OHR SOMAYACH'S ASK THE RABBI 
Issue #263, January 15, 2000 
Parshat Bo
=====================================
In this issue:
JEWSPEAK 
BEN BAG BAG
COMMON ERROR
YIDDLE RIDDLE
PUBLIC DOMAIN
=====================================

JEWSPEAK

From: Chica Brown from San Jose State University 
<chicab@pacbell.net>

Dear Rabbi,
Hello, my name is Chica Brown and I'm a senior at San Jose State 
University and I'm looking for some information on the Jewish 
community for a presentation I'm doing.  My class is in 
communications -- language, meaning and culture -- and the group 
I'm working with chose the Jewish community.  How does the 
Jewish community communicate?  Verbal, non-verbal?  What 
language is used?

Dear Chica Brown,

Jews usually talk with their hands (just kidding).  We 
communicate in all languages, since there are Jews all over the 
world.  Jews speak a variety of languages, including English, 
Spanish, French, Arabic, German, Russian, even Chinese and 
Japanese.  In Israel, the main language is Hebrew.
Jews in Europe and Spain developed their own language.  In 
Europe the Jews spoke Yiddish, which is based on German, and in 
Spain they developed Ladino, which is based on Spanish.
Chica Brown responds:  Thank you so much, I gave my speech on 
Monday and it turned out very interesting and I'm sure I got an 
"A."

************

BEN BAG BAG

From:  Benny Leon from Zimbabwe, Africa <vleon@mango.zw>

Dear Rabbi,
I make 20 copies of Ohr Somayach's Ohrnet publication each 
week and distribute them in the synagogue.  We are a small 
community of about two hundred souls and we hold Shabbat 
services every Friday night and Saturday morning.  We have the 
sister Ashkenazi Congregation of about 400 souls.
I have a query and this refers to the Sayings of the Fathers, as 
printed in our prayer books.  There is a reference to Ben Bag Bag 
and Ben Heh Heh.  Please inform us -- who are these gentlemen?  
Thank you again for your wonderful email.

Dear Benny Leon,

Ben Bag Bag's full name was Rabbi Yochanan Bag Bag.  Both he 
and Ben Heh Heh were descendants of converts; their names were 
disguised to protect them from informers who would have turned 
them over to the Romans.  Some explain that Bag Bag is an 
acronym for "ben ger, ben giyoret -- "the son of male and female 
converts."  It is also explained that Heh Heh refers to the first 
"converts," Abraham and Sarah, to each of whose names G-d 
added the letter Heh -- Abram became Abraham, and Sarai became 
Sarah.

************

COMMON ERROR

From:  Viviane Prager <prager8@yahoo.com>

Dear Rabbi:
I would like to know why we say "before the Common Era" and 
"Common Era" (BCE and CE).  I mean, why do we call it 
"common?"  Some Jews object to it on grounds that the "C" in CE 
could be misconstrued as standing for "Christ."  I would very 
much appreciate if you could help me answer their objections.  
Thanks for your wonderful work.

Dear Viviane Prager,

When I was a school boy I thought that CE stood for "The 
Common Error."
Now, 25 years and a number of common errors later, I assume that 
Common Era simply means "the date commonly accepted and 
used."  But the truth is that I don't know, so I asked your question 
to a professor of European history.  He didn't know either.
Is there a reader out there with more insight into this?  Write to 
<info@ohr.org.il>

=====================================

YIDDLE RIDDLE

Last week we asked:  In Hebrew, if you subtract 30 from 30 you 
get 60.  How is this?

Answer:  The numerical value of the letter lamed is 30 (each 
Hebrew letter has a numerical value).  The Hebrew word for 
"thirty" is "shloshim," spelled "shin lamed shin yud mem."
So, if you take the letter lamed (which equals 30) out of the word 
"shloshim" (which means thirty) you get the letters "shin shin yud 
mem," which spells "shishim," 60!

=====================================

THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Comments, quibbles, and reactions 
concerning previous "Ask-the-Rabbi" features

Re:  "Marranos" 
(http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask260.htm#PD):

Recently, a reader commented:  "Many of Columbus' crew were 
Jewish "Marranos."

