Whoever saves one life

[Znex]

I'm just reminded recently of a Talmud quote that's currently being shared around in these last few weeks that was cited in the film Schindler's List by a Holocaust survivor, and I thought I might chase up the original source for translation purposes.

Rabbinic Hebrew
לְפִיכָךְ נִבְרָא הָאָדָם יְחִידִי בָעוֹלָם לְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל־הַמְאַבֵּד נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מַעֲלִין עָלָיו כְּאִילּוּ אִיבֵּד עוֹלָם מָלֵא. וְכָל־הַמְקַייֵם נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מַעֲלִין עָלָיו כְּאִילּוּ קִייֵם עוֹלָם מָלֵא

Therefore man was created single in the world to teach that for anybody who destroys a single life it is counted as if he destroyed an entire world, and for anybody who preserves a single life it is counted as if he preserved an entire world.
J. Sanhedrin 4:9:1

Transcription:

Spoiler:

ləfīḵāḵ niḇrāᵓ hāᵓāḏām yəḥīḏî ḇāᶜōlām ləlammēḏ | šekol-hamᵓabbēḏ nefeš ᵓaḥaṯ maᶜǎlīn ᶜālāyw kəᵓīllû ᵓībbēd ᶜōlām mālēᵓ | wəḵol-hamqayyēm nefeš ᵓaḥaṯ maᶜǎlīn ᶜālāyw kəᵓīllû qiyyēm ᶜōlām mālēᵓ

Gloss:

Spoiler:

therefore PASS.PF.3MSG\create DEF=human singular in=DEF=world PURP=CAUS.INF\teach | SBRD=all=DEF=CAUS.PRS.PART.MSG\destroy soul one.FSG PASS.PRS.PART\esteem-M.PL upon-3MSG as_if CAUS.PF.3SG\destroy world whole | and=all=DEF=CAUS.PRS.PART\preserve soul one.FSG PASS.PRS.PART\esteem-M.PL upon-3MSG as_if CAUS.PF.3SG\preserve world whole

Or as it's simply quoted in Schindler's list:
Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.

I'll post a Classical Greek and Syriac translation when I get the chance.

[Reyzadren]

griushkoent (without script here)

evi aspa vara uvi aspa.
/'əvi 'aspa 'vara 'uvi 'aspa/
some-A increase-V what-IMP-V all-A increase-V

[Znex]

Classical Greek
διὰ ταῦτα ἐκτίσθην ὁ ἄνθρωπος μόνος ἐπὶ γῆς ἵνα διδασκοίτο ὅτι ὅστις ἂν ἀπολέσῃ ἓν πνεῦμα τιμᾷ αὐτῷ ὡσπερεὶ ἀπολέσας πάγκοσμον. ὅστις δʹ ἂν σώσῃ ἓν πνεῦμα τιμᾷ αὐτῷ ὡσπερεὶ σώσας πάγκοσμον.

Romanisation:

Spoiler:

Dià taûta ektísthēn ho ánthrōpos mónos epì gês hína didaskoíto hóti hóstis àn apolésēi hèn pneûma timâi autôi hōspereì apolésās pánkosmon. Hóstis d' àn sṓsēi hèn pneûma timâi autôi hōspereì sṓsās pánkosmon.

Gloss:

Spoiler:

for DEM..N.ACC.PL create-AOR.PASS.IND.3SG DEF.M.NOM.SG human-NOM.SG single-M.NOM.SG on earth-GEN.SG so_that teach-PRS.PASS.OPT.3SG | SBORD anyone.M.NOM.SG COND destroy-AOR.ACT.SUBJ.3SG one.N.ACC.SG soul.ACC.SG esteem-PRS.ACT.IND.3SG 3-M.DAT.SG as_if destroy-AOR.ACT.PART.M.NOM.SG entire_world-ACC.SG | anyone.M.NOM.SG and.POSTPOS COND save-AOR.ACT.SUBJ.3SG one.N.ACC.SG soul.ACC.SG esteem-PRS.ACT.IND.3SG 3-M.DAT.SG as_if save-AOR.ACT.PART.M.NOM.SG entire_world-ACC.SG

