EXPLICIT WRITING & THE 72 ELDERS
(דברים כז, ח) הזאת באר היטבוכתבת על האבנים את כל דברי התורה
You should write upon the stones all the words of this Torah, very clearly
What was written on the stones?
- Abarbanel: The Ten Commandments, just as was inscribed at Har Sinai.
- Rav Saadia Gaon: A list of 613 commandments, the obligations of the people.
- Ralbag: The blessings and curses at Har Gerizim and Har Aival which are later in this chapter.
- Metzudas Dovid: The Book of Devarim
- Ramban: The entire Torah, as the authoritative text to be visible and accessible to all.
What is meant by written “very clearly” באר היטב ?
- Bechor Shor: the letters should be easily seen and read.
- Rabbi Dovid Hoffman: placement of the stones and the writing were publicly testifying to the eternal law of the land.
- Abarbanel: a reenactment of the covenant at Har Sinai (compared to mezuzah at the entrance to the Jewish home; so these stones would make a declaration at the entrance to the Jewish land).
- Rashi (Medrash): written in seventy languages (accessible to all the people of the world).
- Kedushas Levi: The inscriptions on the monoliths were intended to show the nations that the Jewish people earned the right to the Land, because they accepted the Torah while the other nations rejected it, and they had to be translated in seventy languages so that all the nations would understand the message.
What was the translation by the 72 Elders (sometimes called the Septuagint)?
At the beginning of the period of the Second Beis HaMikdash, the Second Temple, the people of Israel lived under Persian dominion. After the fall of the Persian Empire, Greece inherited her place, and Israel was subjugated to Greece. Ptolemy (285-247 BCE), one of the Greek Kings who succeeded Alexander (The 'Great') of Macedonia, wanted the Jewish Sages to translate the Torah into Greek.
The way he went about it, however, proved his motives were highly questionable. He did not assemble the Jewish scholars all in one place so that they might consult each other on the translation.
King Ptolemy once gathered 72 Elders. He placed them in 72 chambers, each Elder in a separate one, without revealing to them why they were summoned. He entered each one's room and said: 'Write for me the Torah of Moshe, your teacher.' G-d put it in the heart of each one to translate identically as all the others did' (Megillah 9).
Ptolemy found that each translation was exactly the same as the other. Even in places where the Sages intentionally altered the literal translation, the results were still identical; this constituted an "open miracle" and public sanctification of G-d's Name.
If the interpretations of the Elders had varied widely, it would not blemish either the Torah or its interpreters in Jewish eyes, since we know that the Torah is open to different interpretations. To non-Jews, however, any dispute in interpreting the Torah would cast blemish on the Torah, and on the Torah Scholars who interpret it. G-d in His infinite mercy, allowed all 72 scholars to translate the Torah identically.
If all the Elders were to translate the Torah literally, that might have provoked Ptolemy or create misconceptions. However, HaShem intervened and placed common ideas in the minds of the translators.
The Gemara (Megillah 9) lists 14 verses that all 72 Elders independently and intentionally altered the literal translation:
- Translated “G-d created in the beginning”
Avoiding the impression that one created a second one
בראשית ברא אלקים (בראשית א,א) - Translated “I will make man in an image and form”
Avoiding the impression of multiple deities; or not to attribute an image or form to G-d
נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו (בראשית א,כו) - Translated “And He finished on the sixth day and He rested on the seventh day”
Avoiding the impression that G-d worked on Shabbos
ויכל אלקים ביום השביעי (בראשית ב,ב) - Translated “male and female He created each one”
Avoiding the impression that the two humans were created each a composite of male and female
זכר ונקבה בראם (בראשית ה,ב) - Translated “Come let Me descend and let Me confuse their language”
Avoiding the impression of duality in regards to G-d
הבה נרדה ונבלה שם (בראשית יא,ז) - Translated “and Sarah laughed among her relatives saying”
Avoiding the impression of Divine favoritism
ותצחק שרה בקרבה (בראשית יח,יב) - Translated “that in their anger the killed an ox”
Avoiding the impression that our ancestors were murderers
כי באפם הרגו איש (בראשית מט,ו) - Translated “and Moshe took his wife and children and set them upon a carrier of people”
Avoiding the impression that Moshe had to transport his family on a lowly donkey
וירכבם על החמור (שמות ד,כ) - Translated “and the settlements of the Jews which were in Egypt and in the other lands were 430 years”
Avoiding confusion about the years the Jews were in Egypt
ישבו במצרים שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה (שמות יב,מ) - Translated “and he sent the ‘zaatytei’ of the children of Israel”
Avoiding the impression that the Jews send unimportant people to welcome the Divine Presence
וישלח את נערי בני ישראל (שמות כד,ה) - Translated “not even one desired object did I commander”
Avoiding the impression that Moshe took any objects
לא חמור אחד מהם נשאתי (במדבר טז,טו) - Translated “which G-d selected them to enlightened to all people under the heavens”
Avoiding the impression that the people of the world are permitted to worship idols
אשר חלק ה' אלקיך אתם לכל העמים תחת כל השמים (דברים ד,יט) - Translated “and he went and served other gods that I have not commanded to serve them”
Avoiding the impression that other deities exist
וילך ויעבד אלהים אחרים וישתחו להם ולשמש או לירח או לכל צבא השמים אשר לא צויתי (דברים יז,ג) - Translated “the short-legged creature”
Avoiding using the Greek word for rabbit which was the name of Ptolemy’s wife and appear like mocking him by placing his wife’s name among the non-kosher animals
ואת הארנבת (ויקרא יא,ו)
Note: Bereshis Rabbah (46:10) relates that the sons of King Ptolemy converted to Judaism. One was Munbaz who is mentioned in Mishniyos in various places.
