Judaism rejects the idea of original sin, which is the idea that humans are born with a sinful nature. Instead, Judaism believes that humans are born pure and innocent, with the ability to choose between good and evil using their free will. According to Judaism, humans sin because they are not perfect beings, and their negative tendencies, or yetzer hara, can be channeled in ways that affirm life through the influence of yetzer hatov, or the inclination to goodness. The Hebrew word for sin, ḥet, literally means something that goes astray, like an arrow that misses the mark, and is not a permanent failure.