Gematria

Gematria or gimatria ( , gēmaṭriyā ) is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person's age, the calendar year, or the like. The word "gematria" is generally held to derive from Greek geōmetriā , " geometry ", which was used a translation of gēmaṭriyā, though some scholars believe it to derive from Greek grammateia , rather; it's possible that both words had an influence on the formation of the Hebrew word. It has been extant in English since the 17th century from translations of works by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola . Although ostensibly derived from Greek, it is largely used in Jewish texts, notably in those associated with the Kabbalah . The best-known example of Gematria is the Hebrew word Chai ("life"), which is composed of two letters which add up to 18. This has made 18 a "lucky number" among Jews, and gifts in multiples of $18 are very common among Jews. Some identify two forms of gematria: the "revealed" form, which is prevalent in many hermeneutic methods found throughout Rabbinic literature , and the "mystical" form, a largely Kabbalistic practice. Though gematria is most often used to calculate the values of individual words, psukim (Biblical verses), Talmudical aphorisms, sentences from the standard Jewish prayers , personal, angelic and Godly names, and other religiously significant material, Kabbalists use them often for arbitrary phrases and, occasionally, for various languages. A few instances of gematria in Arabic, Spanish and Greek, spelled with the Hebrew letters, are mentioned in the works of Rabbi Abraham Abulafia ; some Hasidic Rabbis also used it, though rarely, for Yiddish . However, the primary language for gematria calculations has always been and remains Hebrew and, to a lesser degree, Aramaic . Gematria is a Kabbalistic way of showing how two ideas are related on a conceptual level; it is using numerology as basis to confirm (not create) the connection." Otzar Eden ha-Ganuz, E.g. the rebbes of the Zhidichov dynasty noticed that the Yiddish word vaser (water) has the same value as Geshem ( rain in Hebrew), and used this fact for theurgic meditations

Gematria / ɡ ə ˈ m eɪ . t r i . ə / is an Assyro-Babylonian system of numerology later adopted by Jews that assigns numerical value to a word or phrase in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person's age, the calendar year, or the like. The best-known example of Gematria is the Hebrew word Chai ("alive"), which is composed of two letters that (using the assignments in the Mispar gadol table shown below) add up to 18. This has made 18 a "lucky number" among Jews, and gifts in multiples of 18 are very popular.

Assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase based on its letters Gematria ( / ɡ ə ˈ m eɪ t r i ə / ; or Gimatria , plural or , gematriot ) is an alphanumeric code of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase based on its letters. A single word can yield multiple values depending on the cipher used. Gematria originated as an Assyro-Babylonian-Greek system of alphanumeric code or cipher that was later adopted into Jewish culture . Similar systems have been used in other languages and cultures: earlier, the Greek isopsephy , and later, derived from or inspired by Hebrew gematria, Arabic abjad numerals , and English gematria. A well-known example of Hebrew gematria is the word chai ("alive"), which is composed of two letters that (using the assignments in the Mispar gadol table shown below) add up to 18. This has made 18 a " lucky number " among the Jewish people. Gifts of money in multiples of 18 are very popular.

