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Growing From Our Roots

​​By Josh Altshuler, ISJL Education Fellow
 
As Jewish educators, we are tasked with translating the beauty of the Hebrew language for the next generation. This can feel like a daunting challenge when children perceive only a cluster of letters and symbols in their siddurim (prayer books) and classroom handouts. It is time to get back to the basics! Students may discover new value in Hebrew class when they learn about the secrets lurking in their favorite Hebrew words. Most Hebrew nouns and verbs can be reduced to shoreshim—three-root consonant letters. These letters convey specific meanings when put together and form words with the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Shoreshim are the friend of any Hebrew enthusiast because knowing roots helps students deduce an unfamiliar word’s meaning as they peruse a sentence or prayer. Beyond learning language more efficiently, shoreshim reveal some intriguing connections between words people express every day. Take a look at some of the ISJL’s favorite roots listed below. Hopefully, these parts of speech are fascinating and provide some insight into how Hebrew can become an opportunity for code-breaking!

• At the start of t’filot, or services, the community rises for the bar’chu—the call to worship. Part of the prayer involves congregants bending their knees to bow towards the ark. Coincidentally, the Hebrew word for knee is berech and contains the same root as the bar’chu: beit-reish-chaf. In effect, the root letters connect the action of blessing to its recital: bodies and minds blending together.
• During the High Holidays, the Jewish community engages with several powerful liturgical passages. The n’ilah service, which concludes Yom Kippur, is perhaps the most dramatic as it expresses “the closing of the gates.” At this climax, Jews issue their final calls for repentance. N’ilah shares a shoresh with the word for shoes, na-aliyim. What could be the link between these two distinct concepts? Some congregants treat the n’ilah as the last sprint over the course of the spiritually-exhausting Days of Atonement and look forward to breaking the fast and starting fresh. Others drag their feet as Yom Kippur worship nears its end. This group apprehensively considers improving themselves and the world and want to prolong the time before facing difficult choices. It seems evident that people move into n’ilah with many different motivations. Perhaps it is best to navigate the High Holidays with the willingness to forgive and the knowledge that we do not need to be locked in the same shoes forever.
• The verb l’kabeil translates “to receive” or “to accept.” It follows the root kuf-beit-lamed, the same three letters that begin spelling out kabalat Shabbat—the time when communities welcome the arrival of Shabbat, the day of rest. This linguistic connection makes sense as people prepare specific attitudes before Shabbat begins. Jewish families dissociate from the stresses of the days prior and ring in a new day of rest with a renewed intention towards finding meaning in the week to come. These letters also form the term kabalah, which refers to several subjects: a reception desk, a receipt, and—perhaps most notably—a method of Jewish mysticism. Kabbalists seek to discover the divine essence of God in their environment. The approach fits its shoresh as Jewish mystics want to receive God as a relatable entity and experience greater connectedness.
• Judaism regards kavod, or the value of respect and honor, as a core tenet in engaging in healthy relationships with family, friends, and teachers. The social weight of kavod is highlighted by the similar Hebrew word kaveid, which means “heavy.” That these words share root letters expresses the difficulty of always treating others compassionately. After all, everyone faces negative moments at work or at school that diminish the will to act chivalrous to peers and supervisors. The important point is that respect is made more meaningful when treated as a shared mission. Kavod is a “heavy” concept, but it is balanced by the hands of community.

Shoreshim represent the profound complexities of Hebrew. Root letters provide an interesting commentary on Jewish topics and call on students to appreciate the “word within the word” or the mysteries hidden within text. The inclusion of shoreshim in lesson plans or as a start of class intention can bring curiosity into the classroom and inspire a lasting passion for language exploration.
If you would like to know about how new Hebrew words get decided, consider visiting the website of The Academy of Hebrew Language.