This is never-before-released footage of Noam Chomsky, recorded during a private conversation with Rabbi Shais Taub about chasidic teachings and linguistic nativism.
In this clip, shared as an excerpt of a memorial lecture for my mother, a lifelong speech pathologist. I reflect on growing up in a home where ideas about language were dinner-table conversation. As a child, I learned about Chomsky not as a political figure, but as a linguist and about his theory that the human capacity for language is innate, rooted deeper than conscious thought. Years later, I reached out to Noam Chomsky to discuss linguistic nativism alongside Chasidic teachings. During that conversation, Chomsky engages directly with classical Jewish ideas, including the concept found in Targum Onkelos that the human soul is defined as a “speaking spirit.”
This clip includes rare moments of Chomsky referencing Hebrew terminology and engaging with the idea, that language precedes cognition. an idea that appears both in modern linguistics and ancient Torah sources.
This footage has never been published before.
#NoamChomsky #Language #Linguistics #Hebrew #Torah #Philosophy #Speech
—
*For more classes from Rabbi Shais Taub:*
🌐 *Website:* https://www.soulwords.org/
*Follow Rabbi Shais Taub:*
📸 *Instagram:* https://www.instagram.com/rabbi_shais_taub
🎥 *TikTok:* https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi_shais_taub
🐦 *X (Twitter):* https://www.x.com/ShaisTaub
📘 *Facebook:* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573478244968
💼 *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/shais-taub-81a95466/
🎧 *Listen to the SoulWords Podcast:*
🎵 *Spotify:* https://open.spotify.com/show/51E7XHWFDbZCGJQz7CoAZP
🍏 *Apple Podcasts:* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulwords-full-library/id1450892501
*Support Our Work:*
💳 *Donate:* https://www.soulwords.org/donate/
💰 *PayPal:* https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/soulwordspayments
💵 *CashApp:* https://cash.app/$soulwords
🪙 *Venmo:* https://venmo.com/u/soulwords
*About SoulWords:*
SoulWords is a virtual community hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub, where people come together to explore the spiritual insights of Torah and discover their unique purpose. This platform is here to facilitate your spiritual growth by sharing the mystical teachings of Judaism in contemporary language—making deep wisdom accessible and relevant to your life.
source