be machmir

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Pronunciations

be machmir (MAHKH-meer) listen

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Definitions

  • v. To be stringent; take a strict position on an issue.

  • v. To be meticulous.

Example Sentences

  • "He is always machmir to brush his hat and straighten his tie before he goes out in public." (Weiser)

  • "When there is a doubt in a matter of Torah law, you must be machmir (strict); when there is a doubt in a matter of rabbinic law, you may be makil (lenient)." (source)

  • "Some of the rabbis aren't prepared to recognize the Ethiopian Jews, but perhaps they're being machmir about it." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish
  • English

Etymology

  • partial English calque of Y מחמיר זײַן makhmer zayn

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      be makhmir, be mahmir, be machmer, be makhmer, be makhmir

Notes

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