Mind

April 27, 2015
By bethmordecai
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DAY 1031: The Meaning of Lev — Heart and Mind

Dear Hevreh, One reason I love Hebrew is because its words can have very different, if not opposing, meanings. One example is the term "lev" (לב) which is often translated as "heart" in verses like Deuteronomy 6:5 ("You shall love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might"). But as some scholars explain, the term "lev" should not be translated as heart but rather as "mind" or "consciousness." For instance, Proverbs 14:10 is often translated as "the heart ("lev") knows its own bitterness." But how can the heart -- the seat of emotion and passion -- be self aware enough to understand itself? Rather, it makes more sense to understand[...]

Category : Ari-archive
Tag : adult education Burton Visotzky heart Jewish-Muslim Lev Mind rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea