Hebrew names are marvelous. Every name has a meaning, every name has significance. Last time we delved into the name Tal. Today we’ll check out another name from nature: Shachar שַׁחַר.
שַׁחַר means dawn, the faint rays of light appearing before the sunrise. As with Tal, שַׁחַר originates from the Bible too. It appears, for example, in Genesis chapter 19 verse 15:
[And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day…]
From the word שַׁחַר we can derive the name of an important Jewish Prayer, one of the three prayers they pray every day: Shacharit שַׁחֲרִית. שַׁחֲרִית is the first of the three prayers of the day. Sunrise is the best time to pray שַׁחֲרִית but one can start with the crack of dawn.
Since שַׁחַר means the first light of the day, it becomes a metaphor for earliness, for start. שַׁחַר יָמָיו (Sh-char ya-mav, literally means the dawn of his days), for example, means the beginning of one’s life. It’s a literary phrase but it’s well known. For example:
Since his early years Meir Dagan knew that he will give his best for the country
שַׁחַר is a unisex name. It fits men and women alike. Let me introduce you to one of those שַׁחַר – Shachar Hason, an Israeli comedian. Here is a segment from a comedy TV show in Israel, starring Shachar Hason in an attempt to spell another Hebrew name with only his body. Enjoy 🙂
