Q&A: Twice the Scripture and Once the Translation
Twice the Scripture and Once the Translation
Question
Hello Rabbi, I wanted to ask about the obligation to read the weekly Torah portion twice every week and also once the Onkelos translation—what is the source for this? Is it a decree? I don’t find any benefit in reading a translation that I hardly understand, and certainly it doesn’t help me understand the portion any better. Usually, the time I spend reading it is time I could use for much more productive Torah study.
Answer
Hello Noam. This begins in the Talmud itself, but some have written that the translation can be replaced with Rashi’s commentary or another understandable commentary.
See, for example, on Wikipedia here:
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%9E%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%90_%D7%95%D7%90%D7%97%D7%93_%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%95%D7%9D
Discussion on Answer
That is indeed correct. This is always the tension between the content of the enactment and its spirit. In principle, even if the reason no longer applies, the enactment does not lapse; but the medieval authorities (Rishonim) still tend to interpret and adjust things when there is a need. I definitely think you have authorities to rely on if you study Rashi.
Does the Rabbi think there is still an obligation today to read the translation? (To me it’s clear that the Sages, at the time of the decree, instituted reading the translation in order to help with understanding the portion; today it isn’t helpful.) By the way, I think it may be that the rabbis who treat Rashi’s commentary as the equivalent of the translation did so simply because they understood that there is no value in reading the translation, so they looked for a good alternative (instead of just stopping reading the translation—a kind of easing of the conscience).