Awesome! That is a tremendous amount of very astounding
information that absolutely deserves full consideration! ———
It is just a bit uncomfortable however your tease that in your next
post you will reveal the Trinity, due to non-Jewish connotation of
that word, and unlike the beginning of your last post when you
mentioned this, you have now also capitalized the word. It seems
likely though that you are only referring to a triplet of Divine
Names, or mathematical formulas, or special numbers, or the like,
which would be just fine. Looking forward to the next revelations!
No cause for concern. Strictly Glatt Kosher.
Near the beginning of this post you wrote:
“We have seen how the very structure of our solar system can be
broken down into a very few specific numbers that artificially
repeat over and over again, and also relate directly to the Torah
and the Divine Calendar. They all integrate like one gigantic clock
mechanism one that cannot be carved out by random nature.”
On the words “like one gigantic clock mechanism,” you linked to
your previous post, “What is Time?” –
http://kabbalahsecrets.com/?p=3677 – where you wrote:
“This is the 5778th year in the Hebrew Calendar, and for 5778
years the Earth has been orbiting the Sun at 66,600 mph. Yes, that
is a scientific fact.”
“Regardless of whether you believe in Creationism or Evolution,
Man’s consciousness awoke 5778 years ago. The Torah tells us we were
given two choices: The Tree-of-Life or the
Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. The [1.37] 13.7 Billion years of
evolution that preceded it can be easily explained by the flexible
kabbalistic definitions of time during the 6 days of Creation; it is
nothing more than background for when we obtained consciousness and
were first given the freedom of choice.”
It seems from your writings that you accept the establishment
academia’s doctrine of uniformitarianism, including [from Wiki:]
“the gradualistic concept that ‘the present is the key to the past,’
that events occur at the same rate now as they have always done,”
both in the sky and on earth.
However IMO the overwhelming evidence for many years now has
supported the alternative theories of catastrophism. In particular
I’m referring to the theories championed by Immanuel Velikovsky and
his disciples, that shed major light and understanding on the world
in ancient biblical times and the global catastrophes that our
ancestors experienced. The establishment’s dogmas are being
disproved at a rapid rate. I recommend for example the works of
“electric universe theory” proponents, such as for example at The
Thunderbolts Project —
https://www.thunderbolts.info/wp/ — which absolutely demolish
almost all of mainstream science’s standard theories of physics,
cosmology, geology, and more.
Also IMO you are too equivocal about creationism vs. evolution,
since the evidence at hand for years now also completely demolishes
all evolutionary theories in favor of Intelligent design and Divine
creation (although certainly IMO that doesn’t mean literally 5778
years ago). In a previous comment I have already mentioned the
advances that in recent years have been made in recognizing the
Intelligent design of nature and living beings, which IMO is now
logically and scientifically indisputable.
One of the primary aspects of Moshiach’s coming will be that
mankind will overthrow the false so-called scientific theories and
reach a truer understanding of the natural laws of the universe and
of historical events.
The electric universe theory is also just a theory, albeit a good
one, and I believe there is a better explanation for the universal
symbolism among the ancient cultures on our planet, which I will
touch on in my next article.
I’m looking forward to your idea of a better explanation, however
IMHO the general EU theories for cosmology, astronomy, and geology,
certainly make much more sense than the presently entrenched
mainstream theories.
It seems that fundamental paradigm shifts and scientific
revolutions are coming that will completely overthrow the present
establishment views, radically transforming our understanding of the
universe, and spurring ever greater technological breakthroughs and
significantly improving the quality of life for all mankind.
Advances in biology will also overthrow the establishment theory
of evolution, proving intelligent design and creation by G-d.
The mistaken archaeological mainstream will also be overthrown,
and the historical accuracy of the Torah will be confirmed beyond
doubt.
In addition, political and/or military upheavals are coming that
will result in worldwide peace and prosperity.
Many are already able to see through the darkness and the veils.
The pendulum is swinging and surely all will be revealed very soon!
“While focused on the Magen David this is a suitable time to
point out an important allusion to David in the Shma, in the final
letters of the last words of the silent verse ‘ברוך שם כבוד’ מלכותו’
לעולם ועד, Boruch Shem KevoD’ MalchusO’ L’olaom VoeD’ (“Blessed is
the Name of His glorious Kingdom for all eternity”), which these
three letters spell the name דוד, Dovid. It is entirely proper to
have this hint in mind when reciting the Shma, and to pray that the
glory of Hashem’s kingdom should be revealed through the scion of
His servant Dovid, Moshiach ben Dovid. The remaining final letters
of this verse, Chuf, Mem, Mem, sum to 20 + 40 + 40 = 100, which is
he complete number 10 x 10, hinting to the thought that we should
merit to this revelation of Hashem’s Kingdom through Moshiach ben
Dovid in completeness.”
Continuing from this idea, the letters Chuf, Mem, Mem, that sum
to 100, also correspond to the 100 Brochos that Dovid instituted
should be said by each person each day. In addition, the letters
Chuf, Mem, Mem, in reverse order spell ממך, Mimcho, “from you” (in
the singular), hinting that the 100 Brochos and the proper
recitation of the Shma have to come from you, from each and every
one, and similarly, that the recognition of G-d’s oneness and glory
throughout the world is dependent on you, on each and every one, in
addition to being dependent on all of Israel, since we are all
addressed both individually and collectively in the verse, “Hear O’
Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One.”
Aside from the hint to Dovid in the Boruch Shem verse, also
hinted in the first verse of Shma are Adam, Moshe, and Moshiach.
Adam, spelled אדם, Alef, Dalet, Mem, is hinted by means of a one
letter skip starting from the Alef of the word Echod (which is an
especially fitting place to start since Adam was the first man),
then skipping one letter to the Dalet at the end of the word Echod,
and then repeating the verse from the beginning (according to the
rule “the end is inserted in the beginning”) and skipping the first
letter of the word Shma, then there is a letter Mem. When these
three letters are read together in this way they hint to the name
Adam.
Moshe, spelled משה, Mem, Shin, Heh, is hinted by starting from
the letter Mem that is the second letter of the first word Shma,
then reading backward to the letter Shin at the beginning of the
word Shma, and then continuing backward to letter Dalet of the word
Echod at the end of the verse (by means of the rule “the beginning
is inserted in the end”), with Dalet being gematria 4, which however
transforms into the letter Heh, gematria 5, due to the addition of 1
for the Kolel which is symbolized by the word finalized by the
Dalet, i.e., the word Echod, One, and by the Alef at the beginning
of the word Echod (or since this is a large letter Dalet, it may
hint to what is larger than the standard Dalet, and since the
standard Dalet is gematria 4, a larger Dalet may hint to the next
letter Heh, gematria 5). When these three letters are read together
in this way they hint to the name Moshe.
Moshiach, spelled משיח, Mem, Shin, Yud, Ches, is hinted in the
first verse of Shma when one reads the second letters of each word.
The second letter of the first word Shma is a Mem, the second letter
of the second word Yisroel is a Sin/Shin, the second letter of the
third word Hashem, as it is spelled in many Sidurrim Yud Yud, is a
letter Yud, and the second letter of the last word Echod is a Ches.
When these second letters are read together they hint to the name
Moshiach. When including the second letters of the remaining words
in the verse, the second letter Lamed of the forth word Elokim, and
the second letter Yud of the fifth word Hashem as it is spelled in
Sidurim, then together these second letters spell למשיחי,
L’moshichai, “For My Moshiach.”
Alternatively, the way the verse and the Names of Hashem are
spelled in the Torah, YHVH, i.e., where the letter Heh is the second
letter of the Name, then the third letter of Moshiach, the letter
Yud of Moshiach, can be formed from the combination of the two
second letters Heh from the two Names YHVH, since the gematria of
each of these letters Heh is 5, and 5 + 5 = 10, the gematria of the
letter Yud. Joining with the second letter of the remaining word
Elokim, the letter Lamed, these second letters together therefore
spell למשיח, L’Moshiach, “for Moshiach.”
It is good and proper to have all of this in mind when reciting
the Shma, to accept upon oneself to strive to bring Hashem’s oneness
and glory to the world with all of one’s individual ability, and by
uniting with the entire community of Israel, and by uniting with
Adam and all mankind, and by uniting with Moshe the giver of the
Torah, the greatest prophet of all time, and by uniting with King
Dovid and with Moshiach the son of Dovid, and by praying to Hashem
for all of this to be revealed as soon as possible, right now, at
the beginning of this very auspicious new year 5779.
Good Shabbos and Good Yom Tov!
Just a quick comment about this new Hebrew year 5779 that i
haven’t seen mentioned before, the number 5779 is a prime number
(the 758th prime number, which interestingly has all the same digits
as the previous year 5778). IY”H more revelations will be
forthcoming soon. Good Shabbos!
As explained above the names Adam, Moshe, and Moshiach are hinted
in the first verse of the Shma Yisroel, and Dovid Hamelech is hinted
in the verse Boruch Shem.
It is also possible to say that דוד, Dovid, is hinted in the
verse Shma, in that the 6th and final word ‘אחד, Echod’, ends with a
large letter Dalet, and since it is large it may be counted as two
letters Dalet, and these may be joined with the final letter Vov of
the 4th word of the verse, ‘א-להנו, Elokeinu’, to spell דוד, Dovid.
This especially resonates since the gematrias of the letters Dalet
and Vov of Dovid’s name, 4 and 6 respectively, correspond to the
order number, 4th and 6th, of the words in the verse whose last
letters are thus joined to yield this hint to Dovid.
In this way the hint to the name Dovid overlaps with the hint to
Moshiach in the first verse of Shma as explained above, and this is
appropriate since King Dovid is the First of Israel’s eternal
Dynasty that will reach its epitome with the Kingship of Moshiach.
Alternatively the name Dovid may be hinted in the combination of
the verse Shma and the verse Boruch Shem, since starting from the
large Dalet of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, at the end of the verse Shma,
then with the first and last letters, Vod and Dalet, of the word
‘ו’עד, V’oed’, at the end of the verse Boruch Shem, together spells
דוד, Dovid, and this too is a fitting allusion to Dovid HaMelech.
As explained previously the name Moshe is hinted in the union of
the first and last words of the verse Shma. Alternatively here is a
more straightforward way to find the name Moshe hinted in the Shma,
namely that the name Moshe is hinted in the second letters of the
first three words, starting from the second letter Mem of the first
word שמ’ע, Shm’a, then the second letter Shin of the second word
יש’ראל, Yis’roel, and then the second letter Heh of the third word
י-ה’-ו-ה, Hashem.
In this way the name Moshe also overlaps with the hint to
Moshiach in the second letters of all the words in the verse Shma as
explained above. This is especially fitting due to the strong
connection between Moshe the First Redeemer and Moshiach the Final
Redeemer, Moshe also being gematria 345 and Moshiach gematria 358,
with a difference of only 13 = אחד, Echod = 1. In addition, the
gematria of Moshe plus Dovid, 345 + 14 = 359, the same as Moshiach
plus 1 for the Kolel.
———
Incidentally, all of the hints to the year 5778 remain active in
the year 5779 since this is the immediate continuation with a year
that can be designated as a Kolel year.
Significantly, it may be seen that by uniting the first and last
words of the first verse of Shma, with the essential teaching of
Hashem Echod, G-d is One, which resonates with the idea of the
Kolel, 1, it is possible to find hints to the years ה’תשעח and
ה’תשעט, the years 5778 and 5779.
In the first word שמע, Shma, the only change that is necessary is
that the letter מ, Mem, must be transformed into a letter ת, Tav.
This can be done because their respective gematrias 40 and 400
resonate well, especially in the environment of the verse with the
large letter Dalet, gematrai 4, and also indicating enlargement as
from 40 to 400. Also this may be hinted in the continuation from the
letter Mem, with the immediately following letter Ayin of the word
Shma’ and the letter Yud from the next word י’שראל, Y’isroel, i.e.,
מ-ע-י, understood as instructing to take the letter Mem, then
Ayin/Iyun, examine it, Yud, 10 times, and 40 x 10 = 400, and the Mem
transforms to a Tav. There may also be a tendency for this Mem to
transform into a Tav since the Mem follows after the letter Shin and
the letter in the Alef Bet that naturally follows the Shin is the
Tav. Thus from the first word we now have שתע, the letters Shin,
Tav, Ayin, or in more familiar form, תשע, Tav, Shin, Ayin.
(Thus with this transformation alone we already have תשע, Tav,
Shin, Ayin, which spells the word Taisha, meaning nine, i.e., the
number 9, and therefore all by itself the word Shama can transform
in a way that these letters plus their word meaning yield 770 + 9 =
779, as in this year 5-779).
In the last word of the verse, אחד, Echod, all that is needed is
to combine the first letter Alef with last letter Dalet, or with the
meaning of the word Echod, i.e., One, 1, to form the gematria of 4 +
1 = 5, which yields the letter Heh, and then we will also use the
remaining middle letter Ches.
Together we now have all the letters needed to yield all the
numbers for the year 5778, for by combining the gematria of the
large letter Dalet and the Alef of Echod to transform them into a
large letter Heh, symbolizing 5000 years, then the תשע from the
first word for a gematria of 770, then the Ches from Echod for
gematria 8, thus together we can use all the letters of these two
words symbolize the year 5778.
To yield the numbers for the year 5779, combine the gematria of
the large letter Dalet with the meaning of the word Echod, One, to
transform into a large letter Heh, symbolizing 5000 years, then the
תשע from the first word for 770, then join the Alef and the Ches
from the word Echod to get 1 + 8 = 9, and thus all together the two
words symbolize the year 5779.
Our proper intentions and actions are required in order for the
great potential of these years to be born out in reality in the best
way possibly imaginable.
In the weekly Torah readings we have started over from Breishis,
learning about Adam, Noach, and currently about Avrom, who was
Divinely renamed Avrohom, our patriarch, the founder of the Jewish
nation.
As already explained the name Adam is hinted in the Shma, by one
letter skipping from the Alef of Echod, to the Dalet of Echod, and
then back to the Mem of Shma. The names of the sons of Adam are also
hinted in the Shma:
קין, Kayin, spelled Kuf Yud Nun, is hinted in the word א-לקינו,
Elok’ei’n’u, since out of respect to the Divine Name the letter Heh
in it is often pronounced and spelled instead with a letter Kuf, and
then the three consecutive letters Kuf, Yud, Nun, in the proper
order, spell the name Kayin.
הבל, Hevel, spelled Heh Veis Lamed, is hinted in the same word
א-ל’-ה’-ינו, Elokeinu, starting from that same letter Heh, and
joining with it the immediately previous letter Lamed, we have the
first and last letters of the name Hevel, and the middle letter Veis
of Hev’el is hinted in next previous letter, the Alf, 1, the initial
of the word E’lokeinu, plus 1 for the Kolel, G-d is 1, and 1 + 1 = 2
= the letter Beis/Veis, and thus together consecutively we have the
letters Heh, Lamed, Vais, which rearrange to spelling the name
Hevel.
Alternatively, since the word Elo’keinu is pronounced with the
Cholem, Oh, sound, as if a Vov is written and pronounced between the
Lamed and the Heh, א-לו’הינו, and the Vov is similar sounding to a
Vais, therefore the Veis in the middle of the name Hevel can be said
to be hinted in the sound between the Heh and the Lamed, such that
the name Hevel is also hinted in direct reverse order, Heh, Veis,
Lamed, spelling Hevel in direct reverse order.
שת, Sheit, spelled Shin Tav, is hinted in the first letter Shin
of the first verse Shma, and in the last letter of the verse, the
large letter Dalet of Echod, which being large can have gematia of
4, 40, or 400, i.e., 400 as in the gematria of the letter Tav, thus
together the first and last letters of the verse can be combined in
our intention to spell the name Shes.
Alternatively, since the letter Mem of the word Shma also can be
transformed into a Tav, as explained above, therefore the verse can
be seen to start with the two letters Shin and Tav, spelling the
name Shes right from the beginning of the verse.
[In addition to the resonances between letters Mem and Tav as
explained above, this resonance can also be seen in that of the 49
letters that comprise the two verses Shma and Boruch Shem, the 40th
letter is a letter Tav, with 40 being the gematria of letter Mem,
and with this Tav being in the word מ’לכות’ו, M’alchus’o, which
begins with a letter Mem.
Also in the word ‘אמ’ת, Em’es’, which is identified with the
Shma, the letters Mem and Tav are joined and resonate together.
Further, in the double wording שמ’ע ת’שמ’עו, Shom’ah Ti’shm’eu,
at the beginning of the second paragraph of Shma, the letter Tav
starts the second word Ti’shmeu, and it is surrounded by equidistant
1 letter skips to the letter Mem before it and after it, thus
further allowing this letter Tav to resonate with the second letter
Mem of the first word in the first paragraph of Shma, and helping
transform it into a letter Tav for the purposes of these kinds of
intentions and meditations.]
———-
Likewise the Shma hints to the names of Noach, and to the names
of Noach’s sons Shem, Yofes and Chom, who spread out to populate the
world:
נח, Noach, spelled Nun Ches, is hinted in the second to last
letter of the word, א-להינ’ו, Elokein’u, and in the second to the
last letter of the word אח’ד, Ech’od, spelling Noach (the same words
as explained above the hint to Dovid, joining the large last letter
Dalet of Echod and the last letter Vov of Elokeinu), and this is an
appropriate hint for Noach who found favor from Hashem.
שם, Shem, is straightforwardly hinted in the first two
consecutive letters of verse and word ש’מ’ע, Sh’m’a, Shin Mem, and
also Shem appears as the second word of the second verse Boruch שם,
Sh’em’.
יפת, Yefes, spelled Yud Fei Tav, is hinted in three consecutive
letters starting in reverse from the Yud of י’שראל, then back to the
large letter Ayin, which because it is large it can be rounded up to
the next letter Pei/Fei, or alternatively, by adding 10 for the
gematria of the Yud of Y’isroel and 70 for the gematria of the Ayin
of Shma’ to get 80, which is the gematria of the letter Fei, and
then these letters are joined to the next previous letter Mem of
Shm’a, which transforms into a letter Tav as explained above, and
with this the consecutive letters Yud Fei Tav that spell Yefes may
be formed.
חם, Chom, spelled Ches Mem, is hinted in the letters that are
second from the end, the Ches of the word אח’ד, Ech’od, and second
from the beginning, the Mem of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a.
———-
Likewise, certainly, the name of our great forefather Avrohom
Avinu is hinted in the Shma:
אברהם, Avrohom, is spelled with letters Alef, Veis, Reish, Heh,
Mem, and these letters, or hints to these letters, are found uniting
the first verse Shma and the second verse Boruch Shem:
The word א’חד, E’chod, starts with the letter Alef, and also has
the meaning of One, like the letter Alef, gematria 1, and with this
letter it is fitting to start the hint to the name Avrohom, since
Avraham was one against the world in proclaiming that G-d is One in
the heavens and on the earth.
Next come the letters Beis and Reish at the beginning of the word
ב’ר’וך, B’or’uch, which these are the next letters, in the proper
order, of the name Av’r’ohom.
Then at the end of the next word ‘שמ, Shem’, there is a letter
Mem, completing the letters for the name Avrom, Avrohom’s original
name.
Then the remaining letters in between the Reish and the Mem, the
letters Vov Chof Shin from the words ברו’ך’ ש’ם, Boru’ch’ Sh’em, may
be understood as 20 (Chof), “and/plus” (Vov), 300 (Shin), or 20 +
300 = 320, which – aside from being 10 x 32 = 10 x Lev, heart, which
has special significance for our heroic forefather Avrohom, whose
heart was tested and to be found whole in 10 extreme tests of his
faith – 320 is also in small gematria 3 + 2 + 0 = 5, which
transforms into the letter Heh, gematria 5, and therefore these
letter may represent the letter Heh that Hashem added to Avrom’s
name, Chuf Vov also being gematria 26, symbolizing Heshem, and the
Shin symbolizing of changing his Shem, name, changing it forever
afterward to the name Avroh’om.
As shall be explained, the names of the other Patriarchs and
Matriarchs, the Tribes, and other great Tzadikim are also hinted in
the Shma.
Our daily recital and meditation on the Shma constantly connects
us to our ancestral, everlasting and eternal heritage, to the Torah,
and to Hashem Echod, the One and Only Creator, Master and Giver of
Life to everything in the entire universe.
As mentioned above, the names of the other Patriarchs and
Matriarchs, the Tribes, and other great Tzadikim are also hinted in
the Shma.
יצחק, Yitzchok, the next patriarch after Avrohom, spelled Yud
Tzadi Ches Kuf, can be found hinted in the first verse of Shma.
The Yud of the name Yitzchok is hinted in the initial letter Yud
of י’שראל, Y’isroel.
The Tzdi is hinted in the next 10 letters, the next letters Shin
and Reish of יש’ר’אל, Yis’r’oel, counting as 1 letter plus 1 letter
equals 2, and then add to this the gematria of the next 8 letters,
the Alef and Lamed at the end of ‘ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l’, the Y’H’V’H’of
Hashem, and the Alef Lamed of א’ל’קינו, E’l’okeinu, 31 + 26 + 31 =
88, for a total of 2 + 88 = 90, the gematria of the letter Tzadi.
The Ches, the second to the last letter of the name Yitzchok, is
hinted in the Ches that is the second to the last letter of the word
אח’ד, Ech’od, at the end of the Shma verse.
The Kuf, at the end of the name Yitzchok, is hinted in the large
letter Dalet at the end of the word ‘אחד, Ehod’, at the very end of
the verse, since the gematria of the next 10 letters of the verse,
not including the letter Ches of Echod – since that was already
used, as just stated, for the hint to the Ches of Yitzchok – i.e.,
the Heh Yud Nun and Vov of א-ל-ה’י’נ’ו’, Elokeinu, the four letters
Y’H’V’H’ of Hashem, and the letters Alef and Ches of the word ‘א’חד,
E’chod’, which sum to 71 + 26 + 5 = 102, can be understood as
composed of the respective gematrias of two letters, Kuf, 100, and
Beis, 2, the Kuf hinting to the Kuf of Yitzchok, and the Beis
hinting to the continuation of the next verse that begins with a
Beis, ב’רוך, B’oruch.
Alternatively the gematria of Kuf, 100, may be extended by 2, to
102, by adding 1 for the word Echod, one, and a Kolel of 1 for the
Name Hashem, which are included in this series of letters.
Alternatively, the Kuf of Yitzchok may also be hinted by counting
the gematria of the letter Ches of אח’ד, Ech’od, with the geamtrias
of the other letters in this series, for a combined gematria of 102
+ 8 = 110, and with 1 more for the Kolel, making 111 (which is the
gematria of the word אלף, Alef, spelled out Alef Lamed Fei, 1 + 30 +
80 = 111), which this is the same as the gematria of the letter Kuf,
100, plus 1 for each of these now 11 letters (with the Ches) in this
series (and there is also a resonance between the gematria of the
letter Alef, 1, and the letter Kuf, 100).
Alternatively, the large letter Dalet itself may be understood to
represent 100, i.e., the gematria of the letter Kuf, since this
letter Dalet is the last of the 25 letters in the verse, and its
gematria, 4, hints to the 4 times each day this verse is customarily
recited – in the introductory morning blessings, in the morning
service, in the evening service, and in the bedtime prayers – and
that means reciting these 25 letters 4 times daily, for a total of
25 x 4 = 100 letters, thus hinting to the letter Kuf, gematria 100.
Alternatively, after the letter Ches of Yitzchok was hinted in
the word Echod at the end of the verse of Shma, as explained above,
then the letter Kuf of Yitzchok is hinted in the next verse, the
verse Boruch Shem, since the gematria of Kuf, 100, is matched by the
sum of the final letters of three words ‘ברוך, Boruch’, ‘שם, Shem’,
and ‘לעולם, Leolom’, 20 + 40 + 40 = 100, as explained in a previous
comment, and then the last letters of the remaining three words
spell the name Dovid, Dalet Vov Dalet, ‘כבוד, Kevod’, ‘מלכותו,
Malchuso’, ‘ועד, Voed’.
There may also be other ways that the name Yitzchok, and likewise
the names of the other Tzadikim presented here, are hinted in the
Shma, but the ideas that are explained here are intended to
demonstrate that by understanding and applying letter and number
patterns and symbolism one is able to make interesting connections
and unlock many doors.
However, as important as all these hints and allusions may be, it
is also essential for each individual to be able to find hints and
allusions to him or herself in the Shma and in other Torah passages,
and in this way one is able to really strengthen one’s connection to
the Torah and to Hashem Echod.
(To be continued.)
Yakov, the next patriarch after Yitzchok, is also hinted
in the first verse of Shma:
The first verse of Shma is recorded in the Torah as being
said by Moshe to all of Israel, however our sages o.b.m.
teach that the verse was first said by the 12 Tribes to
their father Yakov, who had been renamed Yisroel years
before by Hashem, when he was older and approaching death,
and they assured him that that they all believed
wholeheartedly in Hashem Echod, to which Yakov responded
with the verse of blessing, Boruch Shem. Accordingly the
name Yisroel in the Shma also refers and hints directly to
our forefather Yakov.
Further, the first four letters of the Shma may be
understood as hinting to the four letters of the name Yakov:
יעקב, Yakov, is spelled Yud Ayin Kuf Veis, and the
initial letter Yud of י’עקב, Y’akov, is hinted in the letter
Yud that is the initial letter Yud of the name י’שראל,
Y’isroel. This is especially appropriate since Yakov and
Yisroel are two names for one and the same individual.
From the Yud of Yisroel then go back to the large letter
Ayin at the end of the word ‘שמע, Shma’, which corresponds
to the next letter Ayin of the name יע’קב, Yaa’kov.
Then from this letter Ayin go back to the next letter Mem
in the middle of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a, and in our
meditations this letter Mem, gematria 40, may be transformed
into a letter Dalet, gematria 4, since their gematrias
resonate (and especially for this meditation, since the
letter Dalet at the end of the Shma verse may symbolize and
represent the entire verse, as explained above), and then
this letter Dalet may be transformed into a letter Kuf due
to the A-T Ba-Sh coding formula, where the 4th letter from
the beginning of the Alef-Bet, the Dalet, transforms into
the 4th letter from the end of the Alef-Bet, the Kuf.
Therefore the letter Mem of the word Shma may be said to
hint to the letter Kuf of the name יעק’ב, Yak’ov.
Then from this letter Mem go back to the beginning of the
verse, the letter Shin at the beginning of the word ש’מע,
Sh’ma, which in the A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Shin, the
second letter from the end of the Alef-Bet, transforms into
a letter Beis, the second letter from the beginning of the
Alef-Bet, and therefore this letter Shin may hint to the
letter Veis at the end of the name ‘יעקב, Yakov’, and with
this there is completed the string of the four consecutive
letters at the beginning of the Shma that hint to the name
Yakov.
In the previous comment various other methods were
explained for finding hints to the letter Kuf of the name
‘יצחק, Yitzchok’, in the Dalet of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, and
using the A-T Ba-Sh code is another way to accomplish this,
since in A-T Ba-Sh the Dalet changes directly into the
letter Kuf, as just pointed out.
