lishmo

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Definitions

  • adv. For its own sake.

Example Sentences

  • "The central feature of their educational philosophy, as Helmreich notes, was 'the idea of Torah lishmo—study for its own sake or, more precisely, for a higher spiritual purpose. . . . The guiding motive was to attain knowledge as an end in itself, not spiritual ecstasy or the acquisition of practical skills.'" (source)

  • "If everything a person does is motivated by some purpose, how can anything truly be lishmo?" (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • Y לשמה lishmo

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).

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