Aligned sentence by sentence
( :) .
This too is amongst what a group of our companions has forbidden without strong proof. And I say regarding this that languages and words were made merely to signify meanings i.e. the meanings of things and to identify and signify them. And similarly the scripts and letters were made as signs and symbols to signify the pronunciation which is the movement of the tongue and lips and the rest of the uvulas. And thus when Scripture says in the Hebrew language (Exodus 20:2) “ I am the LORD thy God…” this is a sign and symbol which indicates the meaning in the Arabic language “I am the Lord your God.” And similarly when we see these four letters, which is “I am” (heb. “Anokhi”) we know the location of each letter in the mouth and uvulas and we pronounce them in Arabic “Anokhi” (“anokhi”). And similarly, each of these four letters has another symbol and shape that indicates it, such as the letter alif א is the same letter as alif ا in Arabic, and the letter which is nun נ in Hebrew is the same letter that is nun ن in Arabic, and moreover from the other languages and letters in other scripts.
.
And if it is permitted for us to say in Arabic “I am the Lord your God” (“ana ar-rabb ‘ilahuka”) on the Sabbath to indicate the meaning of “I am the Lord your God” (i.e. in Hebrew “anokhi Hashem elohekha”), and that is not prohibited, similarly if we see these letters (in Arabic) anokhi which indicates the meaning of “I am” (anokhi, in Hebrew) this is not forbidden for us to read it, and that is permitted. Or, if it is the case that looking at these letters which are ah-no-kh-ee is forbidden, and reading it is forbidden on the Sabbath, thus similarly saying (in Arabic) “I am the Lord your God” (“ana ir-rab ilahuka”) is forbidden on the Sabbath. For if it is forbidden to read in the Arabic script, whether in the Hebrew language or Arabic language, such as a commentary or analysis of Scripture, thus similarly it would be forbidden to speak in the Arabic language regarding a commentary or analysis of Scripture on the Sabbath. But if speech in the Arabic language or another language is not forbidden on the Sabbath for what the Sabbath requires, similarly reading the Arabic script or another script is not forbidden on the Sabbath for what it requires including commentary and analysis and what is similar to this.
.
If one of them argues “is it not permissible for us to talk and discuss on the Sabbath in the Arabic language, and other languages, with respect to what we eat and drink and report what occurred prior to the Sabbath, which is not related to the commentary and analysis of Scripture? And thus is it permitted to read these if they are written in a non-Hebrew script? And if you argue that is permitted, for this is removal from the religion. And if you argue that is not permitted, you have distinguished between speaking and reading that which is written in a language other than Hebrew.” We say that which is forbidden to read in a script other than the Hebrew script, such as discussing what is eaten and drunk, and speaking on what was and will be, which is not related to scriptural commentary and analysis, is not permitted to be read even if it is in the Hebrew language. For if you permitted reading it when it is in the Hebrew script, permit reading it in the other scripts! Our distinction between speaking and reading that which is written only applies in the aspect that we clarified and our argument is valid.
.
Furthermore we argue that if we had clothes and food that we had to use on the Sabbath, and others we did not have to use on the Sabbath, it would be permitted for us to put a sign on what we desire to use on the Sabbath, such that when we see [the sign] we distinguish between it and between what we do not desire to use and we infer from [the sign] what we want and discuss it and use it. Similarly, since the Arabic letters and other scripts are merely signs of a language, according to what we explained, it is not forbidden to look at them on the Sabbath and learn what they signify, concerning reading and commentary, and we can pronounce and discuss them.
.
And refute them with the vowel-signs and accents which are not from the Hebrew script, but are rather symbols for the manner of reading and singing the Torah, and thus he must forbid them from looking at or using these on the Sabbath! And one of them argued that since the Sabbath day is “holy” it is not permitted for us to read a script other than the one in which “holy” (Heb. “qadosh”) is written, which is the Hebrew script to the exception of others, and he obligates himself like this in speech and everything else we utilize such as clothes and devices etc…
( :) ( :) .
And one of them required by arguing that the verse from Scripture (Exodus 34:21) “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; in plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest” prohibits any action or movement except for which there exists a proof of its permission in another aspect. And since there exists proof permitting reading the books of Scripture in the Hebrew letters from the verse (Joshua 1:8) “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” and since there does not exist proof other than this it is not permitted for us to read except what there exists a proof and not otherwise. And if we challenged him similarly with speech in Hebrew, it would be difficult for him to find a distinction and it is not possible for him to argue to speak only in the Hebrew language on the Sabbath, since speaking in the Hebrew language has proof to the exception of others. However, we leave aside this and ask him regarding what is written in Hebrew script in another language, whether Arabic or otherwise, is it permitted to read that? And if he permits that, require the proof for it and he will not find it since the proof exists only to permit what is written in Hebrew letters in the Hebrew language, to the exception of everything else. This even requires him according to his reasoning to not permit reading anything of scientific literature or commentary, even if in the Hebrew language, since the proof permits reading the Torah to the exception of other [books] and this is His words (Joshua 1:8) “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…”
And there remains for us a chapter that we ought to have preceded the teaching on the presence of fire on the Sabbath and the debate on the prohibition of what has been cooked and baked. Is it permitted for what was cooked on Friday to remain warm until the Sabbath or not? However we delayed this until now for some reason, and we will now discuss this here in the next chapter which is…