Similarly, based on this, another alternative for finding
hints to the letters Kuf and Beis at the end of the name
‘יעק’ב, Yak’ov’, can be found in the Shma verse, since after
the hint in large letter Ayin, hinting to the letter Ayin of
the name יע’קב, Yaa’kov, then the letter Kuf of Yakov may be
seen to be hinted in the next large letter in the verse, the
large letter Dalet at the end of verse, at the end of the
word ‘אחד, Echod’, due to the A-T Ba-Sh transformation of
the letter Dalet to a Kuf (and also due to other reasons as
explained above). Then, following that letter Dalet/Kuf,
then the last letter Veis of the name ‘יעקב, Yakov’, may be
found hinted in the next letter, the letter Beis at the
beginning of the next verse ב’רוך,, B’oruch Shem, and in
this way too the hint to the name Yakov in the Shma is
complete.
Meditating on the names of the Patriarchs, and other
important Tzadikim, as they are hinted in the Shma, is
certainly a good way to connect with them and their
righteous lives, and will also certainly help contribute to
our ability to draw forth the greatest of all blessings from
Hashem that are also hinted in the Shma.
(To be continued.)
The names of the two women who were the mothers
of all mankind are also hinted in the first verse of
the Shma:
חוה, Chava, the first woman, spelled Ches Vov
Heh, is hinted in the Shma intertwined and right
alongside her husband Adom, which is especially
fitting since Hashem created her from his rib (or
his side) and then brought her to him:
As explained before, אדם, Adom, is hinted by
means of a one letter skip starting from the Alef of
א’חד, E’chod, skipping the letter Ches, then the
Dalet at the end of ‘אחד, Echod’, then back to the
beginning of the verse, in the letter Mem of the
word שמ’ע, Shm’a, after skipping the letter Shin,
thus spelling Alef Dalet Mem, the name Adom.
The Ches that is the first letter of the name
ח’וה, Ch’ava, is hinted in the previously skipped
letter Ches in the word אח’ד, Ech’od.
Then going back to the previous word in the
verse, the Divine Name Y’H’V’H, the two last letters
immediately adjacent to the word Echod are the
letters Vov and Heh, and these letters hint to the
remaining letters Vov and Heh of the name ‘חו’ה,
Chav’a’, thus completing the hint to her name,
intertweined and right alongside the hint to the
name Adom.
———-
נעמה, Naamah, whose birth is noted in the Torah
as the daughter of Lemach and sister of Tuval Kayin
(Breishis 4:22), according to a Rabbinic tradition
was the wife of Noach. Naamah is spelled Nun Ayin
Mem Heh, and her name is also hinted in the first
verse of Shma:
As explained previously, נח, Noach, spelled Nun
Ches, is hinted in the second to last letter of the
Divine Name א-להינ’ו, Elokein’u, and in the second
to the last letter of the word אח’ד, Ech’od,
spelling Noach. The same letter Nun that hints to
the first letter of Noach’s name may also be said to
also hint to the first letter of his wife Na’amah’s
name.
The other letters of the name Naamah may be said
to be hinted in the first word of the verse Shma.
The letters Ayin and Mem are obvious, since they are
identical with the letters Mem and Ayin at the end
of the word ‘שמ’ע, Shm’a’.
The last letter Heh of the name Naamah may be
hinted with the inclusion of the letter Shin of the
word ש’מע, Sh’ma, for with the letter Shin the
gematria of the word Shma is 300 + 0+ 70 = 410, and
the small gematria of 410 = 4 + 1 + 0 = 5, and that
is the gematria of the letter Heh, the last letter
of the name ‘נעמה, Naamah’.
Alternatively, the name Naamah may be hinted in
the first four letters of the verse, with the
letters Ayin and Mem the same as before, only the
small gematria of the word Shma, 5, may hint instead
to the letter Nun of Na’amah, since the gematria of
Nun is 50, and its small gematria is also 5.
The remaining last letter Heh of Naamah’ may be
said to be hinted in the next letter of the verse,
the letter Yud of י’שראל, Y’isroel, since the
gematria of Yud is 10, and when added to it the
number 4, since it is the 4th letter in the verse,
then 10 + 4 = 14, and the small gematria of 14 = 1 +
4 = 5, and that is the gematria of the letter Heh,
thus hinting to the letter Heh at the end of the
name Naamah’ and completing the hint to the name
Naamah in the first four letters of the verse.
———-
Likewise the names of all the Matriarchs are
hinted in the first verse of the Shma:
שרי, Sari, spelled Sin Reish Yud, whose name was
changed by Hashem to שרה, Sarah, spelled Sin Reish
Heh, was the matriarch wife of Avrohom.
The letters of her name are hinted in the three
letters Yud Shin and Reish at the beginning of the
word י’ש’ר’אל, Yisroel, which may be rearranged to
spell Sari.
Then, as just explained above, the letter Yud of
Y’isroel may be changed into a letter Heh, since the
gematria of Yud is 10, and when the number 4 is
added to it, since this Yud is the 4th letter in the
verse, then 10 + 4 = 14, and the small gematria of
14 = 1 + 4 = 5, which corresponds to the gematria of
the letter Heh, thus hinting to the letter Heh at
the end of the name Sarah’, and thus together with
the letters Shin and Reish of Yis’r’oel completing
the hint to the name Sarah.
———-
רבקה, Rivkah, spelled Reish Veis Kuf Heh, the
matriarch wife of Yitzchok, is hinted in the first
verse of Shma:
The letter Reish in the middle of the word
ישר’אל, Yisr’oel, corresponds to the first letter
Reish of the name Rivkah.
The next letter, the Alef of the word ישרא’ל,
Yisroe’l, together with the next letter Alef in the
verse, which resonates with it, the Alef at the
beginning of the word א’לקינו, E’lokeinu, add up
together in gematria to 1 + 1 = 2, which is the
gematria of the letter Veis, and corresponds to the
next letter in the name רב’קה, Riv’kah.
Then add the gematria of the next letter, the
Lamed from ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, plus the next four
letters from the next word, Y’H’V’H’, plus the next
three letters Lamed Heh and Yud of the next word
אל’-ה’-י’ם, El’ok’i’m (skipping the Alef since it
was used already), to get 30 + 26 + 45 = 101, which
is the gematria of the letter Kuf, 100, plus 1 for
the Kolel, corresponding to the letter Kuf in the
name רבק’ה, Rivk’ah.
Then the last letter Heh of ‘רבקה, Rivkah’, is
hinted the next letter in the Divine Name א-לקינ’ו,
the letter Nun with gematria 50, which in small
gematria is 5, hinting to the letter Heh with
gematria 5, and thus corresponding to the letter Heh
at the end of the name Rivkah’, and completing in
this series of 12 consecutive letters a hint to the
name Rivkah.
Alternatively for the hint to the letter Heh at
the end of the name Rivkah’ one could skip to one of
the letters Heh in the next word, the Divine Name
Y-H’-V-H’.
———-
רחל, Rochel, spelled Reish Ches Lamed, the
matriarch wife of Yakov, is hinted in the first
verse of the Shma, starting from the same letter
Reish in the middle of the word ישר’אל, Yisr’oel.
The next letter is the letter Alef of ישרא’ל,
Yisroe’l, is gematria 1, and to this we may add 7,
since it is the 7th letter in the verse, yielding 1
+ 7 = 8, which is the gematria of the letter Ches,
hinting to the next letter, the Ches, in the middle
of the name Roch’el.
The next letter is the letter Lamed at the end of
‘ישראל, Yisroel’, which corresponds to the letter
Lamed at the end of the name Rochel’, and thus these
three consecutive letters in the name Yisroel in the
Shma hint to the name Rochel.
———-
לאה, Leah, spelled Lamed Alef Heh, the other
matriarch wife of Yakov, is clearly hinted in the
first three consecutive letters, Alef Lamed and Heh,
of the Divine Name א’ל’ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu, which
when rearranged spell the name Leah.
———-
בלהה, Bilhah, spelled Beis Lamed Heh Heh, the
maid of Rochel who also married Yakov, is also
hinted in the first verse of Shma:
The name Bilhah is hinted in the four consecutive
letters starting from the last letter Heh of the
Name Y-H-V-H’, and then in the first three letters
Alef Lamed and Heh of the next word, the Divine Name
א’ל’ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu.
The only change that is necessary is to add 1 for
the Kolel to the letter Alef, making its gematria 2,
corresponding to the letter Beis, like the Beis at
the beginning of the name B’ilhah, and then
rearrange these letters Heh Beis Lamed Heh in the
proper order to spell the complete name Bilhah.
———-
זלפה, Zilpah, spelled Zayin Lamed Peh Heh, the
maid of Leah who also married Yakov, is also hinted
in the first verse of the Shma:
Start from the letter Ayin at the end of the word
‘שמע, Shma’, which with gematria 70 resonates with
the number 7, the gematria of the letter Zayin, the
first letter of Z’ilpah.
Then the letter Lamed of Zil’pah is hinted in the
last letter of the next word ‘ישראל, Yisroel’.
Then take the gematria of the next 8 letters, the
four letters of the Name Y’H’V’H’ plus the first
four letters of the Name א’ל’ק’י’נו, E’l’ok’ei’nu,
which add up to 26 + 46 = 72, and then add 1 for
each of these 8 letters, to get 72 + 8 = 80, which
is the gematria of the letter Peh, which is the next
letter in the name זלפ’ה, Zilp’ah.
Then take the next letter Nun from the Name
אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u, which is gematria 50, with small
gematria 5, corresponding to the letter Heh at the
end of the name ‘זלפה, Zilpah’, and thus completing
the hint to her name.
Alternatively one of the letters Heh in the next
word, the Divine Name Y-H’-V-H’, may be used to hint
to the letter Heh at the end of the name Zilpah’.
(To be continued.)
As mentioned before, the names of all the
Tribes are also hinted in the first verse of
the Shma. In their birth order, which is the
order they were named:
ראובן, Reuvain, spelled Reish Alef Vov
Veis Nun, is hinted starting from the letter
Reish in the middle of the word ישר’אל,
Yisr’oel, which corresponds the Reish at the
beginning of the name ר’אובן, R’euvain.
Then the next letter Alef of the word
ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l, corresponds to the next
letter Alef of the name רא’ובן, Re’uvain.
Then take the next letter Lamend of the
word ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, and note that the
letter Lamed is a composite letter, composed
of a letter Vov on top of a letter Chuf on
the bottom, and this letter Vov on the top
of the Lamed corresponds to the letter Vov
that is the next letter of the name ראו’בן,
Reu’vain.
Next comes the Divine Name Hashem, 1 is
Hashem, so take 1, plus the first letter
Alef, gematria 1, of the Divine Name
א’לקינו, E’lokeinu, that follows next, to
have 1 + 1 = 2, which 2 is the gematria of
the letter Veis, and therefore this
corresponds to the next letter Veis of the
name ראוב’ן, Reuv’ain.
Then take the 5th letter Nun of this same
Divine Name אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u, and this
corresponds to the 5th letter Nun of the
name ‘ראובן, Reuvain’, and with this all the
letters in the proper order that are needed
to spell the name Reuvain are complete.
Alternatively, after the first two
letters, the Reish and Alef of the name
ישר’א’ל, Yisr’oe’l, that correspond to the
Reish and Alef at the beginning of the name
ר’א’ובן, R’u’vain, then take the Lamed, the
last letter of ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, together
with the Divine Name Y’-H’-V’-H’, which in
gematria sum to 30 + 26 = 56, and this
number corresponds to the combination of
letters Vov, gematria 6, and Nun, gematria
50, 6 + 50 = 56, and therefore these letters
correspond to the letters Vov and Nun of the
name ‘ראו’בן, Reu’vein’.
More specifically, the letter Vov of the
Name Y-H-V’-H may be said to correspond to
the letter Vov of ראו’בן, Reu’vain, and the
letter Heh, gematria 5, at the end of the
Name Y-H-V-H’, which completes the sum of
the previous letters and brings them to have
the gematria of 6 + 50, corresponds to the
letter Nun, gematria 50, at the end of the
name ראובן’, Reuvain’, especially since the
small gematria of Nun is also 5,
corresponding to the letter Heh, gematria 5,
at the end of the Name Y-H-V-H’.
Then take the next letter in the verse,
the letter Alef, gematria 1, at the
beginning of the Divine Name א’לקינו,
E’lokeinu, and as was done above, add 1 for
the Kolel, 1 is Hashem, to get 1 + 1 = 2,
the gematria of the letter Veis, and this
corresponds to the letter Veis needed to
hint to the name ראוב’ן, Reuv’ain. Then by
just exchanging the positions of the letters
Nun and Vais, and together with the
previously noted letters, the hint to the
full name Reuvain is obtained.
———-
שמעון, Shimon, spelled Shin Mem Ayin Vov
Nun, is clearly hinted starting from the
first three letters of the Shma, in the same
order, the letters Shin Mem and Ayin of the
word ‘ש’מ’ע, Sh’m’a’, and Shimon was so
named because Hashem heard (Shoma) his
mothers’ prayer for a son.
Then to hint to the last letters of the
name Shimon, the letters Nun and Vov at the
end of the Divine Name ‘אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u’,
correspond the letters Vov and Nun at the
end of the name ‘שמעו’ן, Shino’n’, may be
joined to the other three letters at the
beginning of the Shma to easily complete all
the letters needed to hint to the full
spelling of the name Shimon.
———-
לוי, Levi, spelled Lamed Vov Yud, is
easily hinted at least three ways.
One way is to start with the letter Lamed
at the end of the name ‘ישראל, Yisroel’,
which corresponds to the letter Lamed at the
beginning of the name ל’וי, L’evi.
Then skip 2 letters and take the letter
Vov of the Divine Name Y-H-V’-H, which
corresponds to the letter Vov, the next
letter of the name לו’י, Lev’i.
Then skip 4 letters – the letter Heh at
the end of Y-H-V-H’, and the letters Alef
Lamed and Heh at the beginning of the Divine
Name א’-ל’-ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu – and take the
letter Yud of the Name א-לקי’נו, Elkei’nu,
which corresponds to the letter Yud that is
the next letter of the name ‘לוי, Levi’, and
together these three letters, Lamed Vov Yud,
spell the name ‘ל’ו’י, L’ev’i’.
A second way is to take the three
consecutive letters Lame Heh and Yud in the
middle of the Divine Name א-ל’ק’י’נו,
El’ok,’ei’nu, and simply change the letter
Heh, gematria 5, to a letter Vov gematria 6,
by adding 1 for the Kolel, 5 + 1 = 6, thus
transforming this Heh into a letter Vov, and
yielding three consecutive letters in the
proper order, Lamed Vov Yud, that spell the
name Levi.
A third way is to take the letters Lamed
Yud and Vov of the Divine Name ‘א-ל’קי’נו,
El’okei’nu’, which are separated from one
another by means of a one letter skip, and
then recombine them in the proper order,
Lamed Vov Yud, to complete another hint to
the proper spelling of the name Levi.
———-
יהודה, Yehudah, spelled Yud Heh Vov Dalet
Heh, is hinted in the first verse of Shma in
the Divine Names Y’-H’-V’-H’, composed of
letters Yud Heh Vov Heh, which are all part
of the name ‘י’ה’ו’דה, Y’eh’u’dah’, and
combining them with the large letter Dalet
at the end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, at the
end of the verse, corresponds to the letter
Dalet of the name יהוד’ה, Yehud’ah, and
completes all the letters needed to hint to
the full spelling of the name Yehudah.
Alternatively, the Divine Name
Y’-H’-V’-H’ by itself may hint to the name
Yehudah, since with 1 for each of the 4
letters of the Name, 1 x 4 = 4, we have the
gematria of the letter Dalet, 4, and when
this hint to the letter Dalet is joined with
the letters Yud Heh Vov and Heh then all the
letters needed to hint to the complete name
Yehudah are obtained.
———-
דן, Dan, spelled Dalet Nun, is hinted
starting from the large letter Dalet at the
end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, and in the
letter Nun near the end of the Divine Name
א-לקינ’ו, Elokein’u, which correspond to the
letter Dalet and Nun of the name ‘ד’ן,
D’an’.
This is especially appropriate since the
Tribe of Dan was the leader of the 4th camp
of the Tribes, 4th in the marching order of
Bnei Yisroel in the desert, and this
corresponds to the letter Dalet, gematria 4,
at the end of the Shma verse, and also
because Dan corresponds to the attribute of
Judgment, and similarly the Divine Name
Elokeinu, which likewise denotes the
attribute of Judgment.
———-
נפתלי, Naftali, spelled Nun Fei Tav Lamed
Yud, is hinted starting from the letter Nun
of the Divine Name אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u, which
corresponds to the letter Nun at the
beginning of the name נ’פתלי, N’aftali.
Then take the gematria of the next 8
previous letters, the first 4 letters of the
Name א’ל’ק’י’נו, E’l’ok’ei’nu, plus the 4
letters of the Name Y’-H’-V’-H’, which sum
to 46 + 26 = 72, and then add a Kolel of 1
for each of these 8 letters, to get 72 + 8 =
80, which is the gematria of the letter Fei,
and this corresponds to the next letter Fei
in the name נפ’תלי, Naf’tali (this is
similar to what was done to find a hint to
the letter Pei of the name Zilp’ah as
explained above).
Then take the two next previous letters
Alef and Lamed at the end of the name
‘ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l’, with gematria 1 + 30 =
31, and in small gematria is 31 = 3 + 1 = 4,
which resonates with the letter Tav,
gematria 400, with same small gematria 4,
and therefore these letters may correspond
to the next letter Tav of the name נפת’לי,
Naft’ali.
Alternatively, take just the letter Alef
of ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l, the first letter of the
Alef-Beit, and transform it though the A-T
Ba-Sh code into the letter Tav, the last
letter of the Alef-Beit, and in this way too
there is a correspondence of this letter to
the next letter Tav of the name נפת’לי,
Naft’ali.
Then take the letters Lamed and Yud at
the end and the beginning of the name
‘י’שראל, Y’isroel’, and they correspond to
the letters Lamed and Yud at the end of the
name ‘נפתל’י, Naftal’i’. Then combine all
these hinted letters to completely spell out
the name Naftali.
———-
גד, Gad, spelled Gimel Dalet, is hinted
in the first and last letters of the verse
Shma:
The letter Shin at beginning of the word
ש’מע, Sh’ma, is gematria 300, and in small
gematria 300 = 3, which means that this
letter resonates with and can transform into
the letter Gimel, gematria 3, which
corresponds to the letter Gimel at the
beginning of the name ג’ד, G’ad.
Then take the large letter Dalet at the
end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, at the end of
the verse, and it corresponds to the letter
Dalet at the end of the name ‘גד, Gad’, and
by joining these two letters together from
the beginning and end of the verse we have
in the proper order the two letters that
fully spell the name Gad.
Alternatively the Dalet of the name ‘גד,
Gad’, may be hinted in the second letter Mem
of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a, since Mem in
gematria is 40, and that resonates with and
has the same small gematria as the letter
Dalet, gematria 4. In this way the name Dan
is hinted in the first two letters of the
Shma instead of the first and last letters
of the verse.
———-
אשר, Asher, spelled Alef Shin Reis, is
clearly hinted in the three consecutive
letters Shin Reish and Alef in the middle of
the name יש’ר’א’ל, Yis’r’oe’l, since when
simply rearranged they spell out the
complete name ‘א’ש’ר, A’sh’er’.
———-
יששכר, Yesochor, spelled Yud Sin Sin Chuf
Reish, usually pronounced however as though
written with only one letter Sin (and
sometimes also written that way), is hinted
starting with the letters Yud and Sin at the
beginning of the name י’ש’ראל, Y’is’roel,
which are identical with the first two
letters Yud and Sin of the name י’ש’שכר,
Y’is’ochor.
This letter Sin in Yis’roel may be
counted twice, or the letter Shin at the
beginning of the verse in the word ש’מע,
Sh’ma, may be counted as the third letter of
the name ישש’כר, Yis’chor, for the proper
spelling of the name.
Then take the next letter Reish in the
name ישר’אל, Yisr’oel, and this corresponds
to the letter Reish that is the last letter
of the name ‘יששכר, Yisochor’.
Then, as explained before, the letter
Lamed at the end of the name ‘ישראל,
Yisroel’, may be understood as a composite
letter composed of a letter Vov on the top
and a letter Chuf on the bottom, and this
letter Chuf that is part of the next letter
Lamed may be taken to correspond to the
letter Chuf in the name יששכ’ר, Yisoch’or.
Then simply rearrange the letters Reish and
Chof to complete the spelling of the name
Yisochor in the proper order.
———-
זבלון, Zevulun, spelled Zayin Veis Lamed
Vov Nun, is hinted starting with the large
letter Ayin at the end of the word ‘שמע,
since its gematria 70 resonates with the
letter Zayin, gematria 7, corresponding to
the letter Zayin at the beginning of the
name ז’בלון, Z’evulun.
In addition, in the A-T Ba-Sh code the
letter Ayin, the 7th letter from the end of
the Alef-Beit, transforms into a letter
Zayin, the 7th letter fom the beginning of
the Alef-Beit, so again this may be taken as
a hint to the first letter Zayin of the name
ז’בלון, Z’evulun.
Then all the rest of the letters needed
for the hint to the name Zevulun may be
found in the Divine Name א-לקינו, Elokeinu:
Take the letter Alef at the beginning of
א’לקינו, E’lokeinu, and change it, as was
done before, by adding 1 for the Kolel,
hinted also in the previous Divine Name
Hashem, 1 is Hashem, to make the gematria 1
+ 1 = 2, the same as the gematria of the
letter Veis, and this corresponds to the
letter Veis that is the second letter of the
name זב’לון, Zev’ulun.
Then the next letter Lamed, and the
letters Vov and Nun at the end of the Divine
Name ‘א-ל’קינ’ו, El’okein’u’, and these
correspond to the remaining letters Lamed
Vov and Nun of the name ‘זבל’ו’ן,
Zevul’u’n’, thus together with the
previously hinted letters completing all the
letters needed for the hint to the name
Zevulun.
———-
יוסף, Yosef, spelled Yud Vov Samech Fei,
is hinted starting from the letter Yud at
the beginning of the second time the Divine
Name Y’-H-V-H appears in the verse, and this
Yud may correspond to the Yud at the
beginning of the name י’וסף, Y’osef.
Then go back to the next previous letter,
the Vov at the end of the Divine Name
‘אלקינו, Elokeinu’, and that corresponds to
the next letter Vov in the name יו’סף,
Yo’sef.
Then go back to the next two previous
letters, the Yud and the Nun of the Divine
Name אלקי’נ’ו, Elokei’n’u, and these letters
in gematria are 10 + 50 = 60, which is the
gematria of the letter Samech, and thus
these letters may correspond to the the next
letter Samach in the name יוס’ף, Yos’ef.
Then, as explained before, take the
gematria of the next 8 previous letters, the
first 4 letters of the Name א’ל’ק’י’נו,
E’l’ok’ei’nu, plus the 4 letters of the Name
Y’-H’-V’-H’, which sum to 46 + 26 = 72, and
then add a Kolel of 1 for each of these 8
letters, to get 72 + 8 = 80, which is the
gematria of the letter Fei, and thus these
letters may correspond to the next and last
letter Fei at the end of the name ‘יוסף,
Yosef’, and with this the hint of all the
letters of the name Yosef is completed in
the proper order.
———-
בנימין, Binyamin, spelled Beis Nun Yud
Mem Yud Nun, is hinted starting from the
first letter at the beginning of the verse,
the Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, since in
the A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Shin, the 2nd
from the end of the Alef-Beit, transforms
into a letter Beis, the 2nd from the
beginning of the Alef-Beit, and thus it may
correspond to the letter Beis at the
beginning of the name ב’נימין, B’inyomin.
The next letter Nun in the name בנ’ימין,
Bin’yomin, is hinted in many ways in the
next word, the name Yisroel:
One way is to take the initial letter
Yud, gematria 10, and add to 4 since it is
the 4th letter in the verse, and 10 + 4 =
14, and in small gematria 14 = 1 + 4 = 5,
which resonates with and is the small
gematria of the letter Nun = 50 = 5, and
therefore this letter Yud may hint to the
letter Nun of the name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin.
A second way is to take the next two
letters Sin and Reish of the name יש’ר’אל,
which in gematria are 300 + 200 = 500, and
that sum also resonates with the letter Nun,
gematria 50, and both that sum and the
letter Nun have the same small gematria of
5, thus also hinting to the letter Nun of
the name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin.
A third way is to take the first letter
Yud and the last two letters Alef and Lamed
of the name ‘י’שרא’ל, Yisroe’l’, in gematria
10 + 1 + 30 = 41, which in small gematria is
4 + 1 = 5, which resonates with the letter
Nun, gematria 50, with the same small
gematria 5, and again therefore these
letters are able to be taken as a hint to
the letter Nun of the name בנ’ימין,
Bin’yomin.
Alternatively take 1 for each of the 5
letters of the name ישראל, Yisroel, 1 x 5 =
5, which also resonates with the letter Nun,
gematria 50, which has the same small
gematria 5, and again therefore this
produces a hint to the letter Nun of the
name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin.
Then for the nest letter of the name
Binyamin, take the initial letter Yud of the
next word, the Divine Name Y’-H-V-H, and
that corresponds to the letter Yud of the
name בני’מין, Biny’amin.
Then take the first three letters Alef
Lamed and Heh of the next word, the Divine
Name א’-ל’ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu, which in
gematria are 1 + 30 + 5 = 36, and with a
Kolel of 1 for each of these 3 letters, and
a Kolel of 1 for this being a Divine Name,
we have 36 + 3 + 1 = 40, which is the
gematria of the letter Mem, and thus these
letters may correspond to the next letter
Mem in the name בנימ’ין, Binyam’in.
Then take the next two letters Yud and
Nun in the Divine Name א-לקי’נ’ו,
Elokei’n’u, and these correspond to the
letters Yud and Nun at the end of the name
‘בנימי’ן, Binyami’n’, and together with the
previous letters the hint to all the letters
of the name Binyamin is complete.
———-
The Tribe of Yosef was split into two
Tribes, led by Yosef’s two sons Menashe and
Efrayim, and their names too are hinted in
the first verse of the Shma:
מנשה, Menashe, spelled Mem Nun Shin Heh,
is hinted starting from the Mem and Shin
that are the first two letters of the word
ש’מ’ע, Sh’m’a, and these letters correspond
to the two letter Mem and Shin of the name
מ’נש’ה, M’enash’e.
Then take the letters Nun and Vov that
are the last two letters of the Divine Name
‘א-לקינ’ו, Elokein’u’. The Nun corresponds
to the letter Nun of the name מנ’שה,
Men’ashe, and the Vov may correspond to the
letter Heh at the end of the name ‘מנשה,
Menashe’, since the gematria of the letter
Vov, 6, is the same as the gematria of the
letter Heh, 5, plus 1 for the Kolel, 5 + 1 =
6, thus this Vov may be understood to also
hint to the letter Heh, which corresponds to
the last letter of the name ‘מנשה, Menashe’,
to complete the last of the letters
necessary and then rearrange them to hint to
the spelling of the complete name Menashe.
