Parashat Behaalotkha: A Moment of Hebrew
Illustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman

רֶגַע שֶׁל עִבְרִית A Moment of Hebrew

שָׁ֩טוּ֩ הָעָ֨ם וְלָֽקְט֜וּ וְטָחֲנ֣וּ בָרֵחַ֗יִם א֤וֹ דָכוּ֙ בַּמְּדֹכָ֔ה וּבִשְּׁלוּ֙ בַּפָּר֔וּר וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ עֻג֑וֹת וְהָיָ֣ה טַעְמ֔וֹ כְּטַ֖עַם לְשַׁ֥ד הַשָּֽׁמֶן׃
The people would go about and gather it, grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, boil it in a pot, and make it into cakes. It tasted like rich cream.
לִטְחֹן lit’hon (שֹׁרֶשׁ ט.ח.נ)
To grind or crush
טַחֲנַת רוּחַ (tahanat ru'ah) = Windmill
טְחִינָה (tehinah) = Tahini
לִטְחֹן מַיִם (lit'hon mayim) = To tread water, to go on and on about something
מַטְחֵנָה (mat'heinah) = Food grinder
Find the Word!
When Moshe sees Benei Yisrael dancing around the golden calf, he burns the calf and then grinds it up. Can you find the word that contains our שֹׁרֶש (shoresh, root) in Shemot 32:20?