Unlocking the Mysteries of the Hebrew Language

Perhaps those Jews would feel more connected to Israel, the Jewish people, and Judaism if they learned, or were taught, Hebrew. But understanding that language, especially in its biblical form, does more than that: it reveals the layers of meaning within sacred texts and fundamental religious concepts. Alan Rubenstein, in a moving tribute to his late Hebrew teacher Robert Sacks—with whom he also studied Homer and much else—gives an example of the mysterious workings of the holy tongue: