In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!
Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible, these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.
Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!
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BAYIT
BAIY-EET
HOUSE
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A bayit, a house, is a place that is familiar to us, where we feel comfortable and connected. We feel safe at home.
The word bayit, however, is used in Hebrew to describe more than just our personal dwelling spaces. It also refers to the most important buildings in all of Biblical history and ritual: the Temple that once stood in Jerusalem and our present-day synagogues.
The Temple was called the Beit HaMikdash, literally āthe House of the Holy.ā Though it was elevated above all other physical structures and was located in the holiest place in the world, it was still meant to be and feel like an intimate home for all people. As Isaiah said, āMy house shall be called a house of prayer for all nationsā (Isaiah 56:7).
This idea is reflected in Godās commandment to build the Tabernacle, the predecessor to the Temple. āMake for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell among themā (Exodus 25:8). The verse says ādwell among themā instead of ādwell in it,ā emphasizing that the purpose of the Tabernacle was to create a place where humanity would feel at home with God.
The same is true of the Beit Knesset, the Hebrew word for synagogue, which literally means āa house of gathering.ā The synagogue is meant to simultaneously create an atmosphere of great awe and great closeness to God. As Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught, āone should talk to God as if talking to a close friend.ā By experiencing the synagogue as a āhouse,ā we feel comforted and close to God, allowing us to open our hearts wide in prayer and in praise.