Piercing Spears
In this essay, we take a closer look at the Hebrew word used for Phineas’ weapon of choice and compare it with other Hebrew words like chanit and kidon that seem to refer to the same or very similar weapons.
How Many Foreheads?
The Mishnah and the Talmud do not explain what “padachat” means, so how do we know it means “forehead”?
In The Middle
It seems that the principle meaning of the root reish-kaf-samech is “to tie together.” When things are tied together, the nexus of the knot is the point where their connection is strongest and most-highly concentrated.
A Coriander Conundrum
Ultimately, when Antoninus pointed out that doing so would totally erase his progeny, Rebbe encouraged the Roman official to have mercy on his deviant daughter.
To Be A Wise Guy (Part II)
The Talmud (Chagigah 12a) teaches that G-d created the world using 10 different qualities, the first three of which are chachmah, tevunah, and daat.
Elephants Galore
“Pil” actually doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible. Biblical Hebrew seems to have a different word for elephant, “shenhav,” which appears twice in the Bible.
The Old Man And The See
“Sav” is related to the Hebrew word “seivah,” and both these words form the basis of “saba,” which means “old man” or “grandfather.”
A Biblical Feast
Ibn Janach writes that produce is called “tevuah” because it comes at certain times of the year.
Laborious Work And Angelic Creativity
Rabbi Kook warns that sometimes a person can become so involved and devoted to his work that his work controls him instead of the reverse.
Empty Exaggerations
In explaining what a guzma is, Rashi writes that they are “simply words,” meaning they do not reflect the actual reality ... Similarly, Rashi explains that "words of havai" refers to speech spoken by common people, who often speak in vulgar ways that exaggerate the matter at hand.
Parshas Bo: Please Stand Up
While the term amidah is teleologically neutral and simply relays the notion of standing in place, the term nitzav implies standing for a specific purpose.
All In The Family
When it comes to the word yavam, Rabbi Pappenheim explains that this term for a relative-in-law contrasts with other terms for relatives-in-law.
Fishy Words (Part I)
Rabbi Marcus argues that at the core of “taninim” (sea-monsters – see Genesis 1:21) is the word “nun.” In offering this explanation, Rabbi Marcus explicitly rejects scholarly speculation that “taninim” is a Sanskrit loanword.
Where Are You?
Rabbi Wertheimer writes that "ayeh" is used when one has no inkling where something is, while "eifo" is used when one does have a general sense of where it is.
Wake-Up Time
This is why, when a person wakes up, it is called oorah –an entire world is now revealed to him.
Showing Teeth
Although the word shein usually means “tooth,” sometimes it refers to things made out of ivory, which is a material made out of teeth.
Calling The Defender
A meilitz yosher is a defender who emphasizes a person’s good and “straight” deeds, while a prosecutor emphasizes a person’s evil and criminal deeds.
Boys And Girls (Part II)
A whole slew of other words also come from ayin-lammed, including “elyon” (high), “l’maaleh” (up), “oleh” (elevate), “aleh” (leaf, which grows on a branch), “ohl” (yoke, which placed on an animal), “meil (tunic, which is worn on top of other clothing), “na'al” (shoe, which is worn on top of the foot), etc.
Revolting Revolutions
The poshea is not one who tries to rebel but is rather one whose indolence shows that he does not care about the result of his actions.
Getting Stoned (Part I)
The term sekilah appears in two instances of men who were stoned to death: Achan, who illegally took the spoils of war from Jericho (Joshua 7:25); and Naboth, against whom Jezebel and Ahab conspired to take his vineyard (I Kings 23:10-15).
Feeding The Lie
Indeed, the Talmud (Shavuos 26a) exempts a person from punishment if he swore falsely to something that he thought was true.
Mattos: The Names Of Jericho
One of the appellations given to Jericho in the Bible is Ir HaTmarim, “the City of Dates.”
Single Guys
In this article, we explore the etymologies of ravak and two other Hebrew terms for an unmarried or single man – panui and bachur – try to zone in on the nuances they express.
Just Winging It
Rabbi Wertheimer further notes that wings create shade and thus serve as a metaphor for offering protection.
Hebron: The City Of Four And More
Kiryat Arba is an older name for the city of Hebron (Josh. 14:15, Jud. 1:10). It means “City of Four” or “Tetrapolis.” But what does Hebron have to do with the number four?
Purim: Words For Wine (Part II)
Rabbi Avraham Bedersi in Chotam Tochnit points out that in rabbinic usage, the term shechar clearly refers to some drink other than wine.
Heat With The In-laws
The groom does not join a new family, but rather branches off from his own family, creating a new subdivision of it.
A Real Toss Up
Not all appearances of “hashlachah” carry a negative connotation. Some connote throwing something deliberately to bring about certain results.
Animal Sounds (Part I)
An apocryphal Midrash describes the colorful sounds made by the animals etched on King Solomon’s throne. Most of these words do not appear in the Bible.
Remember Forever
“Pakad” primarily means remembering something or someone in order to deal with it, and the most basic way of dealing with something is to determine whether it’s actually present or not – hence, it means to count.
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