MEET THE MAVEN Part I

1. MEET THE MAVEN Part I May 2010

5. Story Nations and peoples are largely the stories they feed themselves. If they tell themselves stories that are lies, they will suffer the future consequences of those lies. If they tell themselves stories that face their own truths, they will free their histories for future flowerings. Ben Okri Ben Okri (born 1959) is a Nigerian author and poet, awarded the Booker Prize in 1991 and is often described as one of Africa's greatest writers.

6. Torah Ritual Torah reading became an act of standing again at Sinai and also of rehearsing the master story of the Jewish people… During this ritual, each synagogue becomes for the moment a bit of Sinai, but even more so, it becomes a temporary Jerusalem: the place where Torah continues to be proclaimed and studied in each and every generation. Ruth Langer Ruth Langer is Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at Boston College Image: Secret Torah Service in the Warsaw Ghetto, 1941

7. Indeed, the Torah became the bedrock of Judaism not so much by assertion as by ritual…The synagogue developed into the national theaterin which Scripture and liturgy converged to reenact weekly the awesome transmission of Torah at Sinai. Every aspect of the ritual was meant to convey the numinous quality of the original drama.   The diffusion of theology requires ritual.Modern Jews are at risk not because they have lost their faith, but because they have lost their appreciation for ritual. Rabbi Ismar Schorsch Rabbi Ismar Schorsch is the former Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary

8. Translation 'Translation it is that openeth the window, to let in the light; that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most holy place.' (From the translators’ introduction to the King James Bible, 1611)

9. Meet the Maven Maven is a modern American adaptation of a Yiddish expression, originally a Hebrew word, meaning ‘expert’ or ‘teacher’. The word originates in the Bible to describe the role of the oral translator/interpreter of Hebrew Scripture into local language. The maven served as the tribal storyteller, bridging the past and the present, the written legacy with contemporary realities. ‘And the Levites enabled the people to understand the Torah’ וְהַלְוִיִּם מְבִינִים אֶת-הָעָם לַתּוֹרָה (Nehemiah, 8:7) The Hebrew title ‘Maven’ was later replaced by the Aramaic ‘Meturgeman’. This profession was a vital feature within the Jewish community for over 1,500 years and was gradually phased out during the early middle ages, replaced by the rabbinic sermon.

10. Maven - History From the days of Ezra the custom was to have a translator (meturgeman) translating for the people as the reader read aloud from the Torah so that they will understand the content. The reader would read one verse and then fall silent, until the translator would translate, and then the reader would read the next verse, and so forth. The reader was not allowed to read more than one verse at a time. Maimonides, Laws of Prayer 12:1

11. Maven - History THE METURGEMAN   / BySolomon Schechter/from The Jewish Encyclopedia With the return of the exiles from captivity in Babylon the religious instruction of the people was put into the hands of the Levites. These functionaries were called ("teachers"). At a later time, when Aramaic had become the vernacular, and religious instruction had ceased to be the exclusive privilege of the priesthood, the Levitic ("teacher") gave way to the lay ("interpreter," "translator"), called also or . The official was paid probably by the community. The weekly lesson from the Pentateuch and the Prophets was read by a member of the congregation, and the meturgeman had to translate into the vernacular verse by verse; from the Prophets he translated three verses at a time. While the reader of the Hebrew text was forbidden to recite by heart, the meturgeman was not permitted to read his translation from a book, or to look at the Hebrew text when translating, in order that the people should not think that the translation was contained in the text. He did not limit himself to a mere literal translation, but dilated upon the Biblical contents, bringing in haggadic elements, illustrations from history, and references to topics of the day. This naturally required much time, to gain which the weekly lesson had to be short, so that the Pentateuch was finished only in a cycle of three or three and one-half years. The free handling of the text, which frequently changed the translation into a sermon or homily, gave the meturgeman ample opportunity to introduce his subjective views into the lesson; and with the multiplication of sects this became distasteful to the Rabbis. The increase in the opposition to the meturgeman led to the fixation of the Targumim and to the demand that the meturgeman keep strictly to mere translation. But a mere translation satisfied neither the public, who had known the text from early school-days, nor the meturgeman, who was deprived of an opportunity to parade his knowledge and to display his oratorical gifts. As a consequence the "darshan," or preacher, was introduced; and the literal translation fell gradually into disuse.

12. Who is a Maven? Mavens are Information specialists…To be a maven is to be a teacher. But it is also, even more empathically, to be a student. Maven are really information brokers, sharing and trading what they know. …There is something about the personal expert opinion of a Maven that makes us all sit up and listen. Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell (born 1963) is a New York City author and journalist.

