The fifth of the Five Books of Moses describes the final 37 days of Moses’ life. During this time, Moses repeats many of the laws he has already taught, rebukes the people, and retells some of the major happenings of the previous 40 years.
Moses also takes on a new role: translator. Until this point, Moses had been the conveyer of the Torah, communicating the Divine wisdom to the Jewish people, but now he translated it into 70 languages for them.
His audience, the Children of Israel about to enter the Promised Land, all spoke Hebrew and had no practical use for a translation in Egyptian, Babylonian, or Cantonese. Centuries later, when the translation of the Torah would become an important priority, would it not suffice for the great scholars of the time to translate it? Why did Moses himself have to dedicate the last days of his life to this extensive task?
Language captures culture. It’s not enough to translate the word; each language captures a unique perspective, a distinctive way of understanding the world, which is why translation is a tricky business. Moses understood this. He knew that translating the Torah was not simply a pragmatic matter that could be left to future generations. G‑d’s infinite will and wisdom is relevant not just in Hebrew and not just to the people living in ancient Israel. The Torah is the ultimate truth, and applicable to all places, times, and cultures, and therefore can, and must, be translated into all languages by someone who deeply understands the nuances and sensitivities.
There is also a deep mystical significant to the translation. The goal of the Torah is to unite all people with the one G‑d. The 70 languages, by contrast, are a source of division. Initially, all people spoke one language, leading to a deep sense of unity, which they tried to preserve by constructing the Tower of Babel. G‑d, however, disrupted their unity by confusing their language and forcing them to scatter across the earth. The act of translating the Torah, therefore, is an awesome spiritual undertaking—one so radical it had to be spearheaded by Moses himself. The act of translation is the bridge which brings the unity of G‑d into the diversity of existence. It is the thread that transforms diversity into harmony.
As we read about the last precious days of Moses’ life, we take this message to heart. We understand that, yes, the message of the Torah is as true in ancient Hebrew as it is in modern English. We remind ourselves that we too must be translators of the Torah, carrying on the task of connecting the plurality of existence with the oneness of G‑d, and revealing that the incredible diversity of the universe is an expression of the one G‑d.
-adapted from www.chabad.org
