The Sefaria platform, whose vast online sefarim library and translation are used by members of the frum community, has added a new translation which appears to be heretical.
In response, some orthodox Jews say they are going to delete the app from their phones, and have expressed their disappointment that this valuable resource is not aligned with Torah values.
Sefaria announced a new “gender-sensitive” edition of one of its translations of Nach.
The institution tweeted: “The Revised JPS (RJPS) edition aims to present a more linguistically and historically accurate translation that reflects advances in scholarship and changes in the English language, while staying true to the original Hebrew.
The translation, from the Jewish Publication Society (JPS), pledges “greater gender inclusivity” in talking about people, and “greater gender sensitivity” in talking about G-d.
One Twitter user observed that the translation changes the meaning of the words from the original Hebrew.
Yochonon Donn, Editor at Mishpacha and Yated, tweeted, “Sefaria is a tremendous resource for the olam hatorah. Messing around with sefarim hakedoshim to conform to western ideas of equality is an unacceptable breach. If this is true, I can’t see people learning from an unholy source.”
Some Twitter users declared that they would be deleting the Sefaria app in response to the new translation.
Although there are no confirmed report of Rabbis officially banning Sefaria, such a move would certainly be plausible, as supporting a platform that endorses false interpretations of Torah, no matter how valuable, would appear to contradict Torah values , and possibly be against Halacha.
3 comments:
This is why Chrisian bibles are unrecognizable today when put up against the original text. Endless editing and modifications to ensure people are not offended and that the text doesn't go against any secular values until you're no longer looking at the book as it is but as these folks would like it to be.
It seems Sefaria is now following that trend.
Perhaps instead of banning it, we should demand that every book have a disclaimer - either "This is the original version" or "This is the Woke version"
I already wasn't using Sefaria due to the Gemara brought in Shulchan Aruch that even sifrei Torah, kal vachoimer simple seforim, that are seemingly 100% kosher but written by apikorsim are unfit for use. You are not even allowed to be machzik them.
In French they even changed the Pater noster, don't let me go to tentation, instead of don't submit me to temptation
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