Today’s first expression yi•hi•ye be•se•der is made up of two words: yi•hi•ye – will be, and be•se•der – fine, in order. The expression means many things that introduce an optimistic outlook at life that show self-confidence and even reliance on God’s miracles. It is the most common reassuring expression that there is in Hebrew that carries all these meanings: ‘don’t worry,’ ‘everything will be just fine,’ ‘trust me,’ ‘it will be fine’ ‘there will be no problems,’ etc. The problem with this expression is that although it is reassuring the listeners about the future and easing possible worries, it is never coupled with further explanation of how exactly the said problem will be solved. It only offers a vague promise. The expression carries a hint of reliance on a miracle or some secretive plan that is not known to the listener. No wonder that many cases of the casual promise yi•hi•ye be•se•der have really nothing to rely on, and are used only to gain time and to break resistance, end up with a fiasco. Yet, you won’t hear a more frequent expression in Israel. Perhaps, it has to do with the fact that life in Israel requires endless miracles!
Today’s second word, se•der, is, in fact, part of the yi•hi•ye be•se•der expression. This word means ‘order’ in the sense of organization. When you add the ‘be’ in front of it, it simply says: ‘in.’ So, ‘be•se•der’ means ‘in order.’ This is the Hebrew way to say ‘Okay.’
‘Seder’ is also the name of the famous Passover main event – the Passover night meal. The reason for the name is that on this special evening the whole family is reclining together (in order) in their chairs. Also, they read the ‘Haggadah’ of Passover, which is a booklet that includes all the prayers, songs and blessings, arranged in the traditional order.
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