How do you say “United States of America” in Hebrew?
While many of us know the answer is “Artzot HaBrit,” literally “lands of the covenant,” the question is how did this name come to be?
Israeli journalist and author Rubik Rosenthal wrote that, at the time of the renewal of the Hebrew language, several terms were used to translate “United States” into Hebrew. One was “Medinot Me’uchadot, which literally translates into “united states.” Another was “Artzot Me’uchadot,” which literally means “united lands.” Rosenthal claims that the "freer translation" of Artzot HaBrit was developed by the famed Yiddish author Mendele Mocher Sforim in his 1868 novel The Fathers and Sons. Further investigation finds the term Artzot HaBrit used to refer to America in the Eastern European Hebrew newspaper Ha-Magid in 1857 – even though the same term is used in the paper to describe the German Confederation in 1859.
Beyond a history lesson, referring to the United States as Artzot HaBrit, appropriately sums up the Jewish religious significance America plays in the lives of American Jews. The Unites States is a country built upon covenantal values, and we should appreciate and celebrate it as such.
America was built by religious individuals actualizing religious values. As the Library of Congress notes:
“Many of the British North American colonies that eventually formed the United States of America were settled in the seventeenth century by men and women, who, in the face of European persecution, refused to compromise passionately held religious convictions and fled Europe. The New England colonies, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were conceived and established ‘as plantations of religion…’ Even colonies like Virginia, which were planned as commercial ventures, were led by entrepreneurs who considered themselves ‘militant Protestants’ and who worked diligently to promote the prosperity of the church.”
These religious efforts reflect covenantal values that were further channeled by our Founding Fathers. In fact, very familiar Jewish scenes were almost used as the seal of the new country.
On July 4, 1776, after voting to approve the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress advanced the following resolution: “That Dr. Franklin, Mr. J. Adams and Mr. Jefferson, be a committee, to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America.” Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson each proposed very Jewish Biblical imagery that would aptly represent a country built upon covenantal values.
Franklin’s seal suggestion had Moses “standing on the Shore, extending his Hand over the Sea, thereby causing the same to overwhelm Pharaoh who is sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his Head and a Sword in his Hand. Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Clouds, reaching to Moses, to express that he acts by Command of the Deity.” Jefferson’s design showed the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
In suggesting such images for the seal of the new country, both Franklin and Jefferson clearly thought their fellow citizens would be familiar with them. Furthermore, it indicates these men appreciated the covenantal significance of the images.
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik notes these two images reflect two important features of the Jewish relationship with God: “Franklin chose a scriptural story in which God himself miraculously intervenes into the natural order and redeems his people…Jefferson’s symbol, by contrast, focused on the courage of the people of Israel in journeying into the desert; it celebrated not so much the miracle performed by God as much as the human spirit.”
As Jews, our covenant with God moves in two different, yet complementary, directions. There is the “top-down” aspect in which God initiates and the “bottom up” element in which we take action. (In Kabbalistic language, these terms are called “itaruta di’leyla” and “itaruta di’letata.”) For our Founding Fathers to be so “covenantally” motivated proves that the best name for the country in Hebrew really is Artzot HaBrit.
For Jews, the promise and possibility of America have been apparent in all that we have accomplished materially, spiritually, and politically. Bret Stephens recently noted:
“Today, the secretaries of state, treasury, and homeland security; the attorney general; the director of national intelligence; the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; the chief of staff to the president; the governors of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, and Hawaii; nine U.S. senators, including the majority leader, and 26 members of the House of Representatives are Jewish. So are nearly one-quarter of American Nobel laureates — 10 times our share of the overall population — as well as 6 of the 10 richest Americans, all of whom are self-made. (In case you’re wondering: Steve Ballmer, Michael Bloomberg, Sergey Brin, Larry Ellison, Larry Page, and Mark Zuckerberg.)”
“What a country!”
Even with the challenges we are facing today, July 4th obligates us to celebrate American and express gratitude. Jews need to be on the forefront of living, teaching, and promoting American values – especially as they seem to be less prominent or even known by too many of our fellow citizens. These include, as Stephens notes, concepts such as merit, patriotism, integration, free enterprise, free expression, “think different,” character, self-empowerment, Zionism, and heritage. It should be easy for us to model these American values as they are so very Jewish as well.
Every year on July 4th, Rabbi Avrohom Pam, the late Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaath in Brooklyn, would hang an American flag in front of his home. One year, in his later years, a granddaughter arranged to have a date pick her up at the home of her grandparents on July 4th. The granddaughter thought a flag in front of the house might not make the best impression on her suitor, so she asked her grandmother to convince Rav Pam not to hang the flag that year. Rebbetzin Pam assured her that since Rav Pam was not feeling well, he wouldn’t be hanging the flag that year and there was no reason for concern.
Later that day, the young men came to the house and rang the bell. Rav Pam answered the door and welcomed the boy. Then he asked him for a favor. “Before going inside, would you mind helping me with something?” The suitor was happy to oblige. Rav Pam brought out the American flag and asked the young man to help him fly it outside as he did every year. Thanking the boy, Rav Pam remarked, “I have to show my gratitude, even if I am not feeling well.”
This July 4th, with all that is going on around us, we should recommit to fly our American flag every day by living and modeling American values. We live in a country built upon covenant, religious ideals, faith in God’s salvation, and the need to take action and initiative. That’s America. That’s Artzot HaBrit.
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