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The Hebrew word for face
is panim, a word conjugated in the plural. It has been said that a
plural form is used because our countless expressions afford us many and varied
faces, each conveying a different mood, thought, reaction. Given the many
Hebrew expressions associating human emotion with facial color, we may assume
that our face is not only a mirror of emotion, but a kaleidoscope as well.
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"A
tallit (prayer shawl) that is all blue" —
a mocking designation for a person who presents himself as a perfect
saint, without any taint or flaw.[1]
Talit
she'kulah tekhelet
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"His
face became black like the soot on the cooking pot" —
a
description of how a man's face looks, when he is overcome with deep
sorrow or shame.[2]
(Hishhiru
panav k'shulei kedera)
From
the phrase,
(hishkhir et panav) —
lit., made his face turn black; or embarrassed him —
we have the wonderful expression: "Things
that a person does in his childhood, make his face turn black [with
shame] in his old age."[3]
(Devarim she'adam oseh b'yalduto mashhirim panav l'et ziknato)
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The
expression 
(he'edim et panav) — literally, "he
reddened his fellow's face," means, of course, that he embarrassed
him. This association being so obvious, we move on to less likely hues.
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Someone
who has embarrassed another person in public causes him to pale, hence
 (hilbin
et panav) —
he caused his face to turn white. So serious is the sin of embarrassing
a person in public, we learn from the Talmud, that, "Anyone who
causes another person's face to turn white in public, it is as if
he has spilled blood."[4]
(Kol
ha'malbin penei haveiro ba-rabim, k'iloo shofeh damim)
To
show a friend one's white teeth, is a way to welcome him kindly and
warmly.
The Talmud teaches, "It is better to show your white teeth to
your friend, than to serve him milk."
[5]
(Tov
ha-malbin shinayim le-haveiro yoter mimashkehu halav)
Great potential material here, it seems, for a good television commercial
for milk, don't you think?!
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And
finally, the English green of envy becomes the Hebrew green of anger in
the phrase: 
(Horik panav ke-neged) — it made his face
green [with anger] against so and so.
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For
more about a face that is painted over with color (zavu'a; read
"hypocritical") see the Hebrew article
in this COLOR edition. |
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