09:15 Nov 5, 2009 

@Textpertise: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. For me, the present question is first and foremost a great example of the fact that Modern Hebrew is rooted in the (legal) language of Rabbinic literature. Obviously, not every Israeli or Modern Hebrew speaker is as well versed in the traditional sources as traditional Jews are. Still, I doubt that a religious Jewish student, even if reciting the passage containing these hermeneutic principles on a daily basis, he would not necessarily be able to give the proper term in English. And what is more, this is a translation question, so we must not be led by our prejudices and assume that the asker does not know the meaning of gezeira shava - rather he wants to know the English equivalent.

08:52 Nov 5, 2009 

This question dismays me because it vividly highlights the gulf between the religious and secular education systems in Israel. A religious person recites in his/her morning prayers every day the 13 logical principles of Rabbi Yishmael which in turn draw on the 7 logical principles of Rabbi Hillel. Every religious Israeli schoolchild would probably know what Kal Vachomer and Gezeira Shava mean. Although a merging between the secular and the religious would not be the object, a greater understanding by each segment of the Israeli population of the other could be achieved if there were less ignorance in either camp of the learning of the other. Maybe in the days of the Messiah...We can but hope.