The above usage of the word "Marrano" is incorrect.  On Tisha 
B'Av 1492, the expulsion order of the Jews went into effect in 
Spain.  Any Jews who chose to leave had to leave behind all of 
their property and estates.  Of the approximately one million Jews 
living in Spain at the time, half left and left everything behind.  
Everything left behind was forfeit to the Spanish crown.  The 
following day Columbus' ship sailed out of Spain for the "New 
world," financed by the property stolen from the Jews.  (It is 
probably true that there were several Jews aboard fleeing Spain.)  
The remaining 500,000 Jews were forced to convert to 
Catholicism, most of whom secretly practiced Judaism.  Those 
Jews who were not sincere in their baptisms were referred to by 
the Christians as "Marranos."
                                      Havah <havah@netvision.net.il>

Re:  Words from the Heart 
(http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask260.htm#Q1)

In response to Dr. Carol Conaway's question regarding the source 
for the phrase "Words from the heart enter the heart" often 
attributed to "The Sages," you will find it is indeed a statement of 
"Chazal" (the Sages) cited in Sefer Hayashar by Rabeinu Tam, 
Sha'ar 13, and in Shelah Hakadosh, Sha'ar Ha'oysios.
                                  Gershon Sabol <gsabol5244@aol.com>

Perhaps an alternate source for the phrase "words from the heart 
enter the heart" could be the Talmud Masechta Sota 9b:  "The 
words of truth are recognizable (Nikarim Divrei Emes)."  The truth 
which emanates from the heart will be recognized as truth and 
enter the next heart.
                                      Rabbi Eisenman <rye613@aol.com>

Re:  Ohr Somayach Internet Publications:

The Ohrnet is just fantastic!  I virtually wait for it to arrive in my 
e-mail box each week!
                          J. W. from Des Moines, Iowa <jw613@aol.com>

Re:  Hip Hip Hurrahs 
(http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask261.htm#Q1):

I liked the historically-based "Hip! Hip!" article, and read Psalms 
137 anew.  I know so little.  Great!
                         Yuri A. Klimenko, Ukraine <tdtana@zfs.lg.ua>

Where is Yossi? 
(http://www.ohrnet.org/yossi/index.htm):

Ohrnet received the following regarding the (hopefully temporary) 
discontinuation of our "Yossi and Co." parsha cartoon series for 
youth:

Dear Yossi,
Are you all right?  Please come back, I miss you extremely.
Your friend, Mendy
                   Mendy Singer, England <bsinger@bury2.demon.co.uk>
=====================================
Our scholars answer over 100 queries every 
day.  
For donations click on:
https://www.virtual.co.il/secure/ohrsomayach
/donate/donate.htm  
or write to us at info@ohr.org.il 
=====================================
If you like this e-mail, share it with a 
friend.
=====================================
E-Mail your questions to info@ohr.org.il   
=====================================
EVERY question EVER published in ASK THE 
RABBI 
is available on-line in an easy-to-use 
index!    
http://www.ohr.org.il/web/index/askidx.htm   
=====================================
Ohr Somayach's other e-mail publications:
Ohrnet, Torah Weekly, Parsha Q&A, Ask the 
Rabbi, The Weekly Daf, Seasons of the Moon, 
OS-Special, Torah and Nature, Judaismo, 
Judaismo-p, Light Lines, Ohrnews, Simcha, 
OS-Alum. 
To subscribe, write to info@ohr.org.il
=====================================
IF YOU WANT TO UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, 
send the message:
unsubscribe ask to: listproc@vjlists.com 
=====================================
Dedication opportunities available for ASK 
THE RABBI!   
Please contact us for details.   
=====================================
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman   
Production Design: Eli Ballon
=====================================
ASK THE RABBI is written at   
Ohr Somayach Institutions / Tanenbaum 
College   
22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103    
Jerusalem 91180, Israel    
Tel: 972-2-581-0315 Fax: 972-2-581-2890    
E-Mail:  info@ohr.org.il   Home Page:  
http://www.ohrnet.org 
=====================================
(C) 2000 Ohr Somayach International - All 
rights reserved.


