Nadene Goldfoot
In looking through the years of when this special family, Jacob and Leah and Rachel grew into the Jewish people of over 3,000 years of development, I can understand the hows and whys of what appears in today's world. Israel is at a point of being hated for its elusiveness, of being a family still and yet being one of the strongest, a leader in intellectual endeavors along with technical ones.
What is Yiddish and where is it spoken?
In their development, they lived in Germany, and their language of Hebrew was easily invaded with a special line of German, helping their minds to develop and grow even more dendrites; making them pretty darn smart. These are the Ashkenazi line of Jews. That's not to say that the Sephardis weren't this smart--they were and they developed this way, too. But the German Jews picked up a new language they alone created----Yiddish, with a special way of showing with words a deep understanding of life.
“Don't be so humble - you are not that great.”
―
Yiddish is the traditional language of Eastern European Jews and is today spoken primarily in Israel, USA, Russia, and a handful of European countries. Yiddish originates from a German dialect mixed with Hebrew words and other languages. It is a wonderfully expressive language. Here are some great Yiddish sayings and expressions.
Of course, my favorite saying in Yiddish is: Oy Gevalt!!! Oh my G-d, or Oh my
"Oy is the Yiddish equivalent of “oh” and gevalt means “violence” or “force.” Thus, oy gevalt (“oh violence”) would be a cry for help in an emergency.
It has further been expanded to be an expression of wonder at anything disastrous. It is perfectly normal to say, “Oy gevalt, my cake flopped again!” even though there is no violence and not much of an emergency."
Oy vey! Literal meaning: "Oh, woe!" or "Oh, pain!" (oy means "woe/oh" from Hebrew/German roots; vey means "woe" from Aramaic or Middle High German).How it is used: An emotional shorthand for frustration, sorrow, exhaustion, or anxiety when faced with everyday troubles or bad news.
Yiddish Words and Sayings On Being a Mensch
Jews use a Yiddish word to express the notion of being a full, honorable human being: Mensch. Here are some classic Yiddish insights into what constitutes menschlichkeit (being a mensch).Be a mensch !
Az ich vel zayn vi er, ver vet zayn vi ich? If I’m going to be like him, who will be like me? (being a copycat, a yes man, afraid of your own shadow, )
This saying echoes the words of Rabbi Hillel: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14)
Vos m’iz geveynt af der yugent, azoy tut men af der elter. The habits we develop in youth are what we follow in old age.
Az der man iz tsu gut far der velt, iz er tsu shlecht farn vayb! If a man is too good to the world, he could be too hard on his wife!
This classic Yiddish saying recognizes an elusive truth: it’s easy to be kind to acquaintances and people outside our daily lives. It’s more difficult to maintain kindness and patience for those with whom we have to live, cooperate and compromise.(Doesn't this sound like your mate? Lots of comedians have had this problem in marriage, great on the stage but not at home)
Az me muz, ken men. If you have to, you can.
On Business
The Torah cautions us to be scrupulously honest and honorable in business, and contains numerous rules and laws ensuring principled behavior. Yiddish reflects this ethic, offering penetrating advice on business matters. (This makes me shudder, reading about many wealthy Jews getting away with rules and becoming wealthier, etc; It seems like ignoring the basics of Judaism, forgetting to go to shul (house of worship) (Synagogue) using the gift of a sharp mind their ancestors handed down to them, took them down the wrong path).
Ehren is fil tei’erer far gelt! Honor is dearer than money!
Az me ken nit vi me vil, muz men vellen vi me ken. If you can’t do what you like, you must like what you can do.
Mit gelt ken men nit shtoltsiren, me ken es laycht farliren! Don’t be boastful about money, it’s easily lost.
Far gelt bakumt men alts, nor keyn sechel nit. Money buys everything except common sense.
Di kats hot lib fish, nor zi vil di fis nit ayn-netsn. The cat loves fish, but doesn’t want to get her feet wet. (This is a great one to show that work's reward, money, doesn't happen unless you work for it.) Get off your butt and get going!
Sometimes you just have to wade in and put in the work to get what you want.
Kinder un gelt is a shaine velt. Children and money make a nice world.
On Determination
Zog nisht keyn mol az du geyst dem letstn veg. Don’t ever say you’re traveling your last road.
This saying comes from the “Partisan Song” by Hersh Glick, a Jewish partisan resistance fighter who was killed in 1944 at the age of 24. His Partisan Song became a rallying cry for Jews in the darkest days of the Holocaust and still inspires today.
On Common Sense
“Seichel’ in Yiddish means common sense. It is actually the Hebrew word for intelligence. In his autobiography Songs My Mother Taught Me, Marlon Brando uses the word “seichel” to sum up his view of the Jewish people as a whole: “There’s a Yiddish word, seychel, that provides a key explaining the most profound aspect of Jewish culture. It means to pursue knowledge and to leave the world a better place than when you entered it….”
Me varft nit aroys di umreyne vasser eyder me hot reynes. You don’t throw out the dirty water until you have a clean replacement. (I love this one--like don't leave a job unless you have a replacement.)
A nar geyt tsvey mol dort vu a kliger geyt nit keyn eyntsik mol. A fool goes twice where a sensible person doesn’t even go once. (this is like don't do something again you know is wrong, and many of us are guilty of this. We'll do it again and again).
A mensch tracht un Got lacht. Man plans and God laughs. (So there, Iran!)
True wisdom means recognizing that not everything is in our control. Judaism urges us to focus on putting in our best efforts while realizing the outcome is the hands of the Almighty.
Yiddish has words for more, of course. Germans can understand quite a bit of the Yiddish language. My father spoke nothing but Yiddish until he had to go to school. When he got together with his sisters and mother, Yiddish was spoken. That's all my bubba spoke!
Resource:
https://aish.com/great-yiddish-expressions/?utm_source=ac
Chabad
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