Conservative Judaism/Meaning of a word.

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Expert: - 4/6/2005


Question
My Baptist pastor asked us to look up the word Hacaliah for next Sunday. We are studying the book of Nehemiah. Hacaliah was his father. I have also found it to be spelled Hachaliah.

Thank you for your help.
Mary Ann


Answer
Dear Mary Ann

Thanks for writing, but we will have trouble making sense of English rather than the Hebrew in which is was written.

Guessing I would say that the word is composed of two roots, meaning "heichal" = building, temple, sanctuary and "yah" = God, Yah is another name for God.

Hence, Nehemiah was building "God's Temple" which fits the works of Ezra and Nehemiah, no?

Good luck

Rabbi Dov

Conservative Judaism

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Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner

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Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history, philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.

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I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)

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