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Hebrew Lesson Number 54:
The Date
We already know that Dan, our Advanced Level teacher, is a great Hebrew lover. But … is that the only love of his life? Join us in this lesson to find out what Cupid has to say about it ….
Introduction to Lesson 54:
The Date
Learn Hebrew Pod - Lesson No. 54
Could you think of a more exciting way than to bump into love totally by chance? Maybe in a crowded bar, at work, at a party.... We have even heard of married couples who met at the supermarket or on a flight. How romantic!
In the eyes of the Jewish Orthodox tradition, finding the love of your love is an act of divinity and fate. According to the Talmud, a collection of ancient sacred rabbinical writings consisting of the Mishna and the Gemara, each one of us has a destined soul-mate, chosen for him or her personally by God. One's destined mate is called a besheret - soulmate.
Finding your besheret is not an easy task. The Jewish world has created a special system of matchmaking wherein Jewish singles are introduced to each other. In addition, a special profession was established: ha-shadchan - the matchmaker. Finding the right match, as well as taking a major part in actually approving it for the congregation, was considered a blessed and honored occupation. It was a requirement to pay for the shadcahn services, otherwise the marriage wouldn't be blessed.
Modernity has caused traditional matchmaking to lose its prestige and to almost vanish, however matchmaking itself is far from having made its curtain call. A modern matchmaker has emerged: The Internet and especially an abundance of dating websites' services.
These are not ‘heavenly blessed' but the service does usually cost money and in exchange, one is given the option of getting in touch with people according to one's desires and dreams.
On the Internet we can also find social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and many more. These are not solely intended for romantic purposes, and are usually for free! Here you can make friends, develop business relationships or search people you have known from your high school days. Who knows...maybe your besheret is waiting for you to trace her/him back from the time when you were both students?
But...keep on going to the supermarket, or looking for the love of your life on your next flight to Israel. And if you already found her or her him ...just enjoy every moment of it (while studying Hebrew together?)
Speaking about Hebrew, talking about love.... Do you want to know how Dan found his love and who he met? Come and follow us in lesson chamishim ve-arba!
Team Conversation from The Lesson
Dan, Jonathan & Liat
Our Advanced Level Hebrew Teachers
Dan: chevre - guys, ze deyt - it’s a date. ze… - it’s… mashehu ishi - something personal.
Liat: Dan, dibarnu al ze - we have talked about it. ata yode-a she-be-Learn Hebrew Pod yesh lanu masoret mesu-yemet - you know that in Learn Hebrew Pod we have a certain tradition…
Jonathan: nachon – right. ve-hamasoret hazot omeret - and this tradition says, shebemahalach hatochnit - that in the course of the program, anachnu mesaprim lastudentim shelanu - we tell our students, kol miney dvarim al azzmeynu - all kinds of things about ourselves, kmo she-anachnu yod-im al… - like we know about…
Dan: yesh li déjà vu… - I have a déjà vu… ani shamati kvar et hasicha hazot - I have already heard this conversation.
Liat: ve-ma…? - and what…? chashavta shetesaper lanu rak al ha-avoda shelcha… - you thought would only tell us about your work… ve-al ze she-ata ohev Ivrit? - and about your love to the Hebrew language? ze kmuvan chashuv... - it’s important of course… aval beyneynu… - but between the two of us…
Dan: yesh dvarim yoter chashuvim - there are more important things, ani mevin… - I get it… tov - okay, masoret zot masoret - a tradition is a tradition. az me-eyfo lehatchil? - So where should I start?
Jonathan: mehahatchala? - From the beginning? lemashal - for example, eych nifgashtem be-ezzem? - How did you actually meet?
Liat: ken, ken - yes, ach, ani ohevet et hachelek haze! - I love this part! ten li lenachesh… - let me guess… pagashta ota beyom shishi ba-erev beba-it shel chaverim - you met her on a Friday night at a friends’ apartment.
Jonathan: hikarta ota bemesiba? - you met her at a party? bemoadon? - in a club? bizman sherakadetem beyachad - while you were dancing together, nigashta eleha - you approached her, ve… - and…
Liat: yashavta bebar afluli - you were sitting in a dim bar. hi yashva leyadcha - she was sitting next to you. hizmanta la mashke… - you ordered her a drink… ken? - yes?
Jonathan: doda shelcha… - your aunt… doda shelcha hikira lecha ota? - your auntie introduced her to you?
Dan: chevre – guys, atem mamash lo bakivun - you’re not even close. ani e-ezor lachem - I will help you. eyfo anachnu achshav? - Where are we now?
Liat: ba-ulpan - in the studio.
Jonathan: be-Tel Aviv - in Tel Aviv.
Dan: ken – yes, aval – but, eyfo anachnu achshav? - Where are we now?
Liat: beshiur - in a lesson, shel Learn Hebrew Pod? - of Learn Hebrew Pod?
Jonathan: ken – yes, kvar kim-at shachachti mize - I almost forgot about that, betach techef gam nelamed kzzat Ivrit… - probably soon we’ll also teach some Hebrew…
Dan: mitchamem, mitchamem… - getting warmer, getting warmer… od pa-am – again, eyfo anachnu - where are we, mamash achshav? - right now?
Jonathan: anachnu ba…
Liat: Internet! anachnu ba-Internet! - we’re on the Internet! hu pagash ota ba-Internet! - he met her on the web!
Some Grammar from This Lesson:
Hebrew Nouns and The Concept of Mishkalim
Liat: betach Yonatan, besimcha! Understanding the structure of Hebrew nouns, as well as Hebrew adjectives, is one of the main curriculum goals in our Learn Hebrew Pod Advanced Level program.
In terms of their structure, nouns and adjectives are often formed using special patterns. As we go through our program we will examine, understand, and learn many of these typical patterns and forms, which in Hebrew are called mishkalim.
Jonathan: But another source of nouns and adjectives is actually a system we are already quite familiar with: the Hebrew building block system.
As mentioned in Lesson 53 we should be clear right up front that the building block system is first and foremost a conjugational system for verbs:
it provides us the casting molds by which the final forms of verbs are created by conjugating them for different personal pronouns and in different tenses.
עבר, הווה, עתיד
As it relates to nouns and adjectives, the building blocks simply lend us certain patterns to help us derive them, and they give us yet another mnemonic tool to help us quickly and easily expand our Hebrew vocabulary.
Liat: Like many of the things we study in our program, this approach, to looking at the relationship between the Hebrew building blocks and Hebrew nouns and adjectives is unique to Learn Hebrew Pod, and we will be talking much more about it as we progress.
But for now, let’s just recognize that the building blocks lend us some forms by which we can work with nouns and adjectives completely outside the realm of verbs.
We will refer to this forms as mishkeley ha-poal, meaning forms which are derived and copied from the system of verbs but are still totally independent from this system.
Jonathan: These forms of mishkeley ha-poal are derived and copied only from the present-tense of the different Hebrew building blocks. In lesson 53 we have learned a new present-tense form of the Pa-al building block: the form Pa-el.
We have learned that the verb yashen, for example, may function as a regular verb of the present-tense for this building block: ani yashen can be translated as I am sleeping.
אני ישנה
Liat: ani yeshena can be translated as I am sleeping.
Jonathan: But yashen can also be an adjective! ani yashen may be translated as
I’m asleep.
Liat: ani yeshena can be translated as I’m asleep.
?אני ישן - או - אני ישנה
*Read and listen to the Full Hebrew Discussion - Join the Learn Hebrew Pod Speaking Hebrew Advanced Program.