how to say “guilty feelings” in Hebrew
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The Torah portion to be read this Shabbat by Jews around the world unveils the spiritual life of those Jews living in the times of the Temple – more specifically, the rituals they practice to express their devotion to God… as well as their sorrow at having sinned.
One of the five types of ritual sacrifices is called the קָרְבַּן אָשָׁם (kohr-BAHN ah-SHAHM) – the sacrifice of guilt. Say the word אשם out loud and note how similar it sounds to the English word, shame. אַשְׁמָה (ahsh-MAH) is the word used in Modern Hebrew to mean guilt the emotion.
Then again, the word בּוּשָׁה (boo-SHAH) also sounds a bit like shame.
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| By VinothChandar |
Guilt-אשמה and shame-בושה are not the same thing. רִגְשׁוֹת אַשְׁמָה (reeg-SHOHT ahsh-MAH) – guilty feelings – come when a person believes, “I’ve done something bad.” These feelings motivate this person to fix what has become broken. As Brené Brown taught in her phenomenal talk earlier this month, רשגות אשמה are healthy and adaptive.
The feeling of בושה, on the other hand, comes when a person believes “I am bad.” This experience is unhealthy and maladaptive, and can only be released when expressed fully – to self or, preferably, to another.
שבת שלום, וסוף שבוע נעים לכולם!
Shabbat Shalom, and a pleasant weekend to all!
Hebrew vocabulary with…
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