Morning Coffee & Chasdei Hashem — Modern Hebrew Ulpan
קָפֶה שֶׁל בֹּקֶר וְחַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם
Morning Coffee and Chasdei Hashem
Learn everyday Israeli Hebrew with fully vowelized dialogue, English meaning, word-by-word vocabulary and audio generated by your device.
The Conversation · הַשִּׂיחָה
בְּיוֹם שֵׁנִי בַּבֹּקֶר, יוֹסִי וּבְנוֹ נוֹעָם נִכְנְסוּ לַחֲנוּת 7-Eleven בַּדֶּרֶךְ לְבֵית הַסֵּפֶר.
On Monday morning, Yossi and his son Noam stopped at 7-Eleven on the way to school.
יוֹסִי רָצָה לִקְנוֹת קָפֶה חַם, וְנוֹעָם חִפֵּשׂ חָלָב וּבֵיצִים לַבַּיִת.
Yossi wanted to buy hot coffee, and Noam looked for milk and eggs to bring home.
לְיַד הַמְּקָרֵר הֵם פָּגְשׁוּ אֶת דָּוִד, חָבֵר שֶׁל יוֹסִי.
Near the refrigerator, they met David, a friend of Yossi.
בֹּקֶר טוֹב, דָּוִד! מָה שְׁלוֹמְךָ? אֵיךְ אַתָּה מַרְגִּישׁ הַיּוֹם?
Good morning, David! How are you? How are you feeling today?
בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם! אֲנִי קְצָת עָיֵף הַבֹּקֶר, אֲבָל בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם.
Baruch Hashem! I'm a little tired this morning, but thank God.
שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְךָ יוֹם טוֹב!
Have a good day!
דָּוִד חִיֵּךְ וְהָלַךְ לַקֻּפָּה. נוֹעָם הִסְתַּכֵּל עַל אַבָּא שֶׁלּוֹ.
David smiled and walked to the register. Noam looked at his father.
אַבָּא, לָמָּה דָּוִד עָנָה ״בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם״? הוּא לֹא יָכוֹל הָיָה פָּשׁוּט לוֹמַר ״בְּסֵדֶר״?
Dad, why did David answer 'Baruch Hashem'? Couldn't he simply have said 'Beseder'—fine?
בְּוַדַּאי. ״בְּסֵדֶר״ זֹאת תְּשׁוּבָה רְגִילָה. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ אוֹמְרִים ״בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם״, אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם מוֹדִים לְהַשֵּׁם עַל הַחַיִּים וְעַל הַחֶסֶד שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ מְקַבְּלִים.
Of course. 'Beseder' is a normal answer. But when we say 'Baruch Hashem,' we also thank Hashem for life and for the kindness we receive.
אֲבָל מָה אִם הוּא חוֹלֶה אוֹ עוֹבֵר עָלָיו יוֹם קָשֶׁה?
But what if he's sick or having a difficult day?
גַּם אָז אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר ״בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם״. זֶה לֹא אוֹמֵר שֶׁאֵין כְּאֵב אוֹ קֹשִׁי. אֲנַחְנוּ יְכוֹלִים לְבַקֵּשׁ עֶזְרָה וּרְפוּאָה, וְגַם לִזְכֹּר אֶת חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם. אֲנַחְנוּ מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁגַּם מִתּוֹךְ קֹשִׁי יָכוֹל לָבוֹא טוֹב.
Even then we can say 'Baruch Hashem.' That doesn't deny pain or difficulty. We can ask for help and healing while remembering Hashem's kindness. We believe good can emerge even from hardship.
חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם? כְּמוֹ בִּתְהִלִּים?
Chasdei Hashem? Like in Tehillim?
בְּדִיּוּק! דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ אָמַר: ״חַסְדֵי ה׳ עוֹלָם אָשִׁירָה״.
Exactly! King David said: 'I will sing of the kindnesses of Hashem forever.'
אָז אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ קוֹנִים קָפֶה, חָלָב וּבֵיצִים, אֶפְשָׁר לִזְכֹּר אֶת חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם!
