Cinnamon

by Brad Scott

Our English word cinnamon is taken from the Hebrew word qinnamown (קנמוֹן). As this word eventually moved through the Latin, the harder q was softened to a c. This word, in its original Hebrew, comes from the verbal root qanan (קנן), which means to shelter or protect. One of its occurrences is in Sh^emot (Exodus) 30:23, where YHVH commands Mosheh to make the anointing oil of the tabernacle from three principal spices, one of which is cinnamon. So, one of the ingredients of the anointing oil means protection. Isn't YHVH good?

Shalom Alecheim! ◊