13. According to rabbinic sources and historical documents it seems that the professional Maven was a local Jewish scholar, paid for by the community, and expected to master the following skills: • Fluency in Biblical Hebrew • Fluency in Aramaic – the spoken vernacular of the time • Judaic scholarship • Performance/oratory skill

14. Origins of the Maven א וַיֵּאָֽסְפוּ כָל-הָעָם כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד אֶל-הָרְחוֹב אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי שַֽׁעַר-הַמָּיִם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ לְעֶזְרָא הַסֹּפֵר לְהָבִיא אֶת-סֵפֶר תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: ב וַיָּבִיא עֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן אֶֽת-הַתּוֹרָה לִפְנֵי הַקָּהָל מֵאִישׁ וְעַד-אִשָּׁה וְכֹל מֵבִין לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי: ג וַיִּקְרָא-בוֹ לִפְנֵי הָרְחוֹב אֲשֶׁר | לִפְנֵי שַֽׁעַר-הַמַּיִם מִן-הָאוֹר עַד-מַֽחֲצִית הַיּוֹם נֶגֶד הָֽאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַמְּבִינִים וְאָזְנֵי כָל-הָעָם אֶל-סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה All the people gathered themselves together as one into the open place that was before the water gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Torah of Moses, which God had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the Torah before the congregation, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it in front of the open place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the Torah. Nehemiah 8:1-12 Nehemiah, a Jewish leader from the tribe of Judah, helped to lead the Jewish return to Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile in 459 BCE. He initiated the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple and is believed to be the primary author of the Biblical Book of Nehemiah.

15. ד וַיַּֽעֲמֹד עֶזְרָא הַסֹּפֵר עַל-מִגְדַּל-עֵץ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לַדָּבָר וַיַּֽעֲמֹד אֶצְלוֹ מַתִּתְיָה וְשֶׁמַע וַֽעֲנָיָה וְאֽוּרִיָּה וְחִלְקִיָּה וּמַֽעֲשֵׂיָה עַל-יְמִינוֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ פְּדָיָה וּמִֽישָׁאֵל וּמַלְכִּיָּה וְחָשֻׁם וְחַשְׁבַּדָּנָה זְכַרְיָה מְשֻׁלָּֽם: ה וַיִּפְתַּח עֶזְרָא הַסֵּפֶר לְעֵינֵי כָל-הָעָם כִּֽי-מֵעַל כָּל-הָעָם הָיָה וּכְפִתְחוֹ עָֽמְדוּ כָל-הָעָֽם: ו וַיְבָרֶךְ עֶזְרָא אֶת-יְהֹוָה הָאֱלֹהִים הַגָּדוֹל וַיַּֽעֲנוּ כָל-הָעָם אָמֵן | אָמֵן בְּמֹעַל יְדֵיהֶם וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ לַיהֹוָה אַפַּיִם אָֽרְצָה: ז וְיֵשׁוּעַ וּבָנִי וְשֵׁרֵֽבְיָה | יָמִין עַקּוּב שַׁבְּתַי | הֽוֹדִיָּה מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה קְלִיטָא עֲזַרְיָה יֽוֹזָבָד חָנָן פְּלָאיָה וְהַלְוִיִּם מְבִינִים אֶת-הָעָם לַתּוֹרָה וְהָעָם עַל-עָמְדָֽם: ח וַיִּקְרְאוּ בַסֵּפֶר בְּתוֹרַת הָֽאֱלֹהִים מְפֹרָשׁ וְשׂוֹם שֶׂכֶל וַיָּבִינוּ בַּמִּקְרָֽא And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people--for he was above all the people--and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered: 'Amen, Amen', with the lifting up of their hands; and they bowed their heads, and fell down before God with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites enabled the people to understand the Torah; and the people stood in their place. And they read in the book, the Torah of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. :

16. ט וַיּאמֶר נְחֶמְיָה הוּא הַתִּרְשָׁתָא וְעֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן הַסֹּפֵר וְהַלְוִיִּם הַמְּבִינִים אֶת-הָעָם לְכָל-הָעָם הַיּוֹם קָדֹֽשׁ-הוּא לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם אַל-תִּֽתְאַבְּלוּ וְאַל-תִּבְכּוּ כִּי בוֹכִים כָּל-הָעָם כְּשָׁמְעָם אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה: י וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לְכוּ אִכְלוּ מַשְׁמַנִּים וּשְׁתוּ מַמְתַּקִּים וְשִׁלְחוּ מָנוֹת לְאֵין נָכוֹן לוֹ כִּֽי-קָדוֹשׁ הַיּוֹם לַֽאֲדֹנֵינוּ וְאַל-תֵּעָצֵבוּ כִּֽי-חֶדְוַת יְהֹוָה הִיא מָֽעֻזְּכֶֽם: יא וְהַֽלְוִיִּם מַחְשִׁים לְכָל-הָעָם לֵאמֹר הַסּוּ כִּי-הַיּוֹם קָדֹשׁ וְאַל-תֵּֽעָצֵֽבוּ: יב וַיֵּֽלְכוּ כָל-הָעָם לֶֽאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וּלְשַׁלַּח מָנוֹת וְלַעֲשׂוֹת שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה כִּי הֵבִינוּ בַּדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר הוֹדִיעוּ לָהֶם: נחמיה ח': א'-י"ב And Nehemiah, who was the Governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people: 'This day is holy to the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep.' For all the people wept, when they heard the words of Torah. Then he said unto them: 'Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our God; neither be you grieved; for the joy of the God is your strength.' And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: 'Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be you grieved.' And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. Nehemiah 8:1-12

