Hebrew Nuggets #3

God is my judge.

I was reading today as is my habit.

I had recently been in a dispute with someone who is very important to me named Daniel and the debate ended when he said, "God is my judge." to which I had no reply.

Then strangely enough while preparing my article for Shabbat, I stumbled on the meaning of one of my favorite names. Daniel.

Here is where we learn the meaning of Dan, who is one of Jacob's sons. His mother gives birth and says, "God has judged me, therefore his name will be called Dan." the reading is actually a bit longer than that. Read what I publish at sunset on Shabbat.

Dan is "Judge"
Ani refers to one's self.
Then the verb changes in order to define the tense (past, present, future)

Here is the word Dan alone from the same passage when Jacob's son was born.

The letter that sounds like "N" (the one on the left) looks a bit different because it is at the end of the word. Still, this is Dan. It means "judge", but let us take a look at Daniel.

• Dan means "judge."
• Dani means "my judge."
• El is short for "Elohim" meaning "gods" or the title "God."
  So Dan-i-el has to mean God is my judge or my judge is God

Thanks Daniel, for reminding me of your faith in the one true Judge of all.

That is all for this one. It is after all just a nugget.

Do with this as you will.

Erev Tov