We all know — and science is making it increasingly clear — that what you see is not what you get: There are multiple dimensions to life and all of existence; layers upon layers with no definitive end in sight. How far down does the rabbit hole go? Can we strip the outer layers and peer beneath the surface?
Gematria — or numerology — is one of the tools we’ve been gifted with to help us examine and dissect the inner workings of existence. The numerical equivalent of any given word or name reveals its deeper meaning. No wonder so many are intrigued by the study of gematria. What is the numerology of my name, and what secrets does it hold about me?
Here are the real Bible codes. Please join Rabbi Jacobson for a journey down the “rabbit hole” and discover the elegant art and science of gematria. Learn the rules of how it works, what it means, explore the mysterious “numbers of your name”, and your inner workings… Join the journey and see how your gematria can enhance your life, your relationships, and your destiny.
Gematria or gimatria (Hebrew: גימטריה, 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. 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 intances 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.