Ironically, the Hebrew word for vulva leads to the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. What initially sounds provocative reveals, upon closer examination, a profound view of the female body, the miracle of life, and the sanctity of creation.
Jewish women today use the Hebrew word “pot” (פּוֹת) for the female genitalia. Some see this as a remarkable linguistic and symbolic connection to the Temple in Jerusalem. The rare word “potot” (פּוֹתוֹת) appears in Hebrew during the construction of the First Temple by King Solomon. In 1 Kings 7, it says: “And the censers were of pure gold, and the hinges (potot) of the doors of the inner sanctuary and of the doors of the Temple, the portico, were of gold.” In Hebrew, the verse reads:
וְהַמַּחְתּוֹת זָהָב סָגוּר וְהַפֹּתוֹת לְדַלְתוֹת הַבַּיִת הַפְּנִימִי לְקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים לְדַלְתֵי הַבַּיִת לַהֵיכָל זָהָב
In many Bible translations, “potot” is rendered...
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