Mazel Tov

Pronunciation: Ma·zel tov
Definition: an expression to say “Congratulations!”
Example Sentence: Mazel tov! (That’s it. That’s the sentence.)

Some Fun Thoughts:

Storytime: I wrote a whole Daily Yiddish about a word. It was funny, thoughtful, and what I thought to be thought-provoking—if I do say so myself. It was a word that I thought my brother would never choose because he’s just not into that type of stuff. The problem? He did use it. He used it well. Whatever… Maybe I’ll use what I wrote for something else, some other time. Eh… In any instance, go watch the movie Barbie. That was essentially the post.

And in that same vein, mazel tov to Greta Gerwig on another fantastic movie. Ugh, it so good! Let’s talk about why mazel tov is a good word choice for this. One can expect to hear people shout “mazel tov” at celebrations like Jewish weddings just after the glass is broken, at brit milah (bris) ceremonies, and at bar and bat mitzvahs. Mazel tov is an appropriate response to any good news, from an engagement to a graduation, a new job, a new house, or any other honor or milestone.

Fun fact, the phrase mazel tov literally means “a good constellation,” implying that the recipient is experiencing good fortune because the stars have aligned for them. Isn’t that beautiful? Kind of makes you think of kismet—written in the stars. So maybe we aren’t saying “great job,” as much as we are saying, “Glad this fell your way, dude.” At any rate, we are blessed with our blessings.

Mazel tov to Greta Gerwig (obviously a subscriber) and mazel tov to you, reading this, for starting your day and not being an idiot like me, writing something that had already been written. See you tomorrow!