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."