the C word (commitment) in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger
מחויבות, התחייבות
 
So there’s Commitment with an upper-case C, and commitment with a lower-case c.
 
The upper-case one (i.e. the one men are accused of not being prepared to make) is מְחֻיָּבוּת (me-khoo-yah-VOOT). For example, יֵשׁ לִי מחויבות כְּלַפֵּי בֵּיתַ”ר יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (yesh lee me-khoo-yah-VOOT klah-PAY bay-TAHR yeh-roo-shah-LAH-yeem) – I have a commitment to(wards) Beitar Jerusalem. (I don’t really have such a commitment, barring my affinity to my place of residence – this is just an example)

 




The lower-case one, commitment as in “I have other commitments today”, is הִתְחַיְּבוּת (heet-khah-yeh-voot). For example, I may decline a dinner offer on the basis of התחייבויוֹת קוֹדְמוֹת (heet-khah-yeh-voo-YOHT kohd-MOHT). – prior commitments – such as teaching my Level 5 Ulpan La-Inyan class.
 

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