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Hebrew Lesson Number 27:

Sukkoth



Sukkoth Is one of Liat and Eran's favorite Jewish holidays.  It includes enjoyable customs such as the Four Species, as well as just hanging out in the Sukkah, watching the stars through the Schach. BTW…what is a Schach?



Introduction to Lesson 27:

Sukkoth 



Learn Hebrew Pod - Lesson No. 27


A commandment in the Torah to go camping . . . how cool is that?  But it’s true!  We’re actually told in Leviticus that we should live in Sukkot for seven days.  It’s a good thing that choref hasn’t come to Israel yet, so we don’t have to worry about rain.

As Jonathan, Liat, and Eran are building a sukkah and waiting for Eran’s friend, Ido, to arrive with the schach, we will get to hear about some of the wonderful traditions associated with the holiday of Sukkot.



One of the most important and well-known of these traditions is the mitzvah of the four species--arba-at ha-minim.  We bundle three special types of branches, and we hold them together with an etrog--a citron (a delightfully-scented citrus fruit native to Israel).  Then we say a blessing and wave them in six different directions.  What a perfect opportunity to practice all the directions in Hebrew!  Remember? from Hebrew Lesson 16 . . .


אתרוג


So make some wonderful memories this Sukkot.  Enjoy spending time in the Suka.  Look up at the kochavim through the schach.  Maybe even try to count them . . . be-Ivrit kamuvan,in Hebrew of course!  chag sameyach!






Team Conversation from the Lesson:


Eran, Jonathan and Liat

Our Intermediate Level Hebrew Teachers


Liat: Eran, please move back a little - telech kzzat achora and hold the nail a little bit higher - tachzik et ha-masmer kzzat yoter gavo-a.

Eran: like that? - kacha?

Liat: Yes, exactly - ken bedi-yukMaybe one centimeter lower - ulay santimeter echad yoter namuchand wait a second – ve-chake shni-yaYonataneyfo hapatish? - Where is the hammer?


פטיש ומסמר


Jonathan: It's on the ladder to your left - ze al ha-sulam mi-zzad smol shelach. Do you see it? - at ro-a oto?

Liat: ken kenani ro-a. Eran, are you holding? - ata machzik?

Eran: kenmachzikach… zot ti-hi-ye suka ne-hederet - that's going to be a wonderful sukkaheyze kef - what fun!

Jonathan: nachonzot ti-hi-ye suka le-tif-eret - it's going to be a glorious sukkah!


זאת תהייה סוכה נהדרת


Eran: Liatat yoda-at matay Ido magi-a im ha-schach? - Do you know when Ido will get here with the schach?

LIat: He should be here any minute now - hu zzarich le-hagi-a kol regaYonatanata ta-azor le-Ido lasim et ha-schach - You will help Ido put up the schach.

Eran: We will decorate the inside - anachnu nekashet bifnim.


נתלה קישוטים


Liat: ze i-hi-ye mamash kmo ba-it le-kama yamim, it's going to be just like home for few days.

Jonathan: Exactly as a sukkah should be – bedi-yuk kmo she-suka zzricha li-hi-yot!

Eran: And as the holiday of Sukkoth should be. I have fond memories of Sukkoth… the fun and excitement of building the sukkah, getting the four species, the decorations…

Liat: moving out of the house for a few days…. It's really a great holiday. Its main mizzvah is to spend seven days in the sukkah, it's actually a commandment… to go camping:)


!כולכם מוזמנים לסוכה שלנו


Anyway, Eran, when I met you a few hours ago, you said that you would like us to read something you brought for our Hebrew discussion today. nachon?





       


Some Grammar from This Lesson:

Hebrew Future Tense



דקדוק 


Jonathan: As we can see, since Itamar's Hebrew essay deals with his future plans for the Chag Sukot, all of the verbs are in the Hebrew future tense.  Let's note one basic important difference between English and Hebrew, in the way they deal with a future narrative. Eran, would you please read the last two lines for us:

נעשה שם הכול, נשתה, נאכל, נישן, נראה טלביזיה ואפילו… נלמד למבחן באנגלית.

We will do everything there: drink, eat, sleep, watch TV and even…Study for the English test.


עתיד


Jonathan: As we can see, there are two basic differences between Hebrew and English in the way the phrase is set. First, in English it is necessary to indicate the pronoun…

Eran: In Hebrew the verbs na-asenishannir-e etc. include the pronoun, as the prefix 'n' or 'nun' indicates the 'We'. 

nishan – we will sleepnir-e – we will see. Saying 'anachnu' is redundant.

Liat: The same as with the prefix 'e' or 'alef' indicating I. 

elmad – I will studyer-e –     I will see. Saying the 'ani' is redundant.


נלמד למבחן


Jonathan: nachon me-od. Please note that on our Verb Presentation, which you can find attached to each lesson and under the Play Tab on the Learn Hebrew Pod website, we do say the pronoun in front of the verbs while practicing the past, present and future conjugations.  

The only tense that actually requires the use of personal pronouns in front of the verb is the present tense. More about that on our future lessons. 

Okay, so, in Hebrew we don't have to say the pronoun before the future tense, whereas in English, we may indicate the future, using 'will' just once and then just use all of the verbs in their regular form.


כינויי גוף


Eran: Right Jonathan. After I've said "we will do everything there" I don't need to repeat the 'will' by saying 'will drink', 'will eat', 'will sleep' etc. I just say:

We will do everything there:

drink, eat, sleep, watch TV, study for a test.

It is obvious that I'm referring to the future. Using the 'will' again is unnecessary and redundant.

Liat: While in Hebrew, all of the following verbs will constantly use the future tense conjugation. It's as if saying 'we will' again and again and again…



       

na-ase – we will do

nishte – we will drink

no-chal – we will eat

nishan – we will sleep

nir-e – we will watch

nilmad – we will study


זמן עתיד


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