The Hebrew Alphabet

[Diamond7]

The first word of the Hebrew text of Genesis is “בראשית” (Bereshit). Traditionally vocalized, it means “In a beginning.” However, tradition gives it the meaning and translation “In the beginning.” The literal meaning is considered as contradicting reality.

Interestingly, when we delve deeper into the Hebrew letters that compose this word, we discover profound insights:

1. Tav, Yud, Shin, Alef, Resh, Beit:
   • These are the Hebrew letters that form Bereshit (בראשית).
   • Let’s explore their meanings:
     • Beit (ב): The first letter represents a house in Hebrew. In the Torah, the enlarged first letter emphasizes that the foundation of the world is focused on God’s house.
     • Alef (א): The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, representing Elohim (God). Elohim is the plural form of El and is the first name for God given in the Torah.
     • Shin (שׁ): It has various meanings, including “thorns” and “appointed.” Thorns symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Jesus, and “appointed” refers to the Son’s purpose.
     • Resh (ר): Represents the “head.” It signifies authority and leadership.
     • Beit (ב): Again, the letter for “house.”
   • Combining these meanings, we get:
     • “The Son of God, crowned with thorns upon His head, on a tree, a gift of the covenant.”
2. A Deeper Interpretation:
   • The literal translation of the first sentence in the Bible can be understood as:
     • “In the beginning, God created the Hebrew alphabet, and then He created the heavens and the earth.”

 

[dzheremi]

(I suppose when words fail me, little emojis will have to do.)

 

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

I might be a bit slow on the uptake here, sorry. Why is the meaning of ב explained twice, but the meaning of י and ת are not mentioned?

 

[John G.]

Read God's Word like the love-letter it is. Don't over-analyse its every letter.
When you buy chocolate, do you break it down to its components? No, you gobble it down whole and enjoy it!

 

[dzheremi]

Read God's Word like the love-letter it is. Don't over-analyse its every letter.
When you buy chocolate, do you break it down to its components? No, you gobble it down whole and enjoy it!

I may not be a huge fan of analogies, but I understand this one, and I feel like I follow it instinctively, because hey...chocolate. Yum.

The phrase we use in the Egyptian Orthodox Church to express roughly the equivalent idea is الحرف قاتل (al-huruf qatl) "the letter kills", an obvious allusion to St. Paul's second epistle to the Corinthians. This mindset is part of the reason why I find the OP a little strange, but to each their own, I suppose. More chocolate for the rest of us!

 

[Diamond7]

I might be a bit slow on the uptake here, sorry. Why is the meaning of ב explained twice, but the meaning of י and ת are not mentioned?

Rabbi Trugman has a short video for each letter on Youtube. I am amazed he remembers all of that stuff.

 

[Semper-Fi]

The Origins of the Alphabet

How the ancient alphabet of the Israelites came to be used by nearly 70 percent of the world's population

armstronginstitute.org

 

[Diamond7]

When you buy chocolate, do you break it down to its components?

Actually that is what my son does for a living. The federal government wants to know everything that goes into chocolate. So he writes a program that gives them that information. He has a formula for everything. Actually he was working for Smuckers but the same difference. Remember when they shut down that baby food factory because the conditions were not up to their standard.

1. The 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act:
   • In June 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Food and Drug Act, commonly known as the Wiley Act. This landmark legislation prohibited the interstate transport of adulterated food and drugs.
   • The Act addressed issues such as misrepresentation of ingredients, harmful additives, and unsanitary substances 2.
2. The 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act):
   • On June 24, 1938, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the FD&C Act into law. This act significantly increased federal regulatory authority over drugs:
     • It mandated pre-market safety reviews for all new drugs.
     • It banned false therapeutic claims in drug labeling.
     • It laid the foundation for the FDA we know today 1.