I had an interesting question for ChatGPT this morning and would like to hear if this is your understanding as well. I had to cut out about 2/3 of the complete reply, so let me know if I should include the rest.

My question: "I always thought that Hebrew was spoken all the ages, but was recently told that the language had to be "reinvented" or rather reinterpreted over the the past 200 years as the pronunciation was forgotten over the middle ages. Is that correct and which Rabbi started the process?"

ChatGPT replied:

"Yes, that's mostly correct! Hebrew, while always preserved as a liturgical and scholarly language, was not a spoken, everyday language for nearly 1,700 years. Instead, Jews across the world spoke local languages like Yiddish, Ladino, or Arabic dialects, while Hebrew was primarily used for prayer, religious study, and legal texts.

Reinvention of Hebrew as a Spoken Language -

The revival of Hebrew as a modern spoken language happened in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily through the work of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (1858–1922). He is often called the "Father of Modern Hebrew."

What Happened to Hebrew Before Then? -

- After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, Hebrew began to fade as a daily spoken language.
- It remained in Jewish religious texts, prayers, and scholarship but was not commonly used in conversation.
- Over time, pronunciation was influenced by local languages (e.g., Sephardic Jews pronounced Hebrew differently from Ashkenazi Jews).

How Did Ben-Yehuda Revive Hebrew? -

- He standardized grammar and vocabulary to make it functional for modern life.
- He compiled a Hebrew dictionary (including thousands of new words).
- He raised his own son, Itamar Ben-Avi, as the first modern native Hebrew speaker.

He pushed for Hebrew to be the national language of Jewish settlers in Palestine, replacing Yiddish and other languages.
Today, Modern Hebrew is the official language of Israel and spoken by millions. However, some pronunciation differences remain between Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi Jews.

Final Thoughts -

Modern Hebrew is 95% understandable if you know Biblical Hebrew, but it sounds different, uses simpler grammar, and has new words. However, most religious Hebrew speakers today (especially in Israel) can still understand Biblical Hebrew, as it’s used in Torah readings, prayers, and traditional texts."

The same God who made the butterfly made the deep sea gulper eel.

You don't have to personally prefer it, but you do have to acknowledge that, as the Bible says, it is objectively very good.

Here's First Fruits Ministries sermon for the Sabbath on 3/15/2025, called "Purim 2025: Five Key Characters:"

YouTube:

If you missed this sermon or any other part of our most-recent sermon series, please be sure to watch.

I just posted lesson 7 in the Common Sense Bible Study Essentials course at https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com.

Lesson 1: Preparing your environment and choosing your Bible.
Lesson 2: References and Mindset
Lesson 3: Why study the Bible?
Lesson 4: First Steps
Lesson 5: Intro to the Inductive Method
Lesson 6: Seven Principles of Hermeneutics
Lesson 7: The Inductive Method
Lesson 8: Common Bible Study Traps (in progress)
Lesson 9: ?

Instructions for the Sabbath and the Tabernacle are linked because they both remove God's people from the world: one in time (Sabbath) and the other in space (Tabernacle). Like the weekly Sabbath, God's Tabernacle was a place set apart from all other places. It restored us to health, happiness, and God's presence, while uniting us as a community.

The commands about the #sabbath and #tabernacle both concern the building of a house: With the Sabbath, we commemorate God building a very big house for us. With the Tabernacle, we build a very small house for God.

#exodus 35:1
#vayakhel

Often times, on various Messianic platforms, it feels a little like this:

I saw an advertisement for a Metaphysical Fair, I see them all the time. They are typically associated with pagans, new age and the like, and usually promoted by a local Metaphysical Shop. They are very popular and there seems to be many places to shop for these peoples spiritual needs. Why is it we do not see this type of involvement from the Hebrew Roots/Messianics? Are we that small of a group we can not do these things? I for one would like to see more unity when it comes to selling and supporting people in the community.

Here's a list of some New Testament scriptures to study with Torah portion #vayakhel ("And He Assembled" Exodus 35:1-38:20 ) at American Torah: https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/03/01/parsha-va

 

www.americantorah.com

Parsha Vayakhel - Apostolic Readings, Commentary, and Videos - American Torah

Readings Additional Reading Videos Related to Parsha Vayakhel Everything that Yeshua (aka Jesus) & the Apostles taughtwas based solidly in the Old Testament scriptures. Come with me as I draw out the connections that are so often missedin today&#

The secular science community is constantly changing the explanation of evolution and the beginning of the universe. Millions of years became billions of years, reptiles become birds and now birds came first. The Bible has never changed, it has remained consistent since Moses wrote the first words. The choice should be clear, do we place our faith in an ever changing fairy tale of evolution or the consistent truth revealed in the Bible and confirmed by archeology as even the rocks cry out?