Heblish: Sefer HaChinuch Edition

If you’ve spent a recent Shabbat here in TRLEOOB*, you’re aware that about half a year ago, we adopted the custom of learning one mitzvah from the Sefer HaChinuch at each of the first two Shabbat meals.

(BTW, if we haven’t yet had the pleasure of your company, please be sure to contact the Our Shiputzim reservations department to arrange a convenient Shabbat. Our operators are standing by...)

Anyway, each time, a different Shiputzim child takes a turn at reading and then translating the text into English.

The reason I mention this practice is that last Shabbat, we reached Mitzvah #52 – שלא לאכול בשר שור הנסקל – the prohibition against eating the meat of a ox that was “niskal”.

Niskal, I should note, means that the animal received s’kilah.

What is s’kilah, you ask?

Well, here’s how a certain Shiputzim child chose to translate this term:

Rocking: Hebrew source – סקילה. English definition – Stoning. Sample usage - “You can’t eat the meat of an ox that was rocked.”

And while we’re at it, here are some more excerpts from the Official Our Shiputzim Heblish-English Dictionary: 

I don’t care to…: Hebrew source – …לא אכפת לי ל. English definition – I don’t mind [doing…]. Sample usage - “I don’t care to clear the table today, but only if he clears it tomorrow.”

To move a house: Hebrew source – לעבור דירה. English definition – To move. Sample usage - “She’s moving a house, and so she won’t be in my class anymore.”

As long time readers are aware, most of these Heblish definitions are based on things the Shiputzim children like to say.

But apparently, I’m not above letting some unintentional Heblish creep into my own speech. In fact, I’ve even used it while blogging:

Snappling:  Hebrew source – סנפלינג. English definition –Rappelling. Sample usage – Check out this post for my inadvertent (and admittedly amusing) lapse. (Thanks to commenter Michael Kopinsky for the much-appreciated correction.)

Oh, well. {shrugs} You know what they say: To err is human, but it takes a blogger to mess up in front of readers around the world…**

Previous Heblish editions are available here: Heblish I, Heblish II, Heblish III, Heblish IV, Heblish V, and Heblish VI.

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*TRLEOOB=the real life equivalent of our blog

**Yes, I DID just make this up. Why do you ask? ;-)