My constant preoccupation with words and their possible meanings has led me recently to contemplate two similar words in Hebrew: mazon (מזון) and zonah (זונה). They are similar in that the letters they share , nun (נ) and zayin (ז), are "strong" letters that stick around in every form of the word, and the letters they don't always share (ה ,ו ,מ) disappear in certain forms of the word.
We are familiar with mazon because of Birkat Hamazon (ברכת המזון), the Grace after Meals: the word means "food" or "sustenance". Zonah is another matter entirely. We may recognize a form of this word from the third paragraph of the Shema:
"So that you will not follow the desires of your heart of your eyes, which may lead you astray (אשר אתם זונים אחריהם asher atem zonim achareihem)." (Numbers 15:39)
"Lead you astray" is putting it nicely. Zonah means "prostitute".
Are these words related? Yes and no. (If you're not interested in Hebrew etymology, you may want to skip to the next paragraph.) In all likelihood, mazon comes from the three-letter root זונ and zonah comes from the root זנה. Notice again that the letter these two roots don't share (ו ,ה) are "weak" letters that tend to disappear from words. Since some scholars think Hebrew was originally a two-letter root language, these words could be related. To further complicate the matter, there is a mysterious word in Jeremiah which seems to mean either "well-fed" or "lusty" (the JPS Bible cites both and notes "meaning of Hebrew uncertain") and is in proximity with a verse scolding the Israelites for committing adultery:
"Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by no-gods. When I fed them their fill, they committed adultery and went trooping to the harlot's house. They were well-fed, lusty (מיוזנים meyuzzanim) stallions, each neighing at another's wife." (Jeremiah 5:8)
It's clear from the verse that I'm not the only one struck by the close relationship between mazon and zonah.
What can we learn from this, especially during the High Holiday season? The most obvious lesson is that there is literally just a puff of air (the letters that make a difference between these two words are primarily vowels and glides) between the desired "nourishment" and the undesired "prostitution", which, Biblically, usually means being seduced from the right and true to the profane. We enjoy what is good for us, but if we overindulge, the nourishment that keeps us healthy becomes dangerous to our health.
Less concretely, the activities that nourish us - work, love, recreation - become toxic if we concentrate on them to the exclusion of everything else. The High Holiday season is an opportunity to reflect on whether our lives are in balance, and how the way we live is affecting our friends and family as well as ourselves.
It's not always clear as to whether we are at the mazon or zonah end of the spectrum. Consider the story of Jericho, where Joshua sends two spies to the city. They stay with Rahab, a woman characterized as a zonah. However, the commentators interpret this as a "seller of food". What is the meaning of the spies sleeping at her home? Was she a prostitute or an innkeeper?
When we daven and meditate at this time of the year, we ask not only to be forgiven our wrongdoings and to be given the strength to avoid sinning again. We also hope that we can recognize when we are doing things that aren't healthy for us and for others.
May this be a year of mazon for us all.
Shanah Tovah!
Havurat Shalom will be hosting an Open House at 6:30 pm on Saturday September 12th. Whether you've never been to the Havurat Shalom before or are an old-timer, if you're interested in learning about the Havurath, come to this Melave Malkey dinner to meet members, hear about who we are, what we do and tour the premises. All are welcome. Bring your friends!
The High Holidays at Havurat Shalom are a wonderful, intense, prayerful experience. They are also free! We do not have tickets. Everyone is welcome! Because there are no tickets, we suggest arriving early if you want your choice of seats.
To request specific seating, please contact us. We are committed to disability access.
לשנה טובה תכתבו
L’shanah Tovah Tikateivu
High Holidays
There will be childcare for children eighteen months and older on a first come, first served basis throughout Rosh Hashanah (except the second night) and throughout Yom Kippur (except the afternoon break).
We provide children's snacks during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Be sure to bring, or send, your children upstairs at 11 AM on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur for the children's service.
Shabbat
We provide childcare on some Saturdays during Shabbat services. Please contact us for details.
Havurat Shalom is committed to disability access. The Havurah tends to be crowded on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, so it helps to know your access needs in advance. If you need disability accommodations, our High Holiday disability access coordinators will do their best to help you.
We want to accommodate you. For more information, Ruth by phone at 617-623-3376 or by email at info@thehav.org.
In addition, please refrain form wearing perfume, cologne or aftershave to all Havurah activities, so that people with allergies, asthma and checmical sensitivities can also attend. Thank you for helping us uphodl our commitment to access.
On Saturday, October 10th, after Shabbat services, the Havurah will be pleased to host a talk by Rabbi Jill Hammer, Ph.D. with a kiddush and nosh. (Bring some food to contribute if you can, come anyway if you can't.) Jill may also participate in leading the Shacharit services.
She is the co-founder of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute and the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion. She will present on The Hebrew Priestess: Ancient and New Visions of Jewish Women's Spiritual Leadership, her new book with Taya Shere.
Women have been working with spirit from ancient times. In the Bible and later Jewish life, we find women as prophetesses, shrinekeepers, sacred musicians and dancers, wise women, shamans, mourning women and seekers. Discover these powerful roles and explore how they can manifest today.
A Life Well Loved
The Havurah is pleased to screen this documentary about community member Felice Yeskel, z"l, on Sunday October 25 at 2:00 pm. We hope you can join us. A Life Well Loved chronicles the life of Felice Yeskel, founder of the Stonewall Center, from her early feminist roots to her LGBT activism to her "taking on" classism in the U.S. The film moves through Felice's life chronologically quilting together various interviews of Felice, as well as others' perspectives of Felice and her work.
Anyone interested in the early roots of the second-wave feminist movement and the gay and lesbian movement, in Jewish feminism, in the feminist wing of the movement against nuclear weapons, or in how diversity work can include class identities and classism will find the never-before-seen historical footage in this film fascinating.
