Unexpected Roots: The Story Behind a Famous Expression
*Za'atar*, a key player in tradition and health, surprises as its symbolism unfolds.
(Photo: shutterstock)One of the most famous expressions is, "If the flame falls on the cedars, what will the wall moss say?"
The expression is powerful and poetic, yet it does not appear in the Tanakh...
What is moss? Everyone knows: the green stuff on rocks near the sea or in old houses.
Well, not quite.
Moss is moss, while hyssop, *za'atar*, is an important and respected plant.
In the Torah, hyssop is used to sprinkle the ashes of the Red Heifer and for the purification of a leper. If you try at home to dip moss in blood or water for sprinkling, it won't work... Its length does not exceed a few millimeters.
According to Rambam's translation and many commentators, hyssop is *za'atar*. *Za'atar* grows wild in Israel and is an important and useful spice. Besides, it has well-known medicinal properties. Some call it "nature's antibiotic" because it's effective in combating inflammations and fungi.
Hence, the inclusion of hyssop in the purification process of a leper is intriguing. Clearly, it cannot perform healing through the sprinkling of blood, but there is symbolic value in using a medicinal plant for this purpose.
The cedar partners with hyssop in this ritual. Cedar wood and hyssop are taken, and both are used together. Cedar and hyssop are a delightful pair, also in the proverb we opened with. They are two opposites. The cedar is strong and tall, whereas the hyssop is small and soft. Homes and majestic buildings are constructed from cedar, while *za'atar* is served on the table for flavor and aroma.
Together, they symbolize the human body. The cedar represents the backbone, the body's tall structure, and the hyssop resembles the toes and body spreading outwards. The cedar provides strength, while the hyssop offers health, vitality, and bloom.
The cedar's habitat is at high altitudes: in the high, snowy mountains of Lebanon, reminiscent of leprosy, white as snow, especially when it appears on a person's forehead. Hyssop grows low, reminiscent of hidden spots, particularly the greenish blemishes.
