I have mentioned this topic to a few of you... I will try to be concise but clear.
Continuing the metaphor of Oz, disorientation and orientation: Here are a few thoughts about the meaning of the names for the days of the week. To illustrate: Here -- Sunday is called Yom Rishon. Rishon, I am guessing is from the root word Rosh - meaning head. Sunday is the start of the week. Of course in 99% of the world, Monday is the start of the week, so as the week progress, here... if you don't use the Hebrew nomenclature you are a bit confused, is it Tuesday? It feels like Tuesday, because yesterday everyone went back to work and the big activity started... but no, it isn't Tuesday -- it is Monday --- because Yom Rishon was yesterday-- get it??? And if yesterday was Yom Rishon, then today is Yom Shae-ni (Day 2). And it continues as the week progresses. So, unless I think about what day it is in the Hebrew -- I am not really sure what day it is at all.
Well, why does it matter? Today is Friday, yesterday seemed like the last day of the week, and here, it was -- things will slowly start to decelerate, the morning will be spent stocking up the house with food, flowers and books -- to prepare for the day of rest. And here, the day of rest is not just a concept, it is a practice. No yoga class, no buses, few cars -- just calm interaction with friends and family.
Is this the first hurdle to really feel like I live here and am not just a visitor? Maybe yes.
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That is so interesting. I was just reading now about how the calendar is used as a political tool. In the past, some governments tried to change it to 10 days in a week (French), or to a 5 day week (Soviets) to keep people working around the clock and impede them from going to church. Jessie's school is on a 6 day rotating schedule that has nothing to do with the calendar. Shabbat there sounds so nice.
what do you mean most of the world thinks of Monday as the first day of the week? Hardly. Calendars everywhere start with Sunday and end with Saturday. What sets the Jewish system of days apart is that days 1-6 have only numbers, no names; only Shabbat has a name. (And i think the numbers are not meant to be the days of the week, but the days since Shabbat, eg, first day after Shabbat, second day after....Everywhee else, the days are named for assorted Greek gods and celestial 'beings' -- Sun-day; Mo(o)n-day; Satur(n)-day; Thor's-day; etc, with significant consistency from language to language, i believe.
Written by Steve S., posted by Anne
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