17. Maven Restored תרגום של תורה אונקלוס הגר אמרו מפי ר' אליעזר ור' יהושע אמרו והא אמר רב איקא בר אבין אמר רב חננאל אמר רב מאי ויקראו בספר תורת האלהים מפורש ושום שכל ויבינו במקרא ויקראו בספר תורת האלהים זה מקרא מפורש זה תרגום ושום שכל אלו הפסוקין ויבינו במקרא אלו פיסקי טעמים ואמרי לה אלו המסורת שכחום וחזרו ויסדום תלמוד בבלי, מגילה ג. ‘The Translation of Torah was authored by Onkelos the Proselyte’ – but didn’t Rav Ika Bar Rabin in the name of Rav Chananel teach, based on Nehemiah 9: So they read in the book in the Torah of God – this is Scripture; Clearly – this is translation; And gave the interpretation – this is the trope; So that they understood the reading – This is the Mesorah, and some say the breakup of verses. The translation tradition was forgotten, But they restored the tradition. Babylonian Talmud, Megilla 3

18. Maven - Sample לֹא-תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי, בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ ‘Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.’ EXODUS 23:19 Jewish Publication Society Bible לא תיכלון בשר בחלב You will not eat meat with milk. Targum Onkelos

19. Maven - rules Maven Must #6 ר' שמואל בר רב יצחק עאל לכנישתא חמא חד ספר מושט תרגומא מן גו סיפרא א"ל אסור לך דברים שנאמרו בפה בפה דברים שנאמרו בכתב בכתב Rabbi Samuel Bar Rav Isaac entered a synagogue and saw a teacher presenting a translation from a book. He said to him – it is forbidden to do so – words that have been transmitted orally must be transmitted orally, and words that have been written must be presented in writing. Jerusalem Talmud, Megillah 4. Maven Must #7 תנו רבנן: בתורה אחד קורא ואחד מתרגם, ובלבד שלא יהא אחד קורא ושנים מתרגמין. ובנביא אחד קורא ושנים מתרגמין, ובלבד שלא יהו שנים קורין ושנים מתרגמין. ובהלל ובמגילה - אפילועשרה קורין ועשרה מתרגמין. מאי טעמא? כיון דחביבה - יהבי דעתייהו ושמעי. Our Rabbis taught: As regards the Torah, one reads and one translates, and in no case must one read and two translate together. As regards the Prophets, one reads and two may translate, but in no case may two read and two translate. As regards Hallel and the Scroll of Esther, even ten may read and ten may translate. What is the reason? Since the people like it, they pay attention and hear. Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 21:

20. Maven - Evolution And for your question about the habit of the people of Sfarad [Spain] to abandon the Targum completely whereas we see in some places in the Talmud that it is a Mitzvah - should we rebuke them or do they have a legitimacy to abandon the Targum and therefore have no sin? It is clear that not only in the Talmud have we found a mitzvah of Targum and its instructions, but also in our Mishna: "The reader of the Torah should not read less than three sentences and not read to the translator more than one sentence.." … Are all these words of no significance? Not at all! for it is the Prophets who established these things to Israel. And we did not know that in Spain they had abandoned the Targum until now, and this habit is not good. And even if the sole reason is that the whole of Israel should have one custom and this community does something differently – it is enough. And we do not know why and when they abandoned it, please inform us so we can write to them the right thing to do. -The Responsa of Rav Hai Gaon Rav Hai Gaon (939 – 1038 CE) , Head of the Yeshiva in Pumbedita, and is consider ed to be the last of the Great Geonim.

