Sometimes, the meaning of a word is not just semantics, but also a matter of history. Take the Hebrew root כ–ו–נ (khaf-vav-nun), to prepare, focus or be devoted as well as many other meanings. In addition to its everyday usages, for example, the root is found widely in discussions of war.

Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Rabbi Haim Sabato, a rosh yeshiva, novelist and tank gunner, used the root in the title of his 1999 novel תּאוּם כַּוָּנת (te’um kavvanot), Adjusting Sights. The book not only memorializes the tank battles on the Golan Heights but also puts in perspective the status of Sabato’s כַּוָּנָה (kavvanah), religious conviction. More recently, when Hezbollah threatened to widen its war on Israel, editorials questioned Israeli כּנְנת (konenut), preparedness, for such an attack and wondered about a need to put Israel Defense Forces pilots on מַצַּב הָכֵן (matsav hakhen), emergency standby. Indeed, אָכֵן (akhen), soldiers on a mission need לְכַוֵן אֶת הַשָׁען (le-khaven et ha-sha’on), to set their watches, but also לְכַוֵן אֶת הַשָׁעָה (le-khaven et ha-sha’ah), to seize an opportunity, to complete their tasks.

The root is prominent in Scripture as well as rabbinic literature. In a landmark legal decision about inheritance, God Himself rules, in Numbers 27:7, that the daughters of Zelophad כֵּן דֹּבְרֹת (ken dovrot), “make a just claim” for their inheritance. In the Book of Esther 7:10, the king takes offense at a perceived sexual offense by Haman against the queen and has him impaled on the same stake אֲשֶׁר הֵכִין לְמָרְדֳּכָי (asher heikhin le-mordekhai), “that he had built for Mordechai.” Proverbs 30:25, prefiguring Aesop and Jean de La Fontaine, suggests that we imitate the industrious ants who, in summer, יָכִינוּ‭ ‬לַחְמָם ‬(yakhinu lahmam), gather food, for winter. Isaiah 40:12 proclaims that God תִּכֵּן (tikken), “arranged,” the span of Heaven. And so, the Talmudic sages advise, הִתְכּוֵּן (hitkavven), “Put yourself in the proper condition” to meet your Maker there.

Today, an inspiring teacher will, בִּמְכֻוָּן (bimkhuvvan), deliberately, exclaim נָכן (nakhon), “Correct!” to cheer on her students. The Israel Scouts movement challenges its members with the command, הֱיֵה מוּכָן (heyeh mukhan), “Be prepared!” to elicit a resounding תָּמִיד מוּכָן (tamid mukhan), “Always prepared!” Curiously, the badge of the scouting movement uses a more formal derivation of our root for this motto, הֱיֵה נָכן (heyeh nakhon).

Grab a book from your כנָנִית (konanit), bookcase, and read how the pioneers of the Zionist movement labored mightily לְהָכִין אֶת הַקַּרְקַע (le-hakhin et ha-karka), “to prepare the ground,” so that Jews today might—figuratively and literally—glean the fruits of their labor. 

Joseph Lowin’s columns for Hadassah Magazine are collected in HebrewSpeak, Hebrew Talk and his most recent book, Hebrew Matters.