Today we talked about the word ‘love’. In Hebrew this word is ‘ahav’. I made up a little notebook page where the kids could first write the word in English, then the transliterated, then in Paleo Hebrew and in Modern Hebrew. We discussed what each letter represents and then talked about what ‘love’ really is and what it looks like. For this I used Jeff Benner’s word meaning which goes like this…
We do not choose our parents or siblings but are instead given to us as a gift from above, a privileged gift. Even in the ancient Hebrew culture ones wife was chosen for you. It is our responsibility to provide and protect that privileged gift. In our modern Western culture love is an abstract thought of emotion, how one feels toward another but the Hebrew meaning goes much deeper. As a verb this word means “to provide and protect what is given as a privilege” as well as ” to have an intimacy of action and emotion”. We are told to love God and our neighbors, not in an emotional sense, but in the sense of our actions.
I then gave the children the opportunity to draw their own word picture according to their understanding. It was a very rewarding time, and I pray it helps us to see that love is so much more than what our culture deems it to be.
Helpful resources:
Hebrew word meanings - Ancient Hebrew Research Center
Introducing the Ancient Hebrew AlephBet - Jeff Benner
The AlephBet CD: The Building Blocks of Life - Brad Scott (one for Mum’s and Dad’s or older children to listen to. WELL worth it!)
Akhlah – for learning modern Hebrew script
The AlephBet Song (sticks in your head like glue!)
If anybody would like my worksheet, just leave a comment with your email addy and I’ll happily send it in PDF.
Oh wonderful! I would like the PDF
I was just contemplating our new school year, and how to approach a more serious study of Biblical Hebrew.
it’s on it’s way to you now
I agree! Wonderful links and information. Do you have the Hebrew Word Pictures book?
http://www.amazon.com/Hebrew-Word-Pictures-Alphabet-Prophetic/dp/B000JI4CHU
Thank you for the information and please include me for the PDF
Shalom!
I have heard good things about this book Stephanie but it is yet to grace our shelves. Thanks for the link…do you use it? I’d like to see some samples of how it works!
Mmm…Thank you Christine for sharing this with us as well as with your children! I remember my own mom sitting down with us kids and doing this type of learning project and it was those projects that have really stuck with me all these years.
When I study these “abstract” words in the Ancient Hebrew, all of a sudden a sense of deep love and understanding in our Creator sweeps over me. His ways are profound and life-giving, and the deeper we dig the more we learn of Him and can actually apply these “Words” to our life.
I pray that my children have the same memories as you do now Betz. Thankyou for your encouragement. I know what you mean about suddenly understanding when we study the root of these abstract words in Ancient Hebrew…for me it is totally excilerating to finally have a concrete definition that I can ‘see’. I’m so relieved that my kids will have far less to unlearn than I did (and still do!)
I would like to know more about this book too, I have seen it mention all over but it is not on our shelves either. I love the idea of you doing the Paleo and the Modern words in Hebew….I was going to ask you about the AENT chart you mention about the commands and such, do I have to purchase the AENT or could you share the chart…
Thank you Christine!
Andi ~ the chart is in the appendix of the AENT so it’s not something I can really ‘share’…but I can put each commandment on my blog somewhere as we do them…mmmm….I’ll think about how to do that!
Christine! There’s so much more to learn that I can’t take it all in! I’ve been walking with Him for 24 years and currently feel like I know nothing. I feel I’m drinking from a fire hose. It’s not a bad thing, it’s exhilirating! Thanks for posting the links. I’ll need to go check them out. KellieC
LOL Kellie…I can totally relate to ‘drinking from the firehose’! I feel like the more I learn the less I know too…just relax and obey…and enjoy the ride
Exactly! I wish I would have had that in my mind when I was learning too! Sometimes I am still burping up water from that hose!
These are Great resources! How amazing that YHVH is drwing us all back to His Perfect and Pure Language! Here is a link I found recently you may like: http://www.animatedhebrew.com/lectures/index.html
Oh yes, that is a wonderful resource! I have it in my links section. We’ve done the first lesson and I love the way you get to see the letters being written…it’s given me greater confidence to write Hebrew.