Dear Friends,
Words can have multiple, even dissimilar meanings. Especially in Hebrew.
Hebrew is not as sophisticated a language as is English. My English-Hebrew dictionary is roughly twice the thickness as is my Hebrew-English dictionary (4270 pages compared to 2859 pages!). Why? English has far more words in its lexicon which are applicable to more specific, nuanced situations, than does Hebrew. For instance, in English, words for a “car” include automobile, auto, wheels, jalopy, vehicle,
passenger car, SUV, wagon, sedan, and more. However, in Hebrew, a car is a m’chonit – a mechanical thing.
Hebrew uses intonation, vowel adjustments, and even hand movements to connote more distinctive or sophisticated meanings.
Hence, in our Torah portion this week, we encounter the word, “chalutz” several times. In the most modern Hebrew translations, the word is translated as “shock-troops.” It applies to soldiers from the tribes of Gad and Reuven who volunteered to hasten to the defense of their fellow tribes as the Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordan River and enter – and subdue – the land of Canaan.
“Shock-troops” implies sturdy, prepared, aggressive military fighters who were ready to jump into aggressive action.
Today, however, the word “chalutz” means something significantly different. It means “pioneer,” and it comes to describe the early settlers who built up Israel when it was but a deserted desert land, in the early 20 th century. In fact, “chalutziut,” a noun built on the same foundation as “chalutz,” means “pioneering spirit”, or the sense of sacrifice, adventure and will to drain malarial swamps, to live in tents on the sites of future kibbutzim, and to weather challenging conditions for the sake of their nascent nation. The generation of the chalutzim – the initial settlers – is past, but the veneration is still exalted.
The word, “chalutz,” has shifted from implying military advance soldiers, to voluntary advance settlers. Yes, there are some parallel connotations, but the moral shift in the word is striking.
And, it reminds us to be extra sensitive to words and their meanings, as well as shifts in their meanings. It reminds us to listen to cultural and communal shifts, as well. Many common words in normal usage have undergone shifts of meanings in recent years, including “liberal,” “hybrid,” “freedom,” “fake,” “millennial,” and more.
It is wise to stay atop shifts in linguistic meaning. It is wise to be careful in use of words. They can have multiple, even dissimilar meanings.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
Words can have multiple, even dissimilar meanings. Especially in Hebrew.
Hebrew is not as sophisticated a language as is English. My English-Hebrew dictionary is roughly twice the thickness as is my Hebrew-English dictionary (4270 pages compared to 2859 pages!). Why? English has far more words in its lexicon which are applicable to more specific, nuanced situations, than does Hebrew. For instance, in English, words for a “car” include automobile, auto, wheels, jalopy, vehicle,
passenger car, SUV, wagon, sedan, and more. However, in Hebrew, a car is a m’chonit – a mechanical thing.
Hebrew uses intonation, vowel adjustments, and even hand movements to connote more distinctive or sophisticated meanings.
Hence, in our Torah portion this week, we encounter the word, “chalutz” several times. In the most modern Hebrew translations, the word is translated as “shock-troops.” It applies to soldiers from the tribes of Gad and Reuven who volunteered to hasten to the defense of their fellow tribes as the Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordan River and enter – and subdue – the land of Canaan.
“Shock-troops” implies sturdy, prepared, aggressive military fighters who were ready to jump into aggressive action.
Today, however, the word “chalutz” means something significantly different. It means “pioneer,” and it comes to describe the early settlers who built up Israel when it was but a deserted desert land, in the early 20 th century. In fact, “chalutziut,” a noun built on the same foundation as “chalutz,” means “pioneering spirit”, or the sense of sacrifice, adventure and will to drain malarial swamps, to live in tents on the sites of future kibbutzim, and to weather challenging conditions for the sake of their nascent nation. The generation of the chalutzim – the initial settlers – is past, but the veneration is still exalted.
The word, “chalutz,” has shifted from implying military advance soldiers, to voluntary advance settlers. Yes, there are some parallel connotations, but the moral shift in the word is striking.
And, it reminds us to be extra sensitive to words and their meanings, as well as shifts in their meanings. It reminds us to listen to cultural and communal shifts, as well. Many common words in normal usage have undergone shifts of meanings in recent years, including “liberal,” “hybrid,” “freedom,” “fake,” “millennial,” and more.
It is wise to stay atop shifts in linguistic meaning. It is wise to be careful in use of words. They can have multiple, even dissimilar meanings.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
