John and Jeremiah’s Scribe

Afterwards she appeared on earth and lived with humankind.  Baruch 3:37 NRSV She – It’s likely that you’ve never read Baruch (sometimes referred to as 1 Baruch).  It’s a book in the Catholic and Greek orthodox Apocrypha, termed deuterocanonical, that is, considered canonical books of the Old Testament by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian, and others…

The Hitchhiker’s Guide (21)

To know wisdom and reproof, to understand discerning maxims.  To accept the reproof of insight, righteousness, justice, and uprightness.  To give shrewdness to the simple, to a lad, knowledge and cunning, Let the wise man hear and gain learning, and the discerning acquire designs.  Proverbs 1:2-5  Robert Alter Reproof – Reconsider the context of that…

A Little Change Here, a Little Change There (5)

You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.  Amidah  (Ashkenazi version) Wisdom, intellect and knowledge – The Sephardic version of the Amidah reads as follows: You favor man with knowledge and teach mankind understanding. Grant us wisdom, intellect and…

A Little Change Here, a Little Change There (4)

You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.  Amidah  (Ashkenazi version) Knowledge, understand and intellect – Let’s be consistent.  That’s one of the fundamental requirements of good translation.  The same word needs to be rendered as the same word. …

Toxic Hebrew

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Wisdom – “The Sages promulgated the principle ‘Not the study of but the performance of mitzvot is the essence of virtue.’  ‘One whose wisdom is more abundant than his deeds—to what is he compared?  To a tree whose branches…