” only, is there not written “and said46That verse contains both roots, ענה and אמר, even if they are separated by the names of the speakers. Therefore, the argument of R. Jehudah is invalid.”? If you want to say, by “saying” only, is there not written “from the Eternal came the word”47This is a counter-argument. Since Laban and Bethuel admitted that the betrothal of Rebecca was a word of the Eternal, did they not speak Hebrew at that moment?? If you want to say, in the holy language, is there not written “the stone heap of testimony48Genesis.31.47">Gen. 31:47. Since Laban had to translate Jacob’s גַלְעֵד into Aramaic, it follows that he did not speak Hebrew.”? If you want to say, before the Torah was given, is there not the text of the declaration of tithes49Deuteronomy.26.16">Deut. 26:16. However, there only the root אמר is used. which may be recited in any language50Cf. Sotah 7:1:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.7.1.1">Mishnah 1.?
רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא לָשׁוֹן סוּרְסִי קַל בְּעֵינֶיךָ. שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה וּבַנְּבִיאִים וּבַכְּתוּבִים הוּא אָמוּר. בַּתּוֹרָה כְתִיב וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ לָבָן יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא. בִּנְּבִיאִים כְּתִיב כִּדְנָה תֵּימְרוּן לְהוֹן. בַּכְּתוּבִים כְּתִיב וַיְּדַבְּרוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲרָמִית. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָתָן דְּבֵית גּוּבְרִין. אַרְבָּעָה לְשׁוֹנוֹת נָאִין לְהִשְתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן הָעוֹלָם. וְאֵילּוּ הֵן. לָעַז לְזֶמֶר. רוֹמִי לִקְרָב. סוּרְסִי לְאֵילִייָא. עִבְרִי לְדִיבּוּר. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים. אַף אֲשׁוּרִי לִכְתָב. אֲשׁוּרִי יֵשׁ בּוֹ כְּתָב וְאֵין בוֹ לָשׁוֹן. עִבְרִי יֵשׁ בּוֹ לָשׁוֹן וְאֵין בוֹ כְּתָב. בַּחֲרוּ לָהֶם כְּתָב אֲשׁוּרִי וְלָשׁוֹן עִבְרִי. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אֲשׁוּרִי. שֶׁהוּא מְאוּשָׁר בִּכְתָבוֹ. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי עַל שֵׁם שֶׁעָלָה בְיָדָם מֵאֲשׁוּר. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The Syriac language should not be unimportant in your eyes, for it is mentioned in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Hagiographs. In the Torah, it is written: “Laban called it the heap of testimony48Genesis.31.47">Gen. 31:47. Since Laban had to translate Jacob’s גַלְעֵד into Aramaic, it follows that he did not speak Hebrew.”. In Prophets, it is written: “So you shall say to them.51Jeremiah.10.11">Jer. 10:11.” In Hagiographs, it is written: “The Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic.52Daniel.2.4">Dan. 2:4.” Rebbi Jonathan from Bet Gubrin said, four languages are good for use: The foreign language53Greek. for song, Latin for war, Syriac for elegies, Hebrew for speech. Some people say, also Assyrian54“Hebrew” square script, which originally is an Aramaic development of paleo-Hebrew. for writing. Assyrian has a script but no language55Since it is used for Hebrew, Aramaic, Mandaic etc., Hebrew has a language but no script56Once paleo-Hebrew script was abandoned.. They chose for them Assyrian script and Hebrew language57This is a shortened version of a Babylonian tradition (by the “Heads of the Diaspora”) that Moses wrote the Torah in Hebrew script and language, Ezra wrote the Torah in Aramaic translation and Assyrian script, but the people chose Hebrew text and Assyrian (Aramaic) letters: Sanhedrin.21b">Sanhedrin 21b; also cf. Megillah 1:9:2-20" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Megillah.1.9.2-20">Megillah 1:11 (fol. 71b, line 67).. Why is its name called אֲשׁוּרִי? Because one is made happy in writing it58The meaning of the sentence is not clear. One could translate: Because its writing is plain.. Rebbi Levi said, because they brought it with them from Assyria59Square script is not found before the return from Mesopotamia, where the exiles lived mostly in the Aramaic-speaking Northern parts..
כְּתִיב וְעָנוּ הַלְוִיִּם וְאָֽמְרוּ אֶל כָּל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹל רָם. בְּקוֹלוֹ שֶׁלָּרָם. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁשִׁיתֵּף הַקַּדושׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קוֹלוֹ עִמָּהֶן. דָּבָר אַחֵר. קוֹל רָם. הַמְעוּלֶּה שֶׁבַּקּוֹלוֹת. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק. לֹא קָטוֹן וְלֹא גָדוֹל אֶלָּא בֵינוֹנִי. It is written60Deuteronomy.27.14">Deut. 27:14.: “The Levites shall begin and say to all the men of Israel in an elevated voice61Or, “the voice of the Most High,” cf. Sotah 7:2:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.7.2.2">Note 44.”, this teaches that the Holy One, praise to Him, associated His voice to theirs. Another explanation, “the best of voices”. Rebbi Isaac said, not low, not high, but moderate.