Mazal Tov!- Every person is born underneath an astrological field, a particular energy-flow that determines many specifics of life – personality, circumstances, potential. Now in Hebrew this is called "mazel" – literally an alignment of stars. But it can also mean "luck,"… More »
Ancient versus Modern Hebrew Script- It’s known that the ancient Israelites wrote in a totally different script of Hebrew than the one used today. Wouldn’t the earlier one have been the original script of Hebrew – the one the Torah was given in? If so,… More »
Ashkenazi-Sefardi Pronunciation- I've noticed that Ashkenazi synagogues pronounce some words differently than Sefardi synagogues. What is the halachic status of these two variants? Do Ashkenazim who speak "Israeli" on a daily basis act consistently if they use a different pronunciation only for… More »
Career: Stuck in a Rut- I'm stuck in a rut: 45 years old, working as an accountant. My job pays well, but it is not personally satisfying. The bottom line is that I'm not happy. Any suggestions for getting out of this rut? More »
Glatt Kosher Meaning, “Treif”- I often see foods and establishments advertised as “glatt kosher.” I know what kosher is, but what is glatt kosher? More »
J’s Replacing Y’s in Hebrew- Why is our forefather Yaakov called “Jacob” in English? How did the ‘y’ get transliterated into a ‘j’? More »
Pareve Food- Please could you explain to me the origins of the term Pareve and how this came to refer to food that is neither dairy nor meat? Thanks very much. More »
The Word "Selah"- The word "selah" is used frequently in the Book of Psalms (for example, in Psalms 3:3). But I have yet to see a good, consistent translation. Do you know what it means? More »
Two Yuds for Name of God- I see that prayer books often show God’s name with two letter yud‘s together. Is that one of God’s names? And what is the basis for it? More »
What's A Balabostah?- I recently became married, and in setting up my first home, my elderly grandmother keeps referring to me as a "balabostah." Is that a compliment? Exactly what is a "balabostah"? More »
You Know More Hebrew Words Than You Think
