Gematria | גימטריה
Gematria is a very extensive science, so it would be impossible to explain it all here. However, I will show you a little bit about it and the explanation of what I believe are the 5 most used types of gematria.
Throughout this introduction, we will explore the history of gematria, notable Qabalistic scholars known for their gematria discoveries, and delve into five of the most commonly used gematria methods.
History of Gematria
The practice of gematria has its roots in the ancient world. Gematria is a form of numerology that assigns numerical values to Hebrew letters and words. This practice has been used for thousands of years in various cultures, but it is most closely associated with Jewish mysticism and the Qabalah. The origins of gematria can be traced back to the time of the Hebrew Bible, where numerical patterns and relationships between words and phrases were observed and studied.
Many early Jewish scholars and sages, such as Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer, recognized the significance of these numerical relationships and utilized gematria in their interpretations of the Torah. Over time, the practice of gematria became an essential part of Qabalistic teachings, with various methods and techniques being developed to uncover hidden meanings within sacred texts.
Notable Qabalistic Scholars
Throughout the centuries, numerous Qabalistic scholars have made significant discoveries and contributions to the field of gematria. Some of these influential figures include:
Rabbi Akiva (רבי עקיבא): A renowned Talmudic sage, Rabbi Akiva was an early proponent of gematria and its application in interpreting the Torah. His teachings and insights have had a lasting impact on Jewish mysticism and the study of gematria.
Abraham Abulafia (אברהם אבולעפיה): A 13th-century Spanish mystic, Abulafia was a prolific writer and a central figure in the development of Qabalistic thought. He was known for his extensive use of gematria in his writings, particularly in his work "Sefer ha-Ot" (The Book of the Sign).
Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (רבי משה קורדובירו): A prominent 16th-century Qabalistic scholar, Cordovero authored many influential works on Jewish mysticism, including "Pardes Rimonim" (Orchard of Pomegranates). He made significant contributions to the study of gematria and its application within the Qabalah.
Rabbi Isaac Luria (רבי יצחק לוריא): Known as the "Ari" or "Arizal," Luria was a leading figure in the development of Lurianic Kabbalah during the 16th century. His teachings, which often incorporated gematria, had a profound impact on the evolution of Jewish mysticism.
Rabbi Chaim Vital (רבי חיים ויטל): A 16th-century disciple of Isaac Luria, Vital documented Luria's teachings, including many insights on gematria. His works, such as "Etz Chaim" (Tree of Life), have become foundational texts in the study of Qabalistic gematria.
Now that we have a basic understanding of the history of gematria and some of its key figures let's dive into five commonly used gematria methods and learn how to apply them.
Standard Gematria (גימטריה)
Standard gematria assigns a numerical value to each Hebrew letter based on its position in the alphabet. To use this method, simply find the numerical value of each letter in a Hebrew word or phrase and add them up to obtain the total value. This value can then be compared to other words or phrases with the same numerical value, revealing potential connections or hidden meanings.
Example 1: שלום (Shalom) – peace
ש (Shin) = 300
ל (Lamed) = 30
ו (Vav) = 6
ם (Mem Sofit) = 40
Total value: 376
Example 2: חסד (Chesed) – kindness, mercy
ח (Chet) = 8
ס (Samekh) = 60
ד (Dalet) = 4
Total value: 72
Seder Gematria (סדר גימטריה)
Ordinal gematria assigns a numerical value to each Hebrew letter based on its position in the alphabet, but on a scale of 1 to 22 instead of the traditional values. This method can reveal additional connections between words and phrases that may not be apparent using standard gematria.
Example 1: אמת (Emet) – truth
א (Alef) = 1
מ (Mem) = 13
ת (Tav) = 22
Total value: 36
Example 2: חי (Chai) – life
ח (Chet) = 8
י (Yud) = 10
Total value: 18
Atbash (עתב"ש)
Atbash is a substitution cipher that replaces each Hebrew letter with its corresponding letter in reverse order, i.e., the first letter is replaced by the last, the second by the penultimate, and so on. After performing the Atbash transformation, the standard gematria method is used to calculate the numerical value of the transformed word or phrase.
Example: תורה (Torah) – the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
Atbash transformation: גוכז (Gokaz)
Standard gematria value: 3 + 6 + 20 + 7 = 36
Milui (מילוי)
Milui gematria is based on the sum of the numerical values of the letters that make up the full name of each Hebrew letter. To use this method, replace each letter in a word or phrase with its full name, and then calculate the standard gematria value of the resulting expression.
