Page 29 - HaMizrachi #28 Pesach USA 2021

WHAT’S IN A WORD THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND

David Curwin

From Start to Finish

et’s take a look at two words found In the Greek and Roman period, it was Nirtzah is therefore a time when after all
at the Seder. One, גֵזֹומ, appears at customary to dilute wine with water of the Pesach service is completed, we
Lthe beginning, and the other, ה ָ צ ְ רִנ, because of the presence of strong herbal can enjoy the fact that G-d approved of
is at the end. toxins from the spices and herbs that our actions.
were added during the preparation. This understanding reflects the fact that
Mozeg The presence of these spices are found in Biblical Hebrew, the verb ה ָ צ ָ ר meant
This is actually the first word in the Hag- in the commentaries on Isaiah, and in “to be pleased with, to be favorable to.”
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gadah. Before Ha Lachma Anya, even the Book of Maccabees (III 5:45) it says That is the most common meaning.
before kiddush, is the phrase: סֹו ּ כ םי ִ גְזֹומ that the elephants were driven to mad- Similarly, the related noun ןֹוצ ָ ר means
ןֹו ׁשא ִ ר. Generally translated as “pour the ness before battle by giving them “wine “goodwill, favor.”
first cup,” this might seem like a simple mixed with frankincense.”
instruction, and not worthy of much But other scholars disagree, and say this
notice. Since the Rabbis wanted to ensure the is not the best translation for that verse.
However, this is not what was meant. Seder Night did not degenerate into They say the phrase should be trans-
lated as “for your action was long ago
While mozeg does mean “pour” in drunken revelry, they instructed the desired by G-d.” This sense of ratzah is
modern Hebrew, that wasn’t the orig- participants to dilute their wine with the one commonly used today – “to
inal meaning of the word. It appears in water at the beginning of the evening. want.” This sense is very common in
Biblical Hebrew once – in the noun form Later, when those spices were no longer Rabbinic Hebrew, but is rarely found in
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גזמ, in Shir HaShirim 7:3. In Rabbinic added to the wine, there was no need to Biblical Hebrew.
Hebrew, it is much more common. The mix it with water before drinking, and
word means “to mix,” specifically to mix the meaning of the word took on its Ratzon also changed meanings. While
wine. (Mezeg is parallel to the English modern sense of “pour.” Yet even today, as we said, in Biblical Hebrew it meant
word “temper,” which also means “to some still maintain the custom of adding “favor,” in later Rabbinic writings it
mix.” This is why we call the climate some water to their cups of wine. came to mean “will” (as in a person’s
mezeg avir – which literally means “the intention).
composition of the weather,” which is Nirtzah The sense of ratzah meaning “to be
parallel to the original meaning of the pleased” still has footing in Modern
related word “temperature.”) The Haggadah contains a song to help Hebrew. The related word ה ֶּ צ ֻ ר ְ מ means
the participants remember, via rhyme,
Why did they need to mix their wine? the various actions they need to perform “satisfied.”
We see from Talmudic sources that wine throughout the Seder. The last section, Hopefully at the end of the Seder, both
was mixed with water, generally three meanings of the word apply. G-d has
parts water to one part wine. Since however, is not an instruction per se, desired our service, and accepted it with
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today we never mix wine with water, a but more of a description of this final favor.
common explanation is that the wine of stage. This is the ה ָ צ ְ רִנ section, which is
that time was much stronger than the followed by various songs after the Seder
wine today. is completed. 1 Other forms based on the sister root, ךסמ,
appear a number of times in Biblical verses.
However, there’s a problem with that What does ה ָ צ ְ רִנ mean though? It is some- 2 Shabbat 77a, Niddah 19a.
explanation. Before the discovery and times translated as “(all is) accepted” or 3 Shadal on 5:22 and Da’at Mikra on 19:14.
spread of distillation in medieval times, “acceptance.” The source appears to be
no wine could ever reach a higher alco- this verse in Kohelet: םיקלֹ־ ֱ א ָ ה ה ָ צ ָ ר ר ָ ב ְ כ י ִּ כ David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat,
ָ
hol content than 14%. So why did they ךי ֶ ׂש ֲ ע ַ מ־ת ֶ א, “...for your action was long ago and the author of the Balashon blog.
mix the wine with water? approved by G-d” (Kohelet 9:7). balashon.com • balashon1@gmail.com.

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