Speaking Yiddish is very important to a Jewish person hence, the need to protect it from individuals who do not care about it. The Yiddish language has been in existence for a long time, and Jewish people are proud of it as a big part of their culture. It may be intentional or not, but some Jewish people feel that they are being mocked whenever a non-Jewish person says, “Mazel Tov.” Their pronunciation of the phrase may be wrong hence, Jewish people may think that the non-Jewish people are making fun of the way they speak. When a non-Jewish person says, “Mazel Tov,” it is most likely seen as a way of spicing up their vocabulary. Hence, non-Jewish people saying “Mazel Tov” at any time they feel without knowing how vital the Yiddish language is to the Jewish people comes off as disrespectful. The Yiddish language was once among the dominant languages in Europe before the horrifying events that saw the massacre of millions of Jewish people, with most of them being Yiddish speakers. Importance of the Yiddish LanguageĪ lot of Jewish people view the Yiddish language as a significant part of their history. In some cases, a Jew may get offended if you make fun of their language. The Jewish people are proud of their language and using some of its words to sound funny is stripping the meaning and importance of the Yiddish phrases and words. When a non-Jewish person hears these phrases for the first time, they start using them in their conversations as a way of being funny. Some of the Yiddish phrases and words have different pronunciations as compared to other languages. These reasons include Yiddish Words Sound Funny To You The general consensus is that a non-Jewish person cannot say “Mazel Tov.” Those who believe that non-Jewish people cannot say Yiddish phrases have stated various reasons to support their stand. Instances When a Non-Jewish Person Can’t Say “Mazel Tov”
Maxel tov meaning how to#
However, most non-Jewish people don’t know how to correctly pronounce the phrase, making it a bit awkward or annoying when said in front of a Jewish population. Sometimes the situation does not even require one to say Mazel Tov, but since a non-Jewish person may not know when to use, they say it to the disagreement of the Jewish people around them. It has become common to hear a non-Jewish person say Mazel Tov to another person to congratulate them. Mazel Tov has managed to enter into the vocabulary of non-Jewish in the last few years. Some non-Jewish people may prefer to say “bupkis” instead of “nothing” to sound funny. It is not only Mazel Tov that sounds funny. Maybe the Jewish phrase sounds funny to them, and them saying it to other people, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, is a way of being funny.
The biggest concern is why a non-Jewish person finds it necessary to use Yiddish phrases to use English phrases.įor example, a non-Jewish person can simply say congratulations to another person instead of saying Mazel Tov and still get the message home. It is not a surprise that some Jewish people will have concerns with Goyim using their Yiddish phrases in a conversation. “Goyim” is a Jewish word that refers to non-Jewish people. The Jewish people have a word for a non-Jewish person it is known as “Goy” and “Goyim” for plural. Read on to find out why people seem to be divided on whether non-Jewish people can use Yiddish phrases and words in their vocabulary. Most Jewish say it is not okay to say “Mazel Tov” if you are not a Jewish person, while some do not see any problem with a non-Jewish person saying “Mazel Tov.” The general rule is that, if it feels uncomfortable for you to say “Mazel Tov,” then you should probably trust your instinct and not say it.
So, can you say “Mazel Tov” as a non-Jewish person? Whether a non-Jewish person can say ‘Mazel Tov’ seems to be divided among the Jewish people. I have researched and found some insightful information on using the Yiddish language by the non-Jewish people. However, there are concerns about whether a non-Jewish person can say “Mazel Tov” or any other Jewish phrase. You may have heard a Jewish person using the phrase “Mazel Tov,” and you decide to use it to tell people congratulations.
Mazel Tov is a Yiddish phrase used by the Jewish people to express compliments, especially in a significant event like a Jewish wedding or Bar Mitzvah.