Select Page

Hebrew Word of the Day

שָׁלוׄם

Meaning: Peace, hello, goodbye

Translit: Sha•lom

Stay Up To Date

Sign up and receive important updates from the Jerusalem Prayer Team.

Donate now and show your support for Israel.

Donate Now

There is a good chance that you’ve heard this word before. The word “shalom” comes from the word sha•lem, and both come from the root “sha.le.m.”

Every verb and most words in Hebrew are derived from a three-letter root. We cannot cover the roots subject here and strongly recommend that you find a way to learn the basics of Hebrew. However, even if you are not familiar with Hebrew yet, we can tell you that these three letters are: “sheen” “lamed” and “mem.” These are the equivalents of “SH” “L” and “M” in English. This root means “whole” and “complete.” It also means “to pay.” You will easily see the connection between the two in the next few lines.

Human life includes interactions with others where we either give or receive services or goods from and to one another. Closing an interaction always involves a payment (in this form or another). When a payment is made we reach a completion (shalem), and we reach this completion only when we pay (shalem, again). When that is done, we have “shalom.”

“Shalom” is also the common greeting word, but now you know that it carries a hinted declaration of our intentions, and at the same time it is a wishful blessing of “wholeness.”

Peace, hello, goodbye

by | Aug 30, 2016 | Blog | 0 comments

There is a good chance that you’ve heard this word before. The word “shalom” comes from the word sha•lem, and both come from the root “sha.le.m.”

Every verb and most words in Hebrew are derived from a three-letter root. We cannot cover the roots subject here and strongly recommend that you find a way to learn the basics of Hebrew. However, even if you are not familiar with Hebrew yet, we can tell you that these three letters are: “sheen” “lamed” and “mem.” These are the equivalents of “SH” “L” and “M” in English. This root means “whole” and “complete.” It also means “to pay.” You will easily see the connection between the two in the next few lines.

Human life includes interactions with others where we either give or receive services or goods from and to one another. Closing an interaction always involves a payment (in this form or another). When a payment is made we reach a completion (shalem), and we reach this completion only when we pay (shalem, again). When that is done, we have “shalom.”

“Shalom” is also the common greeting word, but now you know that it carries a hinted declaration of our intentions, and at the same time it is a wishful blessing of “wholeness.”