# Freedom



## notmyna

Could someone tell me if there's a difference between 'hofesh' and 'herut' (both meaning freedom/liberty)? Is one word more commonly used than the other, etc?

Thanks!


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## yotg

The difference between chofesh and cherut is the same difference between freedome and liberty.
Here's a nice link that explains it: http://www.naciente.com/essay36.htm

chofesh [חופש] is more common, due to its practical usages: vacation, holiday, day off (חופשה, חופש גדול, יום חופש)...
cherut [חירות] is of a higher register.

The preferable adjectives are chofshi [חופשי] and meshuchrar [משוחרר], as opposed to the archaic form: ben chorin [בן חורין].


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## notmyna

Thanks for the reply.

So, the _general term_ for 'freedom' (not a freedom to do something specific, and not as part of another word like 'vacation') would be *חירות*? 

For example, if I wanted to say "I just want peace, love and freedom", or "He lost his freedom when they put him in prison", it would be more accurate to use חירות than חופש?


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## bat777

notmyna said:


> For example, if I wanted to say "I just want peace, love and freedom", or "He lost his freedom when they put him in prison", it would be more accurate to use חירות than חופש?


 
Correct.
as yotg wrote, חירות is the word for the lofty concept of liberty.


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## Nunty

Just to confirm, reinforce and sum up what everyone else has said, where you would say "freedom" in English, say "חופש" in Hebrew and where you would say "liberty" in English, say "חירות" in Hebrew.


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## notmyna

Thank you everyone.


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## ThomasK

Are we referring to ancient Hebrew here, as in psalm 66, 12 ? 

In English, Italian, Spanish, ... : freedom
in German,Russian (others ?) : abundance, wealth, even quiet place ?

Can anyone explain that ?


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## Nunty

ThomasK said:


> Are we referring to ancient Hebrew here, as in psalm 66, 12 ?
> 
> In English, Italian, Spanish, ... : freedom
> in German,Russian (others ?) : abundance, wealth, even quiet place ?
> 
> Can anyone explain that ?



Which numbering system are you using for the Psalms? In the masoretic text Ps 66:12 doesn't have the word "freedom":
*בָּאנוּ-בָאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם; וַתּוֹצִיאֵנוּ, לָרְוָיָה*
A quick translation would be: We have come through fire and water; and you took us out into abundance.

The word I translated as "abundance" is difficult to translate. I see where they got "freedom", but no. That is not the word we have been discussing in this thread.


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## ThomasK

I am sorry, but I cannot read Hebrew. Could you give me the phonetic spelling or no,  the word 'abundance' here in hebrew. That way I might be able to explore its meaning elsewhere. tThanks !


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## Flaminius

Hello,
The word in question transcribes to 'revaya'.  According the one of the most popular Web dictionary, it means "saturation" or "satiation."


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## ThomasK

Great, but it is Chinese to me - as we put it : I cannot decipher Hebrew really. But thanks !


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## Nunty

Flaminius said:


> Hello,
> The word in question transcribes to 'revaya'.  According the one of the most popular Web dictionary, it means "saturation" or "satiation."





ThomasK said:


> Great, but it is Chinese to me - as we put it : I cannot decipher Hebrew really. But thanks !



Flaminius transcribed the relevant Hebrew word for you: _revaya_. As he says, it often means "saturation" or "satiation". I translated it freely as "abundance".

We love helping people! If we aren't telling you what you want to know, please ask us in a different way so we understand.


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