Mazel Tov or Mazal Tov is Hebrew expression which can be simultaneously translated into Portuguese as "good luck".
But according to the Talmud (ancient Jewish encyclopedia), the original meaning of mazal tov for the Hebrew people it is more complex.
Literally, mazal tov means "a drop from above", an expression that can have different connotations, depending on the context used. However, all possible interpretations are related to the action of "something that comes from above", that is, "heavenly".
The Jews associated the constellations with the term mazzel, as well as the signs of the Zodiac (mazalot), which corresponded to the fate of people and nations. So the expression mazal could be interpreted as "destiny" or "the root of the soul".
According to Jewish mysticism, the mazal is the name given to the main part of the human soul. For them, only a small sample of the soul inhabits the individual's body, while the rest is above all else.
Currently, the mazel tov (or mazal tov) is used as a celebration phrase
, commonly said after the festivities of a Bar Mitzvah, Jewish weddings or other festive occasions.See also: the meaning of Bar Mitzvah.
When talking "mazeltov”, the person is celebrating the materialization of a certain positive and fortunate event for the interlocutor, whether because he is having a birthday, for having completed his studies, for being married, and so on.
In this case, the mazel tov it is more related to congratulating the event of something positive and beneficial in someone's life, rather than wishing good luck.
In fact, in the Hebrew language, the expression used to wish someone good luck is Bhatzlacha, which literally means "succeed".