Page 34 - HaMizrachi #27 Purim USA 2021

THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND WHAT’S IN A WORD

David Curwin

Clothed in Meaning

s part of the festivities on Purim, commentary Da’at Mikra, explains that time and again. G-d, however, would not
we wear masks and costumes. the root is from ׂש ֵּ פ ַ ח – search: he made let him do me harm” (Bereishit 31:6–7).
ALet’s look at some of the words others search for him (the reflexive.) All of these words show the connec-
associated with those disguises.
Beyond the words for mask and cos- tion between clothing and deception,
One word we’ve all become very familiar tume, quite a few words for clothing in because at their core, clothing covers
with this year is ה ָ כ ֵּ ס ַ מ – “mask.” Origi- Hebrew are related to deception and up who we really are. Not surprisingly,
nally it meant “covering” and took on falsehood. clothing plays a major role in decep-
the meaning “mask” in Modern Hebrew, tion stories throughout the Bible. For
influenced by the English word “mask” For example, ד ֶ ג ֶּ ב – “garment” shares the example, Adam and Chava covered up
and the French word masque. Those same root as ה ָ די ִ ג ְּ ב – “betrayal.” In the their sin with fig leaves, Ya’akov tricked
words, while not deriving from the same way a garment is used to cover Yitzchak by dressing up as Esav, Tamar
same root as ה ָ כ ֵּ ס ַ מ, actually do have a the body, a traitor will cover up their deceived Yehuda with her clothing, and
Semitic origin, coming from the Arabic disloyal behavior. Yosef hid his identity from his brothers
maskhara, meaning “clown” or “buf- Similarly, we have the pairs לי ִ ע ְ מ – “coat” by dressing as an Egyptian.
foon.” That word comes from the verb and ה ָ לי ִ ע ְ מ – “treachery, embezzlement” And while the custom of wearing masks
sahkira meaning “to ridicule,” and may and costumes on Purim first appears
be related to the Hebrew ר ֶ ק ֶ ׁש – “a lie.” and ד ַּ ב – “linen” and ה ָ ד ָּ ב – “to lie,
concoct.” only in the Middle Ages, clothing plays
ְ
ה ָ כ ֵּ ס ַ מ comes from the root ך ֶ סֶנ – “to a major role in Megillat Esther as well.
weave.” As such, it is cognate with the One other root with both meanings is Mordechai dresses in sackcloth after
word ת ֶ כ ֶּ ס ַ מ – “tractate (of the Talmud).” ף ַ ל ָ ח – “to change.” From that root, ה ָ פי ִ ל ֲ ח hearing of Haman’s decree, and as a
In the Bible, ת ֶ כ ֶּ ס ַ מ meant “web of the means a “change of clothes.” This is how response Esther tries sending him cloth-
loom” (Shoftim 16:14), and just as the it is used when Yosef gives clothing to ing to wear. Later, Haman asks to wear
loom collects the strings, a collection his brothers – תלֹ ָ מׂ ְ ש ת ֹופ ִ ל ֲ ח (Bereishit the king’s clothing but in the end it is
of teachings was called a ת ֶ כ ֶּ ס ַ מ. English 45:22). Today, based on that meaning, Mordechai who dons the royal robes.
has a pair of related words with a similar a ה ָ פי ִ ל ֲ ח is a suit. In a story where everyone’s true inten-
connection – textile and text. Another meaning of ה ָ פי ִ ל ֲ ח is “replace- tions are masked, and even G-d’s

There is actually another ה ָ כ ֵּ ס ַ מ in the ment, successor” as found in Iyov 14:14 involvement is concealed, costumes are
Bible, but with a different meaning and – “All the time of my military service a perfectly natural celebration!
origin. It means “molten image,” (as in I wait / Until my replacement [י ִ ת ָ פי ִ ל ֲ ח]
the ה ָ כ ֵּ ס ַ מ ל ֶ ג ֵ ע –“molten calf” in Shemot comes”. That is the meaning in the
ְ
32:4). Its root is also ך ֶ סֶנ, but meaning Arabic cognate caliph, the one who
“to pour out” – not “to weave.” succeeded the leader.
The Hebrew word for costume is In addition to a change of clothes (and
ת ֶ ׂשֹו ּ פ ְ ח ַּ ת. It is actually related to the root people), it is also associated with decep-
ׂש ֵּ פ ַ ח – “to search.” How so? While in the tion. This is how Ya’akov uses it when
piel form the verb means “to search,” he tells his wives that Lavan mistreated
in the reflexive hitpael form, ׂש ֵּ פ ַ ח ְ ת ִ ה, it him:
means “to disguise oneself.” For example,
in Shmuel I 28:8, we read that King Shaul “As you know, I have served your father David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat,
“disguised himself (ׂש ֵּ פ ַ ח ְ ת ִ ה) and wore with all my might; but your father has and the author of the Balashon blog.
different clothes.” Yehuda Kiel, in his cheated me, changing [ף ִ ל ֱ ח ֶ ה] my wages balashon.com • balashon1@gmail.com.

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