{"id":1686,"date":"2016-04-20T17:51:57","date_gmt":"2016-04-20T21:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hebrew\/?p=1686"},"modified":"2019-01-04T09:29:17","modified_gmt":"2019-01-04T14:29:17","slug":"tal-the-origin-of-a-common-hebrew-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hebrew\/tal-the-origin-of-a-common-hebrew-name\/","title":{"rendered":"Tal: The Origin of a Common Hebrew Name"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tal<\/a>

Photo by Ayana<\/p><\/div>\n

I personally know nearly a dozen people that go by the name Tal (\u05d8\u05b7\u05dc), both men and women. It’s a pretty popular name in Israel, though it means “dew”. Yes, yes, the droplets of water that appear on objects in the early morning due to condensation. The Hebrew dictionary defined \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc as:<\/p>\n

\u05e8\u05b0\u05e1\u05c5\u05d9\u05e1\u05b5\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d8\u05c5\u05e4\u05bc\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05d9\u05b0\u05d3\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b5\u05d3\u05c5\u05d9\u05dd \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05d4\u05c5\u05ea\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05d8\u05b8\u05d7\u05c5\u05d9\u05dd \u05e7\u05b7\u05e8\u05c5\u05d9\u05dd – \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05e4\u05bc\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05d2\u05bc\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e6\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d7\u05c5\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b7\u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05de\u05b6\u05d4. \u05d4\u05b7\u05d8\u05bc\u05b7\u05dc \u05de\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d5\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e6\u05bc\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d7\u05c5\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05ba\u05e0\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05dc \u05d9\u05ba\u05d1\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1<\/p>\n

[Night droplets, droplets formed by condensation upon cold spaces – upon ground or upon plants etc. In dry seasons the dew drenches the soil and the plants.]<\/p>\n

Nowadays the use of irrigation systems is an integral part of modern agriculture. But during the biblical time sprinklers, dripper lines and timers did not yet exist. The benefit of dew as a water source was essential. This is why the Talmud asserts:<\/p>\n

\u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05dc \u05e2\u05c5\u05d9\u05e8 \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05d8\u05bc\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05d9\u05d4\u05b8 \u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05bb\u05d1\u05bc\u05c5\u05d9\u05df \u05de\u05b5\u05d7\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea\u05b6\u05d9\u05d4\u05b8 \u05e4\u05bc\u05b5\u05e8\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea\u05b6\u05d9\u05d4\u05b8 \u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05bb\u05d1\u05bc\u05c5\u05d9\u05df<\/p>\n

[A city that enjoys more dew than other cities, enjoys more fruits].<\/p>\n

This is also why \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc appears frequently in the bible in proximity to rain (\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b8\u05e8). For example in the Book of Kings 17, 1:<\/p>\n

\u05d0\u05b4\u05dd \u05d9\u05b4\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05bc\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b8\u05e8– \u05db\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b4\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d3\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9<\/p>\n

[There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.]<\/p>\n

This phrase – \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b8\u05e8 – also appears in the daily prayer that the Jews pray three times a day. Since they pray for \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b8\u05e8 only during the winter, this phrase written down inside the prayer text in smaller letters.<\/p>\n

\"Tal<\/a>

Photo by Ayana<\/p><\/div>\n

The relative size of the font of this phrase in the Jewish prayer book create a new idiom: \u05d0\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea\u05c5\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05dc \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b8\u05e8. The idiom meaning is simply small letters, and one can use it whenever one desires to describe small letters.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b5\u05d1\u05c5\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05e0\u05c5\u05db\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05b0\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea\u05c5\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05dc \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b8\u05e8<\/p>\n

The embarrassing news was written in dew and rain letters.<\/p>\n

?\u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d4\u05d5\u05ba\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05ea\u05bc\u05b8\u05de\u05c5\u05d9\u05d3 \u05db\u05bc\u05b0\u05ea\u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea\u05c5\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05ba\u05ea \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b8\u05e8<\/p>\n

Why are the instruction always written in dew and rain letters?<\/p>\n

And just for the fun here is a segment from a comedy show in Israel (with Hebrew subtitles). Starring is a famous Israeli comedian, named Tal Friedman. Enjoy \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n