Jewish Gematria

Gematria (Hebrew: גימטריה, also known as gimatria or gematriya) is a form of Jewish mysticism that involves the practice of assigning numerical values to words or phrases based on the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This practice is rooted in the belief that words and numbers have inherent meanings and connections, allowing for deeper interpretations of religious texts. The most common form of gematria is the simple replacement of each letter with its numerical value, which is then summed to provide a total value for the word or phrase. For example, the Hebrew word chai (חי), meaning "life," has a gematria value of 18 (8 + 10). This practice is often used in Kabbalah, the esoteric school of thought in Judaism, to uncover hidden meanings and connections within the Torah and other sacred texts. In Yiddish, gematria is known as gematrie (געמטריע), and in Ladino, it is referred to as gimatriya (גימטריעא). The practice has also influenced other cultures and traditions, including Christian mysticism and Western esotericism.