If you know Hebrew... - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/15/2005 01:12:15 PM · #1

...could you please confirm something before I get it tattooed to my body?

The word "yachal" - Is it spelled YXL? Lamed,Chet,Yod?

Also, does it mean "hope" with connotations of waiting, watching, patience - very much like the Messianic expectations of the Israel nation in the Torah? Is this word still used today, and how?

Is there anything I should know before getting those three letters tattooed to my back? Is there some hidden connotation, a style of script that I should avoid, a colour that I should avoid...anything like that?

I've done a lot of research but thought I'd check to see if I'd forgotten anything...I'm not Jewish but I'm Judeo-Christian and really identify with the 'hope' that prophets like Jeremiah speak of.

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

12/15/2005 01:14:30 PM · #2

If you screw up you can have the tattoo lasered out :D ;)

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

12/15/2005 01:16:53 PM · #3

I always thought YXL meant "Youth -- Xtra Large" (like clothes and stuff)

Guess I'm not a big help, or any kind of help for that matter.

Tiberius

Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

12/15/2005 01:18:07 PM · #4

Sorry!
I can help with Chinese though.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

12/15/2005 01:25:31 PM · #5

Originally posted by karmat:

Guess I'm not a big help, or any kind of help for that matter.

Sure you are!

...no, wait...negative, no help. ;0)

And I don't mean YXL as in a tattoo that says "Y X L"...my Hebrew friends will understand...hopefully they're around!

grus

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/15/2005 01:30:13 PM · #6

Yes it is spelled 'yud, chet, lamed' (read from right to left of course) and yes it does mean 'wait, hope' (at least according to my dictionary it does :) ). I'm barely half-fluent though so don't take my word for it. I'm not Jewish either so I probably can't help you with the spiritual hocus-pocus stuff.

Message edited by author 2005-12-15 13:30:54.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

12/15/2005 02:22:11 PM · #7

Have you already chosen a tattoo shop? I have a couple of friends who had theirs done at a place in Hamilton called Wylde Tattoo & they're really good. I sent my wife there for her birthday a few years ago & they did a great job on a little tattoo over her belly button.

Google on it & you'll see lots of examples of their work, but if they have a website, I couldn't find it.

I don't have any tattoos myself.

bpickard

Fujifilm FinePix S3000

12/15/2005 02:35:09 PM · #8

Urban myth or not?...I've heard other variations on this theme including a chinese tattoo supposed to mean 'good health'. Guy had it tattoed on his arm and then proudly wore a small teeshirt to a chinese restaurant meal with friends. Waiters kept on finding excuses to serve him and then ran away sniggering. Can't remember what it actually meant but then I never remember punch-lines. Feel free to invent your own.

Here is another case cut and pasted from the web:

One day, a young woman came in with a Chinese character tattooed on her neck. "She was told it meant 'desert flower,'" Van Antwerp says. "And she was getting a lot of attention from Chinese men. And finally somebody told her that it was a very crude Chinese word for prostitute. Some Chinese tattoo artist was making a joke."

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

12/15/2005 02:43:13 PM · #9

Yeah, that's why I want to make sure to get the right word. I'm quite sure it's correct but I want to make sure there isn't some cultural thing that I'm not thinking of...

Flash

Nikon D700

12/15/2005 02:46:26 PM · #10

Originally posted by bpickard:

One day, a young woman came in with a Chinese character tattooed on her neck. "She was told it meant 'desert flower,'" Van Antwerp says. "And she was getting a lot of attention from Chinese men. And finally somebody told her that it was a very crude Chinese word for prostitute. Some Chinese tattoo artist was making a joke."

Which I'm sure is precisely why the original query was posted. A wise course for something with the permanancy of a tatoo. I was especially impressed with the concerns/considerations of even the color. Very astute in my opinion.

