the power of one candle – in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ארנונה-1.m4a” /]אַרְנוֹנָה If you’ve rented or owned property in Israel, you almost certainly know the word ארנונה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ארנונה-1.m4a” /] – property tax. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ארנונה-2.m4a” /]ארנונה על בית פרטי – צרות של עשירים. Property tax on a private home – rich-people problems. ארנונה first appeared in Mishnaic Hebrew, where it referred to tax imposed…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/כבד-#.m4a” /]כָּבֵד The Hebrew word כבד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/כבד-#.m4a” /] means heavy both in the literal sense, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/כבד-#.m4a” /]אתה תצליח להרים את זה, יעקב, זה לא כבד. You’ll be able to pick this up, Jacob, it’s not heavy. …as well as in the figurative sense, as in the opposite of light-hearted: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/כבד-#.m4a” /]מה…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעצבן-1.m4a” /]לְהִתְעַצְבֵּן The Hebrew word for nerve is עצב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעצבן-2.m4a” /] (note that the pronunciation has ah vowels, not eh vowels). So it makes sense that the word for to get worked up or aggravated is להתעצבן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעצבן-1.m4a” /], since this is usually the result of people or events getting on one’s nerves. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעצבן-3.m4a” /]אחרי שעה וחצי…