Alternatively one of the other 5 letters
Heh of the 3 Divine Names in the verse,
Y-H’-V-H’ E-lo-K’ei-nu Y-H’-V-H’, may be
used for the final letter Heh of ‘מנשה,
Menashe’, or a letter Heh may be formed by
combining the letters Alef, 1, and Dalet, 4,
of the word א’חד, E’chod’, 1 + 4 = 5 = the
gematria of the letter Heh as was explained
before.
———-
אפרים, Efrayim, spelled Alef Fei Reish
Yud Mem, is hinted starting from the letter
Alef at the beginning of the word א’חד,
E’chod.
Then go back to the letter Vov in the
previous word, the Divine Name Y-H-V’-H, or
the Vov at the end of the previous Divine
Name ‘אלקינו, Elokeinu’, and since in the
A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Vov, the 6th
letter from the beginning of the Alef-Beit,
converts to a letter Fei, the 6th letter
from the end of the Alef-Beit, and therefore
one of these letters Vov can correspond to
the letter Fei which is the next letter of
the name אפ’רים, Ef’rayim.
Alternatively, take the four letters of
the Divine Name Y’-H’-V’-H’ that is
immediately adjacent to the Alef of א’חד,
Echod, and the two letters Nun and Vov at
the end of the previous Divine Name
‘אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u’, and take their
combined gematria, 26 + 56 = 82, and this
corresponds to the gematria of the letter
Fei plus a Kolel of 1 for each of these
Divine Names, 80 + 1 + 1 = 82, and this
hinted letter Fei may also correspond to the
next letter Fei of the name אפ’רים,
Ef’rayim.
Alternatively, as done before, take the
gematria of the next 8 previous letters, the
4 letters of the Name Y’H’V’H’ plus the
first 4 letters of the Name א’ל’ק’י’נו,
E’l’ok’ei’nu, which sum to 26 + 46 = 72, and
then add 1 for each of these 8 letters, to
get 72 + 8 = 80, which is the gematria of
the letter Fei, and therefore he combination
of these letters may correspond to the
letter Fei of the name אפ’רים, Ef’rayim.
Then to finish the spelling of Efrayim,
go back and take the letters Reish and Yud
of the name י’שר’אל, Y’isr’oel, and then
back and take the letter Mem in the word
שמ’ע, Shm’a, which these are 3 consecutive
letters by means of a one letter skip, and
they correspond to the last three letters
Reish Yud and Mem in order at the end of the
name ‘אפר’י’ם, Efr’ay’im’, and joining these
noted letters together is the hint to the
spelling of the name Efrayim is complete.
———-
It is especially appropriate that all the
Tribes are hinted in the first verse of
Shma, since as mentioned above, our sages
o.b.m. relate that this verse was originally
the solomn declartion of these righteous
brothers, who were destined to became the
Tribes of Israel, to their father Yisroel,
to reassure him and to pledge to him their
steadfast and eternal devotion to Hashem
Echod. As a reward for this, they and their
prodgeny after them, will merit to the
blessings of Am Yisroel Chai, that our
people will endure, live and thrive forever
until the end of time.
(To be continued.)
In continuation to what was
explained above about hints to the
names of the Tribes in the first
verse of Shma:
דינה, Dinah, spelled Dalit Yud
Nud Heh, the daughter of Yakov and
Leah, was the lone sister to the
Tribes, and her name is also hinted
in the first verse of the Shma.
It is possible to say that the
first and third letters of her name,
the Dalet and Nun of ד’ינ’ה,
D’in’ah, are hinted in the same way
as the letters Dalet and Nun that
hint to the name ‘ד’ן, D’an’,
Dinah’s half-brother, as explained
above. i.e., the large letter Dalet
at the end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’,
and the letter Nun near the end of
the Divine Name א-לקינ’ו, Elokein’u,
and the name Dinah is also
associated with the theme and the
attribute of Judgment.
The other two letters of Dinah’s
name, Yud and Heh of ‘די’נה,
Di’nah’, are hinted in the first two
letters, or the first and last
letters, Yud and Heh, of the Divine
Name Y’-H’-V-H’ in between the
Divine Name Elokeinu and the word
Echod, which this Divine Name and
these letters are associated with
the attribute of Kindness and Mercy.
Together these four letters may
be combined to form the complete
hint to the name Dinah.
———-
אסנת, Osnas, spelled Alef Samach
Nun Tav, was the wife of Yosef and
the mother of the Tribes Efrayim and
Menashe, and according to a
tradition she was the estranged
daughter of Dinah, Yosef’s
half-sister, who was subsequently
brought down to Egypt and adopted by
the Egyptian Poti Fera the priest of
Ohn. Osnas’ name is hinted in the
word Echod of the first verse of
Shma:
Start with the 1st letter Alef of
the word א’חד, Echod, which
corresponds to the 1st letter Alef
of the name א’סנת, O’snas.
Then take the 2nd letter Ches of
the word אח’ד, Ech’od, since in the
A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Ches, the
8th letter from the beginning of the
Alef-Beit, may transform into a
letter Samach, the 8th letter from
the end of the Alef-Beit, and thus
it may correspond to the letter
Samach that is the 2nd letter of the
name אס’נת, Os’nas.
The next letter Nun of the name
אסנ’ת, Osn’as, may be hinted in the
combination of the Alef and Dalet of
the word ‘א’חד, E’chod’, since
together their gematrias sum to 1 +
4 = 5, which resonates with the
gematria of the letter Nun, gematria
50, also 5 in small gematria, as
explained previously, and this
corresponds to the Nun of the name
אסנ’ת, Osn’as.
Alternatively the letter Nun of
אסנ’ת, Osn’as, may be hinted in the
adjacent letter Heh, gematria 5, at
the end of the Divine Name Y-H-V-H’,
or directly in the letter Nun in the
previous Divine Name אלקינ’ו,
Elokein’u.
Then the last letter Tav, the 4th
letter of the name ‘אסנת, Osnas’,
may be hinted in the large letter
Dalet that is the last letter of the
word ‘אחד, Echod’, since the
gematria of the Dalet is 4, and
especially since it is a large
letter Dalet it resonates with the
letter Tav, gematria 400, with a
small gematria of 4, corresponding
to the Tav that is the 4th and last
letter of the name ‘אסנת, Osnas’.
Putting these letters together forms
a complete hint to the name Osnas.
———-
Since all of these names and more
are hinted entirely in the first
verse of Shma, here it is proper to
add another hint to the name אברהם,
Avrohom, spelled Alef Veis Reish Heh
Mem, which before was explained to
be hinted in the word Echod from the
first verse of Shma together with
the letters of the next two words
from the verse Boruch Shem (see the
full explanation above), since there
is also a hint to the entire name
Avrohom in the first verse of Shma
all by itself:
Start with the 1st letter Alef of
the word א’חד, E’chod, and with the
meaning of the word Echod, 1, the
gematria of the letter Alef, which
corresponds to the 1st letter Alef
of the name א’ברהם, A’vrohom (as
explained above).
Then start the verse over again
from the first word and the first
letter Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma,
which the letter Shin is the 2nd
from the end of the Alef-Beit, and
in the A-T Ba-Sh code it transforms
into the letter Veis, the 2nd letter
from the beginning of the Alef-Beit,
and thus it may correspond to the
letter Veis which is the 2nd letter
of the name אב’רהם, Av’rohom.
Then continue to the 3rd letter
Reish of the next word in the Shma,
the Reish in the name ישר’אל,
Yisr’oel, and this corresponds to
the letter Reish that is the 3rd
letter in the name אבר’הם, Avr’ohom.
Then continue to the 4th letter
Heh of the next word in the Shma,
the Divine Name Y-H-V-H’, which this
corresponds to the 4th letter Heh in
the name אברה’ם, Avroh’om.
Then continue to the 4th letter
Yud of the next word in the Shma,
the Divine Name א-לקי’נו, Elokei’nu,
which Yud being the 10th letter from
the beginning of the Alef-Beit
transforms in the A-T Ba-Sh code
into a letter Mem which is the 10th
letter from the end of the
Alef-Beit, and thus it corresponds
to the 5th and last letter Mem of
the name ‘אברהם, Avrohom’. Together
then these letters spell out
complete name Avrohom all in the
first verse of Shma.
Alternatively, instead of this
letter Yud, take the letter Yud at
the beginning of the next word, the
5th word in the verse, the Divine
Name Y’-H-V-H, which again
transforms into the letter Mem by
means of the A-T Ba-Sh code, and
this corresponds to the letter Mem
that is the 5th and last letter of
the name ‘אברהם, Avrohom’, and with
these letters the hint to the full
name Avrohom is complete.
———-
As said before, hints to the
names of many other Tzdikim and
Tzidkonios may also be found in the
first verse of Shma, and B”N a few
more of these hints will be
explained in another forthcoming
comment.
It should be borne in mind that
indeed, just as our sages state that
every one of the 600,000 root souls
of Israel is represented by the
600,000 letters of the Torah, and
just as as later sages state that
every Jewish soul is hinted in
Parshas HaAzinu, so too it can be
said that the soul of every Jew is
ultimately also hinted in the verse
Shma Yisroel, since this verse
speaks loudly and clearly to every
individual Jewish person throughout
all the generations, and with a
resonance that in many respects gets
ever louder and clearer as we
approach the Time of Moshiach, when
the secrets of the Torah will be
revealed.
Again, it is worth stressing that
there are certainly many other ways
that the names of these Tzadikim are
hinted in the Shma. The ways that
are explained here are for the most
part fairly straightforward, almost
obvious, and easy to follow, and are
intended to demonstrate that if one
only has the proper desire and
intention then these types of hints
and connections can be made.
Also it should be pointed out,
that in a comparative way to what
has been present here, the
Kabbalistic work ספר הפליאה, Sefer
HaPli’ah, The Book of Wonders,
utilizes similar types of
explanations, as well as other known
Kabbalistic rules for transforming
one letter into another, to show how
the initials of the words of the
prayer אנא בכח, Ana B’choach, are
derived from the first 28 letters of
the Torah. This is something that is
apparently absent from Ezra’s book
The Genesis Prayer, which does not
seem to explain the method for the
prayer’s derivation from the
beginning letters of Breishis. IY”H
I will write more about this too in
a future comment.
(To be continued.)
Regarding this year 5779,
in a previous comment I
mentioned that 5779 is a
prime number (the 758th
prime, interestingly with
the number 758 having the
same digits, 7, 5 and 8, as
were present in the previous
year 5778).
Notably also the number
79 (the last two digits in
the year 57-79), is also a
prime number, the 22nd prime
number, and even the reverse
of 79, the number 97, is
also a prime, the 25th
prime.
[The number 779 (the last
three digits of 5-779) is
not a prime, however its
reverse, 977, is a prime,
the 165th prime.]
Therefore the connection
to prime numbers is more
apparent in the year 5779
than in 5778 which is not
prime – and similarly the
last two digits of 57-78,
the number 78, is not prime,
and the reverse of 78, the
number 87, is not prime, and
the last three digits, the
number 778, is not prime,
although its reverse 877 is
a prime [the 151st prime,
and interestingly the number
151 is itself also prime,
the 36th prime]. This
greater connection to prime
numbers may indicate a
special elevation in this
year over the previous year.
Previously I also
mentioned that all of the
hints to the year 5778
remain active in the year
5779 since this is the
immediate continuation with
a year that can be
designated as a Kolel year
to 5778, since 5778 plus a
Kolel of 1 = 5779.
In addition, since the
Jewish months are counted
from the month of Nissan as
the first month, that means
that as far as the months of
the year 5779 are concerned,
the month of Tishrei, when
5779 started, was the
actually still the 7th month
from Nissan 5778, and thus
we are under the direct
influence of Nissan 5778
until Nissan 5779, which is
7 months into 5779, since
another elevation of this
year 5779 is that it is also
a Jewish leap year, with 13
months instead of the
regular 12 months.
More hints regarding the
special year 5779 will IY”H
be presented soon.
Since time is very
limited I’d like to at least
very briefly spread the word
here and now about the very
informative and enlightening
views of Rabbi Mendel
Kessin, who has a website
called Torah Thinking, with
a series of his lectures on
the developments of the 21st
century, nicely explaining
the Divine Plan that is
presently unfolding, and how
we are now living in the era
of the beginning of the
redemption. I just recently
became aware of these
lectures, but it is
immediately apparent that
his ideas that fit very well
with the views presented
here on Kabbalah Secrets. I
highly recommend that
everyone who is interested
should check this out. IY”H
more on this will be
forthcoming soon.
Good Shabbos!
The present days,
the 19th and 20th of
Kislev, are
celebrated in as
Rosh Hashana for
Chassidus.
The 19th of
Kislev is the
Yahrtzeit Hilulah of
R’ Yisroel Baal Shem
Tov’s great
disciple, R’ Dov
Baer of Mezeritch,
the Maggid of
Mezritch, and the
day that the
Maggid’s great
disciple, Shneir
Zalman of
Liozna-Liadi, the
Alter Rebbe of
Lubavitch, was freed
from Czarist prison,
and the 20th of
Kislev is when R’
Shneur Zalman’s
classic work the
Tanya was printed
for the first time.
An excerpt from a
Chabad website
explains:
The 19th day of
the Hebrew month of
Kislev is celebrated
as the “Rosh
Hashanah of
Chassidism.” It was
on this date, in the
year 1798, that the
founder of Chabad
Chassidism, Rabbi
Schneur Zalman of
Liadi (1745–1812),
was freed from his
imprisonment in
czarist Russia. More
than a personal
liberation, this was
a watershed event in
the history of
Chassidism,
heralding a new era
in the revelation of
the “inner soul” of
Torah.
The public
dissemination of the
teachings of
Chassidism had in
fact begun two
generations earlier.
The founder of the
chassidic movement,
Rabbi Israel Baal
Shem Tov
(1698–1760),
revealed to his
disciples gleanings
from the mystical
soul of Torah which
had previously been
the sole province of
select Kabbalists in
each generation.
This work was
continued by the
Baal Shem Tov’s
disciple, Rabbi
DovBer, the “Maggid
of Mezeritch”—who is
also deeply
connected with the
date of “19 Kislev”:
on this day in 1772,
26 years before
Rabbi Schneur
Zalman’s release
from prison, the
Maggid returned his
soul to his Maker.
Before his passing,
he said to his
disciple, Rabbi
Schneur Zalman:
“This day is our yom
tov (festival).”
Rabbi Schneur
Zalman went much
farther than his
predecessors,
bringing these
teachings to broader
segments of the
Jewish population of
Eastern Europe. More
significantly, Rabbi
Schneur Zalman
founded the “Chabad”
approach—a
philosophy and
system of study,
meditation, and
character refinement
that made these
abstract concepts
rationally
comprehensible and
practically
applicable in daily
life.
In its formative
years, the chassidic
movement was the
object of strong,
and often venomous,
opposition from
establishment rabbis
and laymen. Even
within the chassidic
community, a number
of Rabbi Schneur
Zalman’s
contemporaries and
colleagues felt that
he had “gone too
far” in
tangibilizing and
popularizing the
hitherto hidden soul
of Torah.
In the fall of
1798, Rabbi Schneur
Zalman was arrested
on charges that his
teachings and
activities
threatened the
imperial authority
of the czar, and was
imprisoned in an
island fortress in
the Neva River in
Petersburg. In his
interrogations, he
was compelled to
present to the
czar’s ministers the
basic tenets of
Judaism and explain
various points of
chassidic philosophy
and practice. After
53 days, he was
exonerated of all
charges and
released.
Rabbi Schneur
Zalman saw these
events as a
reflection of what
was transpiring
Above. He regarded
his arrest as but
the earthly echo of
a heavenly
indictment against
his revelation of
the most intimate
secrets of the
Torah. And he saw
his release as
signifying his
vindication in the
heavenly court.
Following his
liberation on 19
Kislev, he redoubled
his efforts,
disseminating his
teachings on a far
broader scale, and
with more detailed
and “down-to-earth”
explanations, than
before.
The 19th of
Kislev therefore
marks the “birth” of
Chassidism: the
point at which it
was allowed to
emerge from the womb
of “mysticism” into
the light of day, to
grow and develop as
an integral part of
Torah and Jewish
life.”
———-
Another excerpt
from a Chabad
website explains the
extension of the
Chassidic holiday on
the 20th of Kislev:
The first
printing of Sefer
Shel Beinonim —
Tanya was completed
on Tuesday, 20
Kislev, 5557 (1796),
in Slavita. It
comprised: Part I —
Sefer shel Beinonim,
and Part II —
Chinuch Katan and
Shaar HaYichud
VehaEmunah….
The Alter Rebbe
had originally
intended to complete
the printing of the
Tanya in time to be
studied on Yud-Tes
Kislev, 5557 (1796),
in honor of the
yahrzeit of his
mentor, the Maggid
of Mezritch. There
were delays,
however, and
ultimately the
printing was not
completed until the
20th of Kislev.
When the first
copy was handed to
the Alter Rebbe he
looked at it for a
long time and then
said, “Many are the
thoughts in a man’s
heart….” It was my
desire that this
sefer be completed
by the beginning of
the month of Kislev,
so that it could be
studied on the day
of my master’s
yahrzeit. But, [as
that verse
continues,] ‘the
counsel of G d
prevails,’ and the
printing was
completed on the
20th of Kislev…, the
20th of Kislev.” He
repeated the date
even a third time,
and concluded: “All
that the Merciful
One does is for the
good.”
Exactly two years
later, after his
liberation from
prison on Yud-Tes
Kislev, 5559 (1798),
his chassidim felt
that they now
understood the
farsighted
significance of
those words. For on
the day of his
release, the Alter
Rebbe was mistakenly
taken by the Russian
authorities to the
home of a misnaged,
who gave him far
less than a warm
welcome. It was not
until later that
evening, which was
already the 20th of
Kislev, that he was
reunited with his
chassidim.
Until here the
Chabad excerpts.
———-
There is a
special spiritual
reverberation of
these very important
Chassidic themes
this year.
Regarding the
Maggid of Mezerich’s
birth, the exact
year isn’t known
precisely, but in
some sources it says
it was in 1704,
which was 314 years
ago, and that
resonates with the
Divine Name
Shin-Dalet-Yud,
gematria 314, and
this is especially
significant in
connection to what
was explained
previously.
Regarding the
Maggid’s death in
1772, that was 246
years ago, and the
number 246
represents the idea
of a progression of
twos, 2 4 6, and
this resonates with
Alter Rebbe’s
liberation in 1798,
which was 220 years
ago, and with the
printing of Tanya in
1796 which was 222
years ago, the since
these numbers all
stress the idea of a
progression of twos.
In addition, the
upcoming secular
year 20-19 may also
be said to hint to
these two important
consecutive dates,
the 19th and 20th of
Kislev, the Rosh
Hashonah for
Chassidus.
———-
At present
unfortunately I
don’t have enough
time available to
write much more in
continuation to my
above comments about
the hints to many
more Biblical names
that may be found in
the first verse of
the Shma, and anyway
this may not be the
proper place to
elaborate further
about that.
Meanwhile however
here is it is proper
to provide an
explanation of at
least one more such
hint, a hint to the
name of Ezra, the
Biblical scribe par
excellence who led
the Jews out of the
Babylonian exile for
the rebuilding of
the Temple and
resettlement of the
land of Israel. This
is especially
relevant for the
Kabbalah Secrets
blog which is
produced by our much
appreciated “Ezra”
Meiliken:
עזרא, Ezra, is
spelled Ayin Zayin
Reish Alef, and this
name is hinted right
at the beginning of
the first verse
Shma.
The first two
letters of the Shma,
the Shin and Mem
from the word ש’מ’ע,
Sh’m’a, spell the
word שם, Sheim,
meaning “name.”
Then the
immediate next
letter, the large
letter Ayin of ‘שמע,
Shma’, starts to
reveal a hinted
name, since this
letter Ayin
corresponds to the
first letter Ayin of
the name ע’זרא,
E’zra.
Then, since this
is a large letter
Ayin, it may also
hint to not just
one, but two
letters, and not
just a letter Ayin,
gematria 70, but
also a letter Zayin,
gematria 7, since
these letters
resonate and
reverberate
together, and
especially since
also at the top left
edge of the letter
‘ע, Ayin, there is
the shape of a
letter ‘ז, Zayin,
that forms that part
of the letter, and
therefore this large
letter Ayin of the
Shma may correspond
not just to the
first letter Ayin of
ע’זרא, but also to
the letter Zayin
that is the second
letter of עז’רא,
Ez’ra.
Continuing in the
Shma is the next
word, the name
ישר’א’ל, Yisr’oe’l,
and skipping the
first two letters
Yud and Shin, then
there are the
letters Reish and
Alef, which directly
correspond to the
letters Reish and
Alef that are the
third and fourth
letter of the name
‘עזר’א, Ezr’a’, and
with this the name
Ezra is very nicely
and prominently
hinted at the
beginning of the
Shma.
(It is possible
to say that the
letters Yud and Shin
that were skipped
also have
significance, since
they spell the word
יש, Yesh, meaning
“there is,” and
together with the
two letters that
began the previous
word, the letters
Shin and Mem of
Shma, these letters
form the phrase
“there is a name.”
Additionally, the
letters Yud and Shin
in gematria are 10 +
300 = 310, and with
1 for each of the 4
letters of the
Divine Name Y-H-V-H,
or 1 for each of the
4 letters of the
name Ezra, this sums
to 314, the same as
the gematria of the
Divine Name
Shin-Dalet-Yud.)
Alternatively
with regard to the
letter Zayin, there
is also a hint to
the letter Zayin in
the top left edge of
the letter ‘ש, Shin,
of the word יש’ראל,
Yis’roel, since the
shape of a letter
Zayin forms that
part of the letter
Shin, and that shape
of the letter Zayin
immediately precedes
the next letters
Reish and Alef in
both the name
Yisroel and the name
Ezra.
With warm
Chassidic blessings
to all Yisroel, and
especially to Ezra
and all the readers.
May we all hear good
tidings soon!
My
previous
comment
pointed out
that there
is a special
spiritual
reverberation
of the
themes of
the
Chassidic
holidays the
19th and
20th of
Kislev this
year – since
the Maggid
died on the
19th of
Kislev 246
years ago,
which
represents
the idea of
a
progression
of twos, 2 4
6, and the
Alter
Rebbe’s
liberation
was on the
19th of
Kislev 220
years ago,
and the
first
printing of
Tanya was on
the 20th of
Kislev 222
years ago.
Likewise
regarding
the festival
of Chanukah
– which in
the calendar
starts
almost
immediately
thereafter,
and there is
also a
connection
between the
themes of
the
spreading
Chassidic
teachings
and the
themes of
Chanukah,
liberation
and light –
there
appears to
be a similar
reverberation
for Chanukah
this year,
since in
general the
Chanukah
dedication
of the
Temple
occurred
“about 2200
years ago”
(that was
the wording
of the first
webpage on
Chanukah
that came up
in my
internet
search when
researching
this).
More
specifically,
most sources
(see for
example the
discussion
in
Artscroll’s
book on
Chanukah)
say that the
Chanukah
dedication
of the
Temple
happened in
the Hebrew
year 3597
(corresponding
to secular
year 165
BCE), so
more
specifically
that was
5779 – 3597
= 2182 years
ago, which
is actually
18 years shy
of the round
number 2200,
however
interestingly
the digits
of number
2182 can
also be
rearranged
to be seen
as being
composed of
the numbers
22 and 18,
and the
average of
these two
numbers is
simply 20.
Another
interesting
thing about
the number
2182 is that
it only has
2 prime
factors, 2
and 1091,
thus 2182 =
2 x 1091,
with the
number 2
being the
first prime
number and
the number
1091 being
the 182nd
prime
number. This
is unusual
since the
number 2182
can be
viewed as
2-182, and
therefore
hinting that
it is itself
the product
of the
multiplication
of the
number 2 and
the 182nd
prime
number.
Also
interestingly,
if we add
instead of
multiply,
then 2 + 182
= 184, the
gematria of
the key word
פקד, Pokad,
the
important
term and
clue that
means
“redemption.”
———-
The
Chanukah
dedication
of the
Temple
happened in
the
relatively
early stages
of the
Jewish
rebellion
against the
Syrian-Greek
forces of
Seleucid
King
Antiochus
IV, exactly
three years
to the day
from when
the pagans
took control
of and
defiled the
Temple,
however the
war still
continued in
earnest for
another 24
years (again
a
progression
of twos,
2-4…), until
Shimon, the
last
surviving
son of
Mattisyahu
the
Hasmonean,
finally
prevailed
and was
proclaimed
Prince of
Israel.
According
to I
Maccabees
this
proclamation
occurred on
the 18th of
Elul
3621/140 BCE
(see the
Artscroll
book on
Chanukah for
details),
and this
also
illustrates
the
connection
between
Chanukah and
the
Chassidic
festivals,
since the
18th of Elul
is also both
the birthday
of the Baal
Shem Tov and
the birthday
of the Alter
Rebbe.
———-
The name
חנוכה,
Chanukah,
hints that
חנו כ”ה,
Chanu
Chuf-Heh,
“they rested
on the 25th”
of the month
of Kislev,
and the
festival
extends for
8 days, into
the
beginning of
the month of
Teves.
It comes
out that the
festival of
Chanukah
joins
Kislev, the
9th month
(from
Nissan),
with Teves,
the 10th
month (from
Nissan), and
therefore
certain
elements in
Chanukah may
supersede
elements of
Kislev and
of Teves.
This may be
represented
by saying
that 9 + 10
= 19, and
superseding
19 is 20,
and this too
may be a
hint to the
Chassidic
holidays of
the 19th and
20th of
Kislev, that
lead up to
and are
connected
with
Chanukah and
this time of
the Jewish
year.
———-
There is
also a
significant
hint to
חנוכה,
Chanukah,
spelled Ches
Nun Vov Chof
Heh, in the
first verse
of the Shma,
similar to
the
explanations
for other
names that
were given
above:
Start
from the
letter Ches
in the last
word of the
Shma verse,
אח’ד,
Ech’od,
which
corresponds
to the first
letter Ches
of the word
ח’נוכה,
Ch’anukah.
Then go
back to the
letters Nun
and Vov at
the end of
the Divine
Name
‘א-להינ’ו,
Elokein’u’,
which
correspond
to the next
letters Nun
and Vov of
the word
חנ’ו’כה,
Chan’u’kah.
Then take
the Divine
Name
Y-H-V-H, in
between the
Name
Elokeinu and
the word
Echod, and
as it
written in
Siddurim it
is often
abbreviated
Yud-Yud,
with a
gematria of
10 + 10 =
20, and this
corresponds
to the next
letter Chof,
gematria 20,
of the word
חנוכ’ה,
Chanuk’ah.
