In this blog, we are going to look at the letter chet
The chet has the sound “h” as in “Bach”.
The gematria is 8
As previously stated, the chet ח has the number value of 8, which represents everything that rises above the physical and is connected to the spiritual. We connect with life when we delve into the 7 Noahide Laws and her details, and follow them as closely as possible. The Hebrew word for life, chaiym חיים, begins with the letter chet.
G-d has given man free will; we can choose life, but if we can make choices, we can also make bad ones. We commit a chet [1] חטא, a sin, which also begins with the letter chet.
The majority of the mistakes we make are caused by our ego. The choice we make between self-interest and interest in the other results in “I first and then you” or “me and you not”.
We are imprisoned in our ego, in a house with no windows and no perspective of the other. Only by making a hole in our walls, making a window, and in this way lowering our ego, can we see the other and respond and behave appropriately.
A heh ה is formed when we make a window in the chet. The letter heh is one of the letters in G-d’s name. When we lower our ego, there is more room for Him to show His light inside, to blow His life-breathing breath inside. At the same time, it allows us to break free from our “chet”. The window allows us to approach the other person, admit mistakes, and eliminate them as thoroughly as possible. It allows us to form a healthy relation with the other person.
The heh brings us to life, the life that G-d intended for us. A life that will only take shape and become evident at the time of Messiah, but of which we may already taste in our live today.
We are now familiar with the:
ח ו ב י ת א ל פ ף ג מ ם ד ה ז
ֹand can now read the following words, among others:
Proverbs 6:23
כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר׃
For the commandment is a lamp,
and the teaching/ Torah is a light,
And the way to life is the rebuke that disciplines.
Genesis 9:18
וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ בְנֵי־נֹ֗חַ הַיֹּֽצְאִים֙ מִן־הַתֵּבָ֔ה שֵׁ֖ם וְחָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת וְחָ֕ם ה֖וּא אֲבִ֥י כְנָֽעַן׃
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth—and Ham being the father of Canaan.
Genesis 14:18
וּמַלְכִּי־צֶ֙דֶק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ שָׁלֵ֔ם הוֹצִ֖יא לֶ֣חֶם וָיָ֑יִן וְה֥וּא כֹהֵ֖ן לְאֵ֥ל עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; and he was a priest of G-d Most High.
To hear the texts, see youtube below
By Angelique Sijbolts
Sources:
[1] Words – Difference between חֵטְא and עֲבֵרָה – Mi Yodeya (stackexchange.com)
The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet p. 97, habadVideo, The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet Grammatica vh Bijbels Hebreeuws by E. Lettinga, Grammar For Biblical Hebrew by C. Seow, Mamre
The second and third youtube in this section was produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org.
© Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further.
