Parashat Vayehi: A Moment of Hebrew
Illustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman

רֶגַע שֶׁל עִבְרִית A Moment of Hebrew

בֵּ֤ן פֹּרָת֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף בֵּ֥ן פֹּרָ֖ת עֲלֵי־עָ֑יִן בָּנ֕וֹת צָעֲדָ֖ה עֲלֵי־שֽׁוּר׃
Yosef is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches climb over the wall.
לִצְעֹד litz’od (שֹׁרֶשׁ צ.ע.ד) =
To march or walk
לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַצַּעַד הָרִאשׁוֹן (la'asot et ha-tza'ad ha-rishon) = To take the first step
מִצְעַד, צְעָדָה (mitz’ad, tze’adah) = Parade, march, or rally
צַעַד צַעַד (tza'ad tza'ad) = Gradually, one step at a time
Find the Word!
One of the בִּרְכוֹת הַשַּׁחַר (Birkhot Ha-Shahar, morning blessings) that we say at the beginning of Shaharit is about God making our steps firm. Can you find the berakhah that includes this שֹׁרֶשׁ (shoresh, root)?