12/15/2005 02:53:27 PM · #11

No, this word is not used and is not exactly what you mean.
The letters Yud - Chet - Lamed are just the root of the word.
Yes, words built from this root are for example Meyachel - which is hoping, wishing for. But there is no used noun by these letters in the language.

Also, just my personal view - Never tatoo on your body letters, signs or words in a language that you do not completely understand. You can never know what it means for sure, nor if the letters/signs were tattooed correctly, and not with slight changes that make them completely different from what you ment.

Edit: The way you tried to explain this in english by the way: Lamed - Chet - Yud is spelled Lechi, which means , in case you were wondering - a cheek.

Message edited by author 2005-12-15 14:55:48.

12/15/2005 03:01:36 PM · #12

So, what would be the word I'm looking for? What about kavah/kawah?

12/15/2005 03:02:46 PM · #13

Originally posted by Jinjit:

Edit: The way you tried to explain this in english by the way: Lamed - Chet - Yud is spelled Lechi, which means , in case you were wondering - a cheek.

That's funny...but I was explaining them from left to right in an english context of how I would arrange the letters on my skin.

12/15/2005 03:14:03 PM · #14

I suppose the word you are looking for is TIKVA
This is the word for hope. Spelled Taf - Kuf - Vav - Hey (when Taf is the first letter from the right)
If you want, I could write it as text on image and send you the way it should look in hebrew.

By the way, you should know that there is the "full writing" vs. "missing writing" (LOL those are very literal translations of the hebrew terms) so people sometimes use the "full writing" and spell TIKVA Taf - Yud - Kuf - Vav - Hey
Others prefer a spelling with two VAV together.

But the corrcet way is just the four letters.

Message edited by author 2005-12-15 15:15:00.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/15/2005 03:20:24 PM · #15

Originally posted by Jinjit:

Excellent, thank you! Does TIKVA also ring of patience? expectancy?

Also, jewish orthodoxy requires no tattoos so would it be culturally insensitive to get a tattoo in Hebrew?

Any other thoughts?

Message edited by author 2005-12-15 15:21:24.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

12/15/2005 03:44:38 PM · #16

I totally appreciate you trying to research before the tattoo. Five years ago I had the hebrew word "padah" tattooed on my leg (Pe - Dalet - He) which means "redeemed" and is found in Isaiah. Well, I was a little sloppy with transcribing the letters. I wound up with (Pe - RESH - He) which I later found means either "flower" or "cow". It's a great story I can look back at and laugh for the singular reason that you can easily turn a Resh into a Dalet (but not the other way around). I went back and the artist fixed it for free.

So make 100% sure you know what you're getting into... :) Hebrew is a very complicated language when it comes to written form.

BTW: My word is Strong's 06299. You can try to find the transcription of your word at www.blueletterbible.org. Find the verse then click the little "c" to see the hebrew for each word. You can click the Strong's number to confirm that that word is translated in other passages the same way. You'll probably wind up having the "root" tattooed then.

Message edited by author 2005-12-15 15:49:31.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

12/15/2005 03:56:30 PM · #17

Originally posted by thatcloudthere:

Does TIKVA also ring of patience? expectancy?

In a way - yes. although is is mainly because of the way you would use the word in a sentence. I mean, it's not the exact translation, and if you want to say patience you will not use TIKVA as your word, but when you are talking about hoping for something to happen and use the word TIKVA, it can also mean that you are patiently waiting or expecting it.

Originally posted by thatcloudthere:

Also, jewish orthodoxy requires no tattoos so would it be culturally insensitive to get a tattoo in Hebrew? Any other thoughts?

Ok here's the story: according to religious, it is forbiden. So if you are a religious jew - you will not have one. Not in hebrew nor any other language/sign/srawing.
I assume by this question that you are not a religious jew, so this part is not relevat to you :-)

According to religion, becuase a tattoo is so strictly forbidden (it is the sign of those who worship more then one god. Or at least, this is what I was told) if anyone had a tattoo on their body and wanted a jewish barial when they are dead, the tattoo had to be removed.
Sometimes on the 90s, when Israeli soldiers had to go to Lebanon, and most of them came back in coffins, is became a sort of superstition among soldiers - that a tattoo made just before they leave the country's border will keep them alive, and many many soldiers got their bodies tattooed.
Then some great rabbi said that respecting the body of the dead is far more important and this horrible custom of taking tattoos out of the dead had stopped.

