Author: Ami Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/שבכ-#.m4a” /]שַׁבָּ”כּ While the CIA handles American security abroad, the FBI is the agency in charge of national security at home. The Israeli counterparts of these agencies are המוסד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/שבכ-#.m4a” /] – the Mossad (full name is המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/שבכ-#.m4a” /] – The Institute for Intelligence and Special Roles) and השב”כ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/שבכ-#.m4a” /] – the…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ליתר-ביטחון-#.m4a” /]לְיֶתֶר בִּטָּחוֹן Earlier this week we saw the word ביטוח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ליתר-ביטחון-#.m4a” /] – insurance. Its root, ב.ט.ח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ליתר-ביטחון-#.m4a” /] meaning sure, is also the root of other words like בטיחות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ליתר-ביטחון-#.m4a” /] – safety and ביטחון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ליתר-ביטחון-#.m4a” /] – security. Hebrew’s way of saying just in case is ליתר ביטחון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ליתר-ביטחון-#.m4a” /] – literally, for greater security. For…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/סוכן-#.m4a” /]סוֹכֵן Yesterday we encountered ביטוח לאומי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/סוכן-#.m4a” /], Israel’s National Insurance agency. Another Israeli government-related institution you may know is הסוכנות היהודית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/סוכן-#.m4a” /] – The Jewish Agency. סוכנות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/סוכן-#.m4a” /] derives from the word סוכן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/סוכן-#.m4a” /] meaning agent, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/סוכן-#.m4a” /]דוד, יש לך סוכן ביטוח? David, do you have an insurance…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ביטוח-#.m4a” /]בִּטּוּחַ If you live in Israel, you’re bound to have encountered ביטוח לאומי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ביטוח-#.m4a” /] – National Insurance (full name is המוסד לביטוח לאומי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ביטוח-#.m4a” /] – the National Insurance Institute), the government agency that provides free health care and lots of other social services. ביטוח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ביטוח-#.m4a” /] means insurance.  For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ביטוח-#.m4a” /]בישראל…