how to say “acceptance” in Hebrew

This weekend, Jews around the world will be celebrating the Feast of Weeks, which is a direct translation of the Hebrew term, חַג הַשָּׁבֻעוֹת (khahg hah-shah-voo-OHT). 

This is the holiday in which the Jews in Biblical times expressed gratitude for the crop being harvested at the end of the spring, the fully-mature grains and the newly ripened fruits. When Jews became world wanderers upon losing the Temple as well as their independence in the Land of Israel almost 2,000 years ago, חג השבעות took on a new emphasis that would speak to the hearts of Jews in all regions and climates throughout the diaspora, as חג השבעות also commemorates the most monumental event in the world history of morality, the giving of Torah – מַתַּן תּוֹרָה (mah-TAHN toh-RAH).


There’s the Giver – הַנּוֹתֵן (hah-noh-TEN)… and there are the receivers – הַמְּקַבְּלִים (hah-meh-kah-beh-LEEM). The Hebrew root for give is נ.ת.נ (n.t.n), while the root for receive is ק.ב.ל (k.b.l). Notably, the Hebrew term used to describe that Sinai transaction is מתן תורה, the giving of Torah, rather than קַבַּלַת תּוֹרָה – the receiving of Torah (kah-bah-LAHT toh-RAH). I believe that the term was thus selected to stress that the Torah is a gift and therefore to nurture gratitude toward the Giver.


The word for to accept and to receive is לְקַבֵּל (leh-kah-BEL), an active-intensive פיעל verb. The word for acceptance is קַבָּלָה (kah-bah-LAH). It’s also the word for a financial receipt, as well as the body of Jewish literature containing mystical revelations received from above (the word קִבּוּל – kee-BOOL, the expected gerund for לקבל, refers to other things).


A couple of examples:


הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מִקַּבָּלָה חֶבְרָתִית 
He enjoys social acceptance
(hoo neh-heh-NEH mee-kah-bah-LAH khev-rah-TEET)


בִּקַּשְׁתִּי קַבָּלָה מֵהַמִּסְעָדָה 
I requested from the restaurant a receipt
(bee-KAHSH-tee kah-bah-LAH meh-hah-mees-ah-DAH)


Note – acceptance to a program of study, etc. uses a different word, הִתְקַבְּלוּת (heet-kah-beh-LOOT), the noun form of an active-reflexive התפעל verb, לְהִתְקַבֵּל (leh-heet-kah-BEL).


שבת שלום, חג שמח, וסוף שבוע נעים לכולם!
Shabbat Shalom, Happy (Shavuot) Holiday, and a wonderful weekend to all!

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