Parshas Behaalotcha (5779)
When discussing the Jewish people’s 40-year sojourn through the desert on their way to the Land of Israel, the Torah states the following: “According to the word of G-d would the Children of Israel journey, and according to the word of G-d would they encamp…†(Numbers 9:18). A few verses later, the Torah tells us (in reverse order): “… According to the word of G-d would they encamp and according to the word of G-d would they journey†(ibid verse 20).
Rabbi Isaiah ben Abraham Horowitz ZTâ€L (1555-1630), also known as the Shelah HaKadosh after the title of his best-known work, writes that from these verses one can find a scriptural allusion to the concept of saying Im Yirtzeh Hashem (“G-d-willingâ€) or B’zras Hashem (“with G-d’s helpâ€) before and after every sojourn or anything else that we do.
Here’s how it works, as indicated by the order of the verses above: When a Jew is about to embark on a journey (just as our ancestors did way back when in the desert), he should first say: “B’ezras Hashem I am travelling to my destination, and B’ezras Hashem I plan to get there, Im Yirtzeh Hashemâ€. And when he finally reaches his destination and ‘encamps’, he should say: “B’ezras Hashem I arrived safely, and B’ezras Hashem I plan to continue my journey in the future, Im Yirtzeh Hashem.â€
This way - writes the Shelah HaKadosh – a Jew will always have G-d on his mind and in his heart wherever he goes.
Indeed, Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda writes in his classic ethical work Chovos Halevavos (“Duties of the Heartâ€) in Sha’ar Ha’ahavah Chapter Six, that it is a sign of one who truly loves G-d who says Im Yirtzeh Hashem before anything he does, as he thus acknowledges that he only wants and is able to do what G-d wills him to do.
Constantly peppering even one’s mundane, everyday conversation with phrases such as Im Yirtzeh Hashem and B’ezras Hashem has always been the way that Jews talk for centuries and millennia.
Now granted that some of our fellow Jews take this way too far. They tell a joke about a young and very religious Jewish girl studying in a seminary in Jerusalem who, when asked what is two plus two, replied, “Im Yirtzeh Hashem fourâ€! I guess that as with everything else in our religion and in life, one needs to strike a proper balance and try to remain normal.
Many are not aware of this but there is even a way that Jews walk as well. The Talmud in Kiddushin 31a states that one is forbidden to walk in the street with a komah zekufah, i.e. with his body erect and his head held too high. Walking with a komah zekufah smacks of haughtiness and ga’avah. Rather one should cast his eyes downward as he [does when he] stands during prayer. He should walk in the market-place like a person preoccupied with his business affairs.
There are actually many traditional ways to talk (and walk) like a Jew – too numerous to mention all or even half of them. But at least let me share with you a few of the more common phrases that are traditionally used by Jews in casual conversation.
1) Baruch Hashem (lit. “Blessed is G-dâ€; or “Thank G-dâ€); e.g. “I am feeling much better now, Baruch Hashemâ€. FYI, the Midrash teaches that the first person in history to have ever said Baruch Hashem to express his thanks to G-d upon hearing good news was none other than Moses’ father-in-law Yisro, who when hearing how the Jews escaped from slavery in Egypt in a miraculous way, declared: “Baruch Hashem … Blessed is G-d, Who has rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh … (Exodus 18:10).
2) Kein Ayin Hara (lit. "no evil eye"); (Yiddish – often mispronounced kennahara, or something like that); Customarily added after mentioning a particular blessing in one’s own life or after praising someone else; expressing the wish that the evil eye should not affect the individual(s) discussed; e.g. “I have eight beautiful children, kein ayin haraâ€.
3) Bli Neder (lit. “without a promiseâ€); a term/disclaimer used when expressing one’s intent to do something. Bli Neder is said since it's proper to avoid making a promise or commitment as we may not always (be able to) follow through with it; e.g. “I will donate $250 to the shul building fund, bli nederâ€.
4) Baruch Dayan Emes (lit. "Blessed is [the] True Judge"); Phrase recited upon receiving bad tidings, especially news of a person's passing; e.g. “I don’t know if you heard, but Jack Goldstein passed away last night†- â€Baruch Dayan Emesâ€.
5) Yasher Koach! (lit. "May you have continued strength!â€); The standard expression of congratulations for those who have had the merit of participating in the public worship of the synagogue, be it the leading of the Prayer Service, the Reading of the Torah, a Kohen offering the Priestly Blessing, etc. Yasher Koach! is an idiom meaning, “Good job!†and it carries with it the hope that this mitzvah will give one the strength to carry on to future mitzvos. [For whatever reason, some well-intentioned Jews like to jumble the two Hebrew words Yasher Koach together into one Yiddish-sounding word – shkoy-ach!]
6) Baruch Tih’yeh! (lit. “Blessed shall you be!â€); The appropriate response to someone who has just congratulated you with a Yasher Koach!
[Sources: https://www.chabad.org/search/keyword_cdo/kid/8240/jewish/Phrases-Expressions.htm ]
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