Illustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
רֶגַע שֶׁל עִבְרִית A Moment of Hebrew
(ב) וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֜י אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם הִנֵּה־נָ֞א עֲצָרַ֤נִי יהוה מִלֶּ֔דֶת בֹּא־נָא֙ אֶל־שִׁפְחָתִ֔י אוּלַ֥י אִבָּנֶ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נָּה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָ֖ם לְק֥וֹל שָׂרָֽי׃
And Sarai said to Avram, “Look, God has kept me from giving birth. You marry my maidservant; perhaps I shall have a child through her.” And Avram listened to Sarai’s voice.
לַעֲצֹר la’atzor (שֹׁרֶשׁ ע.צ.ר)
To stop or block
תַּמְרוּר עֲצֹר (tamrur atzor) = Stop sign
מַעְצוֹר (ma'atzor) = Brake
עוֹצֵר (otzer) = Curfew
עִצּוּר (itzur) = Consonant
עֲצֶרֶת (atzeret) = 1. Assembly, rally 2. Another name for Shavuot
Find the Word!
In the second paragraph of Shema, we say pesukim where God warns Benei Yisrael about what could happen if they worship other gods. Their punishment would include blocking the sky so that rain can’t fall. Can you find the word from this שֹׁרֶשׁ (shoresh, root), that says this? (Hint: Look at Shema in a Siddur, or in Devarim 11.)
-------------------
-------------------
