Klarinet Archive - Posting 000012.txt from 1999/03

From: George Kidder <gkidder@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] The Strange World of Gematria
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 14:39:41 -0500

Interesting. This implies the use of a decimal system of numbering BEFORE
the establishment of the Hebrew alphabet. Anyone know the chronology?

George

At 08:47 PM 2/28/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Just came across this article from an orthodox Jewish sight (for better or
>worse I am not orthodox and do not personaly subscribe to the ideas on the
>sight). It discusess gematria and how it is used, and since it was discussed
>on the list I thought some of you may be interested in it.
>
>Steve (on my way to hell) Goldman
>Glenview, IL
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-innernet@-----.com] On
>Behalf Of Shraga Simmons
>Sent: Sunday, February 28, 1999 7:11 PM
>To: innernet@-----.com
>Subject: InnerNet - Purim Gematria
>
>
>INNERNET MAGAZINE
>February 1999
>
>* * *
>
>"PURIM IN GEMATRIA"
>
>by Rabbi Avie Gold
>
>* * *
>
>In almost every alphabet, each letter is
>assigned a particular place in the sequence of
>letters. Most of today's languages developed
>from earlier, ancient tongues, and not all
>bothered to keep the internal structure of their
>alphabets the same as that of the borrowed-from
>languages. Moreover, even the arrangements of
>letters in the earlier alphabets had neither
>scientific nor logical bases.
>
>The Holy Tongue of Hebrew, however, assigns each
>letter its position among the others based upon
>the unique numerical value of that letter. Thus,
>the Aleph with a value of one, is first; Bet -
>two, is second; and Gimmel - three, is third.
>This system of numbers is called gematria. A
>complete table of these values appears below.
>
>Aleph = 1
>Bet = 2
>Gimmel = 3
>Daled = 4
>Heh = 5
>Vav = 6
>Zayin = 7
>Chet = 8
>Tet = 9
>Yud = 10
>Kaf = 20
>Lamed = 30
>Mem = 40
>Nun = 50
>Samech = 60
>Ayin = 70
>Pey = 80
>Tzaddi = 90
>Kuf = 100
>Reish = 200
>Shin = 300
>Taf = 400
>
>* * *
>
>A natural consequence of this correlation
>between letters and numbers is the gematria of
>words. That is, the total of the numerical
>equivalents of the respective letters of the
>word. For example, the gematria of "Abba" -
>father, is four (1 + 2 + 1).
>
>Gematria often plays a significant role in Torah
>study and kabbalistic teachings. Here are some
>examples relating to Purim:
>
>* * *
>
>127 PROVINCES
>
>The Scroll of Esther reports that King Ahasuerus
>ruled over 127 provinces.
>
>The Vilna Gaon cites a Midrash that locates 100
>of Ahasuerus' provinces on continental land
>masses. The remaining 27 were islands in the
>sea. He then cites the verse, "King Ahasuerus
>levied a tax on the land and the islands of the
>sea" (Esther 10:1) as proof of this statement.
>The gematria of "mas" (tax) is 100 and the
>gematria of "vi-eyay" (and the islands) is 27.
>
>This verse may then be interpreted: King
>Ahasuerus had 100 provinces on the mainland and
>27 in the sea.
>
>* * *
>
>ON THE SABBATH
>
>The Talmud reports that Queen Vashti was killed
>on the Sabbath, because God always metes out
>punishment, measure for measure. Every Sabbath
>day, Vashti would strip her Jewish maids of
>their clothing and force them to work.
>
>Therefore, on the Sabbath, God caused the king
>to demand that she appear in public stripped of
>her clothing. (Talmud - Megillah 12b)
>
>The commentator Arameiz Badavar finds in
>Vashti's name an allusion to her
>profanation of the Sabbath. The gematria of
>"Vashti" is 716, the same as
>that of "Shabbat Baza" - she insulted the
>Sabbath.
>
>* * *
>
>ONLY THE CROWN
>
>When King Ahasuerus asked Haman what to do for
>the man he wished to honor, Haman thought the
>king was referring to him (Esther 6:6). And
>since the king had already raised Haman above
>all the other officials in his kingdom (3:1),
>Haman lacked nothing. In fact, he considered
>himself on a par with Ahasuerus.
>
>[Even his name alluded to royalty: "Haman" has a
>gematria of 95, the same as "Hamelech" - the
>king.]
>
>The one thing Haman did not have was the king's
>crown. And that he coveted greatly. So Haman
>replied that the man the king desires to honor
>should be dressed royally "with the royal crown
>on his head." (Esther 6:8)
>
>The commentator Arameiz Badavar points out an
>allusion to Haman's lust for the crown, the only
>thing separating him from the king:
>
>The first time Haman is mentioned in the Scroll
>of Esther (3:1), he is called "Haman son of
>Hammedasa the Agagite." The gematria of this
>phrase is 619, exactly one less than the
>gematria of "keter" - crown - 620. Haman was
>just one short of the crown!
>
>* * *
>
>THE TEST OF SOBRIETY
>
>The Talmudic dictum, "A person is obligated to
>become intoxicated on Purim until he does not
>know the difference between "cursed be Haman"
>and "blessed be Mordechai," is the subject of
>much rabbinic discussion regarding the amount
>one must actually drink to fulfill this
>obligation.
>
>According to the commentator Abudraham, one is
>required to drink enough so that he will become
>too intoxicated to be able to compare two sets
>of numbers to determine whether they are equal.
>The Talmud expresses this tersely as the
>difference between "cursed be Haman" and
>"blessed be Mordechai," two phrases with the
>same gematria - 502.
>
>* * *
>
>Reprinted with permission from "PURIM - ITS
>OBSERVANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE," by Rabbi Avie
>Gold. Published by Mesorah Publications Ltd,
>Brooklyn, NY. Web: http://www.artscroll.com
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>InnerNet Magazine is published monthly as an on-
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