how to say “I’ve got all I really need” in Hebrew
Over the past couple of days we’ve seen words from the root ס.פ.ק (s.p.k), meaning, enough or satisfaction.
Today’s word doesn’t have a literal translation in English. It means, roughly, to have enough or to make due. The word is the התפעל (heet-pah-EL) form of the root, namely, לְהִסְתַּפֵּק (leh-hees-tah-PEK).
A well-known saying from the Ethics of the Fathers
is אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקו (EH-ee-zeh-hoo ah-SHEER, hah-sah-MEH-ahkh beh-khel-KOH) – Who is the wealthy one? He who is happy with his lot.In Modern colloquial Hebrew, we might add, הוּא שֶׁמִּסְתַּפֵּק בְּמָה שֶׁיֵּש לו (hoo sheh-mees-tah-PEK beh-MAH sheh-YESH loh) – he who for whom what he has is enough.
