pertaining to the Hebrew language
1
vote
1answer
27 views
Why is birkas kohanim in the masculine singular?
If the kohanim are blessing the entire people, one would think that it should be worded, "יברככם...וישמרכם" Why is it in the singular form?
On a related note, if a father places this blessing on his ...
12
votes
4answers
214 views
Zeraim Moed Nashim Nezikim Kodshim Taharos - why not Moadim?
The names of the Shisha Sidrei Mishna (Six Orders of Mishnah) are: Zeraim, Moed, Nashim, Nezikim, Kodshim, Taharos. All of them besides Moed are in plural form. However Moed is in singular form. Why ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
What is the meaning of this painting?
I am in possession of this mysterious painting with Hebrew characters, but I do not know what words mean. I suspect that they may provide a clue to what is being represented in each of the painted ...
2
votes
0answers
26 views
Netzach, Selah, Vaed - what is the difference between these words?
Eruvin 54a says that it was taught by Rabbi Eliezer ben yaakov that wherever it says Netzach, Selah, or Vaed it means it will remain so forever. "כל מקום שנאמר 'נצח' 'סלה' 'ועד' – אין לו הפסק עולמית" ...
3
votes
1answer
49 views
Will all Jews speak Hebrew when Mashiach comes?
This question just kind of popped into my head, so I'm not sure whether it is really a good question for this site, but I wonder if anybody has written about it.
I would imagine that since when ...
2
votes
3answers
134 views
Root of word צְלוֹתְהוֹן?
Looking at the Kaddish Shalem focusing on the words תִּתְקַבֵּל צְלוֹתְהוֹן, what is the etymology of the word tzelot-hon? Is this construct even hebrew? I found the root צְלָא meaning "pray" with ...
-4
votes
0answers
39 views
Why is the Torah not written in Latin? [closed]
I have searched and was told that Latin was just an interpretation of the original scriptures. If it is so, then why do so many other original articles points in a different direction.
In my opinion, ...
2
votes
0answers
143 views
Can we teach reading Hebrew without using the full names of the letters and vowels?
I've heard in Chabad and elsewhere that when teaching children to read Hebrew, one must call the letters and vowels only by their full traditional name. This is in my opinion very distracting for a ...
-1
votes
1answer
102 views
What's the Hebrew idiom for “what's his name” or “What's his face”
I vaguely remember some phrase used in Torah discussions such as "moni palomy" or "moni plamoni" that means "John Doe" or "What's his name" or "John Q Public". Seems like it was used in Ester, but I ...
5
votes
1answer
98 views
What is the Shekhina?
To what are people referring when they talk about the Shekhina? Is it a form of God? A part of God? An attribute of God? Perhaps it is something else entirely?
Also, what is the etymology of the ...
8
votes
0answers
63 views
הוא is he? Or is it?
The third-person feminine pronoun in Hebrew is היא, "hee." But in most instances in the Torah, the word is spelled הוא, with a vav rather than a yud as the middle letter. How does this make sense ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views
Shem Ha'Poel for 4-letter-root verbs [closed]
For normal verbs with 3-letter roots, each root is addressed by Peh, Ayin, and Lamed (respectively). In the rare verbs with 4 roots, how are each of the root letters indexed?
Hope the question is ...
2
votes
1answer
40 views
Singular and plural language in Vaikra 10:1
In parashat shemini, chapter 10, verse 1 it is written:
וַיִּקְחוּ בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלֶיהָ קְטֹרֶת וַיַּקְרִיבוּ לִפְנֵי ...
2
votes
1answer
31 views
Hamracheim or Hammerachim?
In Modim in the Shmoneh Esre we say המרחם כי לא תמו חסדך the question is whether the מ in המרחם should have a daggesh or not, and thus what sort of Shva should be under said מ?
3
votes
2answers
119 views
Correct response to tizku l'mitzvot
What is the correct response to someone saying, "tizku l'mitzvot" after you do a mitzvah, or something helpful? For example, after helping someone make an Eruv Chatzeirot they might say "tizku ...
2
votes
3answers
97 views
Translation of the word “nimshal”
Rabbinic writings (e.g. * Rabbah and other midrash) use the words "mashal" (noun) and "nimshal" (verb). What do these terms mean in English? I've heard "parable" or "allegory" for the noun but I am ...
4
votes
2answers
106 views
Why is the Haggadah written in Hebrew?