Example: יהוה (YHWH) – the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God
Milui expansion: יוד הא ואו הא (Yud Hei Vav Hei)
Yod: Yod+Vav+Dalet =20
Hei: Hei +Aleph = 6
Vav: Vav-Aleph-Vav = 13
Hei: Hei +Aleph = 6
45
Temurah (תמורה)
Temurah gematria involves permuting the letters of a word or phrase according to specific rules and then calculating the standard gematria value of the resulting words. One common temurah method is the "Table of the Sun," which rearranges the Hebrew alphabet in pairs of letters.
Example: עץ חיים (Etz Chaim) – Tree of Life
Temurah transformation (Table of the Sun): קש עערם (Kash Aarim)
Standard gematria value: 100 + 300 + 70 + 70 + 200 + 40 = 780
With these five gematria methods, you can begin to explore the depths of Qabalistic teachings and uncover hidden connections between Hebrew words and phrases. Keep in mind that gematria is not an exact science, and the insights you gain through this practice should be treated as part of a larger context of study and understanding.
As a practical example, let's do gematria with the first paragraph of Bereshit.
Recall that the first verse of Genesis, Bereshit, in Hebrew is: בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ (Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamayim ve'et ha'aretz), which translates into English as "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Let us break this verse down word for word using gematria.
Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית).
The word "Bereshit" consists of six letters: Bet (ב), Resh (ר), Alef (א), Shin (ש), Yud (י) and Tav (ת). Their numerical values according to gematria are:
Bet: 2
Resh: 200
Aleph: 1
Shin: 300
Yud: 10
Tav: 400
Adding these values together, we get a total gematric value of 913 for "Bereshit". Some interesting connections include:
a) Connection to the Tree of Life: The value 913 can be divided into 3 numbers related to the Sefirot: 913 = 620 (Keter) + 288 (Yesod) + 5 (Gevurah). This may indicate that "Bereshit" implies the interaction of these Sefirot in creation.
b) The sum of the numbers from 1 to 13 is 91 (1 + 2 + … + 13 = 91). By multiplying 91 by 10, we get 910, which is very close to the gematric value of "Bereshit" (913). This may suggest the importance of the number 13 and its multiples in creation.
c) Permutation: if we permute the letters of "Bereshit" (בראשית), we get "Rosh Bayit" (ראש בית), which means "head of the house" in Hebrew. This may symbolize that God is the "head" or supreme authority in creation.
d) Atbash: Using the Atbash technique (a type of Hebrew cipher), the letters of "Bereshit" are transformed into "Yatzar" (יצר), which means "to form" or "to mold". This may imply that creation was a process of molding and forming.
e) Notarikon: Using the technique of Notarikon (where each letter of a word represents the first letter of another word), "Bereshit" may represent the phrase "B'rosh Yud Tzadi" (בראש יצ), meaning "In the beginning [of] Yud Tzadi". Yud Tzadi (יצ) is a combination of letters found in the names of the patriarchs Abraham (אברהָם) and Isaac (יִצְחָק). This may suggest a connection between creation and the patriarchs of Jewish tradition.
Bara (בָּרָא).
The word "Bara" consists of three letters: Bet (ב), Resh (ר) and Alef (א). Their numerical values according to gematria are:
Bet: 2
Resh: 200
Aleph: 1
Adding these values together, we get a total gematric value of 203 for "Bara". Some interesting connections include:
a) The value 203 is equal to that of "Avir" (אֲוִיר), which means "air" in Hebrew. This may indicate that creation began with the formation of air or space.
b) 203 is also the gematric value of "Or Zarua" (אוֹר זָרוּעַ), which means "sown light" in Hebrew. This may suggest that creation was a process of "sowing" light into the universe.
c) When we break down the value of "Bara" (203) into prime factors, we get 7 × 29. The number 7 is a significant number in the Torah and may represent perfection and completeness. The number 29 is the gematric value of "Koach" (כֹּחַַ), which means "strength" or "power" in Hebrew, which could indicate divine power in creation.
d) Using the Notarikon technique, "Bara" (ברא) may represent the phrase "B'rosh Rosh Aleph" (בראש ראש אלף), meaning "In the beginning [of] the head [of] Aleph." This may symbolize that creation began with the "head" or source of everything: Aleph (א), which also represents God.
e) The letter combination Bet-Resh (בר) in "Bara" also appears in other creation keywords, such as "Bereshit" (בְּרֵאשִׁית) and "Beriah" (בְּרִיאָה), which means "creation" in Hebrew. This may indicate an intrinsic connection between these words and the divine creative process.
Elohim (אֱלֹהִים).
