THE HEBREW LETTERS & GEMATRIA

THE HIDDEN CUES IN THE HEBREW LETTERS
In my HAMSA 22 - Hebrew letters series I have illustrated the 22  Hebrew letters from the aleph-beit (the Hebrew alphabet) and taken inspiration from their hidden meanings for my ink drawn artworks. 

The Hebrew letters are fascinating and interesting to learn about because each letter in the Aleph-Bet contain different meanings and symbolisms. Perhaps therefore it is not a coincidence that the Hebrew word for “letter” is "ot" (אוֹת). This word also means “sign” or “symbol” or “cue”!

BRIEF INFO ABOUT THE HEBREW SCRIPT
Hebrew is an ancient script and it is different from other scriptures in that:

1. Hebrew is written from right to left
2. Hebrew is made up of mostly consonants and with use of niqqud (diacritical signs/points to indicate vowel sounds).
3. The names of the Hebrew letters themselves have meaning (and symbolism) in the Hebrew language, and Hebrew letters and words also have numerical values with their own corresponding meanings - this is known as Gematria.
4. A bestseller known as the old testament - the Bible :) was written in Hebrew.

The 22 Hebrew Letters. Some of the Hebrew letters have other versions when used in the ending of a word, these are known as 'Soffit', and are not part of the HAMSA 22 Hebrew letters series.

WHAT IS GEMATRIA ? 
In Hebrew the letters and words all have numerical value, providing a deeper meaning as well as connecting different words, providing even further meanings and inter-connections between them.
​Even the sequence of the letters can have meanings which makes the deciphering of these codes and different meanings and interpretations an interesting area of exploration or study. 

From an Etymological perspective, the word Gematria itself is thought to derive from the Greek γεωμετρία geōmetriā, "geometry", which was used as a translation of gēmaṭriyā, though some scholars believe it to derive from Greek γραμματεια grammateia "knowledge of writing".

In relation to biblical texts, Gematria has been used by Jewish scholars and Kabbalists who believe that in these hidden 'codes' within the religious texts such as the Torah,  the letters and words and even sounds are clues to gaining deeper insight about life and events. It comes also in part from the mathematical idea that numbers and interconnections/ relationships between them help to explain phenomenons in nature and our universe.
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Within the religious belief, the world was created through God’s “speech,” and therefore each letter represents a different creative force. This is also the assumption behind the use of Gematria  - that the different numerical equivalences are not coincidental.
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​THE NUMBER 18 IN JUDAISM - the chai.
A well-known example of Hebrew gematria is the word chai ("alive"). The word adds up to the number 18 - and therefore the Chai word is often worn as a jewelry as 18 is  considered a lucky number among Jewish people.  It is composed of two letters - Chet ( ח) and Yod ( י).

In my Hamsa 22 Artwork with the CHET letter, that represents the word 'Chai' meaning 'alive' or 'life' and representing also the  number 8 in Gematria, - i've used the Tree of Life from the Kabbalah to illustrate these different hidden meanings of the letter. The Kabbalah is a school of thought in Jewish mysticism. Read more about The Tree of Life from the artwork below. 

13 IS A GOOD NUMBER 
Another example is the word AHAVA which means 'LOVE'. The letters Aleph Hei Bet Aleph add up to 13 in Gematria.

If you're interested in viewing or buying art prints from the Hamsa 22 Hebrew Letters series, you can find them in here in my online shop!
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HAMSA 22 - HEBREW LETTER SERIES 'CHET'. Ink on paper, A4 May-Bell Bareket www.maybellbareket.com

​WHAT DOES EACH HEBREW LETTER MEAN?
Many scholars have studied the letters and meanings and there is a vast amount of literature and commentaries to be found with varying levels of complexities!
Naturally i am not a biblical scholar or a Jewish kabbalist and my own interests and exploration of the Hebrew letters has been through  different books, online materials and videos, as part of my research in creating the Hamsa 22 series!
To learn about each Hebrew letter - check out my online exhibition on Instagram.

HAMSA 22 ONLINE EXHIBITION OF THE HEBREW LETTERS - NOW SHOWING!
Many people seek to understand the individual letters & drawings more, beyond their visual aesthetics. My art (and any art) can of course be enjoyed as it is without the extra dimension or provided meaning, however to those that may seek this further understanding about my the letters and my inspiration for each drawing, i'm currently having a very basic introductory online 'mini-exhibition' in my Instagram stories, of each Hamsa 22-drawing! 

Follow my Instagram account @maybellbareketartist #HAAMSA

 If you head on over to my Instagram account, you will already discover some of the individual Hebrew letters that i've featured - they are located in their own unique folders on my Instagram account. 

There, I provide easy and introductory information about the hidden meanings of each Hebrew letter in relation to my own Hamsa 22 artworks. 
You are also welcome to explore my BLOG as i update my articles or check out an overview of the symbolic elements on my website!
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WHAT ARE THE 72 NAMES OF GOD?
In each of my HAMSA 22 Hebrew letter drawings i've included 3-letter units. In my next article I will write about this chart of the 72 Names of God.
In short, the 72 Names of God are combined from three verses from the Book of Exodus, Chapter 14, from the story of the crossing of the Red Sea. 

Excerpt from HAMSA 22 - Hebrew letter series 'Dalet' letter.

The 72 Names of God are not “names” in the usual sense but rather they are thought to be a kind of  metaphysical keys - or powerful spiritual tools to achieving an abundance of blessing, fortune, prosperity, wholeness and happiness. It's believed one need not even know Hebrew, merely scanning the letters visually or thinking about them / meditating on them, helps this connection.
In the online Instagram stories exhibition, i explain each 3-letter unit i've used in the corresponding drawing.

The 72 Names of God chart

WHAT DO ALL THE SYMBOLS MEAN IN JUDAISM?
As an artist creating modern judaica (modern Jewish art) with customers who come from various backgrounds (often non-religious or non-jewish), i'm often asked to provide more background in to the meanings of the drawings from the Hamsa 22 series - and about the many other symbols that i use in my symbols inspired art, for example such as THE HAMSA HAND itself, the dove, the eagle, the eye, the double-headed eagle, the fish, the Tree of Life , the pomegranate and more!

Some of the symbols i use in my Hamsa Hand art. May-Bell Bareket, www.maybellbareket.com

 
​You can read more about the symbols on on my website blog or feel free to write to me through my website if you have any questions or elements you're curious about.

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Thank you!
​May-Bell