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The Earliest Form Of Hebrew Writing

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muman613:
I also understand that the Yekum Purkan in our davening is also said in Aramaic. I am not very clear about aramaic but it can be pronounced with hebrew letters and some of the roots of the words are the same.

http://www.torah.org/advanced/mishna-berura/S101.html?print=1


--- Quote ---101:4. One can pray (13) in any language (14) that he wishes; and this is in a congregation, but when praying alone one should (15) only pray in the Holy Tongue. And there are those who say that this is when he is asking for his needs, as when he is praying (16) on behalf of a sick person or due to some trouble that he has related to his household, but when praying the prayer (17) established for the congregation [of Israel - i.e. everyone], even one praying alone can say it in any language. And there are those who say (18) that even one praying alone when asking for his needs can nonetheless pray in any language that he desires except for (19) Aramaic.

MB 13: In any language - The best way to perform the Mitzvah is only in the Holy Tongue. See in 62:2 and in the Mishna Brura there, what we wrote in the name of the later authorities concerning this. Also see in the Tshuvos of the Chasam Sofer on Orach Chayim Siman 84 and 86, who wrote at length with several proofs that the permission to pray in any language is only occasionally, but to establish it as a permanent thing and to set up a prayer leader [to pray in another language] and to cause the Holy Tongue to be forgotten completely - this is totally impossible, see there. And further, because of many, many strong reasons all the great minds of the era wrote at length in the book Divrei HaBris, and they all agreed that to do so is completely forbidden. And this is contrary to the new groups that have spread out from outside the country, and who have translated the entire prayer service into the language of the gentiles. And "one transgression leads to another," for they have skipped the blessing of the ingathering of the exiles* and the blessing of "And to Jerusalem, your Holy City," and just as they wish to cause the remembrance of Jerusalem to be forgotten, so too do they want the Holy Tongue to be forgotten from Israel, lest they be redeemed in merit of the fact that "they did not change their language.**" The Holy One, Blessed be He, should protect us from heretical beliefs such as these. And see in the Biur Halacha. [* The Mishna Brura is speaking about the early development of liberal streams in Judaism. Recently many of these trends have reversed themselves. ** The Jews in Egypt had not yet been given the Torah - so how did they maintain an independent community, free of assimilation? The Midrash says: because they did not change their language, dress or names. -- YM]

MB 14: That he wishes - This is if he understands that language clearly; but with the Holy Tongue one can fulfill his obligation even if he does not understand the language.

MB 15: Only pray in the Holy Tongue - Because the serving Angels are not bound to Aramaic and so too other languages, but only the Holy Tongue. However a congregation does not need someone to plead its case, because the Holy One, Blessed be He receives their prayer himself.

MB 16: On behalf of a sick person - Meaning to say, when not in front of the sick person; but in front of him it is permitted in any language, because the Holy One, Blessed be He is found there. [The Divine Presence dwells upon the bed of a sick person.]

MB 17: Established - Because since the prayer is established for the congregation, the Holy One, Blessed be He turns towards it Himself, even at a time when the congregation is not praying.

MB 18: That even one praying alone - Because their opinion is that the Angels recognize any language, but they are not bound to Aramaic because it is disgusting in their eyes. And for this reason it is permitted for women to pray in other languages. [In his time, many women did not know the Holy Tongue even if their husbands did. Today this is no longer true. There is considerable discussion about what is particularly negative about Aramaic over other foreign languages. -- YM]

MB 19: Aramaic - In a congregation it is permitted even in Aramaic. Thus we understand why we say "Yekum Purkan" [May salvation arise - after the Torah reading, before the additional service on Shabbos] and "Brich Sh'mei" [Blessed be the Name - when removing the Torah from the Ark] and similar things when in a congregation. According to this, if one prays at home he cannot say either "Yekum Purkan" [there are two such paragraphs], and so is proven in the Ohr Zarua HaGadol in the laws of Shabbos Siman 50.
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