GEMATRIA

Gematria is a method of studying the holy scriptures where every letter of the Hebrew Alphabet has a numerical Value as illustrated below. Gematria is intended to reveal a finer level of meaning of the 4 levels as illustrated in the PARDES story.


It is being considered here in relation to the opening page of Sefer Yetsira.

Below you will see the letters of the Hebrew alphabet laid out with the equivalent numbers in 3 columns on the left and in 3 concentric circles on the right. This dual way of representing concepts is frequently found in Kabbalistic writings.

People either hate or love Gematrias and I hope that the Gematria-philes will sent me their favourite Gematrias to be included in this site.

 

 
Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value, the same as in the other ancient language of Greek. It is relatively straight fro ward to see the numerical values of the first circle of letters from 1 to 9, from A to U. The second circle starts from yud, the next letter and is 10. From then on the numbers increase in tens , ie 10 20 30 etc from Y to C until we complete the circle at 90 and then next number is 100 Q. From then on the numbers increase in 100s ie 200 300 etc. If you prefer you can seethe same story ,but tabulated as on the left      
     
     
     
           

SEFER YETSIRA
purported to be written by Abraham, and says on page 1.

And He created His universe
....with three books (Sepharim),
..........with text (Sepher)
..........with number (Sephar)
.........and with communication (Sippur).

NUMBER refers to Gematria. where every letter of the Hebrew Alphabet has a numerical Value.
The chief Rabbi, Dr Sacks explains in the introduction to the new Siddur page xx that "reality has a numerical structure"

  
  Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value, the same as in the other ancient language of Greek. It is relatively straight fro ward to see the numerical values of the first circle of letters from 1 to 9, from A to U. The second circle starts from yud, the next letter and is 10. From then on the numbers increase in tens , ie 10 20 30 etc from Y to C until we complete the circle at 90 and then next number is 100 Q. From then on the numbers increase in 100s ie 200 300 etc. If you prefer you can seethe same story ,but tabulated as on the left
           
               
    Gematrias of the 7 items on a shabbos table all reduce to 7. Coincidence??

Below is a Gematria Analyses of the first sentence of the Bible (the Chumash, the Old Testament, the 5 Books of Moses). It emphasises a relationship between the week, the Lunar month, the numbers 3 7 and 10 and the palindromic number 3773 and lifetime events based on some remarkable work by VernonJenkins
               
     
Please send in your favourite Gematrias, to be included on this page. Use the feedback or Blog tab on the introduction page
  

NUMBERS

7 Seven

There are 21 Old Testament writers whose names appear in the Bible (3 x 7).and 22 books of Tanach?? 22 letters of alphabet


The Shema verse has seven Hebrew words having a total of 28 letters 4 x 7.

The numeric value of the three nouns "God", "heaven" and "earth" totals 777. Any number in triplicate expresses complete, ultimate or total meaning

There are 21 Old Testament writers whose names appear in the Bible (3 x 7). The numeric value of their names is divisible by seven.

David's name is found 1134 times (162 x 7). The numeric value of their names is divisible by seven. Of these 21, seven are named in the New Testament: Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea and Joel. The numeric values of these names is 1554 (222 x 7).


We're told the pulse beats slower every seven days as if it were in accord with the seventh day of rest proclaimed in the Genesis creation week. And God formed man of the dust of the ground (Gen 2:7); science confirms the human body is made of the same 14 elements (2 x 7) found in your average handful of dust
In almost all animals the incubation or pregnancy period is divisible by seven. Seven is often referred to as "God's seal" or the number of spiritual perfection.

70 bulls sacrificed
And as we approach the festival of Tabernacles, which is truly international, we remember that the priests sacrificed 70 bullocks to atone for the 70 nations of the world.

Nine is finality or completion. The first example of its use is that infinitely sealed first verse of the Bible: "In the beginning God'' which in Hebrew is: Brayshith Elohim which has the numeric value of 999. The very next statement "created the heaven" is also sealed with 999

As yet, UNCONFIRMED by the Author