Like a mosquito to an elephant, like a swallow to an eagle/ the panic a gnat throws into an elephant/ like a swallow may frighten an eagle (כְּאֵימַת יַתּוּשׁ עַל הַפִּיל, כְּאֵימַת סְנוּנִית עַל הַנֶּשֶׁר)

Like a mosquito to an elephant, like a swallow to an eagle/ the panic a gnat throws into an elephant/ like a swallow may frighten an eagle

Like a mosquito being able to frighten an elephant. Figuratively: as if the elephant is not afraid of the mosquito. Not scary at all.

("We have heard Rabbanan: Five are the fears of a deer, the fear of a weakling over a strong man: the fear of a hawk over a lion, the fear of a mosquito over an elephant, the fear of a scorpion over a scorpion, the fear of a swallow over an eagle, the fear of a heartworm over a whale" - Shabat Oz b)

Translation

Expression (Hebrew)

כְּאֵימַת יַתּוּשׁ עַל הַפִּיל, כְּאֵימַת סְנוּנִית עַל הַנֶּשֶׁר

Definition (Hebrew)

כְּמוֹ שֶׁיַּתּוּשׁ יָכוֹל לְהַפְחִיד פִּיל. בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִפִּיל אֵינוֹ מְפַחֵד מֵהַיַּתּוּשׁ. לֹא מַפְחִיד כְּלָל וּכְלָל.

("תְּנוּ רַבָּנָן:חֲמִשָּׁה אִמּוּת הֵן, אֵימַת חַלָּשׁ עַל גִּבּוֹר: אֵימַת מַפְגִּיעַ עַל אֲרִי, אֵימַת יַתּוּשׁ עַל הַפִּיל, אֵימַת סְמָמִית עַל הָעַקְרָב, אֵימַת סְנוּנִית עַל הַנֶּשֶׁר, אֵימַת כִּלְבִּית עַל לִוְיָתָן"- שַׁבָּת עֹז ע"ב)

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