Page 51 - HaMizrachi #25 Chanuka 2020 USA

WHAT’S IN A WORD THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND

David Curwin

Illuminating Words

hanukah marks the conflict from Shemot 15:11, 'ה ם ִ ל ֵ א ָּ ב ה ָ כֹמ ָ כ י ִ מ One theory, as quoted by Josephus,
between different groups living (“Who is like you among the mighty, says Asmoneus was the grandfather
Cin Eretz Yisrael in the Second G-d”) or ןָנ ָ חֹוי ן ֶּ ב ן ֵ הֹ ּ כ ּוהָי ְ ת ִּ ת ַ מ – “Mati- (or great-grandfather) of Matityahu
Temple period. Let’s look at the words tyahu Kohen son of Yochanan,” after and the family name derived from this
that describe them. the kohen who led the call for rebellion ancestor.

Yavan against the Greeks. But both of these Others say that Chashmonaim may
come from a place name – either הָנֹמ ְ ׁש ַ ח
At the time, the Land was controlled by etymologies are assumed to be folk (mentioned in Bamidbar 33:2) or
etymologies.
the Greeks – the Yevanim, םיִנ ָ וְי. Those ןֹומ ְ ׁש ֶ ח (mentioned in Yehoshua 15:27).
Jews who identified with Greek culture A more plausible explanation is that the According to these theories, the family
and wished to assimilate into it were name derives from the Hebrew word lived in or near one of these places
known as mityavnim, םיִנ ְּוַי ְ ת ִ מ – “Hel- ת ֶ ב ֶּ ק ַ מ – “hammer” and is reflected in before moving to Modi’in (where they
lenists.” The word Hellenist reflects the spelling םי ִ ב ָּ ק ַ מ. This theory claims lived when the rebellion broke out).
how the Greeks themselves called their that Matitiyahu’s son Yehuda was called Another theory connects Chash-
country – Hellas. The Jews, however, the Makabi because he struck his ene- monaim to the word ןֹומ ְ ׁש ֶ ח. It is unclear
referred to Greece as Yavan, ן ָ וָי. This mies as with a hammer. what the word chashman means – it
name appears in Bereshit 10:2, as the A third theory claims that Makabim is appears only once, in Tehillim 68:32.
fourth son of Yafet, and a grandson of an inaccurate translation of the Hebrew Some explanations of the word do not
Noah. The Talmud (Yoma 10a) iden- אי ִּ ב ְ צ ַ מ – “general, commander of an fit a connection to Chashmonaim – for
tifies the other sons of Yafet with var- army.” Since we encounter the word example, one scholar says it may mean
ious nations in the region but simply first in Greek texts, not Hebrew ones, horses or chariots. However, the Sep-
says that Yavan is according to its plain no Hebrew spelling can be considered tuagint translates it as “ambassador”
meaning – i.e. Greece. The word Yavan authoritative, and so אי ִּ ב ְ צ ַ מ is certainly and other commentaries have “princes.”
is likely related to the name of the East- a reasonable possibility. Therefore the name Chashmonaim
ern Greeks – the Ionians. The Ionians referred to the status of the family, and
crossed the Aegean Sea and settled on The English word “macabre,” meaning the author of Maoz Tzur picked up on
the west coast of Asia Minor, in today’s “gruesome,” actually derives from the this – םיִּנ ַ מ ְ ׁש ַ ח י ֵ מי ִּ ב יַז ֲ א.
Turkey. They were therefore the first Maccabees. In the art of the Middle From this interpretation, the word
Greek tribe many nations of the Middle Ages, a certain “dance of death,” was chashman developed into the meaning
East encountered, so in addition to known as the “dance of Maccabees” of “an important person,” and even-
Hebrew, other languages (like Akka- because of the martyrdom of those tually became the translation for the
dian and Sanskrit) also refer to Greeks Jews defying their Greek oppressors. Catholic “cardinal.”
as Ionians. Chashmonaim Both terms are used in other contexts
Makabim While Yehuda and his brothers were in Israel today. Chashmonaim is the

The group that rebelled against the known as Makabim, the dynasty they name of a town in central Israel, and
Greeks and their Jewish supporters founded was called the םי ִ אָנֹומ ְ ׁש ַ ח – Maccabi is the name of a large sports
were known as the Maccabees or Mak- the Hasmoneans. This term does not organization, a health maintenance
abim in Hebrew. Makabim is either appear in the post-biblical Books of the organization and a brand of beer.
spelled םי ִּ ב ַּ כ ַ מ or םי ִ ב ָּ ק ַ מ, each reflect- Maccabees but is found in the Talmud
ing a different etymology. The more and other rabbinic works. And like David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat,
common spelling today is םיבכמ. It is “makabim,” there are a number of the- and the author of the Balashon blog.
often explained as an acronym, either ories as to the origin of chashmonaim. balashon.com • balashon1@gmail.com.

Israel has taken an ancient language, the Hebrew of the Bible, and made it speak again.
RABBI SACKS
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