Are You Really ‘With Me’?
If G-d told Balaam not to go with Balak’s men, why did He seemingly “change His mind” and later allow him to go?
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.
A Holiday Of Gathering
The Malbim argues that “asifah” connotes bringing inside what one has gathered, while “kovetz” connotes gathering without necessarily bringing inside.
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.
On Misers And Cheapskates
The truth is that kilay in the sense of miser is a rather obscure and archaic Biblical Hebrew word, seemingly not used in Mishnaic Hebrew.
Sleep Tight
...the Torah is telling us that Og was so big and strong even as a baby that he needed a metal crib to contain him; otherwise he would have broken his bed.
Seeking Salvation
Although the Rabbis tended to conform to biblical Hebrew in the phraseology of the prayers, here they used the word purkan because the root peh-reish-kuf already appears in the Torah in the context of “salvation.”
Digging Deeper
Usually, a person does not literally dig their own grave during their lifetime.
The Many Names Of Moshe Rabbeinu
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz (1902-1979) explains that each of Moses’ ten names reflects a different facet of his personality and teaches us something different about his greatness.
Speaking of Speaking…
Yabia means speech that flows from the depths of one’s heart … or speaking continuously, non-stop, like an ever-flowing spring.
Into The Wild
The word midbar appears approximately 270 times in the Bible and is often attached to a proper place-name, like Midbar Sinai, Midbar Sin, Midbar Paran, Midbar Shur, Midbar Kadesh, Midbar Damesek, Midbar Ein-Gedi, and Midbar Yehuda.
Take A Breather (Part I)
Maimonides explains that “ruach” also means a life-giving spirit, which is what remains of a person after death (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
A Laughing Matter
In four places in Tanach, the middle patriarch is referred to as "Yischak," not "Yitzchak."
Sing And Song (Part II)
The word “yashar” (straight) would seem to hold the opposite meaning of “shirah,” but Rabbi Shapiro notes that in rabbinic literature the two are linked.
Forms Of Forgiveness
“Selichah” also refers to a type of liturgical poem, or piyut, characterized by begging for forgiveness.
The Trick Of Magi
In his commentary to Sanhedrin 67b, however, Rashi says the Talmud holds that lahat is something performed by the practitioner himself, while lat adjures sheidim to act on one’s behalf.
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.
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.
Pick Your Wax
More scholarly-oriented etymologists are at a loss to explain the origins of “donag.”
Divorce Bills And Other Documents
Rabbi Sofer explains that all legal documents are called “get” because they bring people together (e.g., lenders and borrowers, buyers and sellers, etc.).
Coming And Going
The Zohar interestingly seems to echo this idea (Bo 34a), stating that “Bo el Pharaoh” teaches us that G-d brought Moses into some sort of heavenly inner chamber that was somehow associated with the sea-creature that characterizes Egypt.
Getting Clean
The Torah stipulates that a metal receptacle used for cooking the meat of a sin-offering must be thoroughly cleaned before being used for another purpose; it must undergo merikah and shetifah in water (Lev. 6:21).
Be My Guest
Interestingly, Rabbi Yaakov Emden (1697-1776) argues for a Hebrew etymology of the word ushpiz in the sense of host by explaining it as a portmanteau of the Hebrew phrase yesh po zin (there is sustenance here).
The Shining Sea Of Galilee
It’s possible that this body of water actually does not have its own name and is identified instead by the most prominent city on its banks.
The Strong Ones (Part II)
Another verse in Psalms (68:35) exhorts the reader to give “oz” to G-d. Obviously we can’t actually strengthen G-d.
Pick Your Poison
Dr. Kohut was the first to note that Rashi’s explanation of eches as snake venom was likely informed by the Greek word echis (viper).
Learning The Ropes
In this passage, three different words are used for “rope” or “string”: chevel, tikvah, and chut. This essay attempts to trace the etymology of those words, seeking to clarify exactly how they relate to one another.
Flowering Chicklings
Academy of the Hebrew Language and another article by Dr. Moshe Raanan of Herzog College explain that even though in earlier times the terms efroach and gozal were indeed synonymous, in Modern Hebrew there is a difference between these terms based on a zoological distinction.
Feeding The Lie
Indeed, the Talmud (Shavuos 26a) exempts a person from punishment if he swore falsely to something that he thought was true.
Prime Property
While the words rechush and mikneh always appear in singular form in the Bible, the word nechasim always appears in the plural.
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