Then take
the
remaining
letters Alef
and Dalet of
the word
‘א’חד,
E’chod’, in
gematria 1 +
4 = 5, which
correspond
to the
letter Heh,
gematria 5,
that is the
final letter
of the word
‘חנוכה,
Chanukah’.
(Alternatively,
take the
Divine Name
Y-H-V-H,
gematria 26,
and subtract
from it the
next letter,
the Alef of
א’חד,
E’chod,
gematria 1,
to get 26 –
1 = 25,
which
corresponds
to the
gematria of
the letters
Chuf and
Heh, 20 + 5
= 25, or
alternatively
take the 25
letters of
the whole
verse of
Shma, and
together
they
represent
the gematria
of the
letters Chuf
and Heh, 20
+ 5 = 25, at
the end of
the word
‘חנוכ’ה,
Chanuk’ah’.)
It comes
out based on
this that
the last 9
consecutive
letters of
the Shma (2
from
Elokeinu, 4
from Hashem,
and 3 from
Echod)
compose a
hint to the
festival of
Chanukah.
These
letters can
also be
viewed as
similar to
the form of
a Chanukah
Menorah,
with the
first 8 of
these
letters
representing
the 8
Mitzvah
candles, and
with the
large letter
Dalet at the
end,
towering
above the
other
letters,
representing
the Shamash
helper
candle that
is set
higher,
above the
other
candles in
the Menorah.
The large
letter
D’alet,
gematria 4,
may also
stand for
and
symbolize
the D’reidel
that is
associated
with
Chanukah,
the 4-sided
top that is
spun in
games played
on the
festival.
———-
It is
especially
appropriate
for these
hints to
Chanukah to
be found at
the end of
the Shma
Yisroel
verse since
the Chanukah
festival
commemorates
miraculous
events that
happened at
the end of
our Biblical
history,
after all of
the other
miraculous
events that
are
commemorated
by all of
our other
holidays and
festivals.
The 25
letters of
the Shma
verse also
correspond
to another
facet of
Chanukah, in
that there
are 24 Books
of the
Jewish
Scriptures,
and Chanukah
would have
been the
25th Book if
another Book
describing
its miracles
would have
been added
to the
Bible,
however this
was already
after the
Biblical
cannon had
been sealed,
and there
were no
authentic
prophets any
more in
those times,
since true
prophecy had
already
ended.
In the
most recent
Torah To-Go
publication
by Yeshiva
University
it was
brought in
the name of
Rav Yosef
Chaim
Sonnenfeld
that this is
hinted in
the word
Chanukah
itself. As
stated above
Chanukah can
be
understood
as, חנו כ”ה,
Chanu K”H,
“they rested
on the
25th,” and
this also
hints that
although
Chanukah
would have
qualified to
be the 25th
Book of
Scripture,
nevertheless
our sages
“rested” and
refrained
from
actually
doing this.
At any
rate let us
hope that
the light of
Chanukah and
the light of
Chassidus
and Pnimius
HaTorah will
keep growing
ever
brighter and
the true
spirit of
prophecy and
attachment
to Hashem
will return
once again
soon in our
time.
Happy
Chanukah!
A
few
more
remarks
regarding
the
Shma
and
hints
to
Chanukah:
The
festival
of
Chanukah
commemorates
the
purification
and
rededication
of
the
Temple,
and
the
rekindling
of
the
Menorah
with
pure
olive
oil,
and
notably
the
basic
shape
of
the
first
letter
of
the
Shma,
the
letter
ש,
Shin,
resembles
the
shape
of
the
Menorah
in
the
Temple:
Like
the
Menorah
in
the
Temple
the
letter
Shin
also
has
a
single
“base,”
with
multiple
upward
extending
“branches,”
and
with
the
top
of
each
branch
resembling
a
“bud”
or
“cup”
like
form,
corresponding
to
the
oil
holding
bowls
at
the
top
the
Menorah.
Additionally,
the
way
the
letter
Shin
is
written
in
the
Torah
it
is
made
with
several
thin
and
tiny
crowning
Tagim
marks
at
the
very
top,
and
in
fitting
with
the
Menorah
analogy,
these
marks
resemble
the
oil
burning
wicks
that
extended
out
of
their
holders
at
the
top
of
the
Menorah.
Further,
when
written
with
punctuation
marks,
there
is
also
a
dot
on
top
of
the
letter,
a
dot
on
the
right
for
a
letter
Shin,
and
a
dot
on
the
left
for
a
letter
Sin,
and
this
dot
too
resembles
the
wicks
burning
on
top
of
the
branches
of
the
Menorah.
———-
It
was
said
above
that
the
last
letter
of
the
Shma
verse,
the
large
letter
Dalet
at
the
end
of
the
word
Echod,
towering
above
the
other
letters,
may
represent
the
Shamash
helper
candle
that
is
set
higher,
above
the
other
candles
in
the
Menorah
–
however
that
is
specifically
for
the
Menorah
that
we
use
in
our
homes
and
in
public
displays
for
the
8
nights
of
Chanukah,
however
for
the
Menorah
in
the
Temple
there
was
no
Shamash
candle.
It
comes
out
that
the
first
letter
of
the
Shma,
the
Shin,
corresponds
to
the
Menorah
of
the
Temple,
which
was
miraculously
lit
with
pure
oil
by
the
Chashmonoim
when
after
being
victorious
in
battle
they
were
able
to
retake
control
of
the
Temple.
The
letter
Dalet,
on
the
other
hand,
at
the
end
of
the
Shma
verse,
corresponds
to
the
Menorah
of
Chanukah
that
we
light
in
our
homes
and
in
public
displays.
———-
Above
it
was
also
stated
that
the
large
letter
D’alet,
gematria
4,
may
also
stand
for
and
symbolizes
the
D’reidel
that
is
associated
with
Chanukah,
the
4-sided
top
that
is
spun
in
games
played
on
the
festival.
This
idea
is
also
emphasized
since,
as
mentioned
in a
previous
comment,
there
is a
custom
that
when
pronouncing
the
word
Echod,
one
should
incline
one’s
head
around
in a
slight
circle,
to
symbolically
proclaim
Hashem
as
the
One
and
Only
King
above
in
the
heavens
and
below
in
the
earth
and
throughout
the
four
directions.
This
circling
motion
also
corresponds
to
the
circling
motion
of
the
Dreidel.
The
original
Hebrew
word
for
Dreidel
is
סביבון,
Sevivon.
It
is
interesting
that
in
gematria
the
word
Sevivon
is
130,
which
corresponds
to
the
word
אחד,
Echod,
gematria
13.
Additionally,
the
small
gematria
of
Sevivon,
130,
is 1
+ 3
+ 0
= 4,
which
also
corresponds
to
the
letter
Dalet,
gematria
4.
Further,
the
root
of
the
word
Sevivon
is
סבב,
Savev,
is
gematria
64,
and
this
also
corresponds
to a
large
letter
Dalet,
which
may
be
interpreted
as 4
cubed,
4 x
4 x
4 =
64.
———-
As
explained
in
previous
comments
at
length,
the
Divine
Name
Sha-da-i,
spelled
Shin
Dalet
Yud,
is
intimately
connected
with
the
Shma.
After
explaining
the
Chanukah
symbolism
of
the
letter
Shin
and
in
the
letter
Dalet
of
Shma,
to
complete
the
hints
to
the
letters
of
this
Divine
Name
with
correspondences
in
the
symbols
of
Chanukah,
it
is
possible
to
say
that
the
letter
Yud
of
Sha-da-i
may
be
represented
by
the
coins
of
Chnukah
Gelt
that
are
customarily
given,
or
alternatively
by
the
Latkes
(potato
pancakes)
and
Safganios
(doughnuts)
traditionally
eaten
on
Chanukah,
since
these
may
be
understood
as
having
basically
the
shape
of
the
letter
Yud.
———-
The
wicked
Greek/Syrian
oppressors
tried
to
uproot
the
Jewish
people’s
adherence
to
Torah
and
Mitzvos,
and
in
particular
focused
their
decrees
against
the
Temple,
the
Shabbos,
Yom
Tov,
Rosh
Chodesh,
Kashrus,
Circumcision,
the
laws
of
Tahars
HaMishpocha,
the
mentioning
of
Hashem’s
Name
and
Torah
study.
The
Chashmonoim
fought
against
these
wicked
people
in
their
times
and
with
Hashem’s
help
were
victorious.
In
every
generation
we
have
challenges
to
our
Torah
study
and
Mitzvah
observance.
Let’s
draw
from
the
spirit
of
Chanukah
to
help
inspire
us
all
year
long
to
reach
the
victories
that
we
need
here
and
now
in
our
days.
May
we
merit
the
rebuilding
and
rededication
of
the
Beis
Hamikdosh
once
again,
very
soon
indeed!
As explained above the letter Shin at the beginning of the Shma hints to the Menorah, since the letter Shin resembles the shape of the Menorah, with a base and rising branches, and complete with dots and threadlike lines at their top that resemble the lamp bowls with glowing wicks atop the Menorah.
The symbolism of the letter Shin and its connection to the Menorah is also hinted in that the gematria of the letter ש, Shin, 300, together with 1 for the Kolel, which is stressed in the context of the Shma by the word Echod, G-d is One, sum to 300 + 1 = 301, and this is the same as the gematria of the word מנורה, Menorah, 40 + 50 + 6 + 200 + 5 = 301. Emphasizing this even more, the number 301 also corresponds to the gematria of the word אש, Aish, fire, 301, and also the word שא, Sah, raise up, which are also fitting hints to the uplifting fiery lights of the Menorah.
———-
It is possible to expand this hint to the form of the Menorah in the beginning of the Shma, by joining the letter Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, as discussed, together with the letter Sin of the next word in the verse, the letter Sin the name יש’ראל, Yis’roel, which likewise shares the same shape and symbolism.
However, even more, each of these letters Shin and Sin may be seen to represent one side of the Menorah – i.e., the 3 upward extending lines of the letter Shin may represent the 3 branches on the right side of the Menorah, and the 3 upward extending lines of the letter Sin may represent the 3 branches on the left side of the Menorah – and they are symmetrically arranged in this first verse of Shma on either side of the large letter ע, Ayin, of the word ‘שמע, Shma’, which is directly in the middle between them.
The letter Ayin itself also shares a similar resemblance to the form of a Menorah – with a larger base at the bottom, with lines extending upward, and with dots on top of these lines that resemble lamp bowls for oil atop the Menorah, and the Ayin is also one of the few letters that is written in the Torah, like the letters Shin and Sin, with crowning smaller threadlike lines, Tagim, on its top, that resemble the wicks burning in the Menorah’s lamps.
Further, this letter Ayin at the beginning of the Shma, with its larger form in comparison to the other letters, together with the previously mentioned letters Shin and Sin symmetrically arranged to the right and left, may be said to resemble the base and central column of one united larger Menorah, with the regular size letters Shin and Sin being the right and left sides of one united Menorah that is formed by the shape and the arrangement of these letters.
Additionally, the letter Ayin is gematria 70, and this resonates with the number 7 that corresponds to the 7 lights of the Menorah, and as mentioned in a previous comment, one of the upward extending lines of the letter Ayin, the one on the left side of the Ayin, itself has the form of a letter ז, Zayin, gematria 7, and this too alludes to and corresponds to the 7 lights of the Temple Menorah.
[Counting the 2 upwardly extending lines of the letter Ayin, together with the 3 upwardly extending lines of the letter Shin, and the 3 upwardly extending lines of the Sin, gives a total of 2 + 3 + 3 = 8 upwardly extending lines, one more than the number of lights in the Temple Menorah, however, as pointed out, one of these upward extending lines has the shape of a Zayin, gematria 7, and in the allusion to the Menorah herein explained, this Zayin shaped line in the Ayin serves to emphasize that the Menorah in the Temple had specifically 7 lamps, or alternatively the combined 8 upwardly extending lines of these letters Shin, Ayin, Sin, allude and correspond to the 8 lights of the Chanukah Menorah.].
As for the intervening letters Mem (between the Shin and Ayin) and Yud (between the Ayin and the Sin), these serve to space out and enhance the appearance of the branches of the conceptualized Menorah that is thereby formed, and also the letter Mem itself also hints to the Menorah, since Mem is the first letter of the word מ’נורה, M’enorah, and the Yud, due to its shape and its appearance in the script, may be seen as alluding to the lamps and the wicks that are lit at the top of the Menorah.
———-
Indeed there is also a noticeable hint to the word מנורה, Menorah, spelled Mem Nun Vov Reish Heh, in the first verse of the Shma:
The hint starts immediately from the letter Mem of שמ’ע, Shm’a, which corresponds to the first letter of the word מ’נורה, M’enorah, as just stated, right after the pictographic representation of the Menorah in the shape of the initial letter Shin of ש’מע, Sh’ma.
Then skip toward the end of the Shma verse, and take the consecutive letters Nun and Vov at the end of the Divine Name ‘אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u’, which correspond to the next letters Nun and Vov of the word מנ’ו’רה, Men’o’rah.
Then take the next word, the Divine Name Hashem, Y-H-V-H, which is gematria 26, and multiply it by 8, the gematria of the letter Ches of the next word אח’ד, Echod, to get 26 x 8 = 208, which is the same as 200 + 8, and this number of 200 corresponds to the gematria of the letter Reish, which is the next letter in the word מנור’ה, Meor’ah. [The remainder 8 may be understood to correspond to the 8 lights of the Chanukah Menorah, or to the 7 lights of the Temple Menorah plus 1 more to hint to the special fire that is used to kindle them that is taken from the perpetual fire on the Mizba’ach Altar (as will be explained a bit more in a coming comment)].
Then take the remaining letters at the end of the verse, the Alef and Dalet of the word ‘א’חד, E’chod’, which in gematria are 1 + 4 = 5, the same as the gematria of the letter Heh, which corresponds to the letter Heh that is the final letter in the word ‘מנורה, Menorah’.
[Alternatively, for the last two letters: Take the way the Divine Name Hashem is represented in Siddurim, Yud Yud, with a gematria of 20, which resonates with the gematria 200 of the letter Reish, and therefore may correspond to the letter Reish in the word מנור’ה, Menor’ah. Then take the small gematria, 4, of the whole next word of Shma, אחד, Echod (i.e., the regular gematria 1 + 8 + 4 = 13, and in small gematria this equals 1 + 3 = 4), together with 1 more for the meaning of that same word Echod (i.e., one, 1), to get 4 + 1 = 5, which is the gematria of the letter Heh, corresponding to the final letter Heh of the word ‘מנורה, Menorah’.]
Thus it comes out that by joining the letters at the beginning of the Shma with the letters at the end of the Shma verse there is produced this suitable and credible allusion to the word מנורה, Menorah, and its very significant symbolism.
(To be continued.)
In addition to Chanukah’s emphasis on the Menorah, there is also a special Chanukah emphasis on the Mizba’ach, the holy Altar in the Temple courtyard.
The connection to the Mizba’ach is hinted right in the name חנוכה, Chanukah, from the root חנך, Chanuch, dedicate, as in חנוכת המזבח, Chanukas HaMizba’ach, the dedication of the Altar, and this is appropriate for the festival of dedication for the purified Temple and especially for the dedication of the Altar.
The history of the events of those times are recounted in many places, including in Artscroll’s book on Chanukah, based on Rabbinic sources and on Maccabees I and II, that the Temple’s defilement by the Syrian-Greek Seleucids increased over time, and the abomination of a pig being offered on the Altar happened on the Hebrew date 25 Kislev 3594. Miraculously, three years to the day later, on 25 Kislev 3597, the Hasmonean Maccabees retook the Temple and offered clean sacrifices on a new rebuilt holy Altar.
[Incidentally, according to the tradition of our sages o.b.m. the work of constructing the Mishkon, its furnishings and vessels, was actually finished on 25 Kislev in the year after the exodus from Egypt, 2449, and the erection of the Mishkon was delayed for various reasons a few months until the 1st of Nisan.]
In addition, it was specifically an incident of a pig being about to be offered on altar erected by the Syrian-Greeks and Hellenists in the town of Modin, that sparked the initial act of rebellion by Matisyahu Kohen Gadol Chashmonoi and his sons, when they refused to cooperate with this sacrilege and took up arms and killed the blasphemers and the pagan soldiers there. This account also emphasizes the essential function and role of the Altar in sparking the revolt and subsequent victory which we celebrate as the festival of Chanukah.
Similarly, regarding the positive effect that celebrating Chanukah has toward the eventual future dedication of the IYH soon to be rebuilt Temple and Altar, as expressed in the words traditionally sung in the beginning of the Chanukah “MaOz Tzur” prayer:
“Mighty stronghold of my salvation, to praise You is a delight. Restore my House of Prayer, and there we will bring a thanksgiving offering… then shall I complete with a song of hymn the dedication of the Altar.”
———-
The Talmud (Yoma 45b) states that there is connection between the Menorah and the Mizba’ach in the Temple courtyard, in that the fire to kindle the Menorah is taken from the fire on the Mizba’ach.
Rashi cites this on Leviticus 6:6, “There shall be a continual (Tamid) fire kept burning on the Altar, it shall not be extinguished,” explaining that the redundant word Tamid, “continual” [redundant since anyway the verse states “it shall not be extinguished,” implying it shall burn continually], teaches that the lamps of Menorah are kindled with the fire from the Altar, since concerning the Menorah it similarly states (Exodus 27:20), “to kindle a lamp continually (Tamid),” thus it is indicated that the Menorah should be ignited from the fire on the outer Altar.
This is also codified by the Rambam who writes that after kindling with fire from the Altar the Neir HaMa’aravi, the “western lamp,” also known as the Neir Tamid, the “continual lamp,” the wick of that lamp is used to kindle its neighboring lamps, and then the wick each lamp is used to kindle its neighbor, until all seven lamps of the Menorah are lit.
[For a bit more elaboration on this, here is a translation of the Rambam, Hilchos Temidin Umusofim, ch. 3, laws 13-14, with footnotes, from a free online website:
When the western lamp52 becomes extinguished, after the ash is removed, it should be rekindled only [from fire] from the outer altar.53 When any of the other lamps are extinguished, by contrast, they may be rekindled from each other.54
How are [the lamps of the Menorah] kindled? One should pull its wick out55 until he kindles it [from another one of the lamps].56 [He must extend the wicks,] because the lamps are permanently affixed within the Menorah.57 And he may not use another lamp, because that would be disrespectful.58 _____ 52. As mentioned in Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 3:8, the Rambam maintains that the Menorah was positioned from north to south. Accordingly, this refers to the center lamp that was positioned opposite the Holy of Holies. Others differ, maintaining that the Menorah is positioned from east to west and the term “western lamp” refers to the second lamp from the east which is “western” in relation to the more eastern one. 53. Yoma 45b derives this concept from Leviticus 6:6 which reads “A continuous fire shall burn on the altar.” Using the rules of Biblical exegesis, our Sages explain that the verse can be interpreted. Whenever a continuous fire will burn – and the Menorah is also referred to as a continuous fire – it shall be kindled from the altar. The Ra’avad differs with this ruling and maintains that when possible, even the western lamp should be kindled from the other lamps of the Menorah. Only when there is no alternative, it should be kindled from the altar. The Radbaz and the Kessef Mishneh, however, give support for the Rambam’s view. 54. Indeed, as stated in the following halachah, it is desirable to do so rather than use another candle. 55. With tweezers. This was possible, because the wicks were long. 56. The Radbaz suggests that each lamp would be kindled from the lamp next to it. Thus one would not have to stretch any of the wicks that far. 57. See Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 3:6-7. 58. Even if one would light the ordinary lamp from the lamp of the Menorah, it would be unacceptable, because it is not respectful to light an ordinary lamp from the lamp of the Menorah (Kessef Mishneh, based on Maggid Mishneh, Hilchot Chanukah 3:9).]
These and other sources emphasis that the fire for the Menorah ultimately originates from the fire on the Mizba’ach.
As mentioned in a previous comment, there was no Shamash-helper light fixed in the Temple’s Menorah as there is in Menorahs used for Chanukah, however based on the above explanation it is evident that in some respects, since the Mizba’ach fire was used to kindle the Menorah, it is possible to consider the Mizba’ach in this regard as the Shamash-helper for the lighting of the Temple Menorah. At any rate this serves to express the essential connection between the Menorah and the Mizba’ach, as shall be further explained.
(To be continued.)
As explained above, the Menorah and the Mizba’ach are two aspects of Divine service that are specially emphasized on Chanukah, and this special connection between the Menorah and the Mizba’ach is also evident from the Torah readings that were established for the days of Chanukah:
Some congregations start the Torah reading from the portion of the Birchas Kohanim, from Parshas Noso (Numbers 6:22-27) – giving honorable recognition to the Kohanim for their leadership in the Chanukah rebellion, and to start out with Hashem’s great blessings through the Kohanim – and of course the Kohanim are essential for all Temple service, including for the Menorah and Mizba’ach. Then they continue with the immediately next portion of Torah, which is where all other congregations begin on Chanukah (Numbers 7:1):
“It was on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan-Tabernacle that he anointed it, and sanctified it and all its utensils, and the Mizba’ach-Altar and all its utensils, and he anointed and sanctified them.”
This verse highlights a special mention of the Mizba’ach, more so than any other aspect of the Mishkan service.
The Torah reading then continues with a description of the unique joint offerings that the leaders of the tribes provided for the Tabernacle, the presentation of specially designed covered wagons with oxen to pull them, which Hashem commanded to be given to the Levi’im for assistance in carrying the Mishkon from encampment to encampment. Then, the focus of the majority of the Torah reading for the days of Chanukah continues starting from verse 7:10:
“The leaders bought forward offerings for the dedication of the Altar on the day it was anointed, and the leaders brought their offering before the Altar. Hashem said to Moshe, One leader each day, one leader each day shall they bring their offering for the dedication of the Altar….”
Clearly the dedication of the Altar is the main focus of this Torah passage, and this also stresses the aspect of the “Chanukas HaMizba’ach” that was likewise a most significant factor in the Chanukah dedication.
[It is interesting that this Torah reading is from Numbers chapter 7, corresponding to the 7 lamps in the Menorah, and that there are 89 verses in this chapter, which corresponds to the gematria of the word חנוכה, Chanukah, 8 + 50 + 6 + 20 + 5 = 89.]
Each day of Chanukah the reading discusses the offerings of one of the leaders of the tribes, starting from the tribe of Yehuday, and on the eighth and last day of Chanukah the Torah reading starts with the offering by the leader of the tribe of Menashe, the 8th leader to present his offerings, and we keep reading about all the offerings of the remaining leaders of the tribes, and the totals of all their offerings at the end of Parshas Naso, and then without stopping we continue reading the beginning of Parshas B’ha’aloscho (Numbers 8:1-4), which is about the kindling of the Menorah by Aharon Kohen Gadol:
“Hashem spoke to Moshe saying. Speak to Aharon and say to him: When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light. Aharon did so, toward the face of the Menorah he kindled its lamps, as Hashem had commanded Moshe. This is the workmanship of the Menorah, hammered-out gold, from its base to its flower it is hammered out; according to the vision that Hashem showed Moshe, so did he make the Menorah.”
[It is interesting that this is chapter 8, corresponding to the 8 lights of the Chanukah Menorah, and as the Midrash and commentators like Ramban and others explain, in these verses there is a special hint to the Chanukah Menorah and the victory of the Kohanim Chashmonoim.]
Thus from all of this it is evident that the Torah reading for Chanukah begins with verses that highlight the Mizba’ach and concludes with verses that highlight the Menorah, again pointing to the connection of especially these two specific Temple services.
(To be continued)
Here I interrupt the discourse on Chanukah, the Menorah and Mizba’ach, to give another brief alert about the uniqueness of this year, and its connection to prime numbers, which the readers should appreciate:
Last year much was made of the fact that that 5778 was 3330 years since the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah. With all the special significance of the number 3330, it may of course also be pointed out that the current year, 5779, is this same number of years, 3330 years, since the erecting of the Mishkon in the year 2449.
Further, in a previous comment above it was pointed out that 5779 is a prime number (the 758th prime), and this year is now 3331 years since the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah, and this is also very significant since the number 3331 is also a prime number, the 470th prime.
Also interestingly the digits of 3331 sum to 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 10, and 470 = 10 x 47, with 47 also being a prime number, the 15th prime.
Something very special is certainly happening and very soon this should be revealed to all!
Continuing with regard to the Mizba’ach, Altar, it is remarkable
that the word מזבח, Mizba’ach, spelled Mem Zayin Beis Ches, is also
prominently hinted in the beginning and ending of the first verse of
the Shma – similar to what was explained above regarding the hint to
the word מנורה, Menorah, in the Shma – and the Mizba’ach can be
prominently hinted two ways, starting and ending in the very same
letters, in regular order and in reverse order:
Starting with the regular reading order, first take the letter
Mem of שמ’ע, Shm’a, and in addition to corresponding to the initial
letter Mem of the word מ’נורה, M’enorah (and to the Mem of מ’שה,
M’oshe, and the Mem of מ’שיח, M’oshiach, as explained above), also
corresponds to the first letter Mem of the word מ’זבח, M’izbaach.
Then take the next letter Ayin of ‘שמע, Shma’, for as previously
mentioned, the gematria of Ayin is 70, which resonates with the
gematria of Zayin, 7, and also the top left side of the letter ע,
Ayin, has the shape of a letter ז, Zayin, and therefore this letter
Ayin can allude to the next letter Zayin of the word מז’בח,
Miz’baach.
These two letters, the Mem and the Ayin (which also hints to a
Zayin), are the 2nd and 3rd letters from the beginning of the Shma
verse, and for the hint to the word Mizba’ach just join them to the
corresponding 2nd and 3rd letters from the end of the Shma verse,
i.e., the letters Alef and Ches from the word א’ח’ד, E’ch’od. These
letters Alef and Ches may be understood as corresponding to the last
two letters Beis and Ches of the word ‘מזב’ח, Mizb’aach’, since the
last letter Ches is identical in both words, and since there are
many ways to transform the letter Alef into a Beis.
One way is to use the transformation code “Alef-Beis, Beis-Gimel,
Gimel-Dalet,” whereby each letter transforms into the next letter in
the Hebrew alphabet, until the Tav at the end transforms into an
Alef to complete the cycle. Another way is to use the transformation
code “Alef-Beis, Gimel-Dalet, Heh-Vov,” whereby the letters Alef and
Beis interchange, the letters Gimel and Dalet interchange, and so
on.
Alternatively the letter Alef may be transformed into a letter
Beis by taking the gematria of the letter Alef, 1, and adding 1 for
the Kolel, for a sum of 1 + 1 = 2, the gematria of the letter Beis.
Transforming the Alef of Echod in the Shma into a letter Beis may
also be done by adding the meaning of the word Echod, which is 1, or
by adding to it the Name of Hashem immediately before the word Echod
in the verse, since “Hashem is One,” thus with the Alef of Echod
alluding to 1 + 1 = 2, a transformation into the letter Beis,
gematria 2.
