Sukkot: Shake & Quake (Pt. 3/3)
In Part I of this mini-series, we discussed the rhyming words chil, zachil, and dachil all of which refer to the state of being scared and the physical effects of such a feeling. In part 2, we encountered the words ra’adah, ziyah, and retet — all which also relate to that concept. In this final installment, we discuss more Hebrew terms that refer to such fear tremors, namely chareid, rogez, ra’ash, and ga’ash.
One of the last prophecies recorded in the Book of Isaiah opens with the words “Listen to the word of Hashem, O those who quaker [chareidim] to His word” (Isa. 66:5). In that prophecy, Isaiah foretells of how in the Final Redemption, only those truly devoted to Hashem will experience happiness, while the duplicitous haters “will dry up” (there). In contemporary times, the term chareidi is often applied to the Ultra-Orthodox community, who are considered especially devoted to Hashem and Torah observance. Likewise, variations of this appellation have been applied to other groups: For example, the Quakers (formally known as the Religious Society of Friends), were a Christian group founded in 17th century in England. The name "Quaker" is said to have originated from the group's practice of “trembling” or “quaking” during their meetings when they felt moved by the so-called Holy Spirit. Similarly, the Shakers (officially known as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing) were a later offshoot of the Quakers, whose members likewise would often “shake” or “tremble” as a result of what they believed to be the presence of the Holy Spirit. In this essay, we continue our exploration of terms related to “shaking/shuddering in fear,” by discussing the term chareid and the related terms, rogez, ra’ash, ga’ash.
The term chareid derives from the triliteral root CHET-REISH-DALET, which appears fifty-four times in the Bible (according to Even-Shoshan’s concordance), plus twice more in the placename Charadah (Num. 33:24–25). One famous example of its occurrences includes when Isaac realized that he had given the birthright blessings to the wrong, and he became afraid, very afraid — vayecherad... charadah gedolah ad meod (Gen. 27:33). Similarly, the inflection vayecherad appears again when describing the Revelation at Sinai when both the Jewish Nation trembled (Ex. 19:16) and the mountain itself trembled (Ex. 19:18), as discussed earlier in Part 2 of this essay. Another famous appearance of this term is when Boaz was “shaken” (vayecherad) by the presence of a woman lying at his feet in the middle of the night (Ruth 3:8).
But that are more Hebrew terms for “shaking in fear,” and there is one particular verse which uses three of those terms in one sentence. In a metaphoric description of the dreaded effects of Hashem’s anger, King David writes: "and the land shakes [vatigash] and quakes [vatirash], and the foundations of mountains shake [yirgazu]... when there is anger for Him" (II Sam. 22:8, Ps. 18:8). In this verse, we encounter the words ga’ash, ra’ash, and rogez.
Malbim, as cited Sefer Carmel, understands that this verse as referring to difference forms of “shaking” in ascending order. This leads him to explaining that ga'ash refers to a more subtle movement that ra'ash, while the more intense term ra'ash refers to yet a less intense shaking than rogez. Although Malbim understood rogez as denoting something more intense than ra’ash, Rabbi Reuven Landau (circa. 1800-1883) in Degel Machaneh Reuven (§61) writes just the opposite, i.e. that ra'ash denotes a more intense agitation/stirring than does rogez. Either way, both rogez and ra’ash appear together in the expanded tachanun prayer recited on Mondays and Thursdays, wherein we ask Hashem to save us from "ra'ash and rogez." The verbiage of that prayer is likely based on a verse in Job (39:24), which places ra’ash and rogez side-by-side.
Shadal (to Gen 45:24, Ex. 15:14) clarifies that rogez primarily refers to physically “shaking” or “trembling,” but the term is then metaphorically applied to any sort of emotional agitation or disturbance, even if not from fear. For example, one of the curses said to befall those who do not observe the Torah was said to be a lev ragaz (Deut. 28:65), which literally means "a trembling heart," but refers here to fear-induced anxiety.
