Questions Rabbis Get Asked - Inshallah

A congregant asked:

One of my Islamist clients asked whether we had an equivalent to the word "Inshallah". I assume the answer is Yes, but more interesting is why we don't use it widely.

 

--

 

I'm not an expert at how, exactly, Inshallah works in Islam and in Arabic, but there are a number of Jewish ideas and phrases that seem similar.

They are common in more observant communities. If there is a difference

 

Im Yirtzeh HaShem is the direct corollary, 'If God wills it'

Sample conversation.

A:        Can I see you on Tuesday?

B:        Im Yirtzeh HaShem

 

Another similar idea is the tradition of writing in the top corner of a piece of paper the capitalised Hebrew letters in this Aramaic phrase B'Siatah Dishmaya - literally 'With the assistance of Heaven'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Basad.jpg

Sometimes you will also see the letters of the Hebrew phrase 'B'ezrat HaShem' - with the assistance of God.

 

Baruch Hashem, Blessed be God, becomes almost a 'tick.'

A: How are you?

B: I'm fine, Baruch HaShem.

Actually it has even, in some communities, replaced a more coherent answer

A: How are you?

B: Baruch Hashem.

There is a sense of not wishing to tempt fate in appearing to gloat over what we have, on sufferance from God, but also a sense of gratitude to God for what we have.

 

The other common interesting phrase is Bli Neder, literally 'Without a vow.'

Vows are a serious business in Judaism. You shouldn't make them. In Temple times you would have to bring a sacrifice even if you kept the vow and certainly you shouldn't find yourself forced to break a vow, even if that wasn't the intent.

Again

A:        Can I see you on Tuesday?

B:        Bli Neder

i.e. I'm planning on it, but I'm not ramping the commitment up to a theological significant level.

 

--

 

For this I went to Rabbi school!