Classical Syriac
מטל הנא אתברי ברנשא בלחודוהי בעלמא דנאלף דכל מובד חדא נפש מתחשבין לה איך אובד כלה עלמא. וכל מחא חדא נפש מתחשבין לה איך אחי כלה עלמא
ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܐܬܒܪܝ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܒܠܚܩܕܩܗܝ ܒܥܠܡܐ ܕܢܐܠܦ ܕܟܠ ܡܘܒܕ ܚܕܐ ܢܦܫ ܡܬܚܫܒܝܢ ܠܗ ܐܝܟ ܐܘܒܕ ܟܠܗ ܥܠܡܐ. ܘܟܠ ܡܚܐ ܚܕܐ ܢܦܫ ܡܬܚܫܒܝܢ ܠܗ ܐܝܟ ܐܚܝ ܟܠܗ ܥܠܡܐ

Transcription:

Spoiler:

meṭṭul hānā ᵓeṯbərī ḇarnāšā ḇalḥūḏaw ḇᶜālmā ḏnīlap̄ | dḵūl mawḇeḏ ḥḏā np̄eš meṯḥaššḇīn leh ᵓayḵ awḇeḏ kūlleh ᶜālmā | wḵūl maḥē ḥḏā np̄eš meṯḥaššḇīn leh ᵓayḵ ᵓaḥī kūlleh ᶜālmā

Gloss:

Spoiler:

because_of DEM.PROX.M.SG PASS.PF.3MSG\create human alone-POSS.3MSG in=world SBORD=ACT.MOD.3MSG\learn | IDIR=all=CAUS.PRS.PART.M.SG\destroy one.F soul. ABS PASS.PRS.PART-reckon-M.PL to-3MSG as_if CAUS.PF.3MSG\destroy whole-POSS.3MSG world | and=all=CAUS.PRS.PART.M.SG\preserve one.F soul. ABS PASS.PRS.PART-reckon-M.PL to-3MSG as_if CAUS.PF.3MSG\preserve whole-POSS.3MSG world

[Dormouse559]

Therefore man was created single in the world to teach that for anybody who destroys a single life it is counted as if he destroyed an entire world, and for anybody who preserves a single life it is counted as if he preserved an entire world.
J. Sanhedrin 4:9:1

[…]

Or as it's simply quoted in Schindler's list:
Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.

The difference in the definiteness of "world" between the two versions is intriguing; that's potentially a significant shift in the meaning. Do you know if the Hebrew is ambiguous there? Or is one of the English interpretations closer to the original sense?

[Znex]

Therefore man was created single in the world to teach that for anybody who destroys a single life it is counted as if he destroyed an entire world, and for anybody who preserves a single life it is counted as if he preserved an entire world.
J. Sanhedrin 4:9:1

[…]

Or as it's simply quoted in Schindler's list:
Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.

The difference in the definiteness of "world" between the two versions is intriguing; that's potentially a significant shift in the meaning. Do you know if the Hebrew is ambiguous there? Or is one of the English interpretations closer to the original sense?

The Hebrew is definitely missing a definite article there that would otherwise be expected, so the Talmud-specific translation would certainly seem closer than the wording chosen for the film.

Whether it's very significant a difference however is up for debate (and certainly I'd be very surprised if the sages didn't have a field day with the choice in wording!), but for my part, I feel it may be a stylistic rather than a very meaningful decision, to match the openness of what a "single life" or soul may be. In any case, I think the significance of the comparison remains - whether this world or "any" world, both are undeniably greater in quantity than a single person.

[lsd]

Therefore man was created single in the world to teach that for anybody who destroys a single life it is counted as if he destroyed an entire world, and for anybody who preserves a single life it is counted as if he preserved an entire world.

3SDL:
jYt»‰·t[atY[ak¹t¼YYY[ùýtY[ùýk¹t¼

Spoiler:

single men teaching man destruction man and destruction entirety world and preservation man and preservation entirety world

[VaptuantaDoi]

Eschoer

Feor oinboed hegh he poeseves fun onpat lofe, thar er yts cheoned looch zif mat he poeseved fun ensor wude.
/fɪə̯ ˈai̯mbʊə̯d həθ ə pʊə̯ˈzæi̯vz fən ˈumpæt ˈluə̯f, ˌðæɾ əɾ əts ˈxɪə̯nd ˌlɔːx zəf ˈmæt hə pʊə̯ˈzæi̯vd fən ənˈsʊə̯ wau̯d/