Common Hebrew Sayings Distorted Over Time, Scholar Argues
A financial and strategic researcher, Shachar Lotan, highlights how popular Hebrew sayings and quotes have been altered from their original meaning and context over time, becoming distorted in collective memory. Lotan, a retired intelligence officer and history enthusiast, explains that these changes often occur because shorter, more impactful versions are easier to remember and disseminate, especially in media and public discourse.
He provides several examples, including the well-known phrase "There are judges in Jerusalem," often attributed to Menachem Begin and seen as a statement of judicial independence. However, Begin's original 1979 Knesset speech on the Beit-El ruling actually stated, "There are judges in Israel." Lotan suggests the "Jerusalem" version may have persisted due to a contemporary newspaper headline or the proximity of the Supreme Court to government buildings in the capital.
Another instance involves a 2015 election video by Benjamin Netanyahu. The widely remembered quote, "Arabs are streaming to the ballot boxes," is a shortened version of Netanyahu's actual statement: "Arab voters are moving in huge numbers to the ballot boxes, left-wing organizations are bringing them by buses." The condensed phrase, originating from an internet headline, proved more concise and memorable.
Lotan also points to an ancient example from the Babylonian Talmud: "If a flame fell on the cedars, what will the junipers say?" The original phrasing was "what will the junipers *do*?" The shift from 'do' to 'say' changes the meaning from concern about the fate of the smaller trees to a question of their reaction. This alteration, Lotan notes, was likely cemented in the 20th century due to a song that modified the wording for lyrical purposes.
While Lotan acknowledges these distortions are not deliberate propaganda, he likens them to a form of "Mandela effect," where a group collectively misremembers a detail. He advises caution with perfectly recalled historical quotes, suggesting that memory often polishes the past to sound better in the present.
