Aramaic—the language of Adam, and why angels do not understand Aramaic

Aramaic—the language of Adam, and why angels do not understand Aramaic

The Zohar HaKadosh (152) states: “Everything except the word Ele is said in Aramaic, which is called ‘translation.’ It asks: But if you say that this is because the holy angels do not understand the translation, that is, the Aramaic language, then surely everything should have been said in Hebrew, so that the holy angels could hear it and give thanks for it. It answers: This is precisely why it is written in the translation, that is, in Aramaic: because the holy angels do not hear or understand it, they will not envy people, which would harm the latter. For in this respect the holy angels are also called creators, and they are among the group of creators, but they did not create heaven and earth.” “Rabbi Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Adam, the first man, spoke Aramaic.” The meaning is that there is the Holy Tongue and the other 70 languages, which are not equal to it, since the Holy Tongue is a particular language [of one nation], just as the 70 languages are. In this respect, the Holy Tongue is similar to the 70 languages. But Adam, as the first man, needed to encompass all languages. A particular language was therefore unsuitable for him; rather, he had the Aramaic language, which was not considered a language, since it was not the language of a nation. Aramaic was the language of a particular nation, and it was given to the Chaldeans, concerning whom it is said: “Behold, the land of the Chaldeans shall not be a people.” We have explained this elsewhere, and this is not the place to discuss it. Since Adam encompassed all 70 languages, he did not have a particular language. All languages are divided into particular languages; therefore, he was given Aramaic, since he was Adam, and no other language was suitable for him except Aramaic. Maharal—Chiddushei Aggadot: “Rabbi Yochanan said: Whoever asks for his needs in Aramaic is ignored by the ministering angels, because the ministering angels do not understand Aramaic, and so forth. If you wish, say that this was Gabriel, as it is said: Gabriel came and taught him the seventy languages.” The ministering angels do not understand Aramaic. One may say that the angels understand no language except the Holy Tongue, and that this is a generalization, since it is stated (Bereishit Rabbah): “Do not regard the Aramaic language lightly, for the Torah accorded it honor.” Even such a language the angels do not understand [and certainly they do not understand the other languages, except for the Holy Tongue]. The meaning is that language is neither natural nor rational, but merely conventional. Therefore, the angels do not understand languages other than the Holy Tongue, for it possesses the highest degree, to the extent that it is close to the intellect; that is why it is called the Holy Tongue. This does not imply that the angels are unaware of the thoughts of the heart... Alternatively, one may say that there is an independent meaning to the assertion that the angels understand no language other than the Holy Tongue. Since the angel Gabriel is responsible for languages, and no two angels perform the same assignment or task, the angels understand no language except the Holy Tongue, because this language was not assigned to any angel. The Holy Tongue is unique, so that the Holy One, blessed be He, could speak with the prophets.... But the primary meaning is that the ministering angels do not understand Aramaic at all, because it is not called a language. As we explained in tractate Megillah (106), regarding: “And I gave Babylon a name, etc.,” they have neither script nor language. Aramaic is not included among the 70 languages, although it is clearly a language; it is not among the 70 languages created by the Holy One, blessed be He. Why is Aramaic not included among the 70 languages? Because it is stated in tractate Sukkah (52a) concerning the Chaldeans: “They shall not be a people.” It is said that the Holy One, blessed be He, became angry with them; therefore, their language, that is, Aramaic, is not among the 70 languages. Only the other languages are, even though they are not unique, since only the Holy Tongue is unique. Yet the other languages are not as far removed from them as Aramaic is, despite the