Passing Phrase - www.learnhebrew.org.il

Asuyim Mei'Or Echad

Literally: Made of the same skin (hide)
Idiomatically: Cut of the same cloth

Many of us will be familiar with the English version of this phrase which is based on the idea that if you want a suit of clothes to match you need to cut them from the same cloth. Both versions refer to people sharing similar characteristics. Our phrase is based on a Talmudic (Menachot 34b) discussion regarding the making of tefillin (phylacteries) which should be taken from the same hide of an animal. For the most part the Hebrew phrase is used in the negative when comparing two individual, who on the surface seem alike but…

הם לא עשוים מעור אחד.

"Heim lo asuyim mei'or echad."

They are NOT cut from the same cloth.

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