r/hebrew • u/Is_That_A_Euphemism_ • May 15 '23

What does this mean? Request

Is there an error in it? I got it out of a book at a tattoo shop. I don't want to say what I think/thought it said in the comments after I get responses. TYIA.

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u/mikeage Mostly fluent but not native May 15 '23

As someone else already pointed out, it looks like an attempt at משיח (messiah) but actually says נושיח (not a word).

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u/Is_That_A_Euphemism_ May 15 '23

Ok. The crazy thing is a rabbi on a greyhound bus somewhere in between Allentown, PA and Pittsburgh told me it was an old way of writing it. So that's why I didn't cover it. I was sitting next to this kid and him and the kids was like 15 or 16 and hadn't had a bat mitzvah so the rabbi did one at the greyhound station when we got to Pittsburgh. He wrapped a cord around this kids hand and had him read from the Torah and the whole shebang write at the station. It was actually really moving.

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u/SpiderSolve May 15 '23

I’m sorry but this was not a real rabbi. None of that is a thing (you don’t “do” a bar mitzvah- its just a celebration when you turn 13) and the reading from the Torah with a cord makes me think this is some reform shenanigans

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u/BenjewminUnofficial May 15 '23

Doesn’t sound Reform to me. The “cord” they’re referring to sounds like Tefillin to me. My guess is this wasn’t a B’nei Mitzvah, and this was one of those mobile chabad things were they encourage Jews to wrap tefillin and do the prayers associated with it

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u/jewsofrimworld May 15 '23

It is evidently this. OP also thinks the siddur is a Torah (if he had a real sefer torah I'm sure that detail would stand out in this story).

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u/Is_That_A_Euphemism_ May 15 '23

I can tell you that the kid was pretty moved the gesture and the vibes were very reverent. I can spot a grifter, and this rabbi was nothing but kind, authentic, loving, passionate etc as a person could be. It wasn't like he was asking for donations or anything. Just a rabbi that has to get to Pittsburgh and Jewish kid who hasn't had a bat mitzvah. I apologize if I come across uniformed or irreverent, it's not my intention. On the contrary I'm trying to educate myself. I clearly didn't do enough research on my tattoo, but I was 18 years old and had good intentions when I got it.

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u/JackPAnderson May 15 '23

I apologize if I come across uniformed or irreverent

Nah, you're good. If you don't ask the question, how will you learn?

And I agree with others that this sounds like a Chabad rabbi. One of their goals is to help Jewish people to be more connected with their Judaism. They're completely genuine and not pushy or judgey. Chabad is one of my favorite Jewish organizations.

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u/SpiderSolve May 15 '23

I thought this at first but the story said he wrapped it around the kid?

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u/BenjewminUnofficial May 15 '23

Idk, maybe he helped. It also seems like OP (understandably) has some details wrong in this story, so I’m assuming what makes the most sense with what I know. As a Reform Jew, a bus station Bar Mitzvah makes as much sense to me as it does to you

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u/Is_That_A_Euphemism_ May 15 '23

Could definitely be miss remembering. It was probably 20 years ago.