The letter aleph does not have a sound on its own in modern Hebrew. In Yemenite (the closest we have to the Hebrew of the Tanach) has a guttural sound. According to gematria (numerically), aleph represents the number one. According to Kabbalah/Gematria, the aleph represents the upper water, lower water, and the firmament between the two waters.
According to the Alphabet of Akiva ben Joseph:
“Aleph (אלף = אמת למד פיך, “Thy mouth learned truth”) suggests truth, praise of God, faithfulness (אמונה = emunah), or the creative Word of God (אמרה = imrah) or God Himself as Aleph, Prince and Prime of all existence.”1
According to Bereishit Rabbah: “The aleph, being the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, demurred at her place being usurped by the letter beth, which is second to her, at the creation; the history of which commences with the latter, instead of with the former. She was, however, quite satisfied when told that, in the history of giving the Decalogue, she would be placed at the beginning, for the world has only been created on account of the Torah, which, indeed, existed anterior to creation; and had the Creator not foreseen that Israel would consent to receive and diffuse the Torah, creation would not have taken place.”2
Bet (בֵית)
The letter bet has two varied sounds depending on the presence of a dagesh. If the letter bet does not have a dagesh (ב), it is pronounced like a “v” (as in victory). If the letter bet does have a dagesh (בּ), it is pronounced like a “b” (as in boy). According to gematria (numerically), aleph represents the number two. According to Kabbalah/Gematria, the bet represents G-d’s House.
According to the Alphabet of Akiva ben Joseph:
“Bet suggests house (bayit), blessing (berakah), contemplation (binah), which is prized as superior to the study of the Law.”1
2Westcott, W. W.; Mather, S.L.; Adler, H.; Neubauer, A.; Rapaport, S.; and Friedlander, M. The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume IV: Medieval Hebrew, The Midrash, The Kabbalah (London: Parke, Austin, and Lipscomb, Inc., 1917), p. 42 [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/mhl/mhl05.htm]
When God was about to create the world by His word, the twenty-two letters of the alphabet descended from the terrible and august crown of God whereon they were engraved with a pen of flaming fire. They stood round about God, and one after the other spake and entreated, “Create the world through me! The first to step forward was the letter Taw. It said: “O Lord of the world! May it be Thy will to create Thy world through me, seeing that it is through me that Thou wilt give the Torah to Israel by the hand of Moses, as it is written, ‘Moses commanded us the Torah.’ ” The Holy One, blessed be He, made reply, and said, “No!” Taw asked, “Why not?” and God answered: “Because in days to come I shall place thee as a sign of death upon the foreheads of men.” As soon as Taw heard these words issue from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, it retired from His presence disappointed.
The Shin then stepped forward, and pleaded: “O Lord of the world, create Thy world through me: seeing that Thine own name Shaddai begins with me.” Unfortunately, it is also the first letter of Shaw, lie, and of Sheker, falsehood, and that incapacitated it. Resh had no better luck. It was pointed out that it was the initial letter of Ra’, wicked, and Rasha’ evil, and after that the distinction it enjoys of being the first letter in the Name of God, Rahum, the Merciful, counted for naught. The Kof was rejected, because Kelalah, curse, outweighs the advantage of being the first in Kadosh, the Holy One. In vain did Zadde call attention to Zaddik, the Righteous One; there was Zarot, the misfortunes of Israel, to testify against it. Pe had Podeh, redeemer, to its credit, but Pesha: transgression, reflected dishonor upon it. ‘Ain was declared unfit, because, though it begins ‘Anawah, humility, it performs the same service for ‘Erwah, immorality. Samek said: “O Lord, may it be Thy will to begin the creation with me, for Thou art called Samek, after me, the Upholder of all that fall.” But God said: “Thou art needed in the place in which thou art; thou must continue to uphold all that fall.” Nun introduces Ner, “the lamp of the Lord,” which is “the spirit of men,” but it also introduces Ner, “the lamp of the wicked,” which will be put out by God. Mem starts Melek, king, one of the titles of God. As it is the first letter of Mehumah, confusion, as well, it had no chance of accomplishing its desire. The claim of Lamed bore its refutation within itself. It advanced the argument that it was the first letter of Luhot, the celestial tables for the Ten Commandments; it forgot that the tables were shivered in pieces by Moses. Kaf was sure of victory Kisseh, the throne of God, Kabod, His honor, and Keter, His crown, all begin with it. God had to remind it that He would smite together His hands, Kaf, in despair over the misfortunes of Israel. Yod at first sight seemed the appropriate letter for the beginning of creation, on account of its association with Yah, God, if only Yezer ha-Ra’ the evil inclination, had not happened to begin with it, too. Tet is identified with Tob, the good. However, the truly good is not in this world; it belongs to the world to come. Het is the first letter of Hanun, the Gracious One; but this advantage is offset by its place in the word for sin, Hattat. Zain suggests Zakor, remembrance, but it is itself the word for weapon, the doer of mischief. Waw and He compose the Ineffable Name of God; they are therefore too exalted to be pressed into the service of the mundane world. If Dalet Wad stood only for Dabar, the Divine Word, it would have been used, but it stands also for Din, justice, and under the rule of law without love the world would have fallen to ruin. Finally, in spite of reminding one of Gadol, great, Gimel would not do, because Gemul, retribution, starts with it.
