Torah Geometry for Hanukkah night 1

[Harel13]

One possible meaning of Patach is translated as "gate" by strongs concordance so it must have been used that way somewhere in the Tanakh (perhaps by Ezekiel - I recall seeing it before anyway).

This, perhaps?

I don't think Petach is every translated anything more than a doorway or an entrance.

 

[Bethsheba Ashe]

This, perhaps?
View attachment 46239
I don't think Petach is every translated anything more than a doorway or an entrance.

It is, more rarely though, so I would expect that the word is used in the sense of a gate elsewhere in the text and that influenced the decision of the translator.

He's as Jewish as you are btw. Born and raised in a Jewish household and educated appropriately so I am no more inclined to dismiss his opinion than I am yours.

1 Kings 17:10 Hebrew Text Analysis

 

[Harel13]

It is, more rarely though, so I would expect that the word is used in the sense of a gate elsewhere in the text and that influenced the decision of the translator.

He's as Jewish as you are btw. Born and raised in a Jewish household and educated appropriately so I am no more inclined to dismiss his opinion than I am yours.

1 Kings 17:10 Hebrew Text Analysis

Far as I can tell, he just made a mistake.
I'm inclined to agree with @rosends that the translator lacked an understanding of how midrashim work and as such, had to fall back on a rarely-used interpretation of the word "Petach" and perhaps even interpret the בב' as בכ'.

 

[rosends]

Far as I can tell, he just made a mistake.
I'm inclined to agree with @rosends that the translator lacked an understanding of how midrashim work and as such, had to fall back on a rarely-used interpretation of the word "Petach" and perhaps even interpret the בב' as בכ'.

Petach is just "opening" be it the opening of a tent or of a city. The fact that the opening of a city was often a gate doesn't make Petach ha'ir a gate. And patch, a verb, is even less of a gate. It is a necessary word in the sentence as a verb and it follows a well established.formula. The gentleman in question misread the bet as a chaf and didn't understand the statement as a whole. The only reason to stick with his misreading is because it lends credence to an otherwise unsupported claim about the alphabet.

Of course, IMHO. What do I know?

 

[rosends]

I just did a quick web search.
https://www.google.com/search?clien...gEBMpgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
Results in references to the book but

https://www.google.com/search?q="בר...droid-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Has no results.

 

[Tumah]

It is, more rarely though, so I would expect that the word is used in the sense of a gate elsewhere in the text and that influenced the decision of the translator.

He's as Jewish as you are btw. Born and raised in a Jewish household and educated appropriately so I am no more inclined to dismiss his opinion than I am yours.

1 Kings 17:10 Hebrew Text Analysis

That's silly. Being Jewish doesn't give you some type of special knowledge of how to read a sentence. You should be inclined to dismiss his opinion because it's clearly mistaken, not because he is or isn't Jewish.

The context of the quotation makes it extremely clear that the letter in question is a bet and not a kaf. The remainder of the statement makes no sense if you read it as a kaf.

[The Phrase] Bereisheet bara elokim opens with a Bet to inform mankind that with two letters from His name [he] created Bet (ie. 2) worlds, This World and the Next World