Rebbe - English - Jewish Forum & Discussions

GreenEagle · 02-27-2011, 11:50 AM

I am pretty sure the Rebbe spoke English quite well (correct me if I'm wrong) because people would meet with him properly and speak to him in English. If that is so, why didn't he speak publicly in English (or if he did, it seems it was quite rare)? After all, he spent his entire tenure as Rebbe in America and America seemed to be the focus of his efforts.

MahTovChelkeinu · 02-27-2011, 02:25 PM

Yiddish was the common language of the Jews, at least from Eastern Europe. That's become less true as the years go by, but the minhag had already been established. Yiddish also lends itself better to Hebrew as they use the same alpha-bet, so hebrew phrases can fit in more seemlessly (although I doubt that was the Rebbe's reason). Also, you have a tradition since the Baal Shem Tov of all of the Rebbeim speaking publicly in Yiddish.

But with all of that said... it is interesting that the Rebbe would frequently encourage Russian speaking chassidim to speak Russian with him privately rather than Yiddish. Some people say this was nostalgia... who knows.

mosheh5769 · 02-27-2011, 03:22 PM

Here, in France, at the Beth Lubavitch's headquarter there are dozen of audio recordings in which we can hear the Rebbe speaking in French with some guests from France he received in yechidus.

But the use of yiddish in public addresses was on purpose, I think, because from whatever country a chosid comes, may it be from America or Russia or even from Morocco, Yiddish was/is the common language for chassidim. Now modern Hebrew is being more and more used, but at the Rebbe's time, yiddish was prevalent.

Shmully · 02-28-2011, 02:58 PM

There are many tapes of the Rebbe speaking English as well, usually in Yechidus. The Rebbe said Torah in Yiddish as all his predecessors the Rabbeim did. It is mentioned in Tanya Part IV (Iggeres Hakodesh), #25 (page 141a) that the Baal Shem Tov would transmit Torah in Yiddish

GreenEagle · 03-01-2011, 11:03 PM

I also saw a video of him speaking to an Israeli official in Hebrew.... so Yiddish, Hebrew, English, French, Russian... what other languages did he speak?

Torah613 · 03-01-2011, 11:23 PM

http://www.chabadtalk.com/forum/showthread.php3?t=7123

02-27-2011, 11:50 AM	#1
GreenEagle Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 66	Rebbe - English I am pretty sure the Rebbe spoke English quite well (correct me if I'm wrong) because people would meet with him properly and speak to him in English. If that is so, why didn't he speak publicly in English (or if he did, it seems it was quite rare)? After all, he spent his entire tenure as Rebbe in America and America seemed to be the focus of his efforts.

02-27-2011, 03:22 PM	#3
mosheh5769 Diamond Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1,429	Here, in France, at the Beth Lubavitch's headquarter there are dozen of audio recordings in which we can hear the Rebbe speaking in French with some guests from France he received in yechidus. But the use of yiddish in public addresses was on purpose, I think, because from whatever country a chosid comes, may it be from America or Russia or even from Morocco, Yiddish was/is the common language for chassidim. Now modern Hebrew is being more and more used, but at the Rebbe's time, yiddish was prevalent. __________________ כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעולם הבא

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02-27-2011, 02:25 PM	#2
MahTovChelkeinu Diamond Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,142	Yiddish was the common language of the Jews, at least from Eastern Europe. That's become less true as the years go by, but the minhag had already been established. Yiddish also lends itself better to Hebrew as they use the same alpha-bet, so hebrew phrases can fit in more seemlessly (although I doubt that was the Rebbe's reason). Also, you have a tradition since the Baal Shem Tov of all of the Rebbeim speaking publicly in Yiddish. But with all of that said... it is interesting that the Rebbe would frequently encourage Russian speaking chassidim to speak Russian with him privately rather than Yiddish. Some people say this was nostalgia... who knows.

02-28-2011, 02:58 PM	#4
Shmully Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 138	There are many tapes of the Rebbe speaking English as well, usually in Yechidus. The Rebbe said Torah in Yiddish as all his predecessors the Rabbeim did. It is mentioned in Tanya Part IV (Iggeres Hakodesh), #25 (page 141a) that the Baal Shem Tov would transmit Torah in Yiddish

03-01-2011, 11:03 PM	#5
GreenEagle Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 66	I also saw a video of him speaking to an Israeli official in Hebrew.... so Yiddish, Hebrew, English, French, Russian... what other languages did he speak?

03-01-2011, 11:23 PM	#6
Torah613 ChabadTalk.com Elder! Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 11,716	http://www.chabadtalk.com/forum/showthread.php3?t=7123

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