D'var Torah

Elul 5767

Al Het – For the Sin …

A quick search through Wikipedia reveals that

In linguistics, a homonym is one of a group of words that share the same spelling or pronunciation (or both) but have different meanings. The state of being a homonym is called homonymy. Examples of homonyms are stalk (which can mean either part of a plant or to follow someone around) and the trio of words to, too and two (actually, to, to, too, too and two, being "for the purpose of" as in "to make it easier", the opposite of "from", also, excessively, and "2", respectively). Some sources state that homonym meanings must be unrelated in origin (rather than just different). Thus right (correct) and right (opposed to left) would be polysemous and not be homonyms.

Word-plays and puns are the essence of any language. Hebrew is no exception. The Hebrew word for sin het (as in al het, for the sin), has the exact same spelling as the Hebrew word for cleanse or purify. In Psalm 51, attributed to King David following his seduction of Bathsheba, David acknowledges his iniquity and sin, and then cries out to God: “If you cleanse me [tehateyni=purge me] with hyssop, I shall be cleansed; if You wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.” Hyssop is a name of Greek origin. The Hyssopos of Dioscorides was named from the Hebrew azob (a holy herb), because it was used for cleaning sacred places. It was with hyssop that Israelites daubed their doorposts in Egypt on the eve of the first Passover.

Nowadays, the usual use of the term purge has strong political overtones. The webopedia, though, suggests that to purge means to systematically and permanently remove old and unneeded data. “The term purge is stronger than delete. It is often possible to regain deleted objects by undeleting them, but purged objects are gone forever.” Inspired by such programs as “Clean Sweep,” for much of the past few months, Judi and I have been systematically trying to purge so many of those items that seem to have found a home in our house. In the process, we have found some remarkable treasures – letters, photos, memos and mementos that brought smiles to our faces and deep feelings of warmth to our souls. At the same time, we have de-cluttered and unencumbered nooks, crannies; spaces that once were crammed with “stuff” reveal an openness and approachability. It feels good.

So, too, do these approaching Yamim Noaraim, High Holy Days, remind us that while we need to hold on to that which is cherished, we need to declutter, rid ourselves of “stuff.” What better time to let go of grudges, complaints, rancor, resentment and ill-will. As symbolically we cast away our sins into the Hudson during Tashlikh, that most magnificent of Jewish rituals that allows us to act upon our sacred impulses in profound ways, let us use the sacred moments of these days to de-clutter and to cleanse, to enter into the New Year cleansed, purged, purified, and at-one with ourselves, our families, loved ones and friends, and most especially at-one with God.

A sweet, uncluttered year from our house to yours.

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