[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/נשרף-#.m4a” /]נִשְׂרַף In English, when we talk about someone’s identity being discovered, we say that they blew their cover. This invokes the image of covers (or disguise) flying off, being blown away with the wind. In Hebrew, we say that this person was burned – נשרף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/נשרף-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/נשרף-#.m4a” /]החייל המסתערב נשרף, והמבצע…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/פרצוף-תשעה-באב-#.m4a” /]פַּרְצוּף תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב Hebrew has two words for face – the biblical פנים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/פרצוף-תשעה-באב-#.m4a” /], and a later word borrowed from Greek, פרצוף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/פרצוף-תשעה-באב-#.m4a” /]. The latter word helps make up this Hebrew expression: פרצוף תשעה באב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/פרצוף-תשעה-באב-#.m4a” /] – a sad face, or literally, a face of Tisha B’Av. Why Tisha B’Av? Because this is…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אצלי-1.m4a” /]אֶצְלִי I used French in the title because English doesn’t really have this word, although some American Jews with a Yiddish-speaking heritage do have a word for this – by – as in Can I stay by you? which, in standard English, is May I stay with you/at your place? אצל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אצלי-2.m4a” /] incorporates possession and/or location….
להפנים With some basic Hebrew you’d know how to say inside, as in I’d rather sit inside – בִּפְנִים (beef-NEEM). Here’s how to say to internalize: לְהַפְנִים (le-hahf-NEEM). For example, הִפְנַמְנוּ אֶת הַמֶּסֶר (heef-NAHM-noo et hah-MEH-sehr) – we’ve internalized the message. Today’s “three-weeks” call to action This Shabbat, I’m going to…
מְלָאכָה Hear this word pronounced Cyclone in Australia, earthquake in New Zealand, genocide in Libya, rockets on בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע (beh-EHR SHEH-vah) – Beer Sheba… Here’s another song by Ehud Banai about what happens after the storm – that, as is human nature and for good reason, people go back about their business. But the ones who never…