Aleph – Bet – Gimmel – Daled – Hey…it’s the Hebrew alphabet!

According to the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet has its own meaning and power. The 22 letters are regarded as the building blocks of the world. In fact, the Biblical artisan Betzalel, who created all the vessels for the Tabernacle, was said to have been able to carry out God’s will in such perfect detail because he “knew how to combine the letters with which heaven and earth were created” (Talmud Berachot 55a).

Take, for example, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “aleph.” (To see an image of the aleph, please click here .) The aleph is made up of one diagonal line with a leg and an arm – the aleph therefore has two ends that touch the “ground” and two ends that reach toward “heaven.” Since it stretches between the two, aleph is regarded as the letter that unites heaven and earth. The aleph is also a symbol of strength because its form resembles the shape of an ox.

Each letter’s underlying meaning and power adds nuances to the word which it helps to shape and build. For instance, aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew word for truth, emet. One could say that it takes a considerable amount of inner strength to always follow the truth, and that one is judged for truthfulness both by fellow human beings and by God.

Join the National Jewish Outreach Program’s Read Hebrew America/Canada campaign today and learn the Aleph-Bet!