matzav

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Pronunciations

matzav (mah-TSAV) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The political and military situation in Israel and the Middle East.

  • n. A situation, circumstance.

  • n. A financial situation.

Example Sentences

  • "Israel WAS great, and amazing, and wonderful - both in spite of, and yes, even BECAUSE of the matzav."

  • "Think for a moment about the matzav today in both ruchniyus and gashmiyus" (source)

  • "Hey ma, what's the matzav in the kitchen, any oichel tonight?"

  • “I slipped on the ice and into the intersection and found myself in a bad matzav.” (Weiser)

  • “I can't lend you any money now; my business is in a bad matzav.” (Weiser)

  • “If you think it looks bad now, you should have seen the matzav of the car right after the accident.” (Weiser)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish
  • Modern Hebrew

Etymology

  • TH מצב matsáv, lit. 'situation' > Y מצבֿ mátsev 'situation'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there
      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage
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      Regions

      • North America
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).

      Alternative Spellings

      matsev, matsav, matzev

Notes

  • Pronounced ma-TSAV it usually refers to Israel. Pronounced MAH-tsev it can be more general.

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