"I will invite to my meal the exalted and holy אושפיזין" (Order of אושפיזין, Ari's version)
Many people traditionally invite the אושפיזין into their sukkah—a term referring to seven of the Jewish patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David. This custom originates from the Zohar (Parashat Emor), and it is from there that the word אושפיזין, meaning ‘guests,’ comes.
But how did this word make its way into the Zohar?
In the Babylonian Talmud, we find the Aramaic word אושפיזא, meaning ‘inn’ or ‘hotel’ (Eruvin 53b), and in several other rabbinic texts, the phrase בעלי אושפיזין is used, meaning ‘innkeepers,’ or ‘owners of inns’ (Tosefta Ma'aser Sheni 1:13 and more). Once in the Talmud, the word אושפיז alone is used to refer to an ‘innkeeper’ or ‘host,’ alongside the closely related word אושפיזכן with the same meaning: "Therefore, Benjamin the Righteous merited and became the אושפיזכן of the Almighty, as it is written: ‘He rests between his shoulders’" (Yoma 12a). So, in the Zohar—which is written in later Aramaic—the Talmudic term אושפיזין was adopted, except that here the hosts (or the inns) became the guests.
Where do חז"ל (the sages of the Talmudic period) get the word אושפיזין?
The words אושפיזא, אושפיזין, and אושפיזכן from rabbinic literature are commonly linked to the Latin word hospitium, meaning ‘inn’ or ‘lodging’ (from the word hospes, meaning ‘guest,’ and also ‘stranger’ or ‘host’). Another theory suggests that these words come from the Persian word aspanj, which has a similar meaning—‘inn’ or ‘place of lodging’ (and it is possible that the Latin and Persian words share the same origin since both languages belong to the Indo-European language family).
And what does all of this have to do with hospitalization in a hospital?
From the Latin word hospitium came words in European languages that refer to hospitals, places where the sick are cared for, such as the English word hospital. From this also comes the term hospitalization—the process of admitting a patient to a hospital. Inspired by these words, modern Hebrew created the verb אִשְׁפֵּז (to hospitalize), attributed to two different language innovators: Dr. Yosef Even-Odem and linguist and crossword creator Hillel Har-Shoshanim. It’s possible that each of them coined the word independently of the other.
In these difficult days, when the nation of Israel faces the ongoing tragedy of hostages being held in Gaza, it is essential to remember the deep meaning of the word אושפיזין. Just as we invite honored guests into our sukkah, we long for the day when we can welcome back all of our sons and daughters, friends and family who are currently held captive. May they be returned safely and speedily to their homes, and may we soon experience days of true peace and unity.
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