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- As time went on, the Targums became written down. They became official, or recognised translations. Obviously Jews never forgot the Hebrew Bible. They never abandoned it. They always revered it. They always held it as the original revelation from God. But they also read the Aramaic Targums, to make sure that they “gave the sense” and were “caused to understand the reading”.
- Ever since the days of Ezra, the Jews have a tradition, that one should read the Hebrew text twice and the Aramaic text once.
- This comes from the Talmud, where it says, "Rabbi Huna ben Yehudah says in the name of Rabbi Ammi: A man should always complete his Torah portions together with the congregation, reading the Hebrew text twice and the [Aramaic] Targum once.
- The phrase is Shnayim Mikra ve-echad Targum. The Mikra is The Reading, that is, from the Hebrew Bible. The Targum is the Aramaic Targums.