Yishar Kochacha/ "Be strong and of good courage"/ Be strong and blessed! (greeting to worshipper in synagogue called to Reading of Law)
"Strong and blessed." Be strong and resolute. An expression of blessing and appreciation to a person who has performed a mitzvah or a good deed.
("And whence do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, approved of it, as it is said (Exodus 34): 'which you broke'—and Reish Lakish said: 'Yishar kochakha for having broken it'"—Shabbat 89a; and likewise: "We are not ingrates, not to say 'Yishar koach' to those languages that became a lodging-place for our spirit and a sheath for our soul in the many days of its wanderings"—Bialik, The Hebrew Book; and likewise: "The people of Zebulun looked at Rabbi Yosef affectionately and nodded to him by saying 'Yishar kochakha'"—Agnon, City and Its Fullness, 51; and likewise: "'Yishar koach, yishar koach, your strength for Torah,' the righteous man patted him on the palm and praised him lavishly"—H. Baer, To the Place Where the Wind Goes, 340.)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
יִישַׁר כּוֹחֲךָ
Definition (Hebrew)
"חָזָק וּבָרוּךְ". חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ. בִּטּוּי בְּרָכָה וְהַעֲרָכָה לְאָדָם שֶׁבִּצֵּעַ מִצְוָה אוֹ דָּבָר טוֹב.
("וּמִנְלָן (וּמִנַּיִן לָנוּ) דְּהִסְכִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל יָדוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שְׁמוֹת לֵד) אֲשֶׁר שָׁבַרְתָּ- וְאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: יִישַׁר כֹּחֲךָ שֶׁשִּׁבַּרְתָּ"- שַׁבָּת פָּז ע"א, וְכֵן:"אֵין אָנוּ כְּפוּיֵי טוֹבָה שֶׁלֹּא לוֹמַר 'יִישַׁר כֹּחַ' לְאוֹתָן הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ אַכְסַנְיָא לְרוּחֵנוּ וְנַרְתִּיק לְנִשְׁמָתֵנוּ בִּימֵי נְדוּדֶיהָ הָרַבִּים"- בְּיָאלִיק/ הַסֵּפֶר הָעִבְרִי, וְכֵן:"הַבִּיטוּ הַזְּבוּלוֹנִים עַל ר' יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר בְּחִבָּה וְנַעְנְעוּ לוֹ רָאשֵׁיהֶם דֶּרֶךְ אֲמִירַת יִישַׁר כֹּחֲךָ"- עַגְנוֹן/ עִיר וּמְלוֹאָהּ, 51, וְכֵן:"יִישַׁר כּוֹחַ,יִישַׁר כּוֹחַ,חֵילְךָ לְאוֹרָיְתָא,טָפַח לוֹ הַצַּדִּיק עַל כַּפּוֹ וְהִפְלִיג בִּשְׁבָחִים"- ח.בְּאֵר/ אֶל מָקוֹם שֶׁהָרוּחַ הוֹלֵךְ, 340)