The Bible is written in Hebrew, and no translation captures the full depth and truth of the words.
One of its most interesting words is avodah. In the Bible, it means "sacrifice." It refers to the animal sacrifices offered in the Jerusalem Temple.
After the Temple was destroyed, the Jewish sages used the word avodah to refer to "prayer." Instead of sacrifice, prayer became our way of drawing close to God.
In modern Hebrew, the word avodah still means prayer. But it is also means "work." It means "labor." It refers to the activities we do with our brains and bodies.
What does this word teach us? That the labor of our hands and our hearts is part of what we offer to God.
Whether that is raising our children or grandchildren, volunteering, or if we our lucky enough to have 9-5 jobs—all of our labor has the potential for holiness.
When we are honest, respectful and diligent—when we work with integrity and compassion, we serve our Eternal God. That's something to remember on Labor Day.
Part of my labor is writing books, and I hope my writing honors the Creator of us all.
This new book is my labor of love. It reveals the hidden truths behind several Hebrew words, and you can have it in your hands on 9/12. You will be surprised by what you discover when explore the Old Testament in the original Hebrew.
Rabbi Evan Moffic
Rabbi Evan Moffic
Congregation Solel
1301 Clavey Road
Highland Park, Illinois 60035, United States
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