how to say “to symbolize” in Hebrew

לְסַמֵּל

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This Shabbat, Jews around the world will start reading the Book of Leviticus – סֵפֶר וַיִּקְרָא

, the book in the Torah that spells out the ritual sacrifice in the Temple.

In an age when animal sacrifice had become difficult to relate to, Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch of 19th-century Germany taught symbolic meanings behind the rituals.

The Hebrew word for to symbolize is לְסַמֵּל

, taking the word for symbol – סֶמֶל

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– and turning into an active-intensive verb.

For example:

 

מַה הַקָּרְבָּן הַזֶּה מְסַמֵּל?

What does this sacrifice represent?

 

Likewise, the word for symbolic is סִמְלִי

. This word is also used to mean nominal.

For example:

 

אֲנַחְנוּ דּוֹרְשִׁים רַק סְכוּם סִמְלִי עָבוּר שִׁמּוּשׁ בַּתָּכְנָה.

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