the meaning of the Hebrew name שָׂרָה – Sarah
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שָׂרָה
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The Hebrew name שָׂרָה – Sarah or Sara in English – appears prominently in the Torah portions of these weeks, climaxing with the title of the portion to be read this Shabbat by Jews around the world, חַיֵּי שָׂרָה – The Life of Sarah.
– Sarah or Sara in English – appears prominently in the Torah portions of these weeks, climaxing with the title of the portion to be read this Shabbat by Jews around the world, חַיֵּי שָׂרָה – The Life of Sarah.
But what does this matriarch’s name mean?
שרה comes from the root שׂ.ר.ר (s.r.r), the concept of powerful presence and rulership. The name שרה alludes to this woman’s power in being the first matriarch of the People of Israel, as well, perhaps, to her dominant personality.
Here’s her name in context:
שָׂרָה שָׁרָה שִׁיר שָׂמֵחַ.
Sarah sings a happy song.
The sentence is a classic Hebrew tongue twister. Try it.
Though שרה is correctly pronounced with an emphasis on the last syllable, , the name is typically pronounced with an emphasis on the first syllable – – as are many other names.
The word שרה in Modern Hebrew refers to a female minister, while שָׂר refers to a male minister.
refers to a male minister.
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