Have you ever wanted to learn the Bible in Hebrew?
Rabbi Elan Adler goes through the weekly Torah portion of Toldot and offers insights into the Hebrew meaning of the stories between Jacob and Esau.
1. Vayitrotzatzu (וַיִּתְרֹצְצוּ)
- Translated as “struggled” or “agitated”
- Root word: רוץ (rutz) meaning “to run”
- Rashi’s interpretation: The unborn twins (Jacob and Esau) were running towards their future spiritual inclinations
2. Lidrosh (לִדְרֹשׁ)
- Translated as “to inquire”
- Related words: doresh (inquirer), drasha (sermon), Drisha (name of an educational organization)
- Deeper meaning: Not just to inquire, but to seek transformative understanding
3. Yaakov (יַעֲקֹב)
Found throughout the weekly portion of Toldot
- Name meaning connected to עָקֵב (akev, heel)
- Also connected to the idea of “supplanting” or “outwitting”
- Related to the Torah portion “Ekev” (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25)
- Interpretation: Special reward for following commandments that others might neglect
4. Vayashkef (וַיַּשְׁקֵף)
- Means “he looked out”
- Related words: mishkafayim (glasses), hashkafa (outlook or worldview)
- Importance of understanding a speaker’s hashkafa (perspective) before listening to their teachings
5. Meah Shearim (מֵאָה שְׁעָרִים)
- Means “hundredfold” or “hundred gates”
- Name of an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem
- Connected to the idea of abundant blessings, both material and in offspring
6. Matamim (מַטְעַמִּים)
- Means “tasty foods” or “delicacies”
- Root: טַעַם (ta’am) meaning “flavor” or “taste”
- Extended meanings:
- Used to describe enjoyable experiences or pleasant personalities
- In Torah cantillation, ta’amim are the musical notes that give “flavor” to the text
