15
votes
Accepted
Source and etymology of כפירה kefirah ‘heresy’
Edits in italics:
Balashon blog discusses it at length here, and provides many sources, as well as a look at one example of it by various Rishonim. I have added some content from there during this ...
- 21.2k
14
votes
Accepted
Etymology of קטלא (necklace, in משניות מעילה)
The Aruch says that "some" indeed explain it as related to the Aramaic root קטל, because the woman binds it fairly tightly around her neck so that she looks plump. (In a comment on the OP, ...
- 10.4k
13
votes
Why is a Shechitah Knife termed a Chalaf?
A few possibilities.
Ezra 1:9 מחלפים. Rashi says that מחלפים is knives and it comes from בית החלפות where the knives were kept in the Bais Hamikdash.
Even Ezra and Metzudas David in Ezra 1:9 also ...
- 140k
8
votes
Accepted
What's the etymology of the Hassidic term "b'sho'oh" for a chaperoned quasi-date?
The etymology is from the German "beschau," to inspect.
6
votes
The word Yamakah
According to Wikipedia, 'Yarmulke' is pronounced 'Yamakah'. Which means that Yamakah is a misspelling of Yarmulke.
- 28.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Connection Between Liver & Honor?
Shemot 7:14 says:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה כָּבֵ֖ד לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה מֵאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלַּ֥ח
הָעָֽם
The Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is heavy; he has refused to
let the people out.
The ...
- 1,365
6
votes
Why is אותו מקום referred to as the מקום התורף? What does תורף mean?
Your answer is within the sources in your question.
Torf means an exposed place, that should be covered.
מקום התורף - woman's genitalia should be covered if exposed.
Document's תורף - Are the ...
6
votes
Accepted
Is there a particular reason Ezra HaSofer name is spelled with an "א" instead of with a "ה"?
בית שמואל, שמות אנשים, אות ע'
עזרא אין בו ספק ובאלף בסוף משום שנתגדל בבבל נכתב בלשון ארמית
The Taz writes that it comes from Aramaic. Quoted in Beit Shmuel (Shemot Anashim, Ayin) and Aruch ...
- 2,250
5
votes
Origin of Histakel Be'Oraisa Uvara Alma
The sources that I can find for this idea is as follows.
1 - Beginning of Medrash Raba - Breishis.
מביט בתורה ובורא את העולם
2 - Zohar Teruma 635
אסתכל בה באורייתא וברא עלמא
- 140k
5
votes
Accepted
What is the etymological definition of הגיס?
Rashi (Beitzah 34a) says that it means to stir (literally overturn) with a spoon:
מגיס - מנער בכף, שקורין קומיבר"א
Rashi (Shabbos 18a) explains similarly that it means to overturn.
מגיס - מהפך ...
- 21.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Ibn Ezra: Moshe = Monius?
Immediately after stating that that was Moshe's name he tells us where he got it from:
ככה כתוב בספר עבודת האדמה הנעתק מלשון מצרים אל לשון קדרים גם ככה בספרי
חכמי יוון
That is, he got it from ...
- 50.3k
4
votes
The word Yamakah
Yamaka or Yarmulke is actually a contraction of Yareh MiKah - יָרֵא מִקָה - i.e. to fear Gcd, the purpose of covering one's head, originally.
Say Yareh MiKah a few times in succession and it will ...
- 44.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Are the words Shema and shemiras / shomer related?
B"H
"Are the words Shema and shemiras / shomer related?"
Everything is related to everything in some way.
If you're asking if the words listen (שמע) and guard (שמר) share any unique ...
- 415
3
votes
What is the etymology of the name Jesse?
I'd sooner suspect that the correct interpretation of ישי - Jesse is "יש שי" meaning "there is a gift", for example, describing the birth of the child - similar to by Leah's naming of her son ...
- 17.9k
3
votes
The afflicted, poor and humble a reference to the command to afflict oneself on Yom Kippur
There is a hint from the text that the עינוי referred to involves an abstention from food.
The parsha both in Emor and in Pinchas lists all the holidays and says with regard to each "כל מלאכת עבדה לא ...
