Israel ben eliezer biography of william shakespeare

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” wrote Scottish poet Robert Burns more than 200 years ago. Such is the case with the following review of the Shakespeare Haggadah, which was scheduled to appear before Passover. Unfortunately, this writer’s ill-timed spill on a rainy Shabbat afternoon and subsequent knee surgery precluded the possibility of this review from appearing until now. Nevertheless, as the Bard of Avon himself wrote, “Better once than never, for never too late.”

While earlier generations had a relatively small number of English-language Haggadahs at their disposal, recent years have witnessed a proliferation of all types of Haggadahs in English. There are scholarly Haggadahs, humorous Haggadahs and political Haggadahs.

A quick perusal of the selection available on Amazon illustrates the wildly disparate listing of popular versions currently available, including such unlikely titles as the Hogwarts Haggadah, the Curb Your Haggadah for fans of the Larry David comedy series, and the 30 Minute Seder Haggadah, for those who are in a hurry, alongside more traditional works.

The Shakespeare Haggadah is the creation of veteran freelance writer Martin Bodek, who has penned other light-hearted Passover works, including the Emoji Haggadah, the Coronavirus Haggadah and the Festivus Haggadah. The Shakespeare Haggadah is his first work that includes both the Hebrew and English text of the Haggadah on facing pages.

Apart from the etching of Shakespeare holding a glass of wine in one hand and a matzah in the other, what makes this 192-page Haggadah relevant for Shakespeare aficionados? Bodek’s goal, as he outlines in the book’s introduction, was to weave as many quotations from Shakespeare’s works as possible into the English translation. The Shakespeare Haggadah includes 433 citations and references from the Bard’s famous and less-famous works sprink

“I heard an inner voice calling to me: ‘Revive Israel and its language in the land of the fathers!’”

Israel marks Hebrew Language Day every year on the 21st of the Jewish month of Tevet, the Hebrew birthday of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, father of Modern Hebrew.

Special features celebrating the Hebrew language appear on everyday items like milk cartons, and there are family events planned in honour of the day. It’s fair to say that Israelis are pretty excited about the Hebrew language, and quite rightly so!

The uniqueness of Hebrew

Even though it is one of the oldest languages in the world (if not the oldest), and although it has evolved in different ways throughout the millennia, Hebrew speakers today can still read the Biblical Hebrew of ancient texts perfectly well. It’s a little different from Modern Hebrew, perhaps just as Shakespeare is a challenge for English speakers, but it’s still readable and understandable. The root words are packed full layers of meaning and some even believe the shapes of the letters hold significance. There are profound peculiarities in some of the grammatical structures, including the very name of God.

Read more about treasures in Biblical Hebrew =>

Hebrew is the language of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings, but in the New Testament, we see that Jesus and Paul also spoke Hebrew. It’s true that the New Testament was penned in Greek, and that we read of Jesus speaking Aramaic, but the text says that Jesus spoke to Paul in Hebrew on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:14). Later, Paul addresses his fellow brethren in Jerusalem in the Hebrew language (Acts 21:40, 22:2). Hebrew was still alive and kicking as the language of the Jewish people even after the various exiles and conquests.

Not only is Hebrew an extremely special language but it is the only language in the world that has ever been resurrected from the dead

Who is William Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare, often hailed as the greatest dramatist of all time, was an influential English poet, playwright, and actor from the Renaissance era.

Israel ben eliezer biography of william shakespeare

Born around April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he became a prominent member of the King's Men theatrical company by the mid-1590s. Over his lifetime, Shakespeare authored at least 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and two narrative poems, exploring the depths of human emotion and conflict.

His works, which include timeless classics like "Hamlet," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Macbeth," have been celebrated across the globe for more than four centuries, solidifying his legacy in the literary canon.

Shakespeare's early life remains shrouded in