Water – the source of life! We need water for drinking, cleaning, irrigating, cooling and other industrial purposes. We need water for fun and pleasure, for survival, for life. Water has always been a high priority in Judaism and in Israel. In the prayers, we find a blessing for the rain in the fall and for dew in the spring, symbolizing the uncertainty of precipitation in the Holy Land. The Torah itself is compared to water -- our spiritual "life-giving force."
A large part of the drinking water in Israel comes from precipitation pooled on the surface, in places such as the Sea of Galilee (, Kineret) and the Jordan River (
, Nehar Hayarden). Water also penetrates through the ground until it reaches hard rock and accumulates there as underground wate(
, mey tehom). We can obtain this water through natural springs (
, ma'ayan) or through wells (
, be'er).
Everyone in Israel pays attention to the Sea of Galilee's water level (
, miflas hakineret) with anxiety and hope. This unique freshwater lake, located below sea level, is the lowest freshwater lake on earth. People in Israel are pleased when the water level reaches 208.9 meters below sea level (upper red line), because this means that the Kineret is full. In such a case the Degania Dam, located at the southern part of the lake, is opened so the water can flow into the Jordan River. The last time the dam was opened was during the stormy winter of 2003-2004.
The national mood is somber when the water surface drops to 213 meters below sea level (the lower red line). At that point, no water is pumped from the lake.
As the population of Israel rises, water consumption increases. In other words, the water exploitation is higher than the regeneration of water. In Israel, some methods used to overcome this problem are:
• Recycling waste water (, hashavat kolchin) -- the treated waste water can be used for irrigation and industry.
• Water desalination (, hatpalat mayim) – several processes remove excess salt and other minerals from sea water, and transfer it into drinkable fresh water. The current and future desalination plants in Israel are planned to produce 300 million cubic meters of water by the year 2012.
• Drip irrigation – Israel is a world leader in this field. The modern technology of drip irrigation -- using a plastic emitter -- was invented in Israel by a company called Netafim ("droplets").
Until the amount of fresh water in Israel matches or is above the amount of water consumption, the Israeli public and industry are encouraged to save water.
Water Words
Translation: water
Transliteration: mayim
Part of speech: Noun, Masculine, Plural
Translation: precipitation
Transliteration: mishka'im
Part of speech: Noun, Masculine, Plural
Translation: desalination, desalinization
Transliteration: hatpala
Part of speech: Noun, Feminine
Translation: irrigation
Transliteration: hashkaya
Part of speech: Noun, Feminine
Literal Meaning: drought
Transliteration: batzoret
Part of speech: Noun, Feminine
Proverbs Based on a "Water" Theme
Translation: No water – no life
Transliteration: Bli mayim ein chayim
Translation: Water – the source of life Transliteration: Mayim – mekor hachayim
Hebrew Names Related to Water
Kineret -
A modern girl's name, meaning the Sea of Galilee
Tal –
A modern name for both boys and girls, meaning "dew."
Hebrew Word Search (תִּפְזֹרֶת)
See if you can find all the words in the puzzle below:


May you quench your thirst!

(6) Fr Dominic Borg,ocd, August 3, 2009 2:38 AM
Excellent project !!!
Many thanks for all your insightful inspirations and explanations. This will help people like me to continue to increase their love for the Hebrew language and G-d's People. May HaShem reward your work. Fr Dominic,ocd London, Ontario.
(5) edson, July 23, 2009 12:33 AM
good to study the hebrew language
i trid hard to learn the hebrew allphabet, this is an oportunity for me , these are more material for my studies.
(4) Barry Jacobs, July 20, 2009 6:51 PM
Thirst
With all this valuable info about water, I'm thirsty - so - I'll have to get a 'cos she'll mayim. Pardon me if the grammar and spelling is not correct.
(3) Shira Nahari, July 20, 2009 8:37 AM
Great article, wonderful page
You are performing such a fine service by offering lessons like this on-line free for everyone to access! Todah rabbah!
(2) Beatrzi Nagy, July 19, 2009 11:09 PM
Very good!!
It´s a very clevear way for learning Hebrew. I am studying alone for many years but it very hard to have time with 2 children and husband. What a great ideia of Aish. I just saved this lesson to read it manu times. Please keep it up!!! Shalom, Beatriz
(1) Bernie Siegel, MD, July 19, 2009 3:01 PM
water is a miracle and our role model for rebirth and survival
We Are Water And Spirit by Bernie Siegel, MD you can look into a mirror and see your image water reflects your image too but unlike a mirror you must get close to the water and yourself to see the reflection and you and the water must be still and untroubled by outside forces and just as water may exist as a liquid, solid or vapor you can undergo continual transformation too depending on your state of consciousness you can choose to close your heart and become hard and cold as ice or become sparkling diamonds on the branches of the tree of life or protect and guard the life which exists beneath the surface for it is only when we are willing to go beneath the surface into the stillness and depth of our being that we truly find ourselves and create the authentic path our stream should follow as a stream of water flows over and around stones making beautiful sounds your blood stream can flow over obstacles, become as destructive as a tsunami or choose to vaporize and rise above life’s difficulties ready to fall back, when needed, as gentle rain softening the soil of life one day every blood stream will find its way to the endless sea of life where you will be reborn as white crystals which descend slowly and gently onto the frozen ground when the world experiences a drought of love forming a blank canvas upon which the world can now create a work of art