The word "Elohim" consists of five letters Aleph (א), Lamed (ל), Hei (ה), Yud (י) and Mem (ם). Their numerical values according to gematria are:
Aleph: 1
Lamed: 30
Hei: 5
Yud: 10
Mem: 40
Adding these values together, we get a total gematric value of 86 for "Elohim". Some interesting connections include:
a) The value 86 is equal to that of "HaTeva" (הַטֶּבע), which means "nature" in Hebrew. This may suggest that Elohim represents the divine manifestation in nature and in the material world.
b) The number 86 is also equal to the gematric value of "Eloah" (אֱלוֹהַּ), a singular form of "Elohim". This may indicate the inherent unity of God, despite multiple manifestations or aspects.
c) The sum of the squares of the letters of "Elohim" (1² + 30² + 5² + 10² + 40²) is 2276. The number 2276 is equal to 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 11 × 13. The multiplicity of 2 suggests duality or balance, while the numbers 11 and 13 may be related to mystical or spiritual concepts.
d) Using Tseruf's technique, we can interchange the letters of "Elohim" to form the word "Mi-Eleh" (מי-אֵלֶּה), which means "Who are these?" in Hebrew. This may suggest the infinite diversity and complexity of divine manifestations in creation.
e) The last letter of "Elohim", Mem (ם), has a numerical value of 40. The number 40 appears numerous times in the Torah and may represent a period of transformation or purification. This may indicate that Elohim is involved in processes of change and purification in creation.
Et (אֵת).
The word "Et" consists of two letters Alef (א) and Tav (ת). Their numerical values according to gematria are:
Alef: 1
Tav: 400
Adding these values together, we get a total gematric value of 401 for "Et". Some interesting connections include:
a) The value 401 is a prime number and, interestingly, it is the 81st prime number. The number 81 equals 9², suggesting a connection to the concept of "truth" (אֱמֶת, Emet) in Qabalah, since the last letter of Emet, Tav (ת), also has a numerical value of 400.
b) The value 401 is also equal to the gematric value of "Ratzon" (רָצוֹן), which means "will" in Hebrew. This may imply that "Et" represents the divine will in creation.
c) The word "Et" contains the letters Aleph (א) and Tav (ת), which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, respectively. This can symbolize the entirety of creation, from the beginning to the end.
d) If we permute the letters of "Et" (את), we get "Ta" (תא), which means "cell" in Hebrew. This may indicate that "Et" represents the basic or fundamental unit of creation.
e) Using the Notarikon technique, "Et" (את) may represent the phrase. "Aluf Tav" (אַלּוּף תָּו), meaning "Master [of] Tav." This may suggest that "Et" implies mastery or divine control over all of creation, from beginning to end.
Hashamayim (הַשָּּׁמַיִם).
The word "Hashamayim" consists of five letters: Hei (ה), Shin (ש), Mem (מ), Yud (י) and final Mem (ם). Their numerical values according to gematria are:
Hei: 5
Shin: 300
Mem: 40
Yud: 10
Final Mem: 600
Adding these values together, we get a total gematric value of 955 for "Hashamayim". Some interesting connections include:
a) The value 955 is equal to the gematric value of "HaKisei" (הַכִּסֵּא), which means "the throne" in Hebrew. This may suggest that the heavens represent the divine throne or dominion in creation.
b) 955 is also equal to the gematric value of "HaMerkavah" (הַמֶּרְכָּבָה), which means "the chariot" in Hebrew. This may indicate that the heavens are the "vehicle" or medium through which God manifests Himself and acts in the world.
c) The sum of the numbers 1 to 43 is 946 (1 + 2 + … + 43 = 946). By adding 9 to 946, we get 955, which is the gematric value of "Hashamayim". This may suggest the importance of the number 43 and its multiples in creation and celestial symbolism.
d) Using Tseruf's technique, we can interchange the letters of "Hashamayim" to form the word "Yesh Mah" (יֵשׁ מָה), which means "there is something" in Hebrew. This may indicate that the heavens represent the presence of "something" beyond our material understanding.
e) The letter combination Shin-Mem (שם) in "Hashamayim" also appears in other key words related to the heavens, such as "Shamayim" (שָּׁמַיִם) and "Shemesh" (שֶׁמֶשׁ), which means "sun" in Hebrew. This may indicate an intrinsic connection between these words and the heavenly concept.
In summary, we have explored the first verse of Genesis using gematria and other Qabalistic techniques to delve into the hidden meaning and connections of each word. Through this analysis, we can appreciate the richness and complexity of creation and the divine wisdom contained in the Torah. This study demonstrates how Qabalah can provide us with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the sacred texts and help us to connect with spiritual and divine knowledge.