how to say “to symbolize” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lesamel-1.mp3″/]לְסַמֵּל
This Shabbat, Jews around the world will start reading the Book of Leviticus – סֵפֶר וַיִּקְרָא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lesamel-2.mp3″/], the book in the Torah that spells out the ritual sacrifice in the Temple.
In an age when animal sacrifice had become difficult to relate to, Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch of 19th-century Germany taught symbolic meanings behind the rituals.
The Hebrew word for to symbolize is לְסַמֵּל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lesamel-1.mp3″/], taking the word for symbol – סֶמֶל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lesamel-3.mp3″/] – and turning into an active-intensive verb.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lesamel-4.mp3″/]מַה הַקָּרְבָּן הַזֶּה מְסַמֵּל?
What does this sacrifice represent?
Likewise, the word for symbolic is סִמְלִי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lesamel-5.mp3″/]. This word is also used to mean nominal.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lesamel-6.mp3″/]אֲנַחְנוּ דּוֹרְשִׁים רַק סְכוּם סִמְלִי עָבוּר שִׁמּוּשׁ בַּתָּכְנָה.
We charge only a nominal amount for use of the software.
