Questions tagged [words]
Questions about the definitions, meaning and use of words specific to Judaism or words that carry unique meaning in Jewish law.
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How would you explain/translate "the ways of Yisrael Saba"?
How would you explain/translate "the ways of Yisrael Saba"?
Something like 'ancient traditional values or practices'?
Is there a source for this phrase?
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Meaning of יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית
What is the meaning and kavana for יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית - "Maker of Bereshit" - eg. in מודים דרבנן and עלינו לשבח
? Especially, in light of the point made by Ramban in Bereshit 1:1 where the ...
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Source of the expression וכסא כבודו in עלינו
According to נוסח הגר״א the first paragraph of עלינו has "וכסא כבודו" rather than the standard "ומושב יקרו" (see מעשה רב 52). There is an interesting footnote in the סידור אשי ...
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Superfluous letters
In Vayikra 19:18, we have the famous statement "וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ".
I was curious about the leading lamed before rei-echa. According to the Ibn Ezra, it has a particular ...
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Portmanteaus in Torah
I came across a "portmanteau" in Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 5:
בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת (from Tehillim 86:7)
Which is a combination of בָּכֵי
and שִׁירָה, as Hashem's matching of people, against ...
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Differences in meanings between similar pronouns (עָלָיו, לוֹ); likewise (יהוּ,- יו-)
Is there someone who discusses the differences between pronoun synonyms?
I'm thinking of two sets as examples, both of which occur within a few pesukim of each other in perek 5 of Shir HaShirim:
5:4 ...
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In Bereshit 1:1, does בָּרָא suggest "made out of nothing" or simply "gave a form to"?
Disclaimer: I don't know Hebrew.
In Bereshit 1:1, does בָּרָא suggest "made out of nothing" or simply "gave a form to"? I have heard it suggested that it implies "creation out ...
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Kavana for סֶּֽלָה
It is clear from this question that the word Selah isn't well understood. We have several wildly different definitions, and some of them have no associated Kavana.
This becomes a halachic problem ...
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What is the difference between and לִשְׁמֹר and לַעֲשׂוֹת?
The Mishna Avos (4:5) says
רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר, הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה עַל מְנָת לְלַמֵּד, מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ לִלְמֹד וּלְלַמֵּד. וְהַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת לַעֲשׂוֹת, מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ ...
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Does אַגְרָא (Avot 5:23) translate better as פְּרָס or שְׂכַר?
I believe (based on Rambam on Avot 1:3) that פְּרָס translates better as "a present given in grace as an unearned gift, rather than as wages", whereas שְׂכַר is more akin to what one ...
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Priestly blessing in feminine
In the standard Friday night blessing for children, the girls are blessed using the original passuk in the masculine, same as the boys.
A long time ago, I was criticised by a secular person for ...
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Why does Shulchan Aruch not use the term חלף
A knife that is used for Shechita is also called a חלף. Why doesn't the Smach and Shulchan Aruch use this word and instead use the regular term סכין שחיטה?
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Chabad Maamar Avodah definition
What is the definition or description of "mamarei avodah" and how does this differ from any other maamar? This seems to be a Chabad specific term.
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Does Arba'a Banim mean four sons or four children?
I've seen Arba'a Banim translated as alternately four sons or four children. Are there any sources for whether the word "Banim" here means sons only or whether it should specifically be ...
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Question on distinguishing similar words: שׂכל ,בין ,חכם ,ידע
How does one distinguish between שׂכל, בין, חכם, ידע?
And their respective nouns: שֶׂכֶל, בִּינָה, חָכְמָה, מַדָע, דַּעַת
When comparing the lexicons Dictionary of Classical Hebrew and HALOT I see ...
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