———-
There is also a hint to the word Mizba’ach in reverse, starting
from the same letter Mem and ending with the same letter Ches:
As before, first take the letter Mem of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a,
which corresponds to the first letter Mem of the word מ’זבח,
M’izba’ach.
Then take immediately previous letter Shin of the word ש’מע,
Sh’ma, and note the top left side of the Shin also has the shape of
a letter ז, Zayin, and in some instances the letter Shin-Sin is also
interchanged with the letter Zayin since their vocalizations are
similar, and therefore this letter Shin may hint to and represent
the next letter Zayin of the word מז’בח, Miz’ba’ach.
These two letters, the Mem and the Shin (which also hints to a
Zayin), are the 1st and 2nd letters from the beginning of the verse,
and now continue cycling backward through the verse, joining the
beginning to the ending, and join them with the two letters that are
the 1st and 2nd letters from the end of the verse, the letters Dalet
and Ches from the word ‘אח’ד, Ech’od’. These letters may be
understood to correspond to the last two letters Beis and Ches of
the word ‘מזב’ח, Mizb’aach’, since again the Ches is identical in
both words, and the Dalet may be meditatively transformed into a
Beis in a number of ways.
One way to conceptually transform a Dalet into a Beis is to
understand that its gematria, 4, may be represented as 2 + 2, or as
2 x 2, or as 2 squared, or 2 to the power of 2, and this stresses
the connection to the number 2, the gematria of the letter Beis.
Further, the large letter Dalet may be expressed in its longhand
form, as the word דלת, Dalet, spelled Dalet, Lamed, Tav, in gematria
434, and in small gematria this becomes 4 + 3 + 4 = 11, and 11
further reduces to 1 + 1 = 2, which is the gematria of the letter
Beis.
It comes out that these hints to the word Mizba’ach are
completely spelled out in these symmetrical prominent letters at the
beginning and ending of the first verse of the Shma.
———-
It is possible to say that these two hints to the word Mizba’ach
in the Shma, one in the regular reading order on the inside of the
verse, and one in reverse order on the outside of the verse,
correspond to the Temple’s two Altars, the Altar for incense inside
the Temple, and the Altar for sacrificial offerings in the Temple’s
courtyard.
There are numerous obvious interconnections between the two
Altars, and similar to what was explained above – that the fire to
kindle the Menorah was taken from the fire of the courtyard Altar –
so too the glowing embers for burning incense on the inner Altar
(which was located inside the Temple proper, adjacent to the
Menorah), were also taken from the fire on the outer Altar in the
Temple courtyard.
With regard to the dedication of the Temple celebrated on
Chanukah, the purification and dedication involved not just the
courtyard Altar for sacrifices, it also included purification and
dedication of the inner incense Altar, and all the other aspects the
Temple.
As discussed above, the Torah reading for Chanukah features the
verses describing the offerings presented by the leaders of the 12
tribes as gifts for the dedication of the Mizba’ach for the Mishkan
in the desert. Among the gifts of each leader offered was “One gold
ladle of ten [shekels] filled with incense,” for a total of (Numbers
7:86) “Twelve gold ladles filled with incense, each ladle was ten of
the sacred shekels; all the gold of the ladles was one hundred and
twenty [shekels].” Therefore these verses certainly also allude to
the Divine service of burning incense on the golden inner Altar.
———-
When reciting the Shma in our prayer services, and concentrating
and uniting ourselves with the plain meaning of the words, and with
the deep hinted intentions they contain, it is worthwhile to have
these lofty ideas in mind, and resolve to strive to transform
ourselves into metaphorical Menorahs and Mizba’achs, by radiating
true light to the world, and by bringing the world ever closer and
closer to Hashem.
The festival of Chanukah provides inspiration and intensification
for the light of Moshiach, and considering the prominent roles of
the Menorah and the Mizba’ach in the festival of Chanukah, it is
therefore fascinating that the gematria of the word מנורה, Menorah,
301, plus the gematria of the word מזבח, Mizba’ach, 57, sum to 301 +
57 = 358, which is the same as the gematria of the word משיח,
Moshiach, also 358.
By concentrating on these matters, and by studying and behaving
in the ways of the Torah, we arouse the spark of Moshiach within
ourselves, and help kindle the spark of the real Moshiach, which
shall surely burst forth very soon, with a warm, luminous, and
pleasingly fragrant flame that will be constant and forever
enduring!
Awesome! That is a tremendous amount of very astounding information that absolutely deserves full consideration!
———
It is just a bit uncomfortable however your tease that in your next post you will reveal the Trinity, due to non-Jewish connotation of that word, and unlike the beginning of your last post when you mentioned this, you have now also capitalized the word. It seems likely though that you are only referring to a triplet of Divine Names, or mathematical formulas, or special numbers, or the like, which would be just fine. Looking forward to the next revelations!
No cause for concern. Strictly Glatt Kosher.
Near the beginning of this post you wrote:
“We have seen how the very structure of our solar system can be broken down into a very few specific numbers that artificially repeat over and over again, and also relate directly to the Torah and the Divine Calendar. They all integrate like one gigantic clock mechanism one that cannot be carved out by random nature.”
On the words “like one gigantic clock mechanism,” you linked to your previous post, “What is Time?” – http://kabbalahsecrets.com/?p=3677 – where you wrote:
“This is the 5778th year in the Hebrew Calendar, and for 5778 years the Earth has been orbiting the Sun at 66,600 mph. Yes, that is a scientific fact.”
On another post, “G-d Vs AI, a 5778 Year Old Race” – http://kabbalahsecrets.com/?p=3842 – you wrote:
“Regardless of whether you believe in Creationism or Evolution, Man’s consciousness awoke 5778 years ago. The Torah tells us we were given two choices: The Tree-of-Life or the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. The [1.37] 13.7 Billion years of evolution that preceded it can be easily explained by the flexible kabbalistic definitions of time during the 6 days of Creation; it is nothing more than background for when we obtained consciousness and were first given the freedom of choice.”
It seems from your writings that you accept the establishment academia’s doctrine of uniformitarianism, including [from Wiki:] “the gradualistic concept that ‘the present is the key to the past,’ that events occur at the same rate now as they have always done,” both in the sky and on earth.
However IMO the overwhelming evidence for many years now has supported the alternative theories of catastrophism. In particular I’m referring to the theories championed by Immanuel Velikovsky and his disciples, that shed major light and understanding on the world in ancient biblical times and the global catastrophes that our ancestors experienced. The establishment’s dogmas are being disproved at a rapid rate. I recommend for example the works of “electric universe theory” proponents, such as for example at The Thunderbolts Project — https://www.thunderbolts.info/wp/ — which absolutely demolish almost all of mainstream science’s standard theories of physics, cosmology, geology, and more.
Also IMO you are too equivocal about creationism vs. evolution, since the evidence at hand for years now also completely demolishes all evolutionary theories in favor of Intelligent design and Divine creation (although certainly IMO that doesn’t mean literally 5778 years ago). In a previous comment I have already mentioned the advances that in recent years have been made in recognizing the Intelligent design of nature and living beings, which IMO is now logically and scientifically indisputable.
One of the primary aspects of Moshiach’s coming will be that mankind will overthrow the false so-called scientific theories and reach a truer understanding of the natural laws of the universe and of historical events.
The electric universe theory is also just a theory, albeit a good one, and I believe there is a better explanation for the universal symbolism among the ancient cultures on our planet, which I will touch on in my next article.
I’m looking forward to your idea of a better explanation, however IMHO the general EU theories for cosmology, astronomy, and geology, certainly make much more sense than the presently entrenched mainstream theories.
It seems that fundamental paradigm shifts and scientific revolutions are coming that will completely overthrow the present establishment views, radically transforming our understanding of the universe, and spurring ever greater technological breakthroughs and significantly improving the quality of life for all mankind.
Advances in biology will also overthrow the establishment theory of evolution, proving intelligent design and creation by G-d.
The mistaken archaeological mainstream will also be overthrown, and the historical accuracy of the Torah will be confirmed beyond doubt.
In addition, political and/or military upheavals are coming that will result in worldwide peace and prosperity.
Many are already able to see through the darkness and the veils. The pendulum is swinging and surely all will be revealed very soon!
Shona Tova U’mevorach,
As stated before – http://kabbalahsecrets.com/?p=3874&cpage=2#comment-119094 – in my August 20, 2018 comment on the post “Auspicious Dates”:
“While focused on the Magen David this is a suitable time to point out an important allusion to David in the Shma, in the final letters of the last words of the silent verse ‘ברוך שם כבוד’ מלכותו’ לעולם ועד, Boruch Shem KevoD’ MalchusO’ L’olaom VoeD’ (“Blessed is the Name of His glorious Kingdom for all eternity”), which these three letters spell the name דוד, Dovid. It is entirely proper to have this hint in mind when reciting the Shma, and to pray that the glory of Hashem’s kingdom should be revealed through the scion of His servant Dovid, Moshiach ben Dovid. The remaining final letters of this verse, Chuf, Mem, Mem, sum to 20 + 40 + 40 = 100, which is he complete number 10 x 10, hinting to the thought that we should merit to this revelation of Hashem’s Kingdom through Moshiach ben Dovid in completeness.”
Continuing from this idea, the letters Chuf, Mem, Mem, that sum to 100, also correspond to the 100 Brochos that Dovid instituted should be said by each person each day. In addition, the letters Chuf, Mem, Mem, in reverse order spell ממך, Mimcho, “from you” (in the singular), hinting that the 100 Brochos and the proper recitation of the Shma have to come from you, from each and every one, and similarly, that the recognition of G-d’s oneness and glory throughout the world is dependent on you, on each and every one, in addition to being dependent on all of Israel, since we are all addressed both individually and collectively in the verse, “Hear O’ Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One.”
Aside from the hint to Dovid in the Boruch Shem verse, also hinted in the first verse of Shma are Adam, Moshe, and Moshiach.
Adam, spelled אדם, Alef, Dalet, Mem, is hinted by means of a one letter skip starting from the Alef of the word Echod (which is an especially fitting place to start since Adam was the first man), then skipping one letter to the Dalet at the end of the word Echod, and then repeating the verse from the beginning (according to the rule “the end is inserted in the beginning”) and skipping the first letter of the word Shma, then there is a letter Mem. When these three letters are read together in this way they hint to the name Adam.
Moshe, spelled משה, Mem, Shin, Heh, is hinted by starting from the letter Mem that is the second letter of the first word Shma, then reading backward to the letter Shin at the beginning of the word Shma, and then continuing backward to letter Dalet of the word Echod at the end of the verse (by means of the rule “the beginning is inserted in the end”), with Dalet being gematria 4, which however transforms into the letter Heh, gematria 5, due to the addition of 1 for the Kolel which is symbolized by the word finalized by the Dalet, i.e., the word Echod, One, and by the Alef at the beginning of the word Echod (or since this is a large letter Dalet, it may hint to what is larger than the standard Dalet, and since the standard Dalet is gematria 4, a larger Dalet may hint to the next letter Heh, gematria 5). When these three letters are read together in this way they hint to the name Moshe.
Moshiach, spelled משיח, Mem, Shin, Yud, Ches, is hinted in the first verse of Shma when one reads the second letters of each word. The second letter of the first word Shma is a Mem, the second letter of the second word Yisroel is a Sin/Shin, the second letter of the third word Hashem, as it is spelled in many Sidurrim Yud Yud, is a letter Yud, and the second letter of the last word Echod is a Ches. When these second letters are read together they hint to the name Moshiach. When including the second letters of the remaining words in the verse, the second letter Lamed of the forth word Elokim, and the second letter Yud of the fifth word Hashem as it is spelled in Sidurim, then together these second letters spell למשיחי, L’moshichai, “For My Moshiach.”
Alternatively, the way the verse and the Names of Hashem are spelled in the Torah, YHVH, i.e., where the letter Heh is the second letter of the Name, then the third letter of Moshiach, the letter Yud of Moshiach, can be formed from the combination of the two second letters Heh from the two Names YHVH, since the gematria of each of these letters Heh is 5, and 5 + 5 = 10, the gematria of the letter Yud. Joining with the second letter of the remaining word Elokim, the letter Lamed, these second letters together therefore spell למשיח, L’Moshiach, “for Moshiach.”
It is good and proper to have all of this in mind when reciting the Shma, to accept upon oneself to strive to bring Hashem’s oneness and glory to the world with all of one’s individual ability, and by uniting with the entire community of Israel, and by uniting with Adam and all mankind, and by uniting with Moshe the giver of the Torah, the greatest prophet of all time, and by uniting with King Dovid and with Moshiach the son of Dovid, and by praying to Hashem for all of this to be revealed as soon as possible, right now, at the beginning of this very auspicious new year 5779.
Good Shabbos and Good Yom Tov!
Just a quick comment about this new Hebrew year 5779 that i haven’t seen mentioned before, the number 5779 is a prime number (the 758th prime number, which interestingly has all the same digits as the previous year 5778). IY”H more revelations will be forthcoming soon. Good Shabbos!
As explained above the names Adam, Moshe, and Moshiach are hinted in the first verse of the Shma Yisroel, and Dovid Hamelech is hinted in the verse Boruch Shem.
It is also possible to say that דוד, Dovid, is hinted in the verse Shma, in that the 6th and final word ‘אחד, Echod’, ends with a large letter Dalet, and since it is large it may be counted as two letters Dalet, and these may be joined with the final letter Vov of the 4th word of the verse, ‘א-להנו, Elokeinu’, to spell דוד, Dovid. This especially resonates since the gematrias of the letters Dalet and Vov of Dovid’s name, 4 and 6 respectively, correspond to the order number, 4th and 6th, of the words in the verse whose last letters are thus joined to yield this hint to Dovid.
In this way the hint to the name Dovid overlaps with the hint to Moshiach in the first verse of Shma as explained above, and this is appropriate since King Dovid is the First of Israel’s eternal Dynasty that will reach its epitome with the Kingship of Moshiach.
Alternatively the name Dovid may be hinted in the combination of the verse Shma and the verse Boruch Shem, since starting from the large Dalet of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, at the end of the verse Shma, then with the first and last letters, Vod and Dalet, of the word ‘ו’עד, V’oed’, at the end of the verse Boruch Shem, together spells דוד, Dovid, and this too is a fitting allusion to Dovid HaMelech.
As explained previously the name Moshe is hinted in the union of the first and last words of the verse Shma. Alternatively here is a more straightforward way to find the name Moshe hinted in the Shma, namely that the name Moshe is hinted in the second letters of the first three words, starting from the second letter Mem of the first word שמ’ע, Shm’a, then the second letter Shin of the second word יש’ראל, Yis’roel, and then the second letter Heh of the third word י-ה’-ו-ה, Hashem.
In this way the name Moshe also overlaps with the hint to Moshiach in the second letters of all the words in the verse Shma as explained above. This is especially fitting due to the strong connection between Moshe the First Redeemer and Moshiach the Final Redeemer, Moshe also being gematria 345 and Moshiach gematria 358, with a difference of only 13 = אחד, Echod = 1. In addition, the gematria of Moshe plus Dovid, 345 + 14 = 359, the same as Moshiach plus 1 for the Kolel.
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Incidentally, all of the hints to the year 5778 remain active in the year 5779 since this is the immediate continuation with a year that can be designated as a Kolel year.
Significantly, it may be seen that by uniting the first and last words of the first verse of Shma, with the essential teaching of Hashem Echod, G-d is One, which resonates with the idea of the Kolel, 1, it is possible to find hints to the years ה’תשעח and ה’תשעט, the years 5778 and 5779.
In the first word שמע, Shma, the only change that is necessary is that the letter מ, Mem, must be transformed into a letter ת, Tav. This can be done because their respective gematrias 40 and 400 resonate well, especially in the environment of the verse with the large letter Dalet, gematrai 4, and also indicating enlargement as from 40 to 400. Also this may be hinted in the continuation from the letter Mem, with the immediately following letter Ayin of the word Shma’ and the letter Yud from the next word י’שראל, Y’isroel, i.e., מ-ע-י, understood as instructing to take the letter Mem, then Ayin/Iyun, examine it, Yud, 10 times, and 40 x 10 = 400, and the Mem transforms to a Tav. There may also be a tendency for this Mem to transform into a Tav since the Mem follows after the letter Shin and the letter in the Alef Bet that naturally follows the Shin is the Tav. Thus from the first word we now have שתע, the letters Shin, Tav, Ayin, or in more familiar form, תשע, Tav, Shin, Ayin.
(Thus with this transformation alone we already have תשע, Tav, Shin, Ayin, which spells the word Taisha, meaning nine, i.e., the number 9, and therefore all by itself the word Shama can transform in a way that these letters plus their word meaning yield 770 + 9 = 779, as in this year 5-779).
In the last word of the verse, אחד, Echod, all that is needed is to combine the first letter Alef with last letter Dalet, or with the meaning of the word Echod, i.e., One, 1, to form the gematria of 4 + 1 = 5, which yields the letter Heh, and then we will also use the remaining middle letter Ches.
Together we now have all the letters needed to yield all the numbers for the year 5778, for by combining the gematria of the large letter Dalet and the Alef of Echod to transform them into a large letter Heh, symbolizing 5000 years, then the תשע from the first word for a gematria of 770, then the Ches from Echod for gematria 8, thus together we can use all the letters of these two words symbolize the year 5778.
To yield the numbers for the year 5779, combine the gematria of the large letter Dalet with the meaning of the word Echod, One, to transform into a large letter Heh, symbolizing 5000 years, then the תשע from the first word for 770, then join the Alef and the Ches from the word Echod to get 1 + 8 = 9, and thus all together the two words symbolize the year 5779.
Our proper intentions and actions are required in order for the great potential of these years to be born out in reality in the best way possibly imaginable.
In the weekly Torah readings we have started over from Breishis, learning about Adam, Noach, and currently about Avrom, who was Divinely renamed Avrohom, our patriarch, the founder of the Jewish nation.
As already explained the name Adam is hinted in the Shma, by one letter skipping from the Alef of Echod, to the Dalet of Echod, and then back to the Mem of Shma. The names of the sons of Adam are also hinted in the Shma:
קין, Kayin, spelled Kuf Yud Nun, is hinted in the word א-לקינו, Elok’ei’n’u, since out of respect to the Divine Name the letter Heh in it is often pronounced and spelled instead with a letter Kuf, and then the three consecutive letters Kuf, Yud, Nun, in the proper order, spell the name Kayin.
הבל, Hevel, spelled Heh Veis Lamed, is hinted in the same word א-ל’-ה’-ינו, Elokeinu, starting from that same letter Heh, and joining with it the immediately previous letter Lamed, we have the first and last letters of the name Hevel, and the middle letter Veis of Hev’el is hinted in next previous letter, the Alf, 1, the initial of the word E’lokeinu, plus 1 for the Kolel, G-d is 1, and 1 + 1 = 2 = the letter Beis/Veis, and thus together consecutively we have the letters Heh, Lamed, Vais, which rearrange to spelling the name Hevel.
Alternatively, since the word Elo’keinu is pronounced with the Cholem, Oh, sound, as if a Vov is written and pronounced between the Lamed and the Heh, א-לו’הינו, and the Vov is similar sounding to a Vais, therefore the Veis in the middle of the name Hevel can be said to be hinted in the sound between the Heh and the Lamed, such that the name Hevel is also hinted in direct reverse order, Heh, Veis, Lamed, spelling Hevel in direct reverse order.
שת, Sheit, spelled Shin Tav, is hinted in the first letter Shin of the first verse Shma, and in the last letter of the verse, the large letter Dalet of Echod, which being large can have gematia of 4, 40, or 400, i.e., 400 as in the gematria of the letter Tav, thus together the first and last letters of the verse can be combined in our intention to spell the name Shes.
Alternatively, since the letter Mem of the word Shma also can be transformed into a Tav, as explained above, therefore the verse can be seen to start with the two letters Shin and Tav, spelling the name Shes right from the beginning of the verse.
[In addition to the resonances between letters Mem and Tav as explained above, this resonance can also be seen in that of the 49 letters that comprise the two verses Shma and Boruch Shem, the 40th letter is a letter Tav, with 40 being the gematria of letter Mem, and with this Tav being in the word מ’לכות’ו, M’alchus’o, which begins with a letter Mem.
Also in the word ‘אמ’ת, Em’es’, which is identified with the Shma, the letters Mem and Tav are joined and resonate together.
Further, in the double wording שמ’ע ת’שמ’עו, Shom’ah Ti’shm’eu, at the beginning of the second paragraph of Shma, the letter Tav starts the second word Ti’shmeu, and it is surrounded by equidistant 1 letter skips to the letter Mem before it and after it, thus further allowing this letter Tav to resonate with the second letter Mem of the first word in the first paragraph of Shma, and helping transform it into a letter Tav for the purposes of these kinds of intentions and meditations.]
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Likewise the Shma hints to the names of Noach, and to the names of Noach’s sons Shem, Yofes and Chom, who spread out to populate the world:
נח, Noach, spelled Nun Ches, is hinted in the second to last letter of the word, א-להינ’ו, Elokein’u, and in the second to the last letter of the word אח’ד, Ech’od, spelling Noach (the same words as explained above the hint to Dovid, joining the large last letter Dalet of Echod and the last letter Vov of Elokeinu), and this is an appropriate hint for Noach who found favor from Hashem.
שם, Shem, is straightforwardly hinted in the first two consecutive letters of verse and word ש’מ’ע, Sh’m’a, Shin Mem, and also Shem appears as the second word of the second verse Boruch שם, Sh’em’.
יפת, Yefes, spelled Yud Fei Tav, is hinted in three consecutive letters starting in reverse from the Yud of י’שראל, then back to the large letter Ayin, which because it is large it can be rounded up to the next letter Pei/Fei, or alternatively, by adding 10 for the gematria of the Yud of Y’isroel and 70 for the gematria of the Ayin of Shma’ to get 80, which is the gematria of the letter Fei, and then these letters are joined to the next previous letter Mem of Shm’a, which transforms into a letter Tav as explained above, and with this the consecutive letters Yud Fei Tav that spell Yefes may be formed.
חם, Chom, spelled Ches Mem, is hinted in the letters that are second from the end, the Ches of the word אח’ד, Ech’od, and second from the beginning, the Mem of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a.
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Likewise, certainly, the name of our great forefather Avrohom Avinu is hinted in the Shma:
אברהם, Avrohom, is spelled with letters Alef, Veis, Reish, Heh, Mem, and these letters, or hints to these letters, are found uniting the first verse Shma and the second verse Boruch Shem:
The word א’חד, E’chod, starts with the letter Alef, and also has the meaning of One, like the letter Alef, gematria 1, and with this letter it is fitting to start the hint to the name Avrohom, since Avraham was one against the world in proclaiming that G-d is One in the heavens and on the earth.
Next come the letters Beis and Reish at the beginning of the word ב’ר’וך, B’or’uch, which these are the next letters, in the proper order, of the name Av’r’ohom.
Then at the end of the next word ‘שמ, Shem’, there is a letter Mem, completing the letters for the name Avrom, Avrohom’s original name.
Then the remaining letters in between the Reish and the Mem, the letters Vov Chof Shin from the words ברו’ך’ ש’ם, Boru’ch’ Sh’em, may be understood as 20 (Chof), “and/plus” (Vov), 300 (Shin), or 20 + 300 = 320, which – aside from being 10 x 32 = 10 x Lev, heart, which has special significance for our heroic forefather Avrohom, whose heart was tested and to be found whole in 10 extreme tests of his faith – 320 is also in small gematria 3 + 2 + 0 = 5, which transforms into the letter Heh, gematria 5, and therefore these letter may represent the letter Heh that Hashem added to Avrom’s name, Chuf Vov also being gematria 26, symbolizing Heshem, and the Shin symbolizing of changing his Shem, name, changing it forever afterward to the name Avroh’om.
As shall be explained, the names of the other Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the Tribes, and other great Tzadikim are also hinted in the Shma.
Our daily recital and meditation on the Shma constantly connects us to our ancestral, everlasting and eternal heritage, to the Torah, and to Hashem Echod, the One and Only Creator, Master and Giver of Life to everything in the entire universe.
As mentioned above, the names of the other Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the Tribes, and other great Tzadikim are also hinted in the Shma.
יצחק, Yitzchok, the next patriarch after Avrohom, spelled Yud Tzadi Ches Kuf, can be found hinted in the first verse of Shma.
The Yud of the name Yitzchok is hinted in the initial letter Yud of י’שראל, Y’isroel.
The Tzdi is hinted in the next 10 letters, the next letters Shin and Reish of יש’ר’אל, Yis’r’oel, counting as 1 letter plus 1 letter equals 2, and then add to this the gematria of the next 8 letters, the Alef and Lamed at the end of ‘ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l’, the Y’H’V’H’of Hashem, and the Alef Lamed of א’ל’קינו, E’l’okeinu, 31 + 26 + 31 = 88, for a total of 2 + 88 = 90, the gematria of the letter Tzadi.
The Ches, the second to the last letter of the name Yitzchok, is hinted in the Ches that is the second to the last letter of the word אח’ד, Ech’od, at the end of the Shma verse.
The Kuf, at the end of the name Yitzchok, is hinted in the large letter Dalet at the end of the word ‘אחד, Ehod’, at the very end of the verse, since the gematria of the next 10 letters of the verse, not including the letter Ches of Echod – since that was already used, as just stated, for the hint to the Ches of Yitzchok – i.e., the Heh Yud Nun and Vov of א-ל-ה’י’נ’ו’, Elokeinu, the four letters Y’H’V’H’ of Hashem, and the letters Alef and Ches of the word ‘א’חד, E’chod’, which sum to 71 + 26 + 5 = 102, can be understood as composed of the respective gematrias of two letters, Kuf, 100, and Beis, 2, the Kuf hinting to the Kuf of Yitzchok, and the Beis hinting to the continuation of the next verse that begins with a Beis, ב’רוך, B’oruch.
Alternatively the gematria of Kuf, 100, may be extended by 2, to 102, by adding 1 for the word Echod, one, and a Kolel of 1 for the Name Hashem, which are included in this series of letters.
Alternatively, the Kuf of Yitzchok may also be hinted by counting the gematria of the letter Ches of אח’ד, Ech’od, with the geamtrias of the other letters in this series, for a combined gematria of 102 + 8 = 110, and with 1 more for the Kolel, making 111 (which is the gematria of the word אלף, Alef, spelled out Alef Lamed Fei, 1 + 30 + 80 = 111), which this is the same as the gematria of the letter Kuf, 100, plus 1 for each of these now 11 letters (with the Ches) in this series (and there is also a resonance between the gematria of the letter Alef, 1, and the letter Kuf, 100).
Alternatively, the large letter Dalet itself may be understood to represent 100, i.e., the gematria of the letter Kuf, since this letter Dalet is the last of the 25 letters in the verse, and its gematria, 4, hints to the 4 times each day this verse is customarily recited – in the introductory morning blessings, in the morning service, in the evening service, and in the bedtime prayers – and that means reciting these 25 letters 4 times daily, for a total of 25 x 4 = 100 letters, thus hinting to the letter Kuf, gematria 100.
