About HOUSE

Hebrew Name

בַּיִת

English Name

HOUSE

Phonetic Spelling

BAIY-EET

What does HOUSE mean?

A bayit, a house, is a place that is familiar to us, where we feel comfortable and connected. We feel safe at home.

וַהֲבִיאוֹתִ֞ים אֶל־הַ֣ר קׇדְשִׁ֗י וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית תְּפִלָּתִ֔י עוֹלֹתֵיהֶ֧ם וְזִבְחֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָצ֖וֹן עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִ֑י כִּ֣י בֵיתִ֔י בֵּית־תְּפִלָּ֥ה יִקָּרֵ֖א לְכׇל־הָעַמִּֽים׃
I will bring them to My sacred mount And let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices Shall be welcome on My mizbayach; For My House shall be called A house of prayer for all peoples.”
va-ha-vee-o-TEEM el ha-RA k'-DO-shee v'-si-makh-TEEM b'-BAYT t'-fi-LA-tee o-lo-TAY-hem v'-ziv-khay-hem l'-ra-TSON al miz-b'-KHEE, kee BAY-tee BAYT t'-fi-LAH yi-ka-REH l'-KOL ha-a-MEEM
Isaiah 56:7

וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
Shaken, he said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of Hashem, and that is the gateway to heaven.”
va-yee-RA va-yo-MAR mah no-RA ha-ma-KOM ha-ZEH AYN ZEH KEE im BAYT e-lo-HEEM v'-ZEH SHA-ar ha-sha-MA-yim
Genesis 28:17

Description about HOUSE

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 “the House of the Holy.” 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, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). This idea is reflected in God’s commandment to build the Tabernacle, the predecessor to the Temple. “Make for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). The verse says “dwell among them” instead of “dwell in it,” 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 “a house of gathering.” The synagogue is meant to simultaneously create an atmosphere of great awe and great closeness to God. As Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught, “one should talk to God as if talking to a close friend.” By experiencing the synagogue as a “house,” we feel comforted and close to God, allowing us to open our hearts wide in prayer and in praise.

Attribute of HOUSE

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