The Meaning of Words

My grandmother always told me not to use the word 'nice' in a sentence. It has too many different meanings - a nice day, a nice idea, nice try, very nice food, etc. - to have any real meaning.

We throw words around very loosely nowadays. In particular, when we translate Hebrew words into English, they often lose their real meaning.

There are three words associated with the time-period leading up to and beyond Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days.

These words, which we mention as part of our High Holy Day prayers, are Teshuva, Tefillah and Tzedaka. The usual translation of these terms is penitence, prayer and charity. These are reasonable literal translations, but this is where we run into trouble.

Teshuva does not really mean repentance. Repentance in Hebrew would be called Charata, meaning remorse and regret. Teshuva means to return, to reconnect to the source. Regret implies turning over a new leaf, becoming a new man. Teshuva implies returning to a previous point, to one's original nature. We are intrinsically good, our nature is to want to do the right thing. We just need to reconnect with that urge. Whereas repentance involves a dismissal of the past and a fresh start, Teshuva means going back to one's roots in G-d and exposing them as the true character. In this sense, every person can do Teshuva, be it the most righteous or the least righteous. Teshuva is not just about identifying past mistakes and rectifying them, it is about moving forward and personal growth.

Tefillah is usually translated as prayer. It is true that praying is a form of Tefillah, but the actual root of the word Tefillah is pallel meaning to connect, to attach. Prayer is not just about seeking our needs - that would be called bakasha in Hebrew - it is about connecting to the source, to G-d, the source of all life. Even though we may not have any specific needs to request, we can still benefit from attaching to the true source of life.

Tzedaka is usually translated as charity. Tzedaka is from the word Tzedek, meaning righteousness. Charity, where we give unconditionally, is called 'Chessed', implying that the donor gives gratuitously, from the goodness of his heart, out of virtue rather than out of duty.

Tzedek, on the other hand, implies righteousness, as this week's Torah reading tells us 'Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof' - that 'you should pursue righteousness.' Tzedaka likewise means righteousness or justice. The implication is that the donor gives out of duty. Everything in the world belongs ultimately to G-d. Man's possessions are not his by right, but they are entrusted to him by G-d, and one of the conditions of that trust is that he give to those who are in need. Additionally, man has a duty to act towards others as he asks G-d to act towards him. Just as we ask G-d for His blessings though He owes us nothing and is under no obligation, so we are bound in justice to give to those who ask us, even though we are in no way in their debt. In this way we are rewarded: Measure for measure. Because we give freely, G-d gives freely to us.

May these three ideas lead us to a year "written and sealed" for good. By returning to one's innermost self (Teshuva), by attaching oneself to G-d (Tefillah) and by distributing one's possessions with righteousness (Tzedaka), one turns the promise of Rosh Hashanah into the abundant fulfilment of Yom Kippur: A year of sweetness and plenty.