In the classical Hebrew script (ketav Ashurit) used for writing Torah scrolls, Aleph is constructed with two Yods (one to the upper right and the other to the lower left) that are joined by a diagonal Vav. Indeed, the word aluph (derived from the very name of this letter) means "Master" or "Lord." Aleph therefore is preeminent in its order and alludes to the ineffable mysteries of the oneness of God. It's numerical value is one (and also 1,000) and it is a silent letter. The letter Aleph is the "father" of the Aleph-Bet, whose original pictograph represents an ox, strength, and leader. In the Talmud (Menachot 29b) it is said that the "breath of His mouth" refers to the sound of the letter Hey - the outbreathing of Spirit. "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth" (Psalm 33:6). On a spiritual level it corresponds to the five levels of soul: Since the numerical value of Hey is five, this corresponds on a physical level to the five fingers, the five senses, and the five dimensions. On the fifth day, the LORD created ruach ("living creatures") and this corresponds to the letter Hey. The letter Hey ( ) commonly appears on Western European amulets (i.e., charms or talisman), either alone or repeated five times to represent the Name of God.Īccording to the Jewish mystics, Hey represents the divine breath or revelation. Kabbalah - The kabbalah of Names usually involves some permutation of the Sacred Name (YHVH) or the association of the Ten Sefirot of the "Tree of Life" with certain attributes of God.Using this method, the supposed angel Metatron was thought to be particularly powerful because numerically this name is equivalent to Shaddai. These systems are used for the purpose of gaining insight into interrelating concepts and for finding correspondences between words and concepts. Gematria - A type of numerological study that may be defined as one of more systems for calculating the numerical equivalence of letters, words, and phrases in a particular Hebrew text.Thus (by At Bash): Yod Hey Vav Hey -> Mem Tsade Pey Tsade: "Opposite" letters are determined by substituting the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph) with the last letter (Tav), the second letter (Bet) with the next to last (Shin), and so on. Using At Bash, each letter (of a word or phrase) is exchanged with its "opposite" letter and then the result is calculated. Temura - Letters are substituted with other letters.For example, the name Tzamarkhad is derived from the final letter of the first five verses of Genesis: Notarikon - The initial or final letters of the words of a verse or verses are used to make an acronym.Many alternate Names of God were derived through various methodical formulas applied to Biblical verses and already existing Names of God. This is a form of occultism that is plainly condemned in the Torah ( Leviticus 19:31 20:6 20:27). Often this took the form of inscribing the Names on protective amulets and other artifacts. Practical Kabbalists attempted to use the Names of God to "magically" affect the physical and supernatural worlds.This is a form of Gnosticism or "theosophy." Often this took the form of studying "permutations" of the divine Names to gain esoteric knowledge about God. Theoretical Kabbalists meditated on the Names of God for spiritual insight.The Jewish mystical tradition had two primary groups that were interested in esoteric meanings of the Hebrew Names of God: The mystical approach to interpreting Scripture often leads to dubious interpretations and serious errors. The material provided here is for educational purposes only and is NOT an endorsement of any form of occultism or Kabbalah. It is chilul HaShem to attempt to invoke the Name of God for selfish or manipulative purposes ( Exodus 20:7). Almighty God cannot be "conjured" or treated as an object, since He is the Master of the Universe and subject to no one. WARNING: The Name of the LORD represents His power, actions, and reputation in the universe. Many of these mystical Names were derived from the Scriptures using methodologies developed in ancient Babylonia. In addition to the many Names of the God of Israel revealed in the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim (i.e., the Tanakh), the Jewish mystical tradition coined some other Names for God, primarily for use in the study of Kabbalah and Kabbalistic meditation.
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