Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.169 December 27, 1996 1) Lkoved a bal-nayntsiker (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 2) Yiddish in the liturgy (Mechl Asheri) 3) Poetry of Yehoash and Zukofsky (Lisa Tomlinson) 4) Grine verem (Sema Chaimovitz Menora) 5) Tsvinter (Sema Chaimovitz Menora) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 12:57:08 -0500 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Lkoved a bal-nayntsiker With deep respect and admiration, I honor Zellig Bach, a Yiddish scholar whose knowledgeable postings resound into excellence on Mendele, on his upcoming 90th birthday on January 2nd. A bal-nayntsiker darf men take bazingen! Spetsiel aza mentsh vi Zellig! I wonder if all his friends on Mendele are aware of his enormous significance and generosity in his passion for perpetuating Yiddish. Zellig has subsidized in full the YIVO reprint editions of Uriel Weinreich's Modern English-Yiddish/Yiddish-English Dictionary, and Nokhem Stutshkov's Oytser (Thesaurus of the Yiddish Language). Currently, he is subsidizing YIVO's whole Max Weinreich project, namely a reprint edition of the translation into English of Max Weinreich's first two volumes of his Geshikhte fun der Yidisher Shprakh (which is out of print), and a newly commissioned translation into English and publication of the remaining third and fourth volumes in Yiddish of Max Weinreich' opus. And where to begin to extol his input: his essence, his tone, his honed style and ever-fascinating content, on Mendele. He is our man for all subjects - linguistics, syntax, customs, literature, poetry, quotations, un nokh un nokh.... Zellig has represented us all when republished in Der Bay under the Best of Bach which became synonomous with the best of Mendele. Add to this his love of language, and of Yiddish and Yiddishkeyt, and I think we've got a winner who has enriched us all. Wishing him robust health and happiness, Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996 22:23:16 +0200 From: donnom@netvision.net.il Subject: Yiddish in the liturgy I can think of only one instance in which Yiddish has become part of the daily liturgy. All the blessings are in Hebrew or Aramaic, as are the prayers and even the shabbos zmiros: Yiddish appears only in the introduction to the birkhes hamozn. After a good deal of thought, here is what I think, for whatever it's worth. As we know, the birkhes hamozn with its introdction, is said only if three men at the table have eaten a k'zays (at least) of bread. These three (or more) men are called a m'zumon, from the shoresh "zimen" meaning to invite. They turn to one of the group and ask him to lead in benshing after the meal. The famous siddur, Korbn Minkhe, even specifies who this should be, "ven men bentsht mit a m'zumon, dan zogt _der eltster_ tsuersht dos). Whereas non-Yiddish speakers may say, "raboysay n'vorekh", among Yiddish speakers and even traditionally oriented Ashkenazim who may speak little Yiddish, the leader says, "Raboysay, mir veln bentshn". Why? Possibly because otherwise there would be a question: are these introductory words an invitation or a notification? The problem is that the Hebrew is ambiguous; it can mean either, "Gentlemen, let us bentsh" or "Gentlemen, we are going to bentsh". This is not the place to discuss Hebrew grammar, but take my word for it. Hertz, for example, in his English-Hebrew siddur gives the introduction as "Raboysay n'vorekh" and translates it as, "Let us say grace". He contradicts himself immediately in a footnote by saying, "Among Jews from Central and Eastern European countries this is often said in Yiddish, "Raboisai mir wellen (sic) benshen", and of course this means, prost un poshet, "we are going to bentsh". Older siddurim don't even give the Hebrew introduction. It is assumed that only the Yiddish one will be used and is the only one given. Thus Yiddish solves an ambiguity (ah there, Ellen Prince!). Since several men may be at the table, it is reasonable to assume that not all of them will be paying attention to the fact that grace is about to be said, so the leader notifies, not invites. "Gentlemen", he says in effect, "Pay attention: we are going to bentsh". The others bless the name of the Lord and the leader continues, "Birshus raboysay, n'vorekh, sheokhalnu mishloy". With your permission _let us bless_ because we have eaten from what is His. Here the meaning of "n'vorekh" is unmistakable. This should give the anti-Yiddish faction among the Zionists (and it grows smaller every day) pause. What cannot be clearly and unambiguously said in Hebrew, _can_ in Yiddish and Yiddish is the solution that has been adopted. Mechl Asheri 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 00:12:13 -0800 From: ltomlins@direct.ca Subject: Poetry of Yehoash and Zukofsky I am interested in finding a "facing page" edition of the poetry of Yehoash, with Yiddish on one side and English on the other. Does there exist such an edition? Where can it be purchased? I am also interested in Yehoash's Yiddish translation of the Bible. Is it available? I am writing a thesis on Zukofsky. Could anyone comment or refer me to materials about the influence that Yehoash and other Yiddish poets had on Zukofsky? Many Thanks Lisa Tomlinson 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 12:26:23 -0500 From: lights4607@aol.com Subject: Grine verem I would be interested in the origins of the yiddish expression "es kumt mir on mit di grine verem." I know it refers to something that was very difficult to come by, but exactly why the use of "grine verem"? Sema Chaimovitz Menora 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 12:26:23 -0500 From: lights4607@aol.com Subject: Tsvinter I want to thank Iosif Vaisman for his most interesting illustration of the origins of "Tsvinter"(Vol. 6.146). It was concise and scholarly without being hair-splitting or long-winded. Yet I must say that I, as one who simply loves using and discussing Yiddish, while not being as grammar -oriented as some of your esteemed academic Yiddishists, can appreciate the depths of discussion of some of the language issues. After all, that is what Mendele is all about. Yasher koyekh to one of the best subscription lists on-line! Sema Chaimovitz Menora ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.169