Sticking to the original

I must admit, when it's possible to get something done in a quicker way, I am all for it. Whether it be watching a movie without reading a book, watching the headlines of the news (and not getting into the meat of the story), or utilizing translated texts from one language to English, I am all for it. Why? It saves time! I mean come on, I have enough to do in my life, but taking time to understand/learn the real meaning behind something is not needed. We have CNN, CNBC, and a host of other media resources to cut to the chase for us, let them do all the work and just give me the punch line!

After being in yeshiva for ~7 weeks and learning Gemarra the whole time, my opinion has completely changed. There are alot of English translations of the Aramaic in Gemarra so most people who have no skill in the language, like me, opt for the English version and feel it is the logical choice. Why waste time learning Aramaic (which is a dead language) when someone has done the work for me! I can honestly say, it is more than worth your time, it should be the only choice. Learning the original of anything is the best, and only way to go.

There is so much nuance in language/the original version you lose when someone else does the work for you. I recently went through the exercise by looking at the English first then translating the original Aramaic. Afterwards, I could not believe how much I thought I understood but did not. There is so much added in, in the translation, to help you along. Therefore you have to do less work. But it is precisely that extra work that really allows you to have a deep understanding of what is happening.

While my example only deals with translating languages, I feel it also applies to all knowledge. There are times when the shortcut is needed so you need to approach everything with a balance in life. However, when time permits, always take the time to understand the news story, political argument, or movie for yourself. So many people take news outlets like CNBC for granted. They'll put up some commenter and they will say X company earnings were bad because of a,b,c reasons. But was it really? Maybe there is a nuance that s/he missed in the argument! CNN or Fox will give their justification for some political view. Is their viewpoint right based on the facts? Just because your gut agrees with them, delve deeper into the original statements and decide for yourself.

In our culture of instant communication/gratification, take a step back and understand for yourself why someones assertion is correct. The original is the original for a reason. In it usually lies the truth and the real meaning. No one can challenge you once you truly know the truth of anything.