As Rashbam (to Gen. 45:24) already notes, the term rogez in Biblical Aramaic has a slightly different connotation, as it is used specifically to denote “anger” or “wrath.” In fact, in rabbinic parlance, a ragzan refers to a “person who is prone to anger” (Shabbat 156a, Kiddushin 40b). In that sense rogez also appears in many different prayers, as we beseech Hashem, b’rogez racheim tizkor, which literally means "in anger, remember mercy." This verbiage actually comes from a Biblical passage (Hab. 3:2). It should be noted that the Yiddish word broiges/broygez (“upset” or “angry”) originates from the Hebrew word b’rogez, meaning "in anger" or "with fury." This connection highlights how Yiddish, a language heavily influenced by Hebrew, adopted and adapted the Hebrew term to express a similar emotional state, but only reflects one of the meanings of rogez.
Likewise, Rabbi Avraham Bedersi in Chotam Tochnit (when discussing synonyms for “anger”) clarifies that even though in some instances, rogez refers to “angered,” it is not always associated with “anger,” as it sometimes refer to “shaking” out of fear, rather than out of anger. [For more about the Hebrew synonyms for “anger,” see “Anger Issues” (July 2021).]
As mentioned earlier, another Biblical Hebrew term that refers “shaking out of fear” is the word ra’ash, derived from the triliteral root REISH-AYIN-SHIN. Although that word and its various inflections do not appear in the Pentateuch, they do appear close to fifty times in the rest of the Bible. In Targumic Aramaic, the standard way of translating the Hebrew ra’ash is ziyah, which brings us back to a word we discussed in Part 2 of this essay.
Case in point: Ezekiel says: "And a wind carried, and I heard behind myself a great ra’ash voice [saying]: 'blessed be the Hashem's Honor from His place'" (Ezek. 3:12). Targum Jonathan (there) and the Midrash (Devarim Rabbah §11:10) explain the word ra’ash as ziyah (discussed in the previous installment of this essay). In fact, this verse in Ezekiel and the accompanying Targum are immortalized in our liturgy in the U’va L’Tzion prayer.
Truth be told, the word ra’ash does not just refer to “shaking out of fear,” but can also refer to any sort of vigorous movement. This is why, for example, the earthquake that occurred during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah, is referred to by the prophets as “the ra’ash” (Amos 1:1, Zech. 14:5). Likewise, in the prayer U’Netanah Tokef recited on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, one of the ways in which people might die is b’ra’ash, which likewise seemingly refers to a deadly earthquake.
Another meaning of the Biblical Hebrew word ra’ash is “loud noise,” which is how the word is typically used nowadays in Modern Hebrew. The connection between noise and movement can be explained using the scientific knowledge of our day that teaches that audible sound travels from one place to another via sound waves that are essentially just patterns of vibrating air. So essentially all sound/noise is really just movement/vibration being perceived by our ears.
As listed earlier, another term for “shaking in fear” or otherwise volatile movement is ga’ash. This word derives from the root GIMMEL-AYIN-SHIN, which appears nine times in the Bible (Jer. 5:22, 25:16, 46:7–8, Job 34:20, II Sam. 22:8, Ps. 18:8). In Modern Hebrew, the word ga’ash is used in the phrase harei ga’ash which refers “volcanoes,” but literally means “tumultuous mountain.” Of course, volcanoes are known for their erratic behavior and their tendencies to suddenly “blow their top.” Needless to say, earthquakes and volcanoes are closely connected as both result from tectonic activity beneath the Earth's surface. Earthquakes often occur near volcanoes due to the movement of magma, which can cause shifts in the Earth's crust, leading to seismic activity. By the way, the term har ga'ash actually derives from a Biblical place-name, which is mentioned as being south of Joshua’s burial place (Josh. 24:30, Jud. 2:9, see also II Sam. 23:30, I Chron. 11:32).
Although the three-letter roots of both ra’ash and ga’ash conclude with the AYIN-SHIN letter string, I have not found any sources that argue that the initial REISH and initial GIMMEL of those respective roots could somehow be interchangeable. What I did find is that the Malbim in his work Yair Ohr in Hebrew synonyms writes that ga’ash denotes a little bit of extra movement, while ra’ash denotes even more movement than that (which is in line with the Malbim’s explanation as cited in Sefer HaCarmel, mentioned above).
