how to say “conflict of interest” in Hebrew
I’m right now in LA – hometown of the movie industry, as well as the setting of the film, The Lincoln Lawyer, which I just watched with my buddies Daniel and Gabe at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.
I enjoy hotshot lawyer films like these, along with other mystery/thrillers such as Primal Fear and The Sixth Sense (Lincoln Lawyer was fun, but the latter two are much better).
A key element in the plot of The Lincoln Lawyer is the main character’s conflicting commitments to several opposing parties – a conflict of interest. In Hebrew, we call this נִגּוּד אִינְטֶרֶסִים (nee-GOOD een-teh-REH-seem).
The first word, ניגוד, comes from the preposition נֶגֶד (NEH-gehd), meaning against or opposite. Another Hebrew word formed by the root נ.ג.ד (n.g.d) is לְהִתְנַגֵּד (leh-heet-nah-GEHD) – to be opposed (to something).
The second word in the phrase comes from a Latinate language, most likely Spanish.
Some of the Israelites at the Red Sea – still with a slave mentality – may have experienced ניגוד אינטרסים when they were charged to cross the parted waters. Jews around the world commemorating this event tomorrow, however, likely no longer feel it.
חג שמח!
Happy holidays!