After the claims of all these letters had been disposed of, Bet stepped before the Holy One, blessed be He, and pleaded before Him: “O Lord of the world! May it be Thy will to create Thy world through me, seeing that all the dwellers in the world give praise daily unto Thee through me, as it is said, ‘Blessed be the Lord forever. Amen, and Amen.’ ” The Holy One, blessed be He, at once granted the petition of Bet. He said, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” And He created His world through Bet, as it is said, “Bereshit God created the heaven and the earth.” The only letter that had refrained from urging its claims was the modest Alef, and God rewarded it later for its humility by giving it the first place in the Decalogue.
Ivrit (עברית) – Hebrew – is a Semitic (Northwest Semitic) language and one of the world’s oldest languages. The name Ivrit is derived from Ever (עבר), the son of Shem. Ever means “a region across or beyond” and is derived from Avar (עבר) which means “to cross over”. It is taught by the rabbis that Ivrit was the original language given to Adam and remained the only language until the time of the Tower of Babel.
Genesis 11:7-9: (7) Come, let us descend and confuse their language, so that one will not understand the language of his companion.” (8) And the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of the entire earth, and they ceased building the city. (9) Therefore, He named it Babel, for there the Lord confused the language of the entire earth, and from there the Lord scattered them upon the face of the entire earth.
Like many other languages, Ivrit began as a pictographic script.
Proto-Sinaitic /Proto-Canaanite
Proto-Sinaitic Script is the stage of the alphabet at the end of the Middle Bronze Age. During the Late Bronze Age, the script splits into the South Arabian and the Canaanite groups. The script became well-known from a series of inscriptions from c.1700 BCE in turquoise mines at Serabit al-Khadim in Sinai. Other examples were found in Shechem, Gezer, and Lachish. The discovered texts are in West Semitic Canaanite which means the origin of the script was in a Semitic area. This script was inspired by the Egyptian hieroglyphs based upon “similarities of signs and the basic acrophonic principle”. The Semitic word for the object of the original pictograph is the starting point and the first letter of that word is the value of the sign. For example, house is “beit” so the pictograph for house was used for the consonant “b”.1
Proto-Hebrew/Aramaic
The Proto-Hebrew alphabet developed during the late tenth or early ninth century BCE, replacing cuneiform as the main writing system in the Assyrian Empire. At the end of the sixth century BCE, the Proto-Hebrew alphabet was replaced by the Hebrew square script (also known as the Aramaic alphabet).2
The earliest known inscription in Paleo-Hebrew was discovered in 2005 on a 38-pound limestone boulder embedded in a wall at Tel Zayit (located in the Beth Guvrin Valley). The inscription was determined to be an abecedary – letters of the alphabet written out in sequence. This raises the possibility of formal scribal training at Tel Zayit in the late tenth century BCE.3 The Gezer Calendar, discovered in 1908, is an engraved limestone tablet written in Paleo-Hebrew. The script dates to the tenth century BCE and cites an annual cycle of agricultural activities that begin in the Hebrew month of Tishri.4
Samaritan Alphabet
The Samaritan alphabet – which is used to this day – was derived from the Proto-Hebrew alphabet.
Aramaic/Hebrew Block Script
After the sixth century BCE Babylonian captivity, the Jews adopted the Classic Hebrew script. The Aramaic characters were chosen as the official script for the Sefer Torah by the Jews who were captive in Babylon.
STAM
STAM is a stylized version of the Hebrew block letters used specifically for writing Sefer Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzah.
Rashi Script
Rashi script is used in commentaries to Jewish texts – especially the Talmud. It is named after Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi) who was a medieval Jewish scholar and Biblical commentator.
Hebrew Cursive
The modern Hebrew cursive script derives from Ashkenazi Jews.
