As anyone going to a Jewish bookstore will attest, there is a plethora of Jewish books available in English today. What many may not realize is that translations of Jewish texts are as old as the Torah itself! Indeed no sooner had Moses completed the final compilation of the Torah, he was commanded by G-d to translate it into all the original seventy languages of the world. (For those with a historic bent, this occurred in the month of Shevat just prior to Moses’ passing 3287 years ago.)

But what was the reason for this original translation? Surely the Jews understood the original Hebrew of the Torah. More so, it is highly unlikely that other than a select few, they spoke any language other than Hebrew and Egyptian? The Jews had been slaves, not global travellers!

Various answers are given to this question, but I would like to share with you an explanation of the Lubavitcher Rebbe because it has practical and powerful application today. The Rebbe explains that G-d wanted the Jews to know from the very outset that the Torah could only fulfil its purpose if it was spread in all corners of the globe. Torah was never meant to be the tribal possession of just one tiny group of people. Rather it was the Jews’ responsibility to impart its central values and teachings to all humanity in a language that they could understand. If this was done faithfully and accurately, the translation would have all the sanctity of the G-d-given Torah itself.

As a small minority in a vast world, Jews have always had to deal with the question of how to “fit it”. There have been those who have advocated assimilation. And there are those who have advocated aloofness – “a nation within a nation”. But there is a third, far more powerful way: To be without and within at the very same time. To retain our Jewish values, teachings and identity – while at the very same time to use every opportunity to communicate the Torah’s core values and teachings to anyone we come in contact with. Indeed the Talmud places the responsibility on each and every one of us to teach the entire world the basic Laws of Humanity – commonly known as the Seven Noachide Commandments. Just as there is a mitzvah to eat kosher, to lay tephilin and to light Shabbat candles, there is a mitzvah to interact with the world and teach humanity G-d’s Laws.

You can find the laws themselves listed here. However the principles behind the laws are these:

• To believe in One G-d
• To believe that every human being is created in the image of G-d and worthy of respect
• To establish governance that will ensure that the conduct of all mankind is civilized (based on the Seven Noachide Laws)

In a world where those claiming to preach in G-d’s Name have transformed both Him and religion into a mockery, it is absolutely imperative that each and every one of us do whatever we can to communicate G-d’s authentic Laws of Humanity to all mankind.

Do whatever you can to familiarize yourself with Torah, its values and teachings so that you can fulfil your mission to impart its values far and wide to the very best of your ability!

Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM ~Shabbat Beshallach 5775