Numerology method ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Gematria ( / ɡ ə ˈ m eɪ t r i ə / ; or gimatria גימטריה , plural גמטראות or גימטריות , gimatriot ) is the practice of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase by reading it as a number , or sometimes by using an alphanumerical cipher . The letters of the alphabets involved have standard numerical values, but a word can yield several values if a cipher is used. Table of correspondences from Carl Faulmann's Das Buch der Schrift (1880), showing glyph variants for Phoenician letters and numbers. According to Aristotle (384–322 BCE), isopsephy , based on the Milesian numbering of the Greek alphabet developed in the Greek city of Miletus , was part of the Pythagorean tradition , which originated in the 6th century BCE. The first evidence of use of Hebrew letters as numbers dates to 78 BCE; gematria is still used in Jewish culture . Similar systems have been used in other languages and cultures, derived from or inspired by either Greek isopsephy or Hebrew gematria, and include Arabic abjad numerals and English gematria . The most common form of Hebrew gematria is used in the Talmud and Midrash , and elaborately by many post-Talmudic commentators . It involves reading words and sentences as numbers, assigning numerical instead of phonetic value to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet . When read as numbers, they can be compared and contrasted with other words or phrases – cf. the Hebrew proverb נכנס יין יצא סוד ( nichnas yayin yatza sod , lit. ' wine entered, secret went out ' , i.e. The gematric value of יין ('wine') is 70 ( י =10; י =10; ן =50) and this is also the gematric value of סוד ('secret', ס =60; ו =6; ד =4)‎. Although a type of gematria system ('Aru') was employed by the ancient Babylonian culture, their writing script was logographic , and the numerical assignments they made were to whole words. Aru was very different from the Milesian systems used by Greek and Hebrew cultures, which used alphabetic writing scripts. The value of words with Aru were assigned in an entirely arbitrary manner and correspondences were made through tables, and so cannot be considered a true form of gematria. Gematria sums can involve single words, or a string of lengthy calculations. A short example of Hebrew numerology that uses gematria is the word חי ( chai , lit. ' alive ' ), which is composed of two letters that (using the assignments in the mispar gadol table shown below) add up to 18. This has made 18 a " lucky number " among the Jewish people. Donations of money in multiples of 18 are very popular. In early Jewish sources, the term can also refer to other forms of calculation or letter manipulation, for example atbash . Babylonian Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin 38a, see of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2006), "' Etymythological Othering ' and the Power of 'Lexical Engineering' in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. A Socio-Philo(sopho)logical Perspective", Explorations in the Sociology of Language and Religion , edited by Tope Omoniyi and Joshua A.

Numerological practice of reading a word or phrase as a number Table of correspondences from Carl Faulmann's Das Buch der Schrift (1880), showing glyph variants for Phoenician letters and numbers In numerology , gematria ( / ɡ ə ˈ m eɪ t r i ə / ; Hebrew : גמטריא or גימטריה , gimatria , plural גמטראות or גימטריות , gimatriot ) is the practice of assigning a numerical value to a name, word, or phrase by reading it as a number , or sometimes by using an alphanumeric cipher . The letters of the alphabets involved have standard numerical values, but a word can yield several values if a cipher is used. According to Aristotle (384–322 BCE), isopsephy , based on the Milesian numbering of the Greek alphabet developed in the Greek city of Miletus , was part of the Pythagorean tradition , which originated in the 6th century BCE. The first evidence of use of Hebrew letters as numbers dates to 78 BCE; gematria is still used in Jewish culture . Similar systems have been used in other languages and cultures, derived from or inspired by either Greek isopsephy or Hebrew gematria, and include Arabic abjad numerals and English gematria . The most common form of Hebrew gematria is used in the Talmud and Midrash , and elaborately by many post-Talmudic commentators . It involves reading words and sentences as numbers and assigning numerical instead of phonetic values to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. When read as numbers, they can be compared and contrasted with other words or phrases; cf. the Hebrew proverb נכנס יין יצא סוד ( nichnas yayin yatza sod , lit. ' wine entered, secret went out ' , i.e. The gematric value of יין ('wine') is 70 ( י =10; י =10; ן =50) and this is also the gematric value of סוד ('secret', ס =60; ו =6; ד =4)‎. Gematria sums can involve single words or a string of lengthy calculations. A short example of Hebrew numerology that uses gematria is the word חי , chai , ' alive ' , which is composed of two letters that (using the assignments in the mispar gadol table shown below) add up to 18. This has made 18 a " lucky number " among Jews. In early Jewish sources, the term can also refer to other forms of calculation or letter manipulation, for example atbash . Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Genesis . Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus . Babylonian Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin 38a, see of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2006), "' Etymythological Othering ' and the Power of 'Lexical Engineering' in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. A Socio-Philo(sopho)logical Perspective", Explorations in the Sociology of Language and Religion , edited by Tope Omoniyi and Joshua A.