how to say “regards” in Hebrew
having trouble seeing the print?
Suppose you’d like to send regards to a guy named Michael. In Hebrew, you’d say, תִּמְסוֹר דְּרִישַׁת שָׁלוֹם לְמִיכָאֵל (teem-SOHR deh-ree-SHAHT shah-LOHM leh-mee-khah-EL) – literally, send/pass a demand of peace to Michael (assuming the one being spoken to is a male).
Sounds a bit demanding… until we realize that in Biblical Hebrew, the verb לִדְרוֹש (leed-ROHSH) means to summon or to elicit. To demand becomes softer in French as well, where the verb demander means, simply, to ask.
The phrase itself, דרישת שלום, originates in Biblical Hebrew – more specifically, in the Torah portion Jews will be reading tomorrow the world over: דברים כ”ג, ז (Deuteronomy 23:7). In that context, לִדְרוֹשׁ שָׁלוֹם means to ask about their wellbeing (literally, peace).
דרישת שלום is typically shortened to דַּ”ש (dahsh). For example, you might say, תִּמְסְרִי לְאֶסְתֵּר דַּ”ש חָמָה מִמֶּנִּי (teem-seh-REE leh-es-TEHR dahsh khah-MAH mee-MEH-nee) – send Esther warm regards from me (assuming the one being spoken to is a female).
לדרוש is a simple פעל (pah-AHL) verb.
That’s all from me for the week. Now I’m off to the absorption center at Beit Alpha for Shabbat.
שבת שלום וסוף שבוע נעים לכולם!
Shabbat Shalom, and a pleasant weekend to all!