Alternatively, after the letter Ches of Yitzchok was hinted in the word Echod at the end of the verse of Shma, as explained above, then the letter Kuf of Yitzchok is hinted in the next verse, the verse Boruch Shem, since the gematria of Kuf, 100, is matched by the sum of the final letters of three words ‘ברוך, Boruch’, ‘שם, Shem’, and ‘לעולם, Leolom’, 20 + 40 + 40 = 100, as explained in a previous comment, and then the last letters of the remaining three words spell the name Dovid, Dalet Vov Dalet, ‘כבוד, Kevod’, ‘מלכותו, Malchuso’, ‘ועד, Voed’.
There may also be other ways that the name Yitzchok, and likewise the names of the other Tzadikim presented here, are hinted in the Shma, but the ideas that are explained here are intended to demonstrate that by understanding and applying letter and number patterns and symbolism one is able to make interesting connections and unlock many doors.
However, as important as all these hints and allusions may be, it is also essential for each individual to be able to find hints and allusions to him or herself in the Shma and in other Torah passages, and in this way one is able to really strengthen one’s connection to the Torah and to Hashem Echod.
(To be continued.)
Yakov, the next patriarch after Yitzchok, is also hinted in the first verse of Shma:
The first verse of Shma is recorded in the Torah as being said by Moshe to all of Israel, however our sages o.b.m. teach that the verse was first said by the 12 Tribes to their father Yakov, who had been renamed Yisroel years before by Hashem, when he was older and approaching death, and they assured him that that they all believed wholeheartedly in Hashem Echod, to which Yakov responded with the verse of blessing, Boruch Shem. Accordingly the name Yisroel in the Shma also refers and hints directly to our forefather Yakov.
Further, the first four letters of the Shma may be understood as hinting to the four letters of the name Yakov:
יעקב, Yakov, is spelled Yud Ayin Kuf Veis, and the initial letter Yud of י’עקב, Y’akov, is hinted in the letter Yud that is the initial letter Yud of the name י’שראל, Y’isroel. This is especially appropriate since Yakov and Yisroel are two names for one and the same individual.
From the Yud of Yisroel then go back to the large letter Ayin at the end of the word ‘שמע, Shma’, which corresponds to the next letter Ayin of the name יע’קב, Yaa’kov.
Then from this letter Ayin go back to the next letter Mem in the middle of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a, and in our meditations this letter Mem, gematria 40, may be transformed into a letter Dalet, gematria 4, since their gematrias resonate (and especially for this meditation, since the letter Dalet at the end of the Shma verse may symbolize and represent the entire verse, as explained above), and then this letter Dalet may be transformed into a letter Kuf due to the A-T Ba-Sh coding formula, where the 4th letter from the beginning of the Alef-Bet, the Dalet, transforms into the 4th letter from the end of the Alef-Bet, the Kuf. Therefore the letter Mem of the word Shma may be said to hint to the letter Kuf of the name יעק’ב, Yak’ov.
Then from this letter Mem go back to the beginning of the verse, the letter Shin at the beginning of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, which in the A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Shin, the second letter from the end of the Alef-Bet, transforms into a letter Beis, the second letter from the beginning of the Alef-Bet, and therefore this letter Shin may hint to the letter Veis at the end of the name ‘יעקב, Yakov’, and with this there is completed the string of the four consecutive letters at the beginning of the Shma that hint to the name Yakov.
In the previous comment various other methods were explained for finding hints to the letter Kuf of the name ‘יצחק, Yitzchok’, in the Dalet of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, and using the A-T Ba-Sh code is another way to accomplish this, since in A-T Ba-Sh the Dalet changes directly into the letter Kuf, as just pointed out.
Similarly, based on this, another alternative for finding hints to the letters Kuf and Beis at the end of the name ‘יעק’ב, Yak’ov’, can be found in the Shma verse, since after the hint in large letter Ayin, hinting to the letter Ayin of the name יע’קב, Yaa’kov, then the letter Kuf of Yakov may be seen to be hinted in the next large letter in the verse, the large letter Dalet at the end of verse, at the end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, due to the A-T Ba-Sh transformation of the letter Dalet to a Kuf (and also due to other reasons as explained above). Then, following that letter Dalet/Kuf, then the last letter Veis of the name ‘יעקב, Yakov’, may be found hinted in the next letter, the letter Beis at the beginning of the next verse ב’רוך,, B’oruch Shem, and in this way too the hint to the name Yakov in the Shma is complete.
Meditating on the names of the Patriarchs, and other important Tzadikim, as they are hinted in the Shma, is certainly a good way to connect with them and their righteous lives, and will also certainly help contribute to our ability to draw forth the greatest of all blessings from Hashem that are also hinted in the Shma.
(To be continued.)
The names of the two women who were the mothers of all mankind are also hinted in the first verse of the Shma:
חוה, Chava, the first woman, spelled Ches Vov Heh, is hinted in the Shma intertwined and right alongside her husband Adom, which is especially fitting since Hashem created her from his rib (or his side) and then brought her to him:
As explained before, אדם, Adom, is hinted by means of a one letter skip starting from the Alef of א’חד, E’chod, skipping the letter Ches, then the Dalet at the end of ‘אחד, Echod’, then back to the beginning of the verse, in the letter Mem of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a, after skipping the letter Shin, thus spelling Alef Dalet Mem, the name Adom.
The Ches that is the first letter of the name ח’וה, Ch’ava, is hinted in the previously skipped letter Ches in the word אח’ד, Ech’od.
Then going back to the previous word in the verse, the Divine Name Y’H’V’H, the two last letters immediately adjacent to the word Echod are the letters Vov and Heh, and these letters hint to the remaining letters Vov and Heh of the name ‘חו’ה, Chav’a’, thus completing the hint to her name, intertweined and right alongside the hint to the name Adom.
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נעמה, Naamah, whose birth is noted in the Torah as the daughter of Lemach and sister of Tuval Kayin (Breishis 4:22), according to a Rabbinic tradition was the wife of Noach. Naamah is spelled Nun Ayin Mem Heh, and her name is also hinted in the first verse of Shma:
As explained previously, נח, Noach, spelled Nun Ches, is hinted in the second to last letter of the Divine Name א-להינ’ו, Elokein’u, and in the second to the last letter of the word אח’ד, Ech’od, spelling Noach. The same letter Nun that hints to the first letter of Noach’s name may also be said to also hint to the first letter of his wife Na’amah’s name.
The other letters of the name Naamah may be said to be hinted in the first word of the verse Shma. The letters Ayin and Mem are obvious, since they are identical with the letters Mem and Ayin at the end of the word ‘שמ’ע, Shm’a’.
The last letter Heh of the name Naamah may be hinted with the inclusion of the letter Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, for with the letter Shin the gematria of the word Shma is 300 + 0+ 70 = 410, and the small gematria of 410 = 4 + 1 + 0 = 5, and that is the gematria of the letter Heh, the last letter of the name ‘נעמה, Naamah’.
Alternatively, the name Naamah may be hinted in the first four letters of the verse, with the letters Ayin and Mem the same as before, only the small gematria of the word Shma, 5, may hint instead to the letter Nun of Na’amah, since the gematria of Nun is 50, and its small gematria is also 5.
The remaining last letter Heh of Naamah’ may be said to be hinted in the next letter of the verse, the letter Yud of י’שראל, Y’isroel, since the gematria of Yud is 10, and when added to it the number 4, since it is the 4th letter in the verse, then 10 + 4 = 14, and the small gematria of 14 = 1 + 4 = 5, and that is the gematria of the letter Heh, thus hinting to the letter Heh at the end of the name Naamah’ and completing the hint to the name Naamah in the first four letters of the verse.
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Likewise the names of all the Matriarchs are hinted in the first verse of the Shma:
שרי, Sari, spelled Sin Reish Yud, whose name was changed by Hashem to שרה, Sarah, spelled Sin Reish Heh, was the matriarch wife of Avrohom.
The letters of her name are hinted in the three letters Yud Shin and Reish at the beginning of the word י’ש’ר’אל, Yisroel, which may be rearranged to spell Sari.
Then, as just explained above, the letter Yud of Y’isroel may be changed into a letter Heh, since the gematria of Yud is 10, and when the number 4 is added to it, since this Yud is the 4th letter in the verse, then 10 + 4 = 14, and the small gematria of 14 = 1 + 4 = 5, which corresponds to the gematria of the letter Heh, thus hinting to the letter Heh at the end of the name Sarah’, and thus together with the letters Shin and Reish of Yis’r’oel completing the hint to the name Sarah.
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רבקה, Rivkah, spelled Reish Veis Kuf Heh, the matriarch wife of Yitzchok, is hinted in the first verse of Shma:
The letter Reish in the middle of the word ישר’אל, Yisr’oel, corresponds to the first letter Reish of the name Rivkah.
The next letter, the Alef of the word ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l, together with the next letter Alef in the verse, which resonates with it, the Alef at the beginning of the word א’לקינו, E’lokeinu, add up together in gematria to 1 + 1 = 2, which is the gematria of the letter Veis, and corresponds to the next letter in the name רב’קה, Riv’kah.
Then add the gematria of the next letter, the Lamed from ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, plus the next four letters from the next word, Y’H’V’H’, plus the next three letters Lamed Heh and Yud of the next word אל’-ה’-י’ם, El’ok’i’m (skipping the Alef since it was used already), to get 30 + 26 + 45 = 101, which is the gematria of the letter Kuf, 100, plus 1 for the Kolel, corresponding to the letter Kuf in the name רבק’ה, Rivk’ah.
Then the last letter Heh of ‘רבקה, Rivkah’, is hinted the next letter in the Divine Name א-לקינ’ו, the letter Nun with gematria 50, which in small gematria is 5, hinting to the letter Heh with gematria 5, and thus corresponding to the letter Heh at the end of the name Rivkah’, and completing in this series of 12 consecutive letters a hint to the name Rivkah.
Alternatively for the hint to the letter Heh at the end of the name Rivkah’ one could skip to one of the letters Heh in the next word, the Divine Name Y-H’-V-H’.
———-
רחל, Rochel, spelled Reish Ches Lamed, the matriarch wife of Yakov, is hinted in the first verse of the Shma, starting from the same letter Reish in the middle of the word ישר’אל, Yisr’oel.
The next letter is the letter Alef of ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l, is gematria 1, and to this we may add 7, since it is the 7th letter in the verse, yielding 1 + 7 = 8, which is the gematria of the letter Ches, hinting to the next letter, the Ches, in the middle of the name Roch’el.
The next letter is the letter Lamed at the end of ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, which corresponds to the letter Lamed at the end of the name Rochel’, and thus these three consecutive letters in the name Yisroel in the Shma hint to the name Rochel.
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לאה, Leah, spelled Lamed Alef Heh, the other matriarch wife of Yakov, is clearly hinted in the first three consecutive letters, Alef Lamed and Heh, of the Divine Name א’ל’ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu, which when rearranged spell the name Leah.
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בלהה, Bilhah, spelled Beis Lamed Heh Heh, the maid of Rochel who also married Yakov, is also hinted in the first verse of Shma:
The name Bilhah is hinted in the four consecutive letters starting from the last letter Heh of the Name Y-H-V-H’, and then in the first three letters Alef Lamed and Heh of the next word, the Divine Name א’ל’ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu.
The only change that is necessary is to add 1 for the Kolel to the letter Alef, making its gematria 2, corresponding to the letter Beis, like the Beis at the beginning of the name B’ilhah, and then rearrange these letters Heh Beis Lamed Heh in the proper order to spell the complete name Bilhah.
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זלפה, Zilpah, spelled Zayin Lamed Peh Heh, the maid of Leah who also married Yakov, is also hinted in the first verse of the Shma:
Start from the letter Ayin at the end of the word ‘שמע, Shma’, which with gematria 70 resonates with the number 7, the gematria of the letter Zayin, the first letter of Z’ilpah.
Then the letter Lamed of Zil’pah is hinted in the last letter of the next word ‘ישראל, Yisroel’.
Then take the gematria of the next 8 letters, the four letters of the Name Y’H’V’H’ plus the first four letters of the Name א’ל’ק’י’נו, E’l’ok’ei’nu, which add up to 26 + 46 = 72, and then add 1 for each of these 8 letters, to get 72 + 8 = 80, which is the gematria of the letter Peh, which is the next letter in the name זלפ’ה, Zilp’ah.
Then take the next letter Nun from the Name אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u, which is gematria 50, with small gematria 5, corresponding to the letter Heh at the end of the name ‘זלפה, Zilpah’, and thus completing the hint to her name.
Alternatively one of the letters Heh in the next word, the Divine Name Y-H’-V-H’, may be used to hint to the letter Heh at the end of the name Zilpah’.
(To be continued.)
As mentioned before, the names of all the Tribes are also hinted in the first verse of the Shma. In their birth order, which is the order they were named:
ראובן, Reuvain, spelled Reish Alef Vov Veis Nun, is hinted starting from the letter Reish in the middle of the word ישר’אל, Yisr’oel, which corresponds the Reish at the beginning of the name ר’אובן, R’euvain.
Then the next letter Alef of the word ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l, corresponds to the next letter Alef of the name רא’ובן, Re’uvain.
Then take the next letter Lamend of the word ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, and note that the letter Lamed is a composite letter, composed of a letter Vov on top of a letter Chuf on the bottom, and this letter Vov on the top of the Lamed corresponds to the letter Vov that is the next letter of the name ראו’בן, Reu’vain.
Next comes the Divine Name Hashem, 1 is Hashem, so take 1, plus the first letter Alef, gematria 1, of the Divine Name א’לקינו, E’lokeinu, that follows next, to have 1 + 1 = 2, which 2 is the gematria of the letter Veis, and therefore this corresponds to the next letter Veis of the name ראוב’ן, Reuv’ain.
Then take the 5th letter Nun of this same Divine Name אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u, and this corresponds to the 5th letter Nun of the name ‘ראובן, Reuvain’, and with this all the letters in the proper order that are needed to spell the name Reuvain are complete.
Alternatively, after the first two letters, the Reish and Alef of the name ישר’א’ל, Yisr’oe’l, that correspond to the Reish and Alef at the beginning of the name ר’א’ובן, R’u’vain, then take the Lamed, the last letter of ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, together with the Divine Name Y’-H’-V’-H’, which in gematria sum to 30 + 26 = 56, and this number corresponds to the combination of letters Vov, gematria 6, and Nun, gematria 50, 6 + 50 = 56, and therefore these letters correspond to the letters Vov and Nun of the name ‘ראו’בן, Reu’vein’.
More specifically, the letter Vov of the Name Y-H-V’-H may be said to correspond to the letter Vov of ראו’בן, Reu’vain, and the letter Heh, gematria 5, at the end of the Name Y-H-V-H’, which completes the sum of the previous letters and brings them to have the gematria of 6 + 50, corresponds to the letter Nun, gematria 50, at the end of the name ראובן’, Reuvain’, especially since the small gematria of Nun is also 5, corresponding to the letter Heh, gematria 5, at the end of the Name Y-H-V-H’.
Then take the next letter in the verse, the letter Alef, gematria 1, at the beginning of the Divine Name א’לקינו, E’lokeinu, and as was done above, add 1 for the Kolel, 1 is Hashem, to get 1 + 1 = 2, the gematria of the letter Veis, and this corresponds to the letter Veis needed to hint to the name ראוב’ן, Reuv’ain. Then by just exchanging the positions of the letters Nun and Vais, and together with the previously noted letters, the hint to the full name Reuvain is obtained.
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שמעון, Shimon, spelled Shin Mem Ayin Vov Nun, is clearly hinted starting from the first three letters of the Shma, in the same order, the letters Shin Mem and Ayin of the word ‘ש’מ’ע, Sh’m’a’, and Shimon was so named because Hashem heard (Shoma) his mothers’ prayer for a son.
Then to hint to the last letters of the name Shimon, the letters Nun and Vov at the end of the Divine Name ‘אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u’, correspond the letters Vov and Nun at the end of the name ‘שמעו’ן, Shino’n’, may be joined to the other three letters at the beginning of the Shma to easily complete all the letters needed to hint to the full spelling of the name Shimon.
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לוי, Levi, spelled Lamed Vov Yud, is easily hinted at least three ways.
One way is to start with the letter Lamed at the end of the name ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, which corresponds to the letter Lamed at the beginning of the name ל’וי, L’evi.
Then skip 2 letters and take the letter Vov of the Divine Name Y-H-V’-H, which corresponds to the letter Vov, the next letter of the name לו’י, Lev’i.
Then skip 4 letters – the letter Heh at the end of Y-H-V-H’, and the letters Alef Lamed and Heh at the beginning of the Divine Name א’-ל’-ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu – and take the letter Yud of the Name א-לקי’נו, Elkei’nu, which corresponds to the letter Yud that is the next letter of the name ‘לוי, Levi’, and together these three letters, Lamed Vov Yud, spell the name ‘ל’ו’י, L’ev’i’.
A second way is to take the three consecutive letters Lame Heh and Yud in the middle of the Divine Name א-ל’ק’י’נו, El’ok,’ei’nu, and simply change the letter Heh, gematria 5, to a letter Vov gematria 6, by adding 1 for the Kolel, 5 + 1 = 6, thus transforming this Heh into a letter Vov, and yielding three consecutive letters in the proper order, Lamed Vov Yud, that spell the name Levi.
A third way is to take the letters Lamed Yud and Vov of the Divine Name ‘א-ל’קי’נו, El’okei’nu’, which are separated from one another by means of a one letter skip, and then recombine them in the proper order, Lamed Vov Yud, to complete another hint to the proper spelling of the name Levi.
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יהודה, Yehudah, spelled Yud Heh Vov Dalet Heh, is hinted in the first verse of Shma in the Divine Names Y’-H’-V’-H’, composed of letters Yud Heh Vov Heh, which are all part of the name ‘י’ה’ו’דה, Y’eh’u’dah’, and combining them with the large letter Dalet at the end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, at the end of the verse, corresponds to the letter Dalet of the name יהוד’ה, Yehud’ah, and completes all the letters needed to hint to the full spelling of the name Yehudah.
Alternatively, the Divine Name Y’-H’-V’-H’ by itself may hint to the name Yehudah, since with 1 for each of the 4 letters of the Name, 1 x 4 = 4, we have the gematria of the letter Dalet, 4, and when this hint to the letter Dalet is joined with the letters Yud Heh Vov and Heh then all the letters needed to hint to the complete name Yehudah are obtained.
———-
דן, Dan, spelled Dalet Nun, is hinted starting from the large letter Dalet at the end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, and in the letter Nun near the end of the Divine Name א-לקינ’ו, Elokein’u, which correspond to the letter Dalet and Nun of the name ‘ד’ן, D’an’.
This is especially appropriate since the Tribe of Dan was the leader of the 4th camp of the Tribes, 4th in the marching order of Bnei Yisroel in the desert, and this corresponds to the letter Dalet, gematria 4, at the end of the Shma verse, and also because Dan corresponds to the attribute of Judgment, and similarly the Divine Name Elokeinu, which likewise denotes the attribute of Judgment.
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נפתלי, Naftali, spelled Nun Fei Tav Lamed Yud, is hinted starting from the letter Nun of the Divine Name אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u, which corresponds to the letter Nun at the beginning of the name נ’פתלי, N’aftali.
Then take the gematria of the next 8 previous letters, the first 4 letters of the Name א’ל’ק’י’נו, E’l’ok’ei’nu, plus the 4 letters of the Name Y’-H’-V’-H’, which sum to 46 + 26 = 72, and then add a Kolel of 1 for each of these 8 letters, to get 72 + 8 = 80, which is the gematria of the letter Fei, and this corresponds to the next letter Fei in the name נפ’תלי, Naf’tali (this is similar to what was done to find a hint to the letter Pei of the name Zilp’ah as explained above).
Then take the two next previous letters Alef and Lamed at the end of the name ‘ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l’, with gematria 1 + 30 = 31, and in small gematria is 31 = 3 + 1 = 4, which resonates with the letter Tav, gematria 400, with same small gematria 4, and therefore these letters may correspond to the next letter Tav of the name נפת’לי, Naft’ali.
Alternatively, take just the letter Alef of ישרא’ל, Yisroe’l, the first letter of the Alef-Beit, and transform it though the A-T Ba-Sh code into the letter Tav, the last letter of the Alef-Beit, and in this way too there is a correspondence of this letter to the next letter Tav of the name נפת’לי, Naft’ali.
Then take the letters Lamed and Yud at the end and the beginning of the name ‘י’שראל, Y’isroel’, and they correspond to the letters Lamed and Yud at the end of the name ‘נפתל’י, Naftal’i’. Then combine all these hinted letters to completely spell out the name Naftali.
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גד, Gad, spelled Gimel Dalet, is hinted in the first and last letters of the verse Shma:
The letter Shin at beginning of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, is gematria 300, and in small gematria 300 = 3, which means that this letter resonates with and can transform into the letter Gimel, gematria 3, which corresponds to the letter Gimel at the beginning of the name ג’ד, G’ad.
Then take the large letter Dalet at the end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, at the end of the verse, and it corresponds to the letter Dalet at the end of the name ‘גד, Gad’, and by joining these two letters together from the beginning and end of the verse we have in the proper order the two letters that fully spell the name Gad.
Alternatively the Dalet of the name ‘גד, Gad’, may be hinted in the second letter Mem of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a, since Mem in gematria is 40, and that resonates with and has the same small gematria as the letter Dalet, gematria 4. In this way the name Dan is hinted in the first two letters of the Shma instead of the first and last letters of the verse.
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אשר, Asher, spelled Alef Shin Reis, is clearly hinted in the three consecutive letters Shin Reish and Alef in the middle of the name יש’ר’א’ל, Yis’r’oe’l, since when simply rearranged they spell out the complete name ‘א’ש’ר, A’sh’er’.
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יששכר, Yesochor, spelled Yud Sin Sin Chuf Reish, usually pronounced however as though written with only one letter Sin (and sometimes also written that way), is hinted starting with the letters Yud and Sin at the beginning of the name י’ש’ראל, Y’is’roel, which are identical with the first two letters Yud and Sin of the name י’ש’שכר, Y’is’ochor.
This letter Sin in Yis’roel may be counted twice, or the letter Shin at the beginning of the verse in the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, may be counted as the third letter of the name ישש’כר, Yis’chor, for the proper spelling of the name.
Then take the next letter Reish in the name ישר’אל, Yisr’oel, and this corresponds to the letter Reish that is the last letter of the name ‘יששכר, Yisochor’.
Then, as explained before, the letter Lamed at the end of the name ‘ישראל, Yisroel’, may be understood as a composite letter composed of a letter Vov on the top and a letter Chuf on the bottom, and this letter Chuf that is part of the next letter Lamed may be taken to correspond to the letter Chuf in the name יששכ’ר, Yisoch’or. Then simply rearrange the letters Reish and Chof to complete the spelling of the name Yisochor in the proper order.
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זבלון, Zevulun, spelled Zayin Veis Lamed Vov Nun, is hinted starting with the large letter Ayin at the end of the word ‘שמע, since its gematria 70 resonates with the letter Zayin, gematria 7, corresponding to the letter Zayin at the beginning of the name ז’בלון, Z’evulun.
In addition, in the A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Ayin, the 7th letter from the end of the Alef-Beit, transforms into a letter Zayin, the 7th letter fom the beginning of the Alef-Beit, so again this may be taken as a hint to the first letter Zayin of the name ז’בלון, Z’evulun.
Then all the rest of the letters needed for the hint to the name Zevulun may be found in the Divine Name א-לקינו, Elokeinu:
Take the letter Alef at the beginning of א’לקינו, E’lokeinu, and change it, as was done before, by adding 1 for the Kolel, hinted also in the previous Divine Name Hashem, 1 is Hashem, to make the gematria 1 + 1 = 2, the same as the gematria of the letter Veis, and this corresponds to the letter Veis that is the second letter of the name זב’לון, Zev’ulun.
Then the next letter Lamed, and the letters Vov and Nun at the end of the Divine Name ‘א-ל’קינ’ו, El’okein’u’, and these correspond to the remaining letters Lamed Vov and Nun of the name ‘זבל’ו’ן, Zevul’u’n’, thus together with the previously hinted letters completing all the letters needed for the hint to the name Zevulun.
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יוסף, Yosef, spelled Yud Vov Samech Fei, is hinted starting from the letter Yud at the beginning of the second time the Divine Name Y’-H-V-H appears in the verse, and this Yud may correspond to the Yud at the beginning of the name י’וסף, Y’osef.
Then go back to the next previous letter, the Vov at the end of the Divine Name ‘אלקינו, Elokeinu’, and that corresponds to the next letter Vov in the name יו’סף, Yo’sef.
Then go back to the next two previous letters, the Yud and the Nun of the Divine Name אלקי’נ’ו, Elokei’n’u, and these letters in gematria are 10 + 50 = 60, which is the gematria of the letter Samech, and thus these letters may correspond to the the next letter Samach in the name יוס’ף, Yos’ef.
Then, as explained before, take the gematria of the next 8 previous letters, the first 4 letters of the Name א’ל’ק’י’נו, E’l’ok’ei’nu, plus the 4 letters of the Name Y’-H’-V’-H’, which sum to 46 + 26 = 72, and then add a Kolel of 1 for each of these 8 letters, to get 72 + 8 = 80, which is the gematria of the letter Fei, and thus these letters may correspond to the next and last letter Fei at the end of the name ‘יוסף, Yosef’, and with this the hint of all the letters of the name Yosef is completed in the proper order.
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בנימין, Binyamin, spelled Beis Nun Yud Mem Yud Nun, is hinted starting from the first letter at the beginning of the verse, the Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, since in the A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Shin, the 2nd from the end of the Alef-Beit, transforms into a letter Beis, the 2nd from the beginning of the Alef-Beit, and thus it may correspond to the letter Beis at the beginning of the name ב’נימין, B’inyomin.
The next letter Nun in the name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin, is hinted in many ways in the next word, the name Yisroel:
One way is to take the initial letter Yud, gematria 10, and add to 4 since it is the 4th letter in the verse, and 10 + 4 = 14, and in small gematria 14 = 1 + 4 = 5, which resonates with and is the small gematria of the letter Nun = 50 = 5, and therefore this letter Yud may hint to the letter Nun of the name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin.
A second way is to take the next two letters Sin and Reish of the name יש’ר’אל, which in gematria are 300 + 200 = 500, and that sum also resonates with the letter Nun, gematria 50, and both that sum and the letter Nun have the same small gematria of 5, thus also hinting to the letter Nun of the name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin.
A third way is to take the first letter Yud and the last two letters Alef and Lamed of the name ‘י’שרא’ל, Yisroe’l’, in gematria 10 + 1 + 30 = 41, which in small gematria is 4 + 1 = 5, which resonates with the letter Nun, gematria 50, with the same small gematria 5, and again therefore these letters are able to be taken as a hint to the letter Nun of the name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin.
Alternatively take 1 for each of the 5 letters of the name ישראל, Yisroel, 1 x 5 = 5, which also resonates with the letter Nun, gematria 50, which has the same small gematria 5, and again therefore this produces a hint to the letter Nun of the name בנ’ימין, Bin’yomin.