statement: “Do not regard the Aramaic language lightly, for the Torah accorded it honor.” There is no difficulty in understanding this: the Torah accorded the Aramaic language honor, but Aramaic does not belong to the 70 languages of the nations of the world, since among the angels there are 70 appointed ministers over the 70 nations. Therefore, the angels have no connection with Aramaic, as I have already explained in several places regarding tractate Avot. Why Aramaic? “Rabbi Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Adam, the first man, spoke Aramaic.” The Maharal of Prague explains that the angels argued against creating man after learning that he would possess free will and the ability to sin. For the sin to which the angels refer, man was punished through the division of languages, while mastery of the language of the Targum (Aramaic), which is inaccessible to the angels, is connected precisely with free will. The angels understand no language except the Holy Tongue. Since only the angel Gabriel is responsible for languages, and no two angels perform the same assignment, the angels understand no language except the Holy Tongue. The language of the Targum—Aramaic—was assigned to none of the angels, but only to the archangel Gabriel. The ministering angels do not understand Aramaic at all, since it is not called a language; its essence is thought, and thought corresponds to the highest level, that is, the World to Come. The Holy One, blessed be He, became angry with the Chaldeans: “They shall not be a people.” Therefore, their language (Aramaic) is not among the 70 languages—for 70 angels were appointed over the 70 nations. Thus, the angels have no connection with Aramaic. Nevertheless, Bereishit Rabbah states: “Do not regard the Aramaic language lightly, for the Torah accorded it honor.” That is why holy books such as the Zohar HaKadosh and the Talmud were written in Aramaic, so that the angels would not envy man and would be unable to harm him (Maharal, Chiddushei Aggadot). Why is this subject so important to us? The matter is that many prayers were composed in Aramaic or translated into that language. This was done, as explained above, so that the angels would not obstruct the ascent of our prayers. It is not always because of jealousy, but also because of our many transgressions: we lack sufficient merit for our prayers to reach the Throne of Glory (chas v’shalom).  

Prayers and expressions in Aramaic

1. “Rachmana liba ba’i” —a Talmudic expression in Aramaic: “Rachmana” (G-d in Aramaic), “liba” (heart), “ba’i” (desires)—“G-d desires the heart.” This concise yet profound expression tells us that Hashem does not expect us to recite prayers stretching for miles. G-d wants us to turn to Him with all our hearts, with all our feelings and concerns. A segula from the Mekubalim for preparing oneself for prayer is to make a practice of learning and reciting these words before praying.   2. The piyyut of Rabbi Yisrael Najara —a disciple of the Arizal, toward whom the angels flew Ya Ribbon Olam (composed as an acrostic of Yisrael, the name of Rav Najara) Y Ya Ribbon Olam ve’alma, ant Hu Malka Melech malchaya, ovadei gevurata ve-timhaya, shefar kadamai le-hachavaya. Sh Shevachin asader tzafra ve-rashma, lach Elaha kadisha, bore kol nafsha, irin kadishin u-vnei enasha, chevat bara ve-of shemaya. R Ravrevin ovadach ve-takifin, machik remaya zakif kefifin, lu yehei gevar shenin alfin, lo ye’ul gevurata be-chushbanaya. E Elaha dilei yekar u-rvuta. Perok yat anach mi-pum aryavata, ve-apek yat ammach mi-go galuta, ammach di bechart mi-kol ammaya. L Le-mikdashach tuv, u-le-kodesh kodashin, atar di bei yechedun ruchin ve-nafshin, vi-zamerun lach shirin ve-rachshin bi-Yerushalayim karta de-shufraya. More about Rav Yisrael Najara here: 1 тамуза йорцайт раби исраэля бен мош   3. Rabbeinu Chida’s prayer against ayin hara in Aramaic “I adjure all forms of the evil eye against them. Ayina uchma, ayina tzeruva, ayina techeilta, ayina yeruka, ayina aruka, ayina ketzara, ayina rechava, ayina tzara, ayina yeshara, ayina akuma, ayina agula, ayina shoka’at, ayina boleta, ayina roa, ayina mabeta, ayina boka’at, ayina sho’eva, ayina di-dechura, ayina de-nukva, ayina de-ish ve-ishto. The eye of a woman and her daughter, the eye of a woman and her female relative, the eye of a young man, the eye of an old man, the eye of