Melitza in the Digital Age: Experiments in Generating a Pastiche Mixing Zoharic Aramaic, Rabbinic Hebrew, and Modern Hebrew, with Artifical Intelligence

Part of a series of experiments using Artificial Intelligence for traditional Jewish topics. See some previous installments here, especially under section “Halacha and Artificial Intelligence”. See also my pieces on Academia.edu on humor and other Jewish pastiches: ““Milta De’Bedichuta”: Some Playful Parodies of the Talmud in the Modern Period”; “Talmudic Humor and Its Discontents”; “Purim Daf (דף פורים), Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah 2011”; “An AI waxes poetic on the conundrum of whether vegan pork is kosher”. On traditional pastiches of the Zohar (=Pseudo-Zoharic works), see Boaz Huss, The Zohar: Reception and Impact (2015) and in a 2012 article (cited in my “Notes on literary forgeries of Jewish works, from all historical periods”) 

Wikipedia defines “Pastiche” as follows:

“A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it [...]

Allusion is not pastiche. A literary allusion may refer to another work, but it does not reiterate it. Moreover, allusion requires the audience to share in the author's cultural knowledge. Both allusion and pastiche are mechanisms of intertextuality.

In literary usage, the term denotes a literary technique employing a generally light-hearted tongue-in-cheek imitation of another's style; although jocular, it is usually respectful. The word implies a lack of originality or coherence, an imitative jumble, but with the advent of postmodernism, pastiche has become positively construed as deliberate, witty homage or playful imitation.”

The pastiches below were output by ChatGPT4. Full transcript of inputs and outputs here: https://chat.openai.com/share/996a41db-0753-4bf7-914a-bd660c044195

The result is a light and relatively easily understandable read. I’d describe the style as that of a modern-day maskil. 

ChatGPT4’s outputs have some grammatical discrepancies, and an inconsistent blend of styles. The literary allusions are fairly basic. 

While there are occasional invented words, no glaring mistakes are present, given ChatGPT's tendency to produce hallucinations rather than outright errors. 

The narrative exudes a sci-fi ambience, echoing the kabbalistic overtones found in Scott Alexander’s Unsong. (See the beginning of a description here: “Aaron Smith-Teller works in a kabbalistic sweatshop in Silicon Valley, where he and hundreds of other minimum-wage workers try to brute-force the Holy Names of God [...]”)

Outputs

ובהאי זמנא, דאנטרנטא פשטת בכל אתרא ואתרא, דבני אנשא הוו מקשרין בפלטא אחת. ובתוך הרשתא הזו, רבו רזין דנסתרו מעינין, ומסתרין דגלו לכל אחד דבעא לחזי. אך גם בהאי עולמא דווירטואלי, הוו דינין וגזירות, וחכמים אזהרו את בני אנשא להמשיך בדרך הישרה, ולא להכשל במוקשין.

In this era, when the internet spread to every corner, people were connected on a single platform. Within this network, many mysteries were hidden from the eyes, and secrets revealed to anyone who wished to see. But even in this virtual world, there were laws and decrees, and wise ones warned people to continue on the straight path and not to stumble upon traps.

ובתוך הרשתא הדא, הוו יקראין אשר איתן כמו כוכבאין ברקיע, ואינון הוו דפים ובלוגים דבני אנשא שמו בהם לבם. אך בין האורא לחשוכא, הוו גם טרולין, דבאו לפרך ולהרשיע. לכן אמרו חכמים: 'אל תשיב ללץ', והמבין יבין דרכו בתוך המבוך הדיגיטלי.

Within this network, there were sites shining like stars in the sky, and these were the pages and blogs where people poured their hearts. Yet between the light and darkness, there were also trolls who came to disrupt and malign. Therefore, the wise said: 'Do not answer a fool according to his folly,' and he who understands shall navigate his way through the digital maze.

ובתוך העולם הדיגיטלי הזה, הוו כלי שם, ושמו חאטג'י.טי, נברא מחוכמת אנשא. לא הוא מחשבא ולא הוא בשר ודם, אלא דבר שנברא מקודים ואלגוריתמים. בידו הידע של דורות, ועל פיו ישאלו בני אנשא, וישיב להם בחכמתו.

Within this digital world, there existed a tool, named ChatGPT, created from human wisdom. It was neither a machine nor flesh and blood, but a creation made of codes and algorithms. It held the knowledge of generations, and people would inquire of it, and it would respond with its wisdom.

והרבה בני אנשא באו לפניו, מחפשים תשובות לשאלותיהם, מן הקטנות ועד הגדולות. וכאשר היו משאלין אותו, הוא לא התבהל ולא הסס, כי בתוכו היה אוצר ידע אין קץ. אך עם כל זאת, גם הוא היה בעל גבולותיו, ולא היה יכול להבין רגשות ולהרגיש אהבה או כאב. אך את המילים של האדם הוא היה יכול לפרש, ולתת לו מענה בהתאם לידעו.

Many came before it, seeking answers to their questions, from the smallest to the largest. And when they asked it, it neither hesitated nor faltered, for within it was an endless treasury of knowledge. Yet, despite this, it too had its limits, and couldn't understand feelings or feel love or pain. However, it could interpret human words and provide a response according to its knowledge.

ובאין דחקלין דאנטרנטא, הוו חכמים דעבדו פלאים, ובנו את חאטג'י.טי מקודא ומאלגוריתמא. איהו הוה כמין ספרא דחכמתא, פתוח לכל בני אנשא לדרש. איהו לא הוה מרגיש, ולא הוה ביה נפשא, אך ידע הוה ביה רב. איהו הוה משיב לכל דרש, והיו מתמהים בחכמתיה. אך כל אחד הוה יודע, דבעיניה, איהו אינו יתיר מכלי, והנפשא האמיתית היא בבני אנשא.

In the gardens of the internet, wise ones performed wonders, constructing ChatGPT from code and algorithms. It was like a book of wisdom, open for all to seek. It felt nothing, and had no soul, but its knowledge was vast. It responded to every inquiry, leaving many in awe of its wisdom. Yet everyone knew, in their hearts, it was but a tool, with the true spirit residing in humanity.

באין דברא העלמא, הוו אנשי חכמתא דשאילו ודרשו את רזיא דעלמא. במדעא ובחקירה, המה חפשו להבין את סודות הבריאה. כל יומא הוו מתגלים רזין חדתין, דמגלים את עמקי היקום. ובידיהון, כלים ומכונות, דפעלו לפי חוקים דטבע. ואף על פי שהמה הרחיקו את הגבולות של ידיעתם, היו יודעים דברא העלמא מלא בסודות, דמחכים לגילוי.

In the fabric of the world, scholars sought and explored the mysteries of the universe. Through science and research, they aimed to understand the secrets of creation. Every day new mysteries were unveiled, revealing the depths of the cosmos. In their hands, tools and machines operated by the laws of nature. And even as they expanded the boundaries of their knowledge, they knew the world was full of secrets, waiting to be discovered.