Building Blocks of the Soul Studies on the Letters and Words of the Hebrew Language

by Glazerson, Matityahu

• ISBN13: 9781568219325
• ISBN10: 1568219326
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-12-01
• Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc.

Summary

In this intensive study of Hebrew letters and words, Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson uses gematria (interpretive Jewish numerology) to reveal the mysterious correlation between Jewish ethics and practices and the numeric values of Hebrew words which name and describe them. This profound and lucid exploration uncovers the deep spiritual resonance of Jewish thought, and explains a variety of theological issues using the ancient Hebrew language as a key to understanding.

Table of Contents

Part I Hebrew: The Source of All Languages	1	(60)
1 The Meaning of the Name "God"	5	(4)
2 Other Meanings Behind the Letters Gimel and Dalet	9	(3)
3 Words and Letters of Light	12	(5)
4 Wisdom and Strength Related to Shin, the Letter of Light	17	(3)
5 The Absence of Light	20	(2)
6 The Number Eight and the Oil: a Link to Happiness	22	(3)
7 The "Saturated" Number Seven and the "Rich" Number Ten	25	(4)
8 The Letter Hei, Life; the Letter Mem, Death	29	(3)
9 The Strength and "Power" of XXX	32	(5)
10 The Positive and Negative Meanings of Words	37	(6)
11 The Curse of the XXX	43	(3)
12 The Constricted Kaf and Samech	46	(5)
13 The Letter Kaf: a "Sum" of XXX	51	(2)
14 The Holiness of Kaf and Samech	53	(2)
15 The Four Empires	55	(4)
16 The Seven Species of the Land of Israel	59	(2)
Part II Revelations About Marriage	61	(144)
1 Guidelines to Gematria	65	(5)
Primary Gematria	66	(1)
Reduced Gematria or Small Numerical Value	66	(1)
Full Gematria	66	(1)
Interchangeability of Letters formed in the Same Part of the Mouth	67	(1)
The Atbash Transformation	67	(1)
The Albam Transformation	67	(1)
The Ik-Bechar Transformation	68	(1)
Addition of the Kollel	68	(2)
2 Marriage and "Modern" Society	70	(3)
3 Marriage Elevates and Exalts	73	(2)
4 The Letters XXX Symbolize and Unify All the Worlds	75	(2)
5 The Exalted Values Concealed in XXX	77	(2)
6 XXX: Truth, Eternity, and the Perfection of Man's Stature	79	(2)
7 Marriage: Man and Woman Are United by Joining Right and Left	81	(2)
8 Kiddushin Subdues the Evil Forces of the Klipot	83	(2)
9 The Wedding Canopy (Chupah) Symbolizes the Perfection of the Quality of Yesod (Foundation)	85	(2)
10 A Man Achieves Complete Unification with His Wife's Help	87	(2)
11 The Benefits a Wife Brings Her Husband: The Foundation of a Happy Home	89	(2)
12 Marriage: Reaching the Ultimate Perfection of Joy	91	(2)
13 The Father Has Mercy, the Mother Consoles	93	(2)
14 The Characteristics of Man and Woman	95	(4)
15 The Wife: Source of Her Husband's Sustenance	99	(2)
16 The Shared Powers of Husband and Wife: The Source of Joy	101	(3)
17 Woman's Understanding Is Greater than Man's	104	(2)
18 Sbin: The Central Letter of "Woman"	106	(2)
19 Woman's Weaponry	108	(3)
20 Blessing Comes from the Wife	111	(2)
21 Beit: The "House" of Blessing	113	(2)
22 Binab: The Woman's "Home"	115	(1)
23 The Blessing of the Letter Hei	116	(2)
24 Goodness (Tovab)	118	(3)
25 "Form": The Embodiment of "Goodness"	121	(1)
26 Goodness of the Soul Comes from the Wife	122	(1)
27 The Goodness of Righteousness	123	(2)
28 "He Who Finds a Wife Finds Goodness"	125	(1)
29 The Goodness of Torah, the Goodness of a Wife	126	(2)
30 The Purity of Torah	128	(1)
31 The Wife: A "Wall"	129	(1)
32 The Wife: A Support to Her Husband	130	(1)
33 The Wife: A Vessel for the Perfection of Her Husband	131	(3)
34 "When Man and Wife (Are in Unity), the Divine Presence Is Between Them"	134	(2)
35 The "Ruler" Merits Peace	136	(2)
36 The Blessings of Marriage: Peace, Goodness, Torah, and Life	138	(2)
37 "Be Fruitful and Multiply": The Foundation of the World	140	(2)
38 God's Name Revealed Through Husband and Wife	142	(2)
39 The Wife Is "Everything"	144	(2)
40 The Wife: A Help to her Husband	146	(2)
