From: Lisa
Dear Rabbi,
Was Hebrew the first language spoken by mankind? If so, how did Adam and Eve know how to speak it? And what was the origin of the other languages? Why didn’t G‑d want all peoples to speak the same language? If Hebrew was the first language spoken by all, is there any possibility that one day it will be restored as such?
Dear Lisa,
The Holy Tongue is the language of G‑d and therefore preceded Creation. The Sages (Avot 5:1) taught that G‑d actually created through the venue of language – “speaking” Existence into being. The Talmud (Berachot 55a) reveals that this was through the mystical power of the Hebrew letters and vowels. Sefer Yetzira, a very ancient Kabbalistic work, is devoted in large measure to elaborating on this in great detail.
G‑d, who imparted within mankind, Adam and Eve, the divine power of speech, placed on their tongues and infused within their hearts the ability to speak His language, Hebrew. And Adam used this power and knowledge to complete Creation by conferring precise Hebrew descriptions, i.e. names, for all living things.
Initially, the early generations following Adam and Eve spoke Hebrew, and it was G‑d’s intention that the Holy language would unite and empower humanity to realize the purpose of Creation, namely that people serve G‑d as one.
However, when mankind united with the power of Hebrew not to serve G‑d, but to rebel against and “dethrone” Him, referred to in the Torah (Gen. 11:1-9) as their attempt to build a tower that would reach to heaven to war against G‑d, the Creator saved them from bringing destruction upon themselves by confusing their language and thereby foiling their plans.
No longer privileged with the holy language on their tongues and in their hearts, humanity became confused, muddled and mundane. In this way their ill-used unity was undone, their language became babbled and they dispersed across the earth.
Since G‑d did intend that mankind be unified, elevated and empowered by Hebrew in order to attain perfection and to perfect Creation, eventually the Holy Tongue will again be spoken by all.
Interestingly, many of the early founders of America, inspired by biblical themes of servitude and redemption, meriting the Promised Land, and building a perfected society actually favored making Hebrew the language of the great nation they envisioned. Considering how ubiquitous English is today, the consolidation of communication and the major role the United States has had on the world, just imagine how many people would be speaking Hebrew world-wide if Ben Franklin had gotten his way.
Perhaps G‑d divinely deflected this outcome in order to prevent the Holy Tongue from being babbled by people and about topics to which the modern world has digressed. But when Mashiach will inspire and guide humanity back to G‑d, and people will be speaking less about less and more about more, Hebrew will be restored among all people who choose to be thereby elevated and united as one nation, under G‑d, indivisible, with spirituality and G‑dliness for all!
