Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Nir:

On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 1:29 PM, Nir cohen - Prof. Mat. 
<nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>wrote:

> kevin,
>
> unfortunately tough circumstances may force a nation to make an
> illogical but necessary choice. especially under a complete loss
> of national autonomy (the irish always enjoyed some amount of
> autonomy).
>
> in jewish history there are two examples: the german language was used
> as a basis for yiddish, in spite of repeated pogroms they suffered in
> germany. and spanish, as basis for ladino, in spite of the extinction
> and exile of jews in spain and portugal.
>
> jewish orthodoxy today avoids the use of hebrew for daily matters. part of
> jewish orthodoxy maintains this tradition even in israel. my question is:
> can this be traced back to a precise historical moment?
>
> nir cohen
>
> > Suggesting that the Jews would adopt Aramaic is a bit like suggesting
> that the Irish would adopt English.
> Kevin Riley
>
>
> You may not have caught it, being an Israeli living in Brazil, but the
Irish have adopted English. The native Gaelic survives in only a few
isolated corners of the land, and even there its survival is tenuous.

I thought Kevin’s picture very apropos.

As for when Orthodox Jews started thinking that Hebrew was too holy to speak
in daily affaires, that I don’t know.

Karl W. Randolph.