41 "Female": Shield of Her Husband	148	(2)
42 Woman: The Inner Essence of Man	150	(2)
43 Adam and Eve: The Root of the World	152	(3)
44 Husband and Wife: The Crown of Creation	155	(3)
45 The Wife: The Foundation of Peace	158	(2)
46 Modesty: The Symbol of Woman	160	(1)
47 Husband and Wife: The Foundation of Righteousness	161	(2)
48 God's Names Contained Within Husband and Wife	163	(2)
49 The Wife's Function: Expressing Her Opinion to Her Husband and Children	165	(1)
50 Woman's Adaptability	166	(2)
51 Matches and Marriages	168	(1)
52 Man and Woman: Completed Through Holiness	169	(2)
53 Atonement and Life Through the Wife's Influence	171	(2)
54 The Connection Between Husband and Wife	173	(1)
55 Revelation of the Divine Presence Through "Male" and "Female"	174	(2)
56 The Function of Man: To Conquer	176	(2)
57 "A Time of Finding": The Wife	178	(1)
58 Love: The Basis of Marriage	179	(1)
59 The Dangers of a Life Based on Emotions	180	(2)
60 Married Happiness Depends Upon the Enlightenment of the "Head"	182	(1)
61 Gentle Speech: The Foundation of the Home	183	(1)
62 Truth: The Basis of Marriage	184	(3)
63 Man and Woman: The Sun and Moon	187	(2)
64 The Interdependence of Self-restraint and Modesty	189	(2)
65 Controlling Urges Makes for a Secure Home	191	(3)
66 The Impurity of Illicit Relations Damages the Married Couple	194	(1)
67 "Illicit Relations" and "Badness": Spelled with the Same Letters	195	(3)
68 "Menstrual Impurity" and "Judgment": Spelled with the Same Letters	198	(3)
69 The Ritual Bath	201	(4)
Part III Riches and Righteousness	205	(88)
1 The Obligation to Acknowledge God's Providence in Our Time	212	(7)
2 Sexual Purity	219	(5)
3 Immodesty and Its Consequences	224	(7)
4 Mockery Versus Knowledge of God	231	(6)
5 Wisdom, the Source of Wealth	237	(4)
6 The Eye: Entry Point of Desires	241	(6)
7 Amalek and Related Forces	247	(13)
8 The Relationship Between Respect for Justice and Economic Well-being	260	(12)
9 Holiness: The Source of Abundance	272	(6)
10 "Turn Aside from Evil and Do Good"	278	(12)
11 Ways of Increasing One's Livelihood	290	(3)
Part IV Repentance in Words and Letters	293	(58)
Introduction to the Interpretive Methods Used	297	(6)
Gematria	297	(3)
(a) Primary Gematria	298	(1)
(b) Reduced Gematria	298	(1)
(c) Full and Inner Full Gematria	298	(1)
(d) Addition of the Kollel	299	(1)
(e) Sequential Developing Gematria or Progressive Gematria	300	(1)
Transformation Codes	300	(2)
(a) Interchangeability of Letters Formed with the Same Part of the Mouth	300	(1)
(b) The At-Bash Transformation	300	(1)
(c) The Al-Bam Transformation	300	(1)
(d) The Ik-Bechar Transformation	300	(2)
The Holy Attributes (Sefirot)	302	(1)
1 The Negative Effect of Sin	303	(7)
Sin: The "Plastering Over" of the Spiritual Aspect of Man	303	(3)
Impurity: The Blockage of the Spiritual	306	(1)
The Letters of the Word XXX	307	(3)
2 The Prerequisites for Repentance	310	(21)
Repentance: The Return of the Hei	310	(1)
Reuben: The First Repentant	311	(1)
Understanding and Wisdom: Enabling a Person to Elevate Himself	312	(2)
The Power of Humility: A Prerequsite for Overcoming One's Sins	314	(1)
The Letter Dalet: Poverty and Subservience	315	(2)
The 613 Commandments and the Daily Recital of One Hundred Blessings	317	(2)
Introspection and Shame: Motivating a Person to Repentance	319	(2)
Faith: The "Mother" of Understanding	321	(2)
The Sabbath's Ability to Bring About Repentance	323	(2)
Clarity of the Mind Leads to Repentance	325	(3)
The Desire to Expose the Truth	328	(3)
3 The Three Stages of Repentance	331	(13)
Regret Causes a "Hole in the Clay"	331	(1)
The Importance of the Alphabetical Order of the Vidui	332	(2)
Confession: Changing Pain into Spiritual Glory	334	(4)
Three Types of Sin, Three Types of Repentance	338	(2)
Three Parts of the Body, Three Stages of Repentance	340	(2)
The Three Dimensions of Creation	342	(2)
4 The Days of Awe	344	(7)
The Symbolism of the Four Holy Days	344	(1)
Yom Kippur: Revelation of the Light of Truth	345	(3)
Yom Kippur: Wiping and Cleaning	348	(3)
Index	351