l'shem shamayim

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Pronunciations

l'shem shamayim (leh-SHAYM shah-MAH-yihm) listen

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Definitions

  • adj. With/for pure motives.

Example Sentences

  • "She was a really good teacher And she didn't ask for any money. It was leshem shamayim." (Glinert)

  • "When you act l'shem shamayim, you have no ulterior motive, no ego involved." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH לשם שמיים le-shem shamayim 'in the name of the heavens' > Y לשם־שמים leshem-shamaim

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      leshem shamayim

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