Ivrit is divided into four basic periods by scholars.
1. Biblical/Classical Hebrew is the form of Ivrit in which the Tanach was written.
2. Mishnaic/Rabbinic Hebrew is the form of Ivrit in which the Talmud and Midrash were written.
3. Medieval Hebrew is the form of Ivrit that was used by Maimonides and other medieval scholars to translate Arabic works into Ivrit.
4. Modern Hebrew is the form of Ivrit that was developed in the nineteenth century as an attempt to bring Ivrit back into the modern-day usage of the Jews.
——————————————–
1Healey, J.F. Reading the Past: The Early Alphabet (Berkley, California: University of California Press, 1990), p. 16-18 [http://books.google.com]
Tisha B’Av begins at sundown on July 19, 2010 and ends at sundown on July 20, 2010.
Tisha B’Av is a Rabbinic fast day that occurs on 9 Av (in July or August). This day is a day of fasting and commemorating the multiple tragedies that have occurred on this day, most notably the destruction of the First and Second Temples.
Tisha B’Av primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples, both of which were destroyed on the ninth of Av. Tisha B’Av is the culmination of a three week period of increasing mourning, beginning with the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which commemorates the first breach in the walls of Jerusalem, before the First Temple was destroyed.
The names of the rest of those injured in the recent “flotilla” incident , June 2010, are listed below. It is customary, in Jewish practice, to pray for an individual using his given name and the name of his mother. IDF commandos are not identified by first and last names for security reasons.
Dean Ben Svetlana
Roee Ben Shulamit
Yotam Ben Dorit
Ido Ben Ilana
Boris Ben Eelaina
Below is the prayer for the welfare of IDF soldiers, as brought in translation by the Council of Young Israel who also publicized the list of wounded.
He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – may He
bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over
our land and the cities of our G-d from the border of the Lebanon to
the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the
Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
May the Almight cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down
before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our
fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague
and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every
endeavor.
May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them
salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for
them the verse: For it is the Lord, your G-d, Who goes with you to
battle your enemies for you in order to save you.
Shavuot begins at sundown on May 18, 2010 and ends at sundown on May 20, 2010.
Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, is a Biblical festival that occurs on 6 and 7 Sivan-seven weeks after Pesach-(in May or June). Shavuot is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). The word Shavuot means “weeks.” It marks the completion of the seven week counting period between Passover and Shavuot.Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Chag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).
The giving of the Torah was a far-reaching spiritual event—one that touched the essence of the Jewish soul for all times. Our Sages have compared it to a wedding between G‑d and the Jewish people. Shavuot also means oath and on this day G‑d swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting loyalty to Him.
Pesach (Passover) is a Biblical festival that begins on 15 Nisan (in March or April). Pesach is an eight-day holiday that celebrates the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and our freedom from oppression in modern days. The holiday is also referred to as Chag he-Aviv (the Spring Festival), Chag ha-Matzoth (the Time of Our Freedom). It is the first of the three pilgrimage festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavuot and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel.
The primary observances of Pesach are related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery. This story is told in Exodus, Chapters 1-15. Many of the Pesach observances are instituted in Chapters 12-15. Probably the most significant observance related to Pesach involves the removal of leaven/chametz (the five major grains-wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) from our homes. Ashkenazi Jews also avoid kitniyot (rice, corn, peanuts, and legumes-beans) as if they were chametz. We may not own, benefit from, or eat chametz during Pesach (this includes food for the animals). All chametz, including utensils and other kitchen accessories used to cook chametz, must either be disposed of or sold to a non-Jew (they can be repurchased after the holiday). This commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise.
(IsraelNN.com) The Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party is preparing two laws that, if passed, would have a significant impact on marriage and conversion among Israelis with no religious affiliation. One would create a civil marriage option, while the other would ease the conversion process by city rabbis to perform conversions.
It would be great if there was an option to work with a local rabbi for conversion. It is also a very good idea to stop retroactively “de-converting” someone.
Purim (which means lots) is a Rabbinic celebration that occurs on 14 Adar (in February or March). Purim is one-day holiday that celebrates the victory of Esther and Mordechai over the evil Haman who plotted to kill the Jews as described in the Book of Esther. The primary mitzvot of Purim is to hear the reading of the Megillah (Book of Esther).
It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle groggers (noisemakers) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to blot out the name of Haman. We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordecai. In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity.
The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (sending out portions). Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (Haman’s pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman’s three-cornered hat. It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim and to perform plays and parodies.
