Parshat Mishpatim
The parsha begins by talking about different types of slaves and their terms of bondage. The Torah talks about the slaves and maidservants finishing their terms, and says they will go free. The term the Torah uses for the freedom is "חופש" - hofesh.
Hofesh is generally used to mean "vacation". Was the slave finishing his years of service and then going to Miami Beach to relax for a few weeks?
I would like to suggest that Hofesh is not really meant to be used as "vacation". Rather, going on hofesh means one is liberated from his servitude and can get back to dealing with his normal responsibilities.
Maybe "balashon" blog can analyze the word and discuss the actual meaning, or maybe he has and I missed it.
So next time your boss gives you hofesh, ask for time off to relax instead!!
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1 comment:
I haven't written about חופש - good idea for a post. From what I can see briefly, Klein doesn't explain the development from "freedom, liberty" to "vacation". But after a long week of work, I think we can all see the association...
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