The Haggadah was written during the Talmudic period, so I would expect it to be written in Aramaic. Especially since the entire purpose of the Haggadah is the telling over of the story of ...
4
votes
1answer
59 views
Hebrew of the Mishneh Torah
In what type of Hebrew did Rambam write the Mishneh Torah?
I just started to learn Biblical Hebrew and when I have learned basics I will start to read Pentateuch in Hebrew with some help The next ...
2
votes
2answers
51 views
Niqqud for שְׁיָרֵי in Zevachim mishnah
I am really no expert in Hebrew grammar and I know there are many variants of same word. In particular I think there is no tradition for the puntuaction of the Mishnah.
However in my siddur ...
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Why “מִי וָמִי” instead of “מִי וּמִי”?
I have always thought that as a general rule, the vav conjunctive prefix is usually a "וְ". But, when the word being "prefixed" either starts with a shva or starts with a "lip-letter" (בומ"פ), the vav ...
4
votes
0answers
37 views
Levana or Yareach?
In the entire Tanach the moon is generally called Yareach. There are 3 instances where it is called Levana. One is ישעיהו: כד. כג.
וחפרה הלבנה ובושה החמה. Another one is ישעיהו: ל. כו.
והיה אור הלבנה ...
3
votes
0answers
65 views
Correcting tav/sav
If someone who usually pronounces the letter "ת" without a dagesh as "sav" is leining Torah, and he accidentally says "tav" in a place where he would normally say "sav", should the gabbai correct him? ...
2
votes
2answers
97 views
Different words for clothing
Whats the difference between kasah (covering) and labash (covering)? And when we look to clothes then what's the difference between kesut and lebush? And what about beged (cloths) ? Please show me ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
Do we read it as directing or breaking the ear?
Rashi to Shemos 31:17 states:
וינפש: כתרגומו ונח, וכל לשון נופש והוא לשון נפש, שמשיב נפשו ונשימתו בהרגיעו מטורח מהמלאכה. ומי שכתוב בו (ישעיה מ כח) לא ייעף ולא יגע, וכל פעלו במאמר, הכתיב מנוחה ...
3
votes
0answers
52 views
Difference between 'rafa' and 'ripa'
The root רפא, "heal", is used in various places in Tanach, sometimes in binyan paal and sometimes in binyan piel. I wonder what the difference is between these. Does any Tanach commentator, or the ...
0
votes
0answers
61 views
Formatting Benching / Davening in a design program [closed]
Where can I get the text of the siddur/prayer book and benching/grace in a free computer friendly format? I'd like to be able to make materials that include commonly needed teffilos(prayers) (e.g. a ...
2
votes
0answers
84 views
How could different pronunciations arise when we are obligated to pronounce the Shema precisely?
If one does not pronounce the Shema correctly, one has not fulfilled their obligation (שולחן ערוך או"ח סימן סב). If so, then how could different pronunciations of the Hebrew words arise? Shouldn't at ...
5
votes
1answer
48 views
“Vashti the queen” vs. “Queen Vashti”
Is there a peshat difference between the usual wording,
“ושתי המלכה”
Vashti the queen
(or “אסתר המלכה” Esther the queen),
and the wording used twice in Chapter 1 (verses 12 and 15),
“המלכה ושתי”
the ...
4
votes
3answers
132 views
Remember the Sabbath day: meaning of “Sabbath”
Is the word "Shabbat" in Scripture, or anywhere really, ever translated as anything but "Sabbath" by Jews? IF so, what?
Based on the Tanakh, that says to "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy," ...
-3
votes
2answers
201 views
Can the root ש ל ם be used to mean “Submission”?
In Arabic, the root S-L-M (س ل م) has a general meaning of "Peace", but can also be used for "Submission" (such as in the words Islam/Muslim). Given the close relation between Hebrew and Arabic, I'm ...
-1
votes
1answer
82 views
2
votes
3answers
106 views
Definition of Baal Nefesh
I have seen "Baal Nefesh" used frequently in various contexts: sometimes as one who is scrupulous in halacha, other times as someone who is a quality person.
What is its simple translation/meaning?
5
votes
2answers
166 views
What's the meaning of “Hashmal” (electricity in modern Hebrew) in the bible? (Ezekiel 1:4)
Ezekiel 1:4:
I saw, and behold, there was a stormy wind coming from the north, a great cloud with flashing fire and a brilliance surrounding it; and from its midst, like the color of the Hashmal ...
2
votes
0answers
92 views
Conceptual Relationship Between “River” (יאר) and “Light” (אור)
There seems to be a relationship between the words "river" (יאר) and light (אור), that is only underscored by the fact that "river" in Hebrew (נהר) is essentially the same word as "light" in Aramaic ...
4
votes
1answer
84 views
What is the correct pronunciation of last letter in the Hebrew alphabet?
I have heard mixed answers as to how to pronounce the letter תּ
Is it taf or tav?
(I'm referring to the halachic pronunciation not the common street way.)
Is there a difference between Ashkenazi or ...
1
vote
3answers
197 views
What does R' Feinstein say about eating kosher food in a non-kosher restaurant?
The last paragraph of Igros Moshe O.C. 2:40 discusses when you may order kosher food [such as a banana] in a non-kosher restaurant.
R' Moshe Feinstein begins:
ובדבר אם מותר לאכול ברעסטאראנט ...
2
votes
2answers
126 views
Which pasuk in Tanach has the most letters?
I'm attempting to build a database with every pasuk in Tanach, I'm trying to determine the size of the varchar needed for this. Which pasuk is this and how many letters does it have?
6
votes
1answer
70 views
Did Achashveirosh and Haman speak Hebrew?
Tosfos in Megilah (13b, s.v. הַכֶּסֶף נָתוּן לָךְ ) expound the pasuk in Esther (3:11)
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן, הַכֶּסֶף נָתוּן לָךְ; וְהָעָם, לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ כַּטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ - And the ...
5
votes
1answer
188 views
What is the difference between adonai and adoni?
I'm sure I've missed something quite obvious here, but I've always been told that adonai is "my Lord", and so I always assumed that it was adon with 'my' stuck to it. But, that would be adoni, with a ...
0
votes
0answers
100 views
Why is Hebrew's word for “widget” so different than most other languages'? [closed]
I've been studying Hebrew for about a whole month now. I've discovered that the word "widget" in English, while translating to "widget" in most other languages, translates to "יישומון" in Hebrew. I ...
0
votes
1answer
107 views
The vowel making the “i” sound and the vowel making the “ee” sound [closed]
While I have no unicode to show my predicament, I'd like to describe it. I know the vowel for i, such as in the English word "bit", is represented by a dot under the consonant. I know the vowel for ...
6
votes
3answers
234 views
Why the emphasis on Hebrew in Judaism?
Why does Judaism have such an emphasis on Hebrew phrases in their religion and seems reluctant to translate them to English or another language?
6
votes
1answer
104 views
גמר חתימה טובה gender
During the nine and a half days ending with Yom Kipur, we wish each other "גמר חתימה טובה" (an end to the good signing). This seems very strange. Shouldn't it be "גמר חתימה טוב" (a good end to the ...
3
votes
1answer
64 views
Difference between the words zachor and pakad
What is the difference between the words zachor and pakad?
They are used with what seems like very similar meanings throughout the Rosh HaShanah davening, as well as in the Chumash.
Here are some ...
-1
votes
3answers
113 views
How can I understand the torah text? [closed]
Please tell me how can I read the Torah. I want to learn Hebrew so that I can read Torah perfectly. Please help me out.
0
votes
2answers
167 views
Pronunciation for אלוהים הוא אלוהים שלי
I got this from translating 'G-d is my G-d' on Google Translate. However I don't know how to pronounce the Hebrew. Can somebody give me the pronunciation on this and is there a Hebrew name that means ...
-1
votes
4answers
131 views
Return *his* dress?
After the command to return a lost ox, we find: "You should do likewise for his dress (לשמלתו)."
However, two pesukim later, we see וְלֹא-יִלְבַּשׁ גֶּבֶר שִׂמְלַת אִשָּׁה (and a man shouldn't wear ...
3
votes
0answers
99 views
Pronunciation of “Two”s in Hebrew
Thomas O. Lambdin calls out the words שְנַיִם and שְתַּיִם as exceptions to "shewa as the initial vowel in a word is always vocalized," i.e. it is "shtayim" and "shnayim". That's a secular expert's ...
3
votes
1answer
100 views
Importance of learning grammar
What are the traditional Jewish opinions about the importance of learning and speaking Hebrew with proper grammar (dikduk)?
3
votes
2answers
201 views
Question about Ashkenazi pronunciation
BS"D
I was at an Ashkenazi beith kneseth this past shabboth and noticed that they didn't distinctly pronounce their Shuruq's and Hholam's and instead substituted them with Hhireq's. I'm not sure if ...