an old woman, the eye of a virgin, the eye of a married woman, the eye of a widow, the eye of a married woman, the eye of a divorced woman. All forms of the evil eye that exist in the world, that have seen, looked upon, or spoken with the evil eye against (state the name), we decree and adjure you by that same eye: disappear. The holy eye, the one eye, the white eye, the eye that will be white as white, the eye that encompasses every white eye, the eye of the right side, the open eye, the eye of constant supervision, the eye that encompasses all mercy, the eye that will be merciful as a white mercy, the eye that encompasses all mercy, the eye that does not rise above the eyebrows, the eye that neither sleeps nor slumbers, the eye of all evil eyes—let them be subdued and sealed, all of them, from before Him. The eye that watches over Israel, as it is written: ‘Behold, He neither slumbers nor sleeps, the Guardian of Israel.’ And it is written: ‘Behold, the eye of the L-rd is toward those who fear Him, toward those who hope for His kindness.’ With the power of the higher eye, I decree and adjure against you all forms of the evil eye: that you turn away, retreat, flee, and distance yourselves from (state the name) and from all the members of his household (for a woman: her household), and that they have no power to rule over (name) or over all the members of his household (for a woman: her household), neither by day nor by night, neither while awake nor in a dream; not through any limb of the (248) limbs, nor through any sinew of the (365) sinews (for a woman: not through any limb of her limbs, nor through any sinew of her sinews), from now and forever. Amen, eternally, Selah, forever and ever.” More details here: Rabbeinu Chida's Prayer Against the Evil Eye in Aramaic   4. Selichot—Aramaic passages Chazon Ovadia teaches that the Aramaic sections of Selichot and the prayer “Vaya’avor” (in Aramaic) are not recited before chatzot, because “Vaya’avor” is the climax of Selichot. “Vaya’avor Hashem al-panav va-yikra”—this is the most important part of Selichot; it enumerates the 13 Middot of Rachamim. “Vaya’avor Hashem al-panav va-yikra,” Rabbi Yochanan said: “Had this not been written explicitly in the text, we could not have said such a thing: this verse teaches us that G-d wrapped Himself in a tallit (as in prayer) and showed Moses how to pray. He said to him: ‘Whenever Israel sins, let them perform this service before Me, and I will forgive them.’” (Masechet Rosh Hashanah (p. 17)) The segula of “Vaya’avor”: Selichot contains a pasuk in Aramaic: - The chazzan (Shaliach Tzibbur) says: “Rachamana idkar lan kayama de-Avraham rechima” (Merciful One, remember for us the merit of Abraham), - The congregation responds: “Bedil vaya’avor”—literally, “do it for us.” The Mekubalim teach that one should read it not as “do it for us,” but as “because of Vaya’avor.” And afterward, many times, we ask for forgiveness: remember the covenant with Isaac, Jacob, and so forth. For all of this, the congregation asks: “Bedil vaya’avor” (because of Vaya’avor)—that is, because of the covenant that You made to forgive, forgive us. Even without a minyan, Aramaic pesukim are not recited (which indicates their significance). More details here: The Arizal's Sephardic Selichot from Rosh Chodesh Elul and the Segula of “Vaya'avor”   5. Parashat HaMan The prayer of Parashat HaMan is an example of the difference between prayer in Hebrew and in Aramaic. The passage of Parashat HaMan itself appears in the Torah, in Parashat Beshalach, and it would seem that everyone could read it without restriction. However, the Sages composed a special prayer—a segula—to read Parashat HaMan on Tuesday of the week of Beshalach (the channel for this prayer) in a special manner, in the format of “Shnayim Mikra ve-Echad Targum.” This is a threefold reading of the “portion of the Man”—twice in Hebrew and once in Aramaic. Each sentence is repeated three times: twice as “mikra” (in Hebrew) and once as “Targum” (in Aramaic). The text of the prayer is available at the link: Parashat HaMan in the format of "Shnayim Mikra ve-Echad Targum" - Aramaic   6. Petach Eliyahu Patach Eliyahu — Transliteration and Russian Translation (exclusively on our site)   (Yeshiva “Yodei Binah” on Bereishit Rabbah, Rabbi Michael Nosovsky - http://berkovich-zametki.com/AStarina/Nomer10/MN47.htm)