Our Mishna on Amud Beis tells us that Sifrei Torah, theoretically, can be written in any language. Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel disagreed, and only allowed Sifrei Torah to be written in Greek, and of course Hebrew. He granted a special status to the Greek language on account of the verse (Bereishis 9:27), which implies a special affinity between the Greek nation and the Jewish nation:

יַ֤פְתְּ אֱלֹקים֙ לְיֶ֔פֶת וְיִשְׁכֹּ֖ן בְּאׇֽהֳלֵי־שֵׁ֑ם

⁦May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem

It is easy to look at this as a mere halakhic curiosity, that somehow there are opinions which would consider a Sefer Torah in any language, or at least Greek, valid. Yet, this is one of those teachings that seem innocuous but pack a powerful punch. It is impossible to dismiss the implications of such a halacha, even if purely theoretical and not put into practice. What is the deeper meaning of this?

The truth is, we see the idea that somehow the Torah is meant to be expressed universally from an odd ritual described in Devarim (7:8) based on the Gemara Sotah’s (32a, 36a) interpretation of the words “Baer Heytev, well-explained”. The Jews were commanded to write “the whole Torah, Baer Heytev, well-explained” in the 70 languages. (commentaries discuss if it literally was the whole Torah or some summary, see Ramban Devarim 27:3) 

Sefas Emes (Devarim 4) explains that every one of the seventy languages has some grasp of the Torah, and by writing the Torah in that language, it liberated the impurities within the language and vested a Torah power within it. However, though it is implicit to some degree, this is not saying that the text of the Torah was meant to be read by other nations. However, Sotah (35b, and Rashi ad loc) mentions explicitly that the Torah was written in the 70 languages so that the nations of the world would read it.

An uncensored text of Rambam Hilchos Melachim (11:7-9) takes this concept further. He explains the development of Christianity and Islam also served the purpose of spreading Torah to the other nations:

⁦And all the doings of Yeshu the Nazarene and that of that Ishmaelite who came after him (Mohammed) are nothing but to pave the way for the King Messiah and prepare the entire world to worship God together, as it says, “For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent” (Zephania 3:9)…⁦How is this so? The world is now already filled with matters of the Messiah and matters of the Torah and matters of the Commandments. Knowledge of these matters have spread to the distant islands and to the many nations of those with uncircumcised hearts. They discuss these matters and the Commandments of the Torah. 

Even though the technical observance of commandments is a covenantal requirement between the Jewish person and God, it seems that the universal ideals within the Torah of morality, justice and faith are meant for all.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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