So now no one pays much attention to the issue. Religious people still don't tattoo themselves, others do what they like and everything is cool.

So if you ask me? no. I don't consider this insensitive.

Other thoguhts? I gave you all I had.
Personally, I have two tattoos, and I will probably do another one sometimes in the future.
I still believe that it's not right to make a mark on yourself, unless you completely understand all the meanings of it and you are very familiar with the proper way it should look.
Other then that - I think you should do whatever makes you happy!
(and I would love to see a pic of the tattoo when you get it done ;-)

LOL sorry about the long post. Didn't mean to....

Message edited by author 2005-12-15 16:02:27.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

12/15/2005 03:56:54 PM · #18

Personally, I believe that since Orthodox Judaism absolutely forbids the practice of tatooing one's body, the use of a tatoo of a Hebrew word that has allusions to Torah is a bad idea. It seems insensitive to me. But that's just me...

R.

12/15/2005 04:00:50 PM · #19

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I wound up with (Pe - RESH - He) which I later found means either "flower" or "cow".

ROFLMAO !!!
PARA is a cow. A flower is PERACH (Pe-Resh-Chet)

This is exactly what I mean! You were too lucky this time. But this is exactly the reason why I would never ever make any permanent mark on myself, if I don't know exactly what it means, how to read it and how to write it.

12/15/2005 04:02:55 PM · #20

Originally posted by bear_music:

Orthodox Judaism would also forbid me from cutting my sideburns or shaving, yet I still worship the "orthodox jewish" God. The term hope, as used with Messianic expectation, is exactly what I'm trying to convey...and putting in context by getting it done in Hebrew seems to marry perfectly with the word itself, I think.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

12/15/2005 04:05:42 PM · #21

Originally posted by Jinjit:

I still believe that it's not right to make a mark on yourself, unless you completely understand all the meanings of it and you are very familiar with the proper way it should look.

Sure, that's fine...this is why I'm trying to make sure I've got everything right.

I got my first tattoo while I was high and so I made a silly decision on what to get. I still think it looks nice and is a great 'time-stamp' of my life at that time. I have zero regrets about my first marijuana-induced tattoo and I will have zero regrets about this tattoo - as long as I've got the right word and mood.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

12/15/2005 04:06:30 PM · #22

Originally posted by thatcloudthere:

Originally posted by bear_music:
Personally, I believe that since Orthodox Judaism absolutely forbids the practice of tatooing one's body, the use of a tatoo of a Hebrew word that has allusions to Torah is a bad idea. It seems insensitive to me. But that's just me...

R.

Orthodox Judaism would also forbid me from cutting my sideburns or shaving, yet I still worship the "orthodox jewish" God. The term hope, as used with Messianic expectation, is exactly what I'm trying to convey...and putting in context by getting it done in Hebrew seems to marry perfectly with the word itself, I think.

Like I said, it's just me. Personally, I certainly wouldn't care. Others might. I mostly try not to knowingly do things or say things that have the potential of offending others. Of course, that gets harder and harder as time goes by :-)

R.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/15/2005 04:09:09 PM · #23

Originally posted by bear_music:

I understand what you're saying...Actually, I suspect orthodox jews might be more offended that I believe that Messiah has already come. My tattoo would likely be less worrisome to them.

Message edited by author 2005-12-15 16:09:57.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

12/15/2005 04:11:12 PM · #24

Originally posted by bear_music:

The prophet Isaiah talks about God having our names written on His hand. if it's good enough for Him, it's good enough for me, and I'm not sure what the orthodox are getting themselves into...