{"id":78516,"date":"2020-08-08T23:01:15","date_gmt":"2020-08-08T20:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=78516"},"modified":"2020-08-08T23:01:15","modified_gmt":"2020-08-08T20:01:15","slug":"this-word-is-genius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/this-word-is-genius\/","title":{"rendered":"This Word Is – Genius!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In chapter 2, Nahum predicts that Assyria will fall, and the kingdom of Judah will survive. Considering the attacks by foreign powers during that period, it may have been difficult to believe. But Nahum was very optimistic:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBehold on the hills the footsteps of a herald Announcing good fortune! \u201cCelebrate your festivals, O Judah, fulfill your vows. Never again shall scoundrels invade you, they have totally vanished.\u201d A shatterer has come up against you. Man the guard posts, watch the road; steady your loins, brace all your strength! For the LORD has restored the Pride of Jacob as well as the Pride of Israel, though marauders have laid them waste and ravaged their branches.\u201d (Nahum 2:1-3)<\/span><\/p>\n

The word pride \u2013 in the phrases \u201cPride of Jacob\u201d and \u201cPride of Israel\u201d \u2013 is the Hebrew <\/span>geon<\/span><\/em>. While in this verse <\/span>geon<\/em> <\/span>has a positive connotation, the prophet Amos uses it to criticize the nation: \u201cMy Lord GOD swears by Himself: I loathe the Pride <\/span>geon<\/span><\/em>\u00a0of Jacob.\u201d This is understandable \u2013 sometimes pride is a good thing, when we are proud of decent actions, but pride can also be a sign of arrogance and lead to sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this later sense, <\/span>geon<\/span><\/em> is related to the word for haughtiness \u2013 <\/span>ga\u2019ava<\/span><\/em>\u00a0(which today is used for both senses of \u201cpride.\u201d) <\/span>Geon<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>and <\/span>ga’ava<\/span><\/em> both derive from the root <\/span>ga\u2019a<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u2013 meaning, \u201cto rise up, be proud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Geon Ya’akov<\/span><\/em> \u2013 \u201cpride of Jacob\u201d \u2013 was the name of a post-Talmudic yeshiva in Babylonia. The title of the head of that yeshiva was abbreviated to <\/span>Gaon<\/span><\/em>. During this period, the most important rabbinical leaders were known as <\/span>geonim<\/span><\/em>, some of the famous including Amram Gaon and Saadia Gaon.<\/span><\/p>\n

The period of the Geonim ended around 1000 CE, but the title of <\/span>Gaon<\/span><\/em> continued to be used to describe individuals who had mastered the Torah. Perhaps most famously it was used to describe the 18th century rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna – the Vilna Gaon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaon<\/span><\/em> sounds similar to the word “genius” in many foreign languages. In addition to English, we find the German and French <\/span>genie<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> Russian <\/span>geniy<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> and Yiddish <\/span>zheni<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/i> So in Modern Hebrew <\/span>gaon<\/span><\/em>\u00a0eventually came to refer to a genius – indicating inherent intellectual ability, and not just proficiency in the study of Torah.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today in Israel, we are blessed with unprecedented learning in both the Jewish and \u201csecular\u201d fields. All of which can certainly be considered the \u201cPride of Israel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","image":false,"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"This Word Is - Genius!","main_caption":"For the LORD has restored the Pride of Jacob as well as the Pride of Israel, though marauders have laid them waste and ravaged their branches.","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":false,"preview_video":"","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78516"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78517,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78516\/revisions\/78517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}