Then for the nest letter of the name Binyamin, take the initial letter Yud of the next word, the Divine Name Y’-H-V-H, and that corresponds to the letter Yud of the name בני’מין, Biny’amin.
Then take the first three letters Alef Lamed and Heh of the next word, the Divine Name א’-ל’ק’ינו, E’l’ok’einu, which in gematria are 1 + 30 + 5 = 36, and with a Kolel of 1 for each of these 3 letters, and a Kolel of 1 for this being a Divine Name, we have 36 + 3 + 1 = 40, which is the gematria of the letter Mem, and thus these letters may correspond to the next letter Mem in the name בנימ’ין, Binyam’in.
Then take the next two letters Yud and Nun in the Divine Name א-לקי’נ’ו, Elokei’n’u, and these correspond to the letters Yud and Nun at the end of the name ‘בנימי’ן, Binyami’n’, and together with the previous letters the hint to all the letters of the name Binyamin is complete.
———-
The Tribe of Yosef was split into two Tribes, led by Yosef’s two sons Menashe and Efrayim, and their names too are hinted in the first verse of the Shma:
מנשה, Menashe, spelled Mem Nun Shin Heh, is hinted starting from the Mem and Shin that are the first two letters of the word ש’מ’ע, Sh’m’a, and these letters correspond to the two letter Mem and Shin of the name מ’נש’ה, M’enash’e.
Then take the letters Nun and Vov that are the last two letters of the Divine Name ‘א-לקינ’ו, Elokein’u’. The Nun corresponds to the letter Nun of the name מנ’שה, Men’ashe, and the Vov may correspond to the letter Heh at the end of the name ‘מנשה, Menashe’, since the gematria of the letter Vov, 6, is the same as the gematria of the letter Heh, 5, plus 1 for the Kolel, 5 + 1 = 6, thus this Vov may be understood to also hint to the letter Heh, which corresponds to the last letter of the name ‘מנשה, Menashe’, to complete the last of the letters necessary and then rearrange them to hint to the spelling of the complete name Menashe.
Alternatively one of the other 5 letters Heh of the 3 Divine Names in the verse, Y-H’-V-H’ E-lo-K’ei-nu Y-H’-V-H’, may be used for the final letter Heh of ‘מנשה, Menashe’, or a letter Heh may be formed by combining the letters Alef, 1, and Dalet, 4, of the word א’חד, E’chod’, 1 + 4 = 5 = the gematria of the letter Heh as was explained before.
———-
אפרים, Efrayim, spelled Alef Fei Reish Yud Mem, is hinted starting from the letter Alef at the beginning of the word א’חד, E’chod.
Then go back to the letter Vov in the previous word, the Divine Name Y-H-V’-H, or the Vov at the end of the previous Divine Name ‘אלקינו, Elokeinu’, and since in the A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Vov, the 6th letter from the beginning of the Alef-Beit, converts to a letter Fei, the 6th letter from the end of the Alef-Beit, and therefore one of these letters Vov can correspond to the letter Fei which is the next letter of the name אפ’רים, Ef’rayim.
Alternatively, take the four letters of the Divine Name Y’-H’-V’-H’ that is immediately adjacent to the Alef of א’חד, Echod, and the two letters Nun and Vov at the end of the previous Divine Name ‘אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u’, and take their combined gematria, 26 + 56 = 82, and this corresponds to the gematria of the letter Fei plus a Kolel of 1 for each of these Divine Names, 80 + 1 + 1 = 82, and this hinted letter Fei may also correspond to the next letter Fei of the name אפ’רים, Ef’rayim.
Alternatively, as done before, take the gematria of the next 8 previous letters, the 4 letters of the Name Y’H’V’H’ plus the first 4 letters of the Name א’ל’ק’י’נו, E’l’ok’ei’nu, which sum to 26 + 46 = 72, and then add 1 for each of these 8 letters, to get 72 + 8 = 80, which is the gematria of the letter Fei, and therefore he combination of these letters may correspond to the letter Fei of the name אפ’רים, Ef’rayim.
Then to finish the spelling of Efrayim, go back and take the letters Reish and Yud of the name י’שר’אל, Y’isr’oel, and then back and take the letter Mem in the word שמ’ע, Shm’a, which these are 3 consecutive letters by means of a one letter skip, and they correspond to the last three letters Reish Yud and Mem in order at the end of the name ‘אפר’י’ם, Efr’ay’im’, and joining these noted letters together is the hint to the spelling of the name Efrayim is complete.
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It is especially appropriate that all the Tribes are hinted in the first verse of Shma, since as mentioned above, our sages o.b.m. relate that this verse was originally the solomn declartion of these righteous brothers, who were destined to became the Tribes of Israel, to their father Yisroel, to reassure him and to pledge to him their steadfast and eternal devotion to Hashem Echod. As a reward for this, they and their prodgeny after them, will merit to the blessings of Am Yisroel Chai, that our people will endure, live and thrive forever until the end of time.
(To be continued.)
In continuation to what was explained above about hints to the names of the Tribes in the first verse of Shma:
דינה, Dinah, spelled Dalit Yud Nud Heh, the daughter of Yakov and Leah, was the lone sister to the Tribes, and her name is also hinted in the first verse of the Shma.
It is possible to say that the first and third letters of her name, the Dalet and Nun of ד’ינ’ה, D’in’ah, are hinted in the same way as the letters Dalet and Nun that hint to the name ‘ד’ן, D’an’, Dinah’s half-brother, as explained above. i.e., the large letter Dalet at the end of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, and the letter Nun near the end of the Divine Name א-לקינ’ו, Elokein’u, and the name Dinah is also associated with the theme and the attribute of Judgment.
The other two letters of Dinah’s name, Yud and Heh of ‘די’נה, Di’nah’, are hinted in the first two letters, or the first and last letters, Yud and Heh, of the Divine Name Y’-H’-V-H’ in between the Divine Name Elokeinu and the word Echod, which this Divine Name and these letters are associated with the attribute of Kindness and Mercy.
Together these four letters may be combined to form the complete hint to the name Dinah.
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אסנת, Osnas, spelled Alef Samach Nun Tav, was the wife of Yosef and the mother of the Tribes Efrayim and Menashe, and according to a tradition she was the estranged daughter of Dinah, Yosef’s half-sister, who was subsequently brought down to Egypt and adopted by the Egyptian Poti Fera the priest of Ohn. Osnas’ name is hinted in the word Echod of the first verse of Shma:
Start with the 1st letter Alef of the word א’חד, Echod, which corresponds to the 1st letter Alef of the name א’סנת, O’snas.
Then take the 2nd letter Ches of the word אח’ד, Ech’od, since in the A-T Ba-Sh code the letter Ches, the 8th letter from the beginning of the Alef-Beit, may transform into a letter Samach, the 8th letter from the end of the Alef-Beit, and thus it may correspond to the letter Samach that is the 2nd letter of the name אס’נת, Os’nas.
The next letter Nun of the name אסנ’ת, Osn’as, may be hinted in the combination of the Alef and Dalet of the word ‘א’חד, E’chod’, since together their gematrias sum to 1 + 4 = 5, which resonates with the gematria of the letter Nun, gematria 50, also 5 in small gematria, as explained previously, and this corresponds to the Nun of the name אסנ’ת, Osn’as.
Alternatively the letter Nun of אסנ’ת, Osn’as, may be hinted in the adjacent letter Heh, gematria 5, at the end of the Divine Name Y-H-V-H’, or directly in the letter Nun in the previous Divine Name אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u.
Then the last letter Tav, the 4th letter of the name ‘אסנת, Osnas’, may be hinted in the large letter Dalet that is the last letter of the word ‘אחד, Echod’, since the gematria of the Dalet is 4, and especially since it is a large letter Dalet it resonates with the letter Tav, gematria 400, with a small gematria of 4, corresponding to the Tav that is the 4th and last letter of the name ‘אסנת, Osnas’. Putting these letters together forms a complete hint to the name Osnas.
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Since all of these names and more are hinted entirely in the first verse of Shma, here it is proper to add another hint to the name אברהם, Avrohom, spelled Alef Veis Reish Heh Mem, which before was explained to be hinted in the word Echod from the first verse of Shma together with the letters of the next two words from the verse Boruch Shem (see the full explanation above), since there is also a hint to the entire name Avrohom in the first verse of Shma all by itself:
Start with the 1st letter Alef of the word א’חד, E’chod, and with the meaning of the word Echod, 1, the gematria of the letter Alef, which corresponds to the 1st letter Alef of the name א’ברהם, A’vrohom (as explained above).
Then start the verse over again from the first word and the first letter Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, which the letter Shin is the 2nd from the end of the Alef-Beit, and in the A-T Ba-Sh code it transforms into the letter Veis, the 2nd letter from the beginning of the Alef-Beit, and thus it may correspond to the letter Veis which is the 2nd letter of the name אב’רהם, Av’rohom.
Then continue to the 3rd letter Reish of the next word in the Shma, the Reish in the name ישר’אל, Yisr’oel, and this corresponds to the letter Reish that is the 3rd letter in the name אבר’הם, Avr’ohom.
Then continue to the 4th letter Heh of the next word in the Shma, the Divine Name Y-H-V-H’, which this corresponds to the 4th letter Heh in the name אברה’ם, Avroh’om.
Then continue to the 4th letter Yud of the next word in the Shma, the Divine Name א-לקי’נו, Elokei’nu, which Yud being the 10th letter from the beginning of the Alef-Beit transforms in the A-T Ba-Sh code into a letter Mem which is the 10th letter from the end of the Alef-Beit, and thus it corresponds to the 5th and last letter Mem of the name ‘אברהם, Avrohom’. Together then these letters spell out complete name Avrohom all in the first verse of Shma.
Alternatively, instead of this letter Yud, take the letter Yud at the beginning of the next word, the 5th word in the verse, the Divine Name Y’-H-V-H, which again transforms into the letter Mem by means of the A-T Ba-Sh code, and this corresponds to the letter Mem that is the 5th and last letter of the name ‘אברהם, Avrohom’, and with these letters the hint to the full name Avrohom is complete.
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As said before, hints to the names of many other Tzdikim and Tzidkonios may also be found in the first verse of Shma, and B”N a few more of these hints will be explained in another forthcoming comment.
It should be borne in mind that indeed, just as our sages state that every one of the 600,000 root souls of Israel is represented by the 600,000 letters of the Torah, and just as as later sages state that every Jewish soul is hinted in Parshas HaAzinu, so too it can be said that the soul of every Jew is ultimately also hinted in the verse Shma Yisroel, since this verse speaks loudly and clearly to every individual Jewish person throughout all the generations, and with a resonance that in many respects gets ever louder and clearer as we approach the Time of Moshiach, when the secrets of the Torah will be revealed.
Again, it is worth stressing that there are certainly many other ways that the names of these Tzadikim are hinted in the Shma. The ways that are explained here are for the most part fairly straightforward, almost obvious, and easy to follow, and are intended to demonstrate that if one only has the proper desire and intention then these types of hints and connections can be made.
Also it should be pointed out, that in a comparative way to what has been present here, the Kabbalistic work ספר הפליאה, Sefer HaPli’ah, The Book of Wonders, utilizes similar types of explanations, as well as other known Kabbalistic rules for transforming one letter into another, to show how the initials of the words of the prayer אנא בכח, Ana B’choach, are derived from the first 28 letters of the Torah. This is something that is apparently absent from Ezra’s book The Genesis Prayer, which does not seem to explain the method for the prayer’s derivation from the beginning letters of Breishis. IY”H I will write more about this too in a future comment.
(To be continued.)
Regarding this year 5779, in a previous comment I mentioned that 5779 is a prime number (the 758th prime, interestingly with the number 758 having the same digits, 7, 5 and 8, as were present in the previous year 5778).
Notably also the number 79 (the last two digits in the year 57-79), is also a prime number, the 22nd prime number, and even the reverse of 79, the number 97, is also a prime, the 25th prime.
[The number 779 (the last three digits of 5-779) is not a prime, however its reverse, 977, is a prime, the 165th prime.]
Therefore the connection to prime numbers is more apparent in the year 5779 than in 5778 which is not prime – and similarly the last two digits of 57-78, the number 78, is not prime, and the reverse of 78, the number 87, is not prime, and the last three digits, the number 778, is not prime, although its reverse 877 is a prime [the 151st prime, and interestingly the number 151 is itself also prime, the 36th prime]. This greater connection to prime numbers may indicate a special elevation in this year over the previous year.
Previously I also mentioned that all of the hints to the year 5778 remain active in the year 5779 since this is the immediate continuation with a year that can be designated as a Kolel year to 5778, since 5778 plus a Kolel of 1 = 5779.
In addition, since the Jewish months are counted from the month of Nissan as the first month, that means that as far as the months of the year 5779 are concerned, the month of Tishrei, when 5779 started, was the actually still the 7th month from Nissan 5778, and thus we are under the direct influence of Nissan 5778 until Nissan 5779, which is 7 months into 5779, since another elevation of this year 5779 is that it is also a Jewish leap year, with 13 months instead of the regular 12 months.
More hints regarding the special year 5779 will IY”H be presented soon.
Since time is very limited I’d like to at least very briefly spread the word here and now about the very informative and enlightening views of Rabbi Mendel Kessin, who has a website called Torah Thinking, with a series of his lectures on the developments of the 21st century, nicely explaining the Divine Plan that is presently unfolding, and how we are now living in the era of the beginning of the redemption. I just recently became aware of these lectures, but it is immediately apparent that his ideas that fit very well with the views presented here on Kabbalah Secrets. I highly recommend that everyone who is interested should check this out. IY”H more on this will be forthcoming soon.
Good Shabbos!
The present days, the 19th and 20th of Kislev, are celebrated in as Rosh Hashana for Chassidus.
The 19th of Kislev is the Yahrtzeit Hilulah of R’ Yisroel Baal Shem Tov’s great disciple, R’ Dov Baer of Mezeritch, the Maggid of Mezritch, and the day that the Maggid’s great disciple, Shneir Zalman of Liozna-Liadi, the Alter Rebbe of Lubavitch, was freed from Czarist prison, and the 20th of Kislev is when R’ Shneur Zalman’s classic work the Tanya was printed for the first time.
An excerpt from a Chabad website explains:
The 19th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev is celebrated as the “Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism.” It was on this date, in the year 1798, that the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812), was freed from his imprisonment in czarist Russia. More than a personal liberation, this was a watershed event in the history of Chassidism, heralding a new era in the revelation of the “inner soul” of Torah.
The public dissemination of the teachings of Chassidism had in fact begun two generations earlier. The founder of the chassidic movement, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760), revealed to his disciples gleanings from the mystical soul of Torah which had previously been the sole province of select Kabbalists in each generation. This work was continued by the Baal Shem Tov’s disciple, Rabbi DovBer, the “Maggid of Mezeritch”—who is also deeply connected with the date of “19 Kislev”: on this day in 1772, 26 years before Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s release from prison, the Maggid returned his soul to his Maker. Before his passing, he said to his disciple, Rabbi Schneur Zalman: “This day is our yom tov (festival).”
Rabbi Schneur Zalman went much farther than his predecessors, bringing these teachings to broader segments of the Jewish population of Eastern Europe. More significantly, Rabbi Schneur Zalman founded the “Chabad” approach—a philosophy and system of study, meditation, and character refinement that made these abstract concepts rationally comprehensible and practically applicable in daily life.
In its formative years, the chassidic movement was the object of strong, and often venomous, opposition from establishment rabbis and laymen. Even within the chassidic community, a number of Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s contemporaries and colleagues felt that he had “gone too far” in tangibilizing and popularizing the hitherto hidden soul of Torah.
In the fall of 1798, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was arrested on charges that his teachings and activities threatened the imperial authority of the czar, and was imprisoned in an island fortress in the Neva River in Petersburg. In his interrogations, he was compelled to present to the czar’s ministers the basic tenets of Judaism and explain various points of chassidic philosophy and practice. After 53 days, he was exonerated of all charges and released.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman saw these events as a reflection of what was transpiring Above. He regarded his arrest as but the earthly echo of a heavenly indictment against his revelation of the most intimate secrets of the Torah. And he saw his release as signifying his vindication in the heavenly court. Following his liberation on 19 Kislev, he redoubled his efforts, disseminating his teachings on a far broader scale, and with more detailed and “down-to-earth” explanations, than before.
The 19th of Kislev therefore marks the “birth” of Chassidism: the point at which it was allowed to emerge from the womb of “mysticism” into the light of day, to grow and develop as an integral part of Torah and Jewish life.”
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Another excerpt from a Chabad website explains the extension of the Chassidic holiday on the 20th of Kislev:
The first printing of Sefer Shel Beinonim — Tanya was completed on Tuesday, 20 Kislev, 5557 (1796), in Slavita. It comprised: Part I — Sefer shel Beinonim, and Part II — Chinuch Katan and Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah….
The Alter Rebbe had originally intended to complete the printing of the Tanya in time to be studied on Yud-Tes Kislev, 5557 (1796), in honor of the yahrzeit of his mentor, the Maggid of Mezritch. There were delays, however, and ultimately the printing was not completed until the 20th of Kislev.
When the first copy was handed to the Alter Rebbe he looked at it for a long time and then said, “Many are the thoughts in a man’s heart….” It was my desire that this sefer be completed by the beginning of the month of Kislev, so that it could be studied on the day of my master’s yahrzeit. But, [as that verse continues,] ‘the counsel of G d prevails,’ and the printing was completed on the 20th of Kislev…, the 20th of Kislev.” He repeated the date even a third time, and concluded: “All that the Merciful One does is for the good.”
Exactly two years later, after his liberation from prison on Yud-Tes Kislev, 5559 (1798), his chassidim felt that they now understood the farsighted significance of those words. For on the day of his release, the Alter Rebbe was mistakenly taken by the Russian authorities to the home of a misnaged, who gave him far less than a warm welcome. It was not until later that evening, which was already the 20th of Kislev, that he was reunited with his chassidim.
Until here the Chabad excerpts.
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There is a special spiritual reverberation of these very important Chassidic themes this year.
Regarding the Maggid of Mezerich’s birth, the exact year isn’t known precisely, but in some sources it says it was in 1704, which was 314 years ago, and that resonates with the Divine Name Shin-Dalet-Yud, gematria 314, and this is especially significant in connection to what was explained previously.
Regarding the Maggid’s death in 1772, that was 246 years ago, and the number 246 represents the idea of a progression of twos, 2 4 6, and this resonates with Alter Rebbe’s liberation in 1798, which was 220 years ago, and with the printing of Tanya in 1796 which was 222 years ago, the since these numbers all stress the idea of a progression of twos.
In addition, the upcoming secular year 20-19 may also be said to hint to these two important consecutive dates, the 19th and 20th of Kislev, the Rosh Hashonah for Chassidus.
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At present unfortunately I don’t have enough time available to write much more in continuation to my above comments about the hints to many more Biblical names that may be found in the first verse of the Shma, and anyway this may not be the proper place to elaborate further about that.
Meanwhile however here is it is proper to provide an explanation of at least one more such hint, a hint to the name of Ezra, the Biblical scribe par excellence who led the Jews out of the Babylonian exile for the rebuilding of the Temple and resettlement of the land of Israel. This is especially relevant for the Kabbalah Secrets blog which is produced by our much appreciated “Ezra” Meiliken:
עזרא, Ezra, is spelled Ayin Zayin Reish Alef, and this name is hinted right at the beginning of the first verse Shma.
The first two letters of the Shma, the Shin and Mem from the word ש’מ’ע, Sh’m’a, spell the word שם, Sheim, meaning “name.”
Then the immediate next letter, the large letter Ayin of ‘שמע, Shma’, starts to reveal a hinted name, since this letter Ayin corresponds to the first letter Ayin of the name ע’זרא, E’zra.
Then, since this is a large letter Ayin, it may also hint to not just one, but two letters, and not just a letter Ayin, gematria 70, but also a letter Zayin, gematria 7, since these letters resonate and reverberate together, and especially since also at the top left edge of the letter ‘ע, Ayin, there is the shape of a letter ‘ז, Zayin, that forms that part of the letter, and therefore this large letter Ayin of the Shma may correspond not just to the first letter Ayin of ע’זרא, but also to the letter Zayin that is the second letter of עז’רא, Ez’ra.
Continuing in the Shma is the next word, the name ישר’א’ל, Yisr’oe’l, and skipping the first two letters Yud and Shin, then there are the letters Reish and Alef, which directly correspond to the letters Reish and Alef that are the third and fourth letter of the name ‘עזר’א, Ezr’a’, and with this the name Ezra is very nicely and prominently hinted at the beginning of the Shma.
(It is possible to say that the letters Yud and Shin that were skipped also have significance, since they spell the word יש, Yesh, meaning “there is,” and together with the two letters that began the previous word, the letters Shin and Mem of Shma, these letters form the phrase “there is a name.” Additionally, the letters Yud and Shin in gematria are 10 + 300 = 310, and with 1 for each of the 4 letters of the Divine Name Y-H-V-H, or 1 for each of the 4 letters of the name Ezra, this sums to 314, the same as the gematria of the Divine Name Shin-Dalet-Yud.)
Alternatively with regard to the letter Zayin, there is also a hint to the letter Zayin in the top left edge of the letter ‘ש, Shin, of the word יש’ראל, Yis’roel, since the shape of a letter Zayin forms that part of the letter Shin, and that shape of the letter Zayin immediately precedes the next letters Reish and Alef in both the name Yisroel and the name Ezra.
With warm Chassidic blessings to all Yisroel, and especially to Ezra and all the readers. May we all hear good tidings soon!
My previous comment pointed out that there is a special spiritual reverberation of the themes of the Chassidic holidays the 19th and 20th of Kislev this year – since the Maggid died on the 19th of Kislev 246 years ago, which represents the idea of a progression of twos, 2 4 6, and the Alter Rebbe’s liberation was on the 19th of Kislev 220 years ago, and the first printing of Tanya was on the 20th of Kislev 222 years ago.
Likewise regarding the festival of Chanukah – which in the calendar starts almost immediately thereafter, and there is also a connection between the themes of the spreading Chassidic teachings and the themes of Chanukah, liberation and light – there appears to be a similar reverberation for Chanukah this year, since in general the Chanukah dedication of the Temple occurred “about 2200 years ago” (that was the wording of the first webpage on Chanukah that came up in my internet search when researching this).
More specifically, most sources (see for example the discussion in Artscroll’s book on Chanukah) say that the Chanukah dedication of the Temple happened in the Hebrew year 3597 (corresponding to secular year 165 BCE), so more specifically that was 5779 – 3597 = 2182 years ago, which is actually 18 years shy of the round number 2200, however interestingly the digits of number 2182 can also be rearranged to be seen as being composed of the numbers 22 and 18, and the average of these two numbers is simply 20.
Another interesting thing about the number 2182 is that it only has 2 prime factors, 2 and 1091, thus 2182 = 2 x 1091, with the number 2 being the first prime number and the number 1091 being the 182nd prime number. This is unusual since the number 2182 can be viewed as 2-182, and therefore hinting that it is itself the product of the multiplication of the number 2 and the 182nd prime number.
Also interestingly, if we add instead of multiply, then 2 + 182 = 184, the gematria of the key word פקד, Pokad, the important term and clue that means “redemption.”
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The Chanukah dedication of the Temple happened in the relatively early stages of the Jewish rebellion against the Syrian-Greek forces of Seleucid King Antiochus IV, exactly three years to the day from when the pagans took control of and defiled the Temple, however the war still continued in earnest for another 24 years (again a progression of twos, 2-4…), until Shimon, the last surviving son of Mattisyahu the Hasmonean, finally prevailed and was proclaimed Prince of Israel.
According to I Maccabees this proclamation occurred on the 18th of Elul 3621/140 BCE (see the Artscroll book on Chanukah for details), and this also illustrates the connection between Chanukah and the Chassidic festivals, since the 18th of Elul is also both the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and the birthday of the Alter Rebbe.
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The name חנוכה, Chanukah, hints that חנו כ”ה, Chanu Chuf-Heh, “they rested on the 25th” of the month of Kislev, and the festival extends for 8 days, into the beginning of the month of Teves.
It comes out that the festival of Chanukah joins Kislev, the 9th month (from Nissan), with Teves, the 10th month (from Nissan), and therefore certain elements in Chanukah may supersede elements of Kislev and of Teves. This may be represented by saying that 9 + 10 = 19, and superseding 19 is 20, and this too may be a hint to the Chassidic holidays of the 19th and 20th of Kislev, that lead up to and are connected with Chanukah and this time of the Jewish year.
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There is also a significant hint to חנוכה, Chanukah, spelled Ches Nun Vov Chof Heh, in the first verse of the Shma, similar to the explanations for other names that were given above:
Start from the letter Ches in the last word of the Shma verse, אח’ד, Ech’od, which corresponds to the first letter Ches of the word ח’נוכה, Ch’anukah.
Then go back to the letters Nun and Vov at the end of the Divine Name ‘א-להינ’ו, Elokein’u’, which correspond to the next letters Nun and Vov of the word חנ’ו’כה, Chan’u’kah.
Then take the Divine Name Y-H-V-H, in between the Name Elokeinu and the word Echod, and as it written in Siddurim it is often abbreviated Yud-Yud, with a gematria of 10 + 10 = 20, and this corresponds to the next letter Chof, gematria 20, of the word חנוכ’ה, Chanuk’ah.
Then take the remaining letters Alef and Dalet of the word ‘א’חד, E’chod’, in gematria 1 + 4 = 5, which correspond to the letter Heh, gematria 5, that is the final letter of the word ‘חנוכה, Chanukah’.
(Alternatively, take the Divine Name Y-H-V-H, gematria 26, and subtract from it the next letter, the Alef of א’חד, E’chod, gematria 1, to get 26 – 1 = 25, which corresponds to the gematria of the letters Chuf and Heh, 20 + 5 = 25, or alternatively take the 25 letters of the whole verse of Shma, and together they represent the gematria of the letters Chuf and Heh, 20 + 5 = 25, at the end of the word ‘חנוכ’ה, Chanuk’ah’.)
It comes out based on this that the last 9 consecutive letters of the Shma (2 from Elokeinu, 4 from Hashem, and 3 from Echod) compose a hint to the festival of Chanukah. These letters can also be viewed as similar to the form of a Chanukah Menorah, with the first 8 of these letters representing the 8 Mitzvah candles, and with the large letter Dalet at the end, towering above the other letters, representing the Shamash helper candle that is set higher, above the other candles in the Menorah.
The large letter D’alet, gematria 4, may also stand for and symbolize the D’reidel that is associated with Chanukah, the 4-sided top that is spun in games played on the festival.
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It is especially appropriate for these hints to Chanukah to be found at the end of the Shma Yisroel verse since the Chanukah festival commemorates miraculous events that happened at the end of our Biblical history, after all of the other miraculous events that are commemorated by all of our other holidays and festivals.
