Passing Phrase - www.learnhebrew.org.il

Lehafrid / Levor Motz Mibar

Literally: To separate the chaff from the grain
Idiomatically: Separate the wheat from the chaff, sort the valuable from the worthless

This idiom alludes to the ancient practice of winnowing grain usually by throwing it up in the air with a wooden pitchfork. It is also used to separate items or even to distinguish people who have an advanced ability or knowledge in a field from those who do not. The "bar" (Genesis 42:3 Jeremiah 23:28) refers to the wheat kernel and the "Motz" (Isaiah 13:3) to the rough outer covering. "Lehafrid" (Samuel II 1:23) means to separate while "Levor" (Ezekiel 20:28) means to choose, but they can be used interchangeably in this phrase.

המגזין מתאר מוצרים רבים ושונים ואז מפריד מוץ מבר.

"Hamagazin meta'er motzarim rabim veshonim ve'az mafrid motz mebar." The magazine describes many different products, and then separates the wheat from the chaff.

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