21. ‘We the translators of Scripture have a modest task: to take care that a human ear which the voice reaches from any passage of Scripture be able to receive that voice more easily and more clearly. Do we mean the Book? We mean the Voice. Do we mean that people learn to read it? We mean that people should learn to hear it.’ Martin Buber Maven - Mission

22. MEET THE MAVEN End of PART I History of the Maven

23. MEET THE MAVEN PART II Translation or Interpretation?

24. 6 Maven Must #1 והתניא, ר' יהודה אומר: המתרגם פסוק כצורתו - הרי זה בדאי, והמוסיף עליו - הרי זה מחרף ומגדף. אלא מאי תרגום- תרגום דידן. תלמוד בבלי, מס' קידושין, דף מ"ט ע"א It was taught: Rabbi Judah said: If one translates a verse literally, one is a liar; if one adds anything, one is a blasphemer and accused of libel. And what is the proper translation – Our Translation.* * Our Translation refers to the Targum Onkelos Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin 49. Rabbi Judah Ben Ilay, a Fourth Generation Tan’a (2nd century CE), lived in Usha, Gallillee, a student of Rabbi Akiva, and one of the five rabbis ordained secretly by Rabbi Judah Ben Bava during the Great Revolt.

25. MEET THE MAVEN End of PART II Translation or Interpretation?

26. MEET THE MAVEN PART III The Maven Rules

27. 6 Maven Must #2 ואין המתרגם רשאי להתחיל בתרגום - עד שיכלה פסוק מפי הקוראֹ ואין הקורא רשאי להתחיל בפסוק אחר - עד שיכלה תרגום מפי המתרגם תלמוד בבלי מסכת סוטה ל"ט ע"ב The translator is not permitted to begin the translation until the reader had completed the verse; and the reader is not permitted to begin another verse until the translator had completed the translation of the preceding verse. Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sotah 39 Maven Must #3 כך שנו רבותינו המתרגם אסור לו להסתכל בס"ת ולתרגם כדי שלא יאמרו תרגום כתוב בתורה מדרש תנחומא וירא פרק ה The translator may not look at the Torah scroll while translating so that it will not be said: the translation is written in the Torah. Midrash Tanchuma Vayera 5 Midrash Tanhuma is the name given to three different collections of Biblical interpretive midrashim, estimated to be written or edited during the 9th century CE ; two are extant, while the third is known only through citations.

28. 6 Maven Must #4 ר' שמואל בר רב יצחק עאל לכנישתא חמא חד בר נש קאים מתרגם סמיך לעמודא א"ל אסור לך כשם שניתנהבאימה וביראה כך אנו צריכין לנהוג בה באימה וביראה Rabbi Samuel the son of Rabbi Isaac entered a synagogue and saw the translator leaning on a podium. He said: you must not do this, for just as the Torah was given with great awe and reverence so we must act with awe and reverence. Maven Must #5 ר' שמואל בר רב יצחק עאל לכנישתא חמא חונה קאים מתרגם ולא מקים בר נש תחתוהי א"ל אסור לך כשם שניתנה ע"י סרסור כך אנו צריכין לנהוג בה ע"י סרסור Rabbi Samuel the son of Rabbi Isaac entered a synagogue and saw the Torah Reader chanting and translating by himself. He said: You must not do this, for just as the Torah was given to the people through a mediator so must we act, and only transmit Torah through a mediator. Jerusalem Talmud, Megillah 4.

29. 6 Maven Must #6 ר' שמואל בר רב יצחק עאל לכנישתא חמא חד ספר מושט תרגומא מן גו סיפרא א"ל אסור לך דברים שנאמרו בפה בפה דברים שנאמרו בכתב בכתב Rabbi Samuel Bar Rav Isaac entered a synagogue and saw a teacher presenting a translation from a book. He said to him – it is forbidden to do so – words that have been transmitted orally must be transmitted orally, and words that have been written must be presented in writing. Jerusalem Talmud, Megillah 4. Maven Must #7 תנו רבנן: בתורה אחד קורא ואחד מתרגם, ובלבד שלא יהא אחד קורא ושנים מתרגמין. ובנביא אחד קורא ושנים מתרגמין, ובלבד שלא יהו שנים קורין ושנים מתרגמין. ובהלל ובמגילה - אפילועשרה קורין ועשרה מתרגמין. מאי טעמא? כיון דחביבה - יהבי דעתייהו ושמעי. Our Rabbis taught: As regards the Torah, one reads and one translates, and in no case must one read and two translate together. As regards the Prophets, one reads and two may translate, but in no case may two read and two translate. As regards Hallel and the Scroll of Esther, even ten may read and ten may translate. What is the reason? Since the people like it, they pay attention and hear. Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 21:

30. The true goal of the soul is translation. Only when a thing has been translated does it become truly vocal, no longer ignored. Only in the Septuagint has Revelation come to be in the world, and as long as Homer did not speak Latin he was not a fact. The same holds good for the translation from one person to another. Franz Rosenzweig Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) an influential Jewish-German theologian and philosopher.

32. MEET THE MAVEN End of PART III The Maven Rules