“Chai”: To Separate From Worship?!

Question

If the letter “Chet” means to separate and cut off, half, divide – and the meaning of the letter “Yud”| is worship, doesn’t their combination as the word “Chai” (which actually means “life”) indicate “separate from worship”?

I don’t see where they get “life” in this word.

Please explain.

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    I am not sure where the idea that the letter “chet” represents separation and being cut off comes from. It is true that the word for sin in Hebrew is “chet” (chet, tet, aleph) but the letter “chet” also represents life, Tzadikim and grace (see Babylonian Talmud Tractate Menachos 29b, Tractate Brochos 18a and Shabbos 104a).

    If you have a source for the concept that the letter “chet” represents separation, Just Ask! will be happy to try and look into it for you.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team