When an Israeli teen gets a letter from the military to show up, s/he receives a צַו גִּיּוּס (tsahv g-ee-YOOS) – literally, this is an order of recruitment.
A mitzvah (in Hebrew it’s מִצְוָה – meets-VAH), in the purest sense of the word, is a commandment.
See the connection between the words צו and מצוה? The root of both is צ.ו.ה. – ts.w.h., the core concept of commanding or ordering.
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/דרך-המלך-#.m4a” /]לַעֲלוֹת עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ This expression לעלות על דרך המלך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/דרך-המלך-#.m4a” /] means literally to get on the king’s road – in Hebrew it refers to getting on the high road – a good, solid path after having experienced trials and tribulations. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/דרך-המלך-#.m4a” /]עוד פוש קטן בלימודים, ואת כבר תעלי על…
Perhaps you’ve been to חֶבְרוֹן (khev-ROHN) – Hebron, to the Tomb of the Patriarchs. In Hebrew, that site is called מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה (meh-ah-RAHT hah-mahkh-peh-LAH) – the cave of the doubling. Why doubling? I’m aware of two reasons provided by the Rabbis: 1. Couples are buried there, and 2. The cave is two-storied. The…
having trouble seeing the print? שִׁמּוּשִׁי Level 4 Hebrew course opening in Tel Aviv this Sunday! If you’re conversant in Hebrew, you most likely know the Hebrew word for to use something – לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּש (leh-heesh-tah-MESH), as in הִיא מִשְׁתַּמֶּשֶׁת בָּעֵט עַכְשָׁו (hee meesh-tah-MEH-shet bah-ET ahkh-SHAHV) – she is using the pen now. The root is ש.מ.ש (sh.m.sh), meaning use, appearing most prominently in Mishnaic Hebrew. To…
having trouble seeing the print? שְׁלֵמוּת Check out Ulpan La-Inyan’s winter course offerings This one’s for my friend Mark in Palo Alto. Jewish tradition associates the number seven with nature, while the number eight is connected with that which transcends nature. The number eight is also associated with wholeness. The word for that…