By Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein This week’s essay presents a meticulous examination of the Hebrew word cheilev (often translated simply as “fat” in English) and its ostensible synonyms. The word cheilev appears approximately 90 times throughout the Bible, with a plurality of those appearances clustered around the opening chapters of the Book of Leviticus in […]
By Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein In discussing the craftsmanship and expertise of Betzalel and Ohaliav who were instrumental in the construction of the Tabernacle and its associated paraphernalia the Torah uses the terms charash, choshev, and rokem (Ex. 35:35, 38:23). On the surface, all three terms seem to be synonymous in reference to specific skills and abilities […]
By Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein In this essay, we discuss six different words that mean “wet” in Hebrew: lach, ratuv, ra’anan, rutfash, tofeach, and mefulam. While on the surface, all these words seem to mean the same thing which would make them synonyms we will delve into how these words were used and consider how each of […]
By Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein One of the most important components of the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple was the golden shulchan, upon which the twelve loaves of the weekly shewbread (also spelled showbread) were placed. The word “shulchan” is commonly translated as “table,” and refers to a flat surface upon which food is put […]