how to say “to allow” in Hebrew
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לְהַרְשׁוֹת, לָתֵת ל…
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For such a famously legalistic text, the Hebrew Bible doesn’t have proper words for to allow or to forbid. So Modern Hebrew borrows from Mishnaic root for permission and authority, ר.ש.ה (r.sh.h):
לְהַרְשׁוֹת, an active-causative הִפְעִיל verb, means to allow or to permit.
For example:
הֵרְשֵׁיתִי לוֹ לַחֲצוֹת אֶת הַכְּבִישׁ רַק בְּלִוּוּי מְבֻגָּר.
I gave him permission to cross the street only when accompanied by an adult.
The Bible does, however, have a less formal expression for to permit or to let, used widely today:
לָתֵת ל…This means literally to give to… so that:
הוּא לִפְעָמִים נוֹתֵן לַבֵּן שֶׁלּוֹ לִנְהוֹג בַּמְּכוֹנִית שֶׁלּוֹ.
He sometimes allows (literally, gives to) his son to drive (in) his car.
לתת itself is an active-simple פָּעַל verb whose root is נ.ת.נ (n.t.n).
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