About Hebrew

So, What Else Is New?

Innovators, clean slates and new olim By Joseph Lowin

There are two types of people in this world: those who divide the world into opposites—e.g., new and old—and those who don’t. Take the example of the Hebrew root שׁ-ד-ח (het-dalet-shin), “to be new.” This very old root traveled many linguistic roads before settling into modern Hebrew. For example, the ancient city of Carthage was given the Phoenician name Qart-hadasht, which means “New City,” at its founding. In Islam, Hadith, designating a form of sacred Muhammadan literature second only to the Koran, is also derived from the same root, where the Arabic “th” sound is equivalent to the Hebrew “sh.”

Jewish scripture refers to the root hundreds of times with the word שֶׁדֺח (hodesh), month. For example, שֶדֺח שׁאׂר (rosh hodesh), the new moon, is celebrated with animal sacrifices. But Isaiah 1:14 gives a nuance to the root, asserting that םֶכיֵשְׁדָָח (hodshekhem), “your sacrifices,” are offered merely to assuage a guilty conscience. A single biblical verse—שָׁדָח ךְֶלֶמ םָקָיַָּו (va-yakom melekh hadash), “a new [Egyptian] king has arisen”—foreshadows an era of oppression for the Israelites. At a later time, Deborah’s song in the Book of Judges, celebrating military victory, uses our root in the enigmatic expression םיִשָׁדֲח םיִהלֱֹא (elohim hadashim), literally, “new gods,” but the verse is probably referring to “new leaders.” Lamentations 5:21 provides us with a beautiful prayer for national renewal based in tradition, םֶדֶֽקְכּ וּניֵמָי שֵׁדַּח (hadesh yameinu ke-kedem), “Renew our days as of old.” And then there is Ecclesiastes, for whom שֶׁמָשַּׁה תַחַתּ שָׁדָח לָכּ ןיֵא (ein kol hadash tahat ha-shamesh), “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Some Jewish fundamentalists who reject תוּנָשׁדַּח (hadshanut), modernization, prohibit not only new produce but any religious innovation, שָׁדָחֶה (he-hadash), literally, the new itself.

Today, we may want to start a discussion שָׁדָחֵמ (me-hadash), with a clean slate. Modern Hebrew offers the perfect conversation starter—שָׁדָח הֶמ (meh hadash), “What’s new?” Answers to that question can be found in a broadcast of םוֹיַה תוֹשָׁדֲח (hadashot ha-yom), news of the day, which may feature a ןֲשׁדַּח (hadshan), innovator, or introduce the latest שׁיִדָח (hadish), up-to-date, Hebrew word derived from our root.

And, when an הָשָׁדֲח הָלוֹע (olah hadashah), a newcomer settling in Israel, shows up, sometimes stylishly coiffed, sporting a fashionable outfit and driving a brand new car, it’s surely the right moment to voice a multifaceted יִשׁדַּחְתּתּ (tit-hadshi), “May you be renewed.”

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