TARBUT - CULTURE

And behold, you have risen in your fathers ' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel!

Numbers 32:14 (ESV)

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INTRODUCTION

For centuries, the Hebrew language was in a dormant state. Then, finally, in the late 19th century, a revival began. Quite a few words were borrowed from the English or Slavic languages, only to be replaced later on with Hebrew ones. One of them happened to be the word for culture, in Hebrew tarbut.

A GREAT REVIVAL

Among the nations, ancient Hebrews were scattered. Their language became dormant. In the 19th century, a revival began. In the process, certain words were borrowed from the English and Slavic languages, like the word for culture. Later on, slowly, new Hebrew words have been steadily selected to replace some of them. (2)

LET IT BE TARBUT

Rabbi Zeev Yabetz decided that the word culture needed its Hebrew counterpart. He chose the Hebrew word tarbut. The word means "brood" and is rooted in the word rav, meaning "many". So the original meaning of this word is ‘a large group of people.’ (2)

Per Rabbi Zeev Yabetz, culture is, after all, the aggregate of many customs, traditions, and values of a particular group of people. (2)

EAST VERSUS WEST

The ancient Hebrew culture was very different from the modern culture we see today. Actually, it died out at the rise of the Greek culture, which influenced all the following cultures, including the Roman and European cultures, the American culture, and even the modern Hebrew culture in Israel today. (3)

CONCRETE THOUGHT VERSUS ABSTRACT THOUGHT

Ancient Hebrew culture was based on concrete thought, unlike the Greek culture that saw the world through the mind (abstract thought). Concrete thought is all about the senses, all five of them. It is the expression of concepts and ideas in ways that can be seen, touched, smelled, tasted, and/or heard. (3)

Abstract thought, in contrast, is the expression of concepts and ideas in ways that cannot be seen, touched, smelled, tasted, or heard. (3)

A good example is the word awph, which literally translates into "nose", but its meaning is anger, since a Hebrew sees anger as "the flaring of the nose (nostrils). (3)

APPEARANCE VERSUS FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION

Greek describes words and objects based on their appearance. Hebrew, on the other hand, bases the description on the function. (3)

A good example is the word ayil, which means both deer stag (a strong leader among animals of the forest) and oak tree (a strong leader among trees). (3)

IMPERSONAL VERSUS PERSONAL DESCRIPTION

Greek describes objects in relation to the object itself. The Hebrew culture describes objects in relation to the Hebrew himself. The description of God is a good example. In Greek, we would say "God is love", while in Hebrew, they say "God loves me". (3)

PASSIVE VERSUS ACTIVE NOUNS

In Greek, nouns are words that refer to a person, place, or thing and are usually passive. Hebrew nouns refer to the action of a person, place, or thing. For instance, the words for knee and gift derive from the same root, because they are related in action. (3)

YESHUA AND THE HEBREW CULTURE

Yeshua was very much a man of words as well as of action. Even more so of action. The message He preached, He embodied.

He was an observant Hebrew. He visited the synagogue on Shabbats and taught the people, as was a custom in the Hebrew culture. He was circumcised and had been brought to the temple on the eighth day for dedication.

Culture mattered to Him, but not above the Truth. The worship of God in truth and in spirit was more important. He was not afraid to go against the norms if they were not in accordance with the Word of God.

CONCLUSION

The Hebrew culture died out when the Greek culture was on the rise. The new modern Israeli culture is heavily influenced by the Greek culture, as are all the others too. There is a big difference between them. One is rooted more in abstract thought, appearance, impersonal description, and the usage of passive nouns. The other is based more on concrete thought, describing things through the five senses from a personal and functional perspective using active nouns. The Hebrew word for culture is tarbut, and is rooted in the word rav, meaning many.

Application

Father God, I wish to know you more in a personal manner as the God who loves me. Let me experience you in ways that I have never experienced you before in this upcoming week. Amen!

SOURCES

1. Image created via canva.com.

2. Shamai Leibowitz. ‘Culture Shock’: The Hebrew word for ‘culture’. Aug 6, 2024. Available at https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/culture-shock-the-hebrew-word-for-culture/

3. Jeff A. Benner. Ancient Hebrew Thought. Available at https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/philosophy/ancient-hebrew-thought.htm