Hebrew
In Hebrew, Arabic, English, German, or any other language, taboo words are curious things.
The story of the biblical word b’liya’al.
A modest suggestion for a new way of thinking about the original meaning of the word “Maccabee.”
Eliezer and Itamar Ben-Yehudah.
The ancient mystery of the aravot.
Including “the commandments of Judas Iscariot” and a bad translation into Hebrew.
On the once-prevalent practice of rendering Hebrew publication dates by means of numerically coded verses from the Bible.
Part of the story of Judaism.
In part, it borrowed extensively from the slangs and vernaculars of other languages. Consider the case of de la shmatte.
The shifting historical meaning of “Thou shalt not oppress a stranger.”
Keeping Yiddish out of the movie theater.
When people find out that I teach Hebrew literature, they invariably remark, “Oh, you must be fluent.” I’ve now been working hard at it for many decades, and I’m still not there.
A kinship between the artist and the outlaw.