The 25 letters of the Shma verse also correspond to another facet of Chanukah, in that there are 24 Books of the Jewish Scriptures, and Chanukah would have been the 25th Book if another Book describing its miracles would have been added to the Bible, however this was already after the Biblical cannon had been sealed, and there were no authentic prophets any more in those times, since true prophecy had already ended.
In the most recent Torah To-Go publication by Yeshiva University it was brought in the name of Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld that this is hinted in the word Chanukah itself. As stated above Chanukah can be understood as, חנו כ”ה, Chanu K”H, “they rested on the 25th,” and this also hints that although Chanukah would have qualified to be the 25th Book of Scripture, nevertheless our sages “rested” and refrained from actually doing this.
At any rate let us hope that the light of Chanukah and the light of Chassidus and Pnimius HaTorah will keep growing ever brighter and the true spirit of prophecy and attachment to Hashem will return once again soon in our time.
Happy Chanukah!
A few more remarks regarding the Shma and hints to Chanukah:
The festival of Chanukah commemorates the purification and rededication of the Temple, and the rekindling of the Menorah with pure olive oil, and notably the basic shape of the first letter of the Shma, the letter ש, Shin, resembles the shape of the Menorah in the Temple:
Like the Menorah in the Temple the letter Shin also has a single “base,” with multiple upward extending “branches,” and with the top of each branch resembling a “bud” or “cup” like form, corresponding to the oil holding bowls at the top the Menorah.
Additionally, the way the letter Shin is written in the Torah it is made with several thin and tiny crowning Tagim marks at the very top, and in fitting with the Menorah analogy, these marks resemble the oil burning wicks that extended out of their holders at the top of the Menorah.
Further, when written with punctuation marks, there is also a dot on top of the letter, a dot on the right for a letter Shin, and a dot on the left for a letter Sin, and this dot too resembles the wicks burning on top of the branches of the Menorah.
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It was said above that the last letter of the Shma verse, the large letter Dalet at the end of the word Echod, towering above the other letters, may represent the Shamash helper candle that is set higher, above the other candles in the Menorah – however that is specifically for the Menorah that we use in our homes and in public displays for the 8 nights of Chanukah, however for the Menorah in the Temple there was no Shamash candle.
It comes out that the first letter of the Shma, the Shin, corresponds to the Menorah of the Temple, which was miraculously lit with pure oil by the Chashmonoim when after being victorious in battle they were able to retake control of the Temple. The letter Dalet, on the other hand, at the end of the Shma verse, corresponds to the Menorah of Chanukah that we light in our homes and in public displays.
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Above it was also stated that the large letter D’alet, gematria 4, may also stand for and symbolizes the D’reidel that is associated with Chanukah, the 4-sided top that is spun in games played on the festival. This idea is also emphasized since, as mentioned in a previous comment, there is a custom that when pronouncing the word Echod, one should incline one’s head around in a slight circle, to symbolically proclaim Hashem as the One and Only King above in the heavens and below in the earth and throughout the four directions. This circling motion also corresponds to the circling motion of the Dreidel.
The original Hebrew word for Dreidel is סביבון, Sevivon. It is interesting that in gematria the word Sevivon is 130, which corresponds to the word אחד, Echod, gematria 13.
Additionally, the small gematria of Sevivon, 130, is 1 + 3 + 0 = 4, which also corresponds to the letter Dalet, gematria 4.
Further, the root of the word Sevivon is סבב, Savev, is gematria 64, and this also corresponds to a large letter Dalet, which may be interpreted as 4 cubed, 4 x 4 x 4 = 64.
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As explained in previous comments at length, the Divine Name Sha-da-i, spelled Shin Dalet Yud, is intimately connected with the Shma. After explaining the Chanukah symbolism of the letter Shin and in the letter Dalet of Shma, to complete the hints to the letters of this Divine Name with correspondences in the symbols of Chanukah, it is possible to say that the letter Yud of Sha-da-i may be represented by the coins of Chnukah Gelt that are customarily given, or alternatively by the Latkes (potato pancakes) and Safganios (doughnuts) traditionally eaten on Chanukah, since these may be understood as having basically the shape of the letter Yud.
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The wicked Greek/Syrian oppressors tried to uproot the Jewish people’s adherence to Torah and Mitzvos, and in particular focused their decrees against the Temple, the Shabbos, Yom Tov, Rosh Chodesh, Kashrus, Circumcision, the laws of Tahars HaMishpocha, the mentioning of Hashem’s Name and Torah study. The Chashmonoim fought against these wicked people in their times and with Hashem’s help were victorious.
In every generation we have challenges to our Torah study and Mitzvah observance. Let’s draw from the spirit of Chanukah to help inspire us all year long to reach the victories that we need here and now in our days. May we merit the rebuilding and rededication of the Beis Hamikdosh once again, very soon indeed!
As explained above the letter Shin at the beginning of the Shma hints to the Menorah, since the letter Shin resembles the shape of the Menorah, with a base and rising branches, and complete with dots and threadlike lines at their top that resemble the lamp bowls with glowing wicks atop the Menorah.
The symbolism of the letter Shin and its connection to the Menorah is also hinted in that the gematria of the letter ש, Shin, 300, together with 1 for the Kolel, which is stressed in the context of the Shma by the word Echod, G-d is One, sum to 300 + 1 = 301, and this is the same as the gematria of the word מנורה, Menorah, 40 + 50 + 6 + 200 + 5 = 301. Emphasizing this even more, the number 301 also corresponds to the gematria of the word אש, Aish, fire, 301, and also the word שא, Sah, raise up, which are also fitting hints to the uplifting fiery lights of the Menorah.
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It is possible to expand this hint to the form of the Menorah in the beginning of the Shma, by joining the letter Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, as discussed, together with the letter Sin of the next word in the verse, the letter Sin the name יש’ראל, Yis’roel, which likewise shares the same shape and symbolism.
However, even more, each of these letters Shin and Sin may be seen to represent one side of the Menorah – i.e., the 3 upward extending lines of the letter Shin may represent the 3 branches on the right side of the Menorah, and the 3 upward extending lines of the letter Sin may represent the 3 branches on the left side of the Menorah – and they are symmetrically arranged in this first verse of Shma on either side of the large letter ע, Ayin, of the word ‘שמע, Shma’, which is directly in the middle between them.
The letter Ayin itself also shares a similar resemblance to the form of a Menorah – with a larger base at the bottom, with lines extending upward, and with dots on top of these lines that resemble lamp bowls for oil atop the Menorah, and the Ayin is also one of the few letters that is written in the Torah, like the letters Shin and Sin, with crowning smaller threadlike lines, Tagim, on its top, that resemble the wicks burning in the Menorah’s lamps.
Further, this letter Ayin at the beginning of the Shma, with its larger form in comparison to the other letters, together with the previously mentioned letters Shin and Sin symmetrically arranged to the right and left, may be said to resemble the base and central column of one united larger Menorah, with the regular size letters Shin and Sin being the right and left sides of one united Menorah that is formed by the shape and the arrangement of these letters.
Additionally, the letter Ayin is gematria 70, and this resonates with the number 7 that corresponds to the 7 lights of the Menorah, and as mentioned in a previous comment, one of the upward extending lines of the letter Ayin, the one on the left side of the Ayin, itself has the form of a letter ז, Zayin, gematria 7, and this too alludes to and corresponds to the 7 lights of the Temple Menorah.
[Counting the 2 upwardly extending lines of the letter Ayin, together with the 3 upwardly extending lines of the letter Shin, and the 3 upwardly extending lines of the Sin, gives a total of 2 + 3 + 3 = 8 upwardly extending lines, one more than the number of lights in the Temple Menorah, however, as pointed out, one of these upward extending lines has the shape of a Zayin, gematria 7, and in the allusion to the Menorah herein explained, this Zayin shaped line in the Ayin serves to emphasize that the Menorah in the Temple had specifically 7 lamps, or alternatively the combined 8 upwardly extending lines of these letters Shin, Ayin, Sin, allude and correspond to the 8 lights of the Chanukah Menorah.].
As for the intervening letters Mem (between the Shin and Ayin) and Yud (between the Ayin and the Sin), these serve to space out and enhance the appearance of the branches of the conceptualized Menorah that is thereby formed, and also the letter Mem itself also hints to the Menorah, since Mem is the first letter of the word מ’נורה, M’enorah, and the Yud, due to its shape and its appearance in the script, may be seen as alluding to the lamps and the wicks that are lit at the top of the Menorah.
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Indeed there is also a noticeable hint to the word מנורה, Menorah, spelled Mem Nun Vov Reish Heh, in the first verse of the Shma:
The hint starts immediately from the letter Mem of שמ’ע, Shm’a, which corresponds to the first letter of the word מ’נורה, M’enorah, as just stated, right after the pictographic representation of the Menorah in the shape of the initial letter Shin of ש’מע, Sh’ma.
Then skip toward the end of the Shma verse, and take the consecutive letters Nun and Vov at the end of the Divine Name ‘אלקינ’ו, Elokein’u’, which correspond to the next letters Nun and Vov of the word מנ’ו’רה, Men’o’rah.
Then take the next word, the Divine Name Hashem, Y-H-V-H, which is gematria 26, and multiply it by 8, the gematria of the letter Ches of the next word אח’ד, Echod, to get 26 x 8 = 208, which is the same as 200 + 8, and this number of 200 corresponds to the gematria of the letter Reish, which is the next letter in the word מנור’ה, Meor’ah. [The remainder 8 may be understood to correspond to the 8 lights of the Chanukah Menorah, or to the 7 lights of the Temple Menorah plus 1 more to hint to the special fire that is used to kindle them that is taken from the perpetual fire on the Mizba’ach Altar (as will be explained a bit more in a coming comment)].
Then take the remaining letters at the end of the verse, the Alef and Dalet of the word ‘א’חד, E’chod’, which in gematria are 1 + 4 = 5, the same as the gematria of the letter Heh, which corresponds to the letter Heh that is the final letter in the word ‘מנורה, Menorah’.
[Alternatively, for the last two letters: Take the way the Divine Name Hashem is represented in Siddurim, Yud Yud, with a gematria of 20, which resonates with the gematria 200 of the letter Reish, and therefore may correspond to the letter Reish in the word מנור’ה, Menor’ah. Then take the small gematria, 4, of the whole next word of Shma, אחד, Echod (i.e., the regular gematria 1 + 8 + 4 = 13, and in small gematria this equals 1 + 3 = 4), together with 1 more for the meaning of that same word Echod (i.e., one, 1), to get 4 + 1 = 5, which is the gematria of the letter Heh, corresponding to the final letter Heh of the word ‘מנורה, Menorah’.]
Thus it comes out that by joining the letters at the beginning of the Shma with the letters at the end of the Shma verse there is produced this suitable and credible allusion to the word מנורה, Menorah, and its very significant symbolism.
(To be continued.)
In addition to Chanukah’s emphasis on the Menorah, there is also a special Chanukah emphasis on the Mizba’ach, the holy Altar in the Temple courtyard.
The connection to the Mizba’ach is hinted right in the name חנוכה, Chanukah, from the root חנך, Chanuch, dedicate, as in חנוכת המזבח, Chanukas HaMizba’ach, the dedication of the Altar, and this is appropriate for the festival of dedication for the purified Temple and especially for the dedication of the Altar.
The history of the events of those times are recounted in many places, including in Artscroll’s book on Chanukah, based on Rabbinic sources and on Maccabees I and II, that the Temple’s defilement by the Syrian-Greek Seleucids increased over time, and the abomination of a pig being offered on the Altar happened on the Hebrew date 25 Kislev 3594. Miraculously, three years to the day later, on 25 Kislev 3597, the Hasmonean Maccabees retook the Temple and offered clean sacrifices on a new rebuilt holy Altar.
[Incidentally, according to the tradition of our sages o.b.m. the work of constructing the Mishkon, its furnishings and vessels, was actually finished on 25 Kislev in the year after the exodus from Egypt, 2449, and the erection of the Mishkon was delayed for various reasons a few months until the 1st of Nisan.]
In addition, it was specifically an incident of a pig being about to be offered on altar erected by the Syrian-Greeks and Hellenists in the town of Modin, that sparked the initial act of rebellion by Matisyahu Kohen Gadol Chashmonoi and his sons, when they refused to cooperate with this sacrilege and took up arms and killed the blasphemers and the pagan soldiers there. This account also emphasizes the essential function and role of the Altar in sparking the revolt and subsequent victory which we celebrate as the festival of Chanukah.
Similarly, regarding the positive effect that celebrating Chanukah has toward the eventual future dedication of the IYH soon to be rebuilt Temple and Altar, as expressed in the words traditionally sung in the beginning of the Chanukah “MaOz Tzur” prayer:
“Mighty stronghold of my salvation, to praise You is a delight. Restore my House of Prayer, and there we will bring a thanksgiving offering… then shall I complete with a song of hymn the dedication of the Altar.”
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The Talmud (Yoma 45b) states that there is connection between the Menorah and the Mizba’ach in the Temple courtyard, in that the fire to kindle the Menorah is taken from the fire on the Mizba’ach.
Rashi cites this on Leviticus 6:6, “There shall be a continual (Tamid) fire kept burning on the Altar, it shall not be extinguished,” explaining that the redundant word Tamid, “continual” [redundant since anyway the verse states “it shall not be extinguished,” implying it shall burn continually], teaches that the lamps of Menorah are kindled with the fire from the Altar, since concerning the Menorah it similarly states (Exodus 27:20), “to kindle a lamp continually (Tamid),” thus it is indicated that the Menorah should be ignited from the fire on the outer Altar.
This is also codified by the Rambam who writes that after kindling with fire from the Altar the Neir HaMa’aravi, the “western lamp,” also known as the Neir Tamid, the “continual lamp,” the wick of that lamp is used to kindle its neighboring lamps, and then the wick each lamp is used to kindle its neighbor, until all seven lamps of the Menorah are lit.
[For a bit more elaboration on this, here is a translation of the Rambam, Hilchos Temidin Umusofim, ch. 3, laws 13-14, with footnotes, from a free online website:
When the western lamp52 becomes extinguished, after the ash is removed, it should be rekindled only [from fire] from the outer altar.53 When any of the other lamps are extinguished, by contrast, they may be rekindled from each other.54
How are [the lamps of the Menorah] kindled? One should pull its wick out55 until he kindles it [from another one of the lamps].56 [He must extend the wicks,] because the lamps are permanently affixed within the Menorah.57 And he may not use another lamp, because that would be disrespectful.58
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52. As mentioned in Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 3:8, the Rambam maintains that the Menorah was positioned from north to south. Accordingly, this refers to the center lamp that was positioned opposite the Holy of Holies. Others differ, maintaining that the Menorah is positioned from east to west and the term “western lamp” refers to the second lamp from the east which is “western” in relation to the more eastern one.
53. Yoma 45b derives this concept from Leviticus 6:6 which reads “A continuous fire shall burn on the altar.” Using the rules of Biblical exegesis, our Sages explain that the verse can be interpreted. Whenever a continuous fire will burn – and the Menorah is also referred to as a continuous fire – it shall be kindled from the altar.
The Ra’avad differs with this ruling and maintains that when possible, even the western lamp should be kindled from the other lamps of the Menorah. Only when there is no alternative, it should be kindled from the altar. The Radbaz and the Kessef Mishneh, however, give support for the Rambam’s view.
54. Indeed, as stated in the following halachah, it is desirable to do so rather than use another candle.
55. With tweezers. This was possible, because the wicks were long.
56. The Radbaz suggests that each lamp would be kindled from the lamp next to it. Thus one would not have to stretch any of the wicks that far.
57. See Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 3:6-7.
58. Even if one would light the ordinary lamp from the lamp of the Menorah, it would be unacceptable, because it is not respectful to light an ordinary lamp from the lamp of the Menorah (Kessef Mishneh, based on Maggid Mishneh, Hilchot Chanukah 3:9).]
These and other sources emphasis that the fire for the Menorah ultimately originates from the fire on the Mizba’ach.
As mentioned in a previous comment, there was no Shamash-helper light fixed in the Temple’s Menorah as there is in Menorahs used for Chanukah, however based on the above explanation it is evident that in some respects, since the Mizba’ach fire was used to kindle the Menorah, it is possible to consider the Mizba’ach in this regard as the Shamash-helper for the lighting of the Temple Menorah. At any rate this serves to express the essential connection between the Menorah and the Mizba’ach, as shall be further explained.
(To be continued.)
As explained above, the Menorah and the Mizba’ach are two aspects of Divine service that are specially emphasized on Chanukah, and this special connection between the Menorah and the Mizba’ach is also evident from the Torah readings that were established for the days of Chanukah:
Some congregations start the Torah reading from the portion of the Birchas Kohanim, from Parshas Noso (Numbers 6:22-27) – giving honorable recognition to the Kohanim for their leadership in the Chanukah rebellion, and to start out with Hashem’s great blessings through the Kohanim – and of course the Kohanim are essential for all Temple service, including for the Menorah and Mizba’ach. Then they continue with the immediately next portion of Torah, which is where all other congregations begin on Chanukah (Numbers 7:1):
“It was on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan-Tabernacle that he anointed it, and sanctified it and all its utensils, and the Mizba’ach-Altar and all its utensils, and he anointed and sanctified them.”
This verse highlights a special mention of the Mizba’ach, more so than any other aspect of the Mishkan service.
The Torah reading then continues with a description of the unique joint offerings that the leaders of the tribes provided for the Tabernacle, the presentation of specially designed covered wagons with oxen to pull them, which Hashem commanded to be given to the Levi’im for assistance in carrying the Mishkon from encampment to encampment. Then, the focus of the majority of the Torah reading for the days of Chanukah continues starting from verse 7:10:
“The leaders bought forward offerings for the dedication of the Altar on the day it was anointed, and the leaders brought their offering before the Altar. Hashem said to Moshe, One leader each day, one leader each day shall they bring their offering for the dedication of the Altar….”
Clearly the dedication of the Altar is the main focus of this Torah passage, and this also stresses the aspect of the “Chanukas HaMizba’ach” that was likewise a most significant factor in the Chanukah dedication.
[It is interesting that this Torah reading is from Numbers chapter 7, corresponding to the 7 lamps in the Menorah, and that there are 89 verses in this chapter, which corresponds to the gematria of the word חנוכה, Chanukah, 8 + 50 + 6 + 20 + 5 = 89.]
Each day of Chanukah the reading discusses the offerings of one of the leaders of the tribes, starting from the tribe of Yehuday, and on the eighth and last day of Chanukah the Torah reading starts with the offering by the leader of the tribe of Menashe, the 8th leader to present his offerings, and we keep reading about all the offerings of the remaining leaders of the tribes, and the totals of all their offerings at the end of Parshas Naso, and then without stopping we continue reading the beginning of Parshas B’ha’aloscho (Numbers 8:1-4), which is about the kindling of the Menorah by Aharon Kohen Gadol:
“Hashem spoke to Moshe saying. Speak to Aharon and say to him: When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light. Aharon did so, toward the face of the Menorah he kindled its lamps, as Hashem had commanded Moshe. This is the workmanship of the Menorah, hammered-out gold, from its base to its flower it is hammered out; according to the vision that Hashem showed Moshe, so did he make the Menorah.”
[It is interesting that this is chapter 8, corresponding to the 8 lights of the Chanukah Menorah, and as the Midrash and commentators like Ramban and others explain, in these verses there is a special hint to the Chanukah Menorah and the victory of the Kohanim Chashmonoim.]
Thus from all of this it is evident that the Torah reading for Chanukah begins with verses that highlight the Mizba’ach and concludes with verses that highlight the Menorah, again pointing to the connection of especially these two specific Temple services.
(To be continued)
Here I interrupt the discourse on Chanukah, the Menorah and Mizba’ach, to give another brief alert about the uniqueness of this year, and its connection to prime numbers, which the readers should appreciate:
Last year much was made of the fact that that 5778 was 3330 years since the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah. With all the special significance of the number 3330, it may of course also be pointed out that the current year, 5779, is this same number of years, 3330 years, since the erecting of the Mishkon in the year 2449.
Further, in a previous comment above it was pointed out that 5779 is a prime number (the 758th prime), and this year is now 3331 years since the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah, and this is also very significant since the number 3331 is also a prime number, the 470th prime.
Also interestingly the digits of 3331 sum to 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 10, and 470 = 10 x 47, with 47 also being a prime number, the 15th prime.
Something very special is certainly happening and very soon this should be revealed to all!
Continuing with regard to the Mizba’ach, Altar, it is remarkable that the word מזבח, Mizba’ach, spelled Mem Zayin Beis Ches, is also prominently hinted in the beginning and ending of the first verse of the Shma – similar to what was explained above regarding the hint to the word מנורה, Menorah, in the Shma – and the Mizba’ach can be prominently hinted two ways, starting and ending in the very same letters, in regular order and in reverse order:
Starting with the regular reading order, first take the letter Mem of שמ’ע, Shm’a, and in addition to corresponding to the initial letter Mem of the word מ’נורה, M’enorah (and to the Mem of מ’שה, M’oshe, and the Mem of מ’שיח, M’oshiach, as explained above), also corresponds to the first letter Mem of the word מ’זבח, M’izbaach.
Then take the next letter Ayin of ‘שמע, Shma’, for as previously mentioned, the gematria of Ayin is 70, which resonates with the gematria of Zayin, 7, and also the top left side of the letter ע, Ayin, has the shape of a letter ז, Zayin, and therefore this letter Ayin can allude to the next letter Zayin of the word מז’בח, Miz’baach.
These two letters, the Mem and the Ayin (which also hints to a Zayin), are the 2nd and 3rd letters from the beginning of the Shma verse, and for the hint to the word Mizba’ach just join them to the corresponding 2nd and 3rd letters from the end of the Shma verse, i.e., the letters Alef and Ches from the word א’ח’ד, E’ch’od. These letters Alef and Ches may be understood as corresponding to the last two letters Beis and Ches of the word ‘מזב’ח, Mizb’aach’, since the last letter Ches is identical in both words, and since there are many ways to transform the letter Alef into a Beis.
One way is to use the transformation code “Alef-Beis, Beis-Gimel, Gimel-Dalet,” whereby each letter transforms into the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet, until the Tav at the end transforms into an Alef to complete the cycle. Another way is to use the transformation code “Alef-Beis, Gimel-Dalet, Heh-Vov,” whereby the letters Alef and Beis interchange, the letters Gimel and Dalet interchange, and so on.
Alternatively the letter Alef may be transformed into a letter Beis by taking the gematria of the letter Alef, 1, and adding 1 for the Kolel, for a sum of 1 + 1 = 2, the gematria of the letter Beis. Transforming the Alef of Echod in the Shma into a letter Beis may also be done by adding the meaning of the word Echod, which is 1, or by adding to it the Name of Hashem immediately before the word Echod in the verse, since “Hashem is One,” thus with the Alef of Echod alluding to 1 + 1 = 2, a transformation into the letter Beis, gematria 2.
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There is also a hint to the word Mizba’ach in reverse, starting from the same letter Mem and ending with the same letter Ches:
As before, first take the letter Mem of the word שמ’ע, Shm’a, which corresponds to the first letter Mem of the word מ’זבח, M’izba’ach.
Then take immediately previous letter Shin of the word ש’מע, Sh’ma, and note the top left side of the Shin also has the shape of a letter ז, Zayin, and in some instances the letter Shin-Sin is also interchanged with the letter Zayin since their vocalizations are similar, and therefore this letter Shin may hint to and represent the next letter Zayin of the word מז’בח, Miz’ba’ach.
These two letters, the Mem and the Shin (which also hints to a Zayin), are the 1st and 2nd letters from the beginning of the verse, and now continue cycling backward through the verse, joining the beginning to the ending, and join them with the two letters that are the 1st and 2nd letters from the end of the verse, the letters Dalet and Ches from the word ‘אח’ד, Ech’od’. These letters may be understood to correspond to the last two letters Beis and Ches of the word ‘מזב’ח, Mizb’aach’, since again the Ches is identical in both words, and the Dalet may be meditatively transformed into a Beis in a number of ways.
One way to conceptually transform a Dalet into a Beis is to understand that its gematria, 4, may be represented as 2 + 2, or as 2 x 2, or as 2 squared, or 2 to the power of 2, and this stresses the connection to the number 2, the gematria of the letter Beis. Further, the large letter Dalet may be expressed in its longhand form, as the word דלת, Dalet, spelled Dalet, Lamed, Tav, in gematria 434, and in small gematria this becomes 4 + 3 + 4 = 11, and 11 further reduces to 1 + 1 = 2, which is the gematria of the letter Beis.
It comes out that these hints to the word Mizba’ach are completely spelled out in these symmetrical prominent letters at the beginning and ending of the first verse of the Shma.
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It is possible to say that these two hints to the word Mizba’ach in the Shma, one in the regular reading order on the inside of the verse, and one in reverse order on the outside of the verse, correspond to the Temple’s two Altars, the Altar for incense inside the Temple, and the Altar for sacrificial offerings in the Temple’s courtyard.
There are numerous obvious interconnections between the two Altars, and similar to what was explained above – that the fire to kindle the Menorah was taken from the fire of the courtyard Altar – so too the glowing embers for burning incense on the inner Altar (which was located inside the Temple proper, adjacent to the Menorah), were also taken from the fire on the outer Altar in the Temple courtyard.
With regard to the dedication of the Temple celebrated on Chanukah, the purification and dedication involved not just the courtyard Altar for sacrifices, it also included purification and dedication of the inner incense Altar, and all the other aspects the Temple.
As discussed above, the Torah reading for Chanukah features the verses describing the offerings presented by the leaders of the 12 tribes as gifts for the dedication of the Mizba’ach for the Mishkan in the desert. Among the gifts of each leader offered was “One gold ladle of ten [shekels] filled with incense,” for a total of (Numbers 7:86) “Twelve gold ladles filled with incense, each ladle was ten of the sacred shekels; all the gold of the ladles was one hundred and twenty [shekels].” Therefore these verses certainly also allude to the Divine service of burning incense on the golden inner Altar.
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When reciting the Shma in our prayer services, and concentrating and uniting ourselves with the plain meaning of the words, and with the deep hinted intentions they contain, it is worthwhile to have these lofty ideas in mind, and resolve to strive to transform ourselves into metaphorical Menorahs and Mizba’achs, by radiating true light to the world, and by bringing the world ever closer and closer to Hashem.
The festival of Chanukah provides inspiration and intensification for the light of Moshiach, and considering the prominent roles of the Menorah and the Mizba’ach in the festival of Chanukah, it is therefore fascinating that the gematria of the word מנורה, Menorah, 301, plus the gematria of the word מזבח, Mizba’ach, 57, sum to 301 + 57 = 358, which is the same as the gematria of the word משיח, Moshiach, also 358.
By concentrating on these matters, and by studying and behaving in the ways of the Torah, we arouse the spark of Moshiach within ourselves, and help kindle the spark of the real Moshiach, which shall surely burst forth very soon, with a warm, luminous, and pleasingly fragrant flame that will be constant and forever enduring!
(To be continued.)
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