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  What it means

  He wants to be a priest for the bread, not for heaven. Said of someone who pursues a vocation or noble calling purely for material gain rather than genuine conviction.

  Vocabulary

  • chleb — bread (here: livelihood, material gain)
  • niebo — heaven
  • ksiądz — priest

  Grammar note

  'Dla chleba' / 'dla nieba' — genitive after 'dla', expressing purpose. 'Chce być' — wants to be, with the infinitive.

  Cultural context

  Reflects a historical tension in Polish society between genuine religious vocation and the priesthood as a path to social security.

  Intermediate

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