What is jewish gematria

jewish gematria is an ancient system used to assign numerical value to Hebrew letters and words. This system is based on rabbinical interpretations of the Bible and was used for hundreds of years to discover deeper meanings in everyday communication. Gematria has played a large role in Jewish mysticism and theology for centuries, as it helps scholars and laypeople alike uncover profound connections between biblical passages, sacred words, names, and even dates.

The numerical equivalent assigned to each letter serves as the basis for Jewish gematria calculations. In this system, the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are assigned specific numerical values; for example, the letter Aleph is given a value of 1, while Tav (or Teth) is given a value of 400. That means that any word or phrase written in Hebrew can be translated into its numerical equivalent according to gematria rules.

The gematria system has been used throughout Jewish history to search for hidden meanings in phrases and words. One of the best-known examples is rabbinic interpretation of the Torah; by assigning each letter its unique numerical value, it is possible to trace the progression of ideas within selected verses and explore connections between them. From short phrases like "Shalom" (which adds up to 395) or "chai" (meaning "life" which adds up to 18), scholars can explore themes related to divine expression or mortality in ways that were previously unavailable before numeric codes were deciphered from language.