Shavar et hakelim: Broken dishes and disregarded rules

What does smashing your aunt's favorite tea cup has to do with the presidential race in Israel?

Word of the Day: Shavar et hakelim

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced last week that he would not support the candidacy of former Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin of Likud in the presidential race, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s endorsement. Since Lieberman had previously said his party would support Netanyahu’s pick, Ynet reported that Lieberman “broke the dishes” – shavar et hakelim – by withholding his support from Rivlin.

Of course, Lieberman has a different perspective, and has spoken out against Netanyahu for endorsing Rivlin without discussing it with him, after they had both agreed the night before that they would not back Rivlin. So perhaps it was Netanyahu who threw the teacup against the wall and stomped on the saucer.

But wait, what does smashing teacups have to do with the price of tea in China, much less the presidential race in Israel?

Breaking the dishes – or the tools, utensils or vessels, all meanings of the word kelim – means violating the rules of the game, and variations of the phrase shavar et hakelim can be found not just in Israeli politics, but also in children’s play and in kabbalistic thought.

On the playground (or at least in the playgrounds a generation or two ago), shavru et hakelim v’lo mesahakim (“The kelim are broken and we’re not