Dear friends,
The Olympics are coming to a close, and from judo to windsurfing to gymnastics, Israel has won a whopping six medals – more than any previous Olympic Games. So naturally, we’ve got to give credit where credit is due.
There are multiple ways that Israelis praise one another: aluf, totach, and melech to name a few.
But there’s one particular phrase that I want to take a closer look at – kol hakavod
Kol hakavod is used as the equivalent of Great job! – but in reality, it actually has a much deeper meaning than that.
To see it, all we have to do is look at the shoresh (root) of kavod, which is kaf-bet-dalet
Hebrew for “heavy.”
When Israel’s finalists stood on the podium to receive their medals, they didn’t just feel a sense of achievement, they felt the heaviness of the journey that they endured – all for a medal that inevitably made the journey feel just a bit lighter.
But medalists or not, the sense of purpose and drive to represent Israel in the best way possible is unanimous among all Israeli athletes, especially now when our country is under increasing threat, has suffered so much loss, and has yet to celebrate the return of all the hostages.
Even if ever so slightly, the praise kol hakavod is a symbolic way for the rest of us to help share the weight carried by them.
To all of our 88 athletes in Paris, we have one thing to say:
“Kol hakavod!”
Joel Chasnoff is a stand-up comedian, podcast host, and co-author of Israel 201, winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award. You can find out more about his comedy, books, and upcoming tour at www.joelchasnoff.com, and sign up for his weekly newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic, to learn more about the hidden life lessons in Hebrew words.