- 6,433
3
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of the name Lemech?
See Midrash Rabba paracha 23 , paragraph 2:
ויולד לחנוך את עירד וגו'
אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: כולן לשון מרדות הן.
עירד, עורדן אני מן העולם.
מחויאל,...
- 23.1k
3
votes
Accepted
Etymology of the word "Kvater"
Aruch HaShulchan Yoreh De'ah 265:35:
וקורין לזה קוואט"ר. ויראה לי שזהו מלשון "קטורת", דאמרינן בכריתות (כריתות ו ב): מה לשון "קטורת"? דבר שקוטר ועולה. ופירש רש"י: קוטר – ...
- 46.6k
3
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of the phrase לצאת ולבוא?
R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his commentary on Deuteronomy 31:2, calls "לצאת ולבוא" "the general term used for the public efficient activity of national leadership," and points us ...
- 48.6k
3
votes
Origin of Yisha'yahu (Isaiah/יְשַׁעְיָהוּ)'s name
The gemara in Sotah 10b says:
"And Rabbi Levi says: This matter is a tradition that we received from our ancestors: Amoz, father of Isaiah, and Amaziah, king of Judea, were brothers."
In ...
- 28.4k
3
votes
Why is it called Bas Kol
This is the very first question in the Rif. The Rif answers that he never heard anything about it ,but he notes that when lashon zachar is used we can learn from it,but when it's lashon nekeivah we ...
- 42.7k
3
votes
What's the connection between Aravos and Heaven?
The gemarra in Chagigah 12b says that there are seven rekiyos, loosely translated as seven Heavens.
ר"ל אמר שבעה ואלו הן וילון רקיע שחקים זבול מעון מכון ערבות
Reish Lakish said: There are seven ...
- 20.2k
2
votes
Etymology of “Krepel”
The Yiddish word kreplach is plural of krepl, a diminutive of krap or krep which supposedly comes from Yiddish's primary ancestor language, Middle High German, where krappe or krapfe meant "a (...
- 21
2
votes
What is the etymology of the name Jesse?
The name appears in 1st Chronicles 2:13 as אישי, and this was interpreted in דעת מקרא as a shorthand of אישיה - Ishyah - literally "Man of Jah". Compare this to אשבעל - Eshbaal - "Man of Baal" - 4th ...
2
votes
Accepted
What is the literal meaning of the 42 encampments in the wilderness?
Here is a rough draft I wrote which suggests both the roots of each place name, and a personal life-journey interpretation (it is too long to post here as an answer): I believe that most life-patterns ...
- 1,887
2
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of the name "Miriam"?
According to Shir HaShirim Rabbah 2:11, the name is derived from the word מרר, bitter, and reflects the fact that the Jews’ slavery became harsher around the time of her birth.
עִקַּר שִׁעְבּוּדָן ...
- 34.7k
2
votes
Do some scholars believe that "לנבא" ("lenabe") meant "to philosophise"/"to entertain"/"to dramatise"?
Your question is:
So is it a popular theory among Biblical researchers?
No. Or, at least: not in the context in which you're asking. That context is Mi Yodeya, a Judaism Web site, so you must mean ...
- 73.9k
2
votes
Accepted
Meaning of animal names examples
I'll just give a few examples but for a long list of examples see here:
For a fox- זאב, it's זה אב, like זה אובה, meaning a fox always desires food.
For a mouse- עכבר, its בר, עכב-בר is מזון (food) ...
- 3,592
2
votes
Are the words Shema and shemiras / shomer related?
Looked at strictly grammatically the two words שמע to listen and שמר (from which comes shemiras) to guard, are different words and there are obvious differences between hearing something and guarding ...
- 48.7k
2
votes
Distinction of concepts איש ,בעל, and אדון
Well, calling Hashem בעל would run into the obvious issue of that also being used as a name for an idolatrous deity.
Anyway, Malbim (Yeshayah 26:13) explains:
בעל מורה על הקנין שי"ל בגוף הדבר ...
- 10.4k
1
vote
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