So even when we're buying coffee, milk, and eggs, we can remember Hashem's kindness!
נָכוֹן, בֵּן שֶׁלִּי! וְעַכְשָׁו בּוֹא נְשַׁלֵּם, לִפְנֵי שֶׁהַקָּפֶה שֶׁלִּי יִתְקָרֵר!
That's right, my son! Now let's pay before my coffee gets cold!
שְׁנֵיהֶם צָחֲקוּ וְנִגְּשׁוּ לַקֻּפָּה.
They both laughed and walked to the register.
From Tehillim · מִתְּהִלִּים
חַסְדֵי ה׳ עוֹלָם אָשִׁירָה“I will sing of the kindnesses of Hashem forever.” — Psalm 89:2
Connection to Parashat Vayera: Avraham’s hospitality to visitors (Genesis 18:1–8) gives us another opportunity to explore chesed. The coffee-shop story is original modern fiction, not a quotation or retelling of that passage.
Words to Learn · מִלִּים חֲדָשׁוֹת
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| בֹּקֶר טוֹב | boker tov | good morning | |
| מָה שְׁלוֹמְךָ? | ma shlomcha? | how are you? (addressing a man) | |
| בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם | baruch Hashem | blessed is Hashem; thank God | |
| בְּסֵדֶר | beseder | fine; okay; in order | |
| חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם | chasdei Hashem | Hashem’s kindnesses | |
| קָפֶה | kafe | coffee | |
| חָלָב | chalav | milk | |
| בֵּיצִים | beitzim | eggs | |
| מְקָרֵר | mekarer | refrigerator | |
| קֻפָּה | kupa | checkout / cash register | |
| לִקְנוֹת | liknot | to buy | |
| לְשַׁלֵּם | leshalem | to pay | |
| לְהַרְגִּישׁ | lehargish | to feel | |
| לַעֲנוֹת | la'anot | to answer | |
| לְהוֹדוֹת | lehodot | to thank / express gratitude | |
| לְבַקֵּשׁ | levakesh | to request / ask for | |
| רְפוּאָה | refu'a | healing | |
| לְהִתְקָרֵר | lehitkarer | to cool down / become cold |
Grammar Corner · פִּנַּת הַדִּקְדּוּק
These forms show he (third-person masculine singular). Present-tense forms also vary by gender and number, while past and future forms depend on the subject. Select a linked infinitive for the full verb table.
| Infinitive | Present | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| לִקְנוֹתto buy | קוֹנֶה | קָנָה | יִקְנֶה |
| לְהַרְגִּישׁto feel | מַרְגִּישׁ | הִרְגִּישׁ | יַרְגִּישׁ |
| לְשַׁלֵּםto pay | מְשַׁלֵּם | שִׁלֵּם | יְשַׁלֵּם |
| לַעֲנוֹתto answer | עוֹנֶה | עָנָה | יַעֲנֶה |
Everyday usage: בְּסֵדֶר simply communicates that things are fine; בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם adds an expression of blessing and gratitude. Neither answer requires a person to pretend that pain or difficulties are absent.
Practice · תִּרְגּוּל
מָה יוֹסִי רָצָה לִקְנוֹת?What did Yossi want to buy?
קָפֶה חַם.
Hot coffee.
מַדּוּעַ דָּוִד אָמַר ״בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם״?Why did David say 'Baruch Hashem'?
כְּדֵי לְהוֹדוֹת לְהַשֵּׁם.
To express thanks to Hashem.
אֵיךְ אוֹמְרִים בְּעִבְרִית 'to pay'?How do you say 'to pay' in Hebrew?
לְשַׁלֵּם.
Leshalem.
אֵיזֶה פָּסוּק מִתְּהִלִּים מַזְכִּיר הָאָב?Which verse from Tehillim does the father mention?
חַסְדֵי ה׳ עוֹלָם אָשִׁירָה (תְּהִלִּים פ״ט:ב׳).
Psalm 89:2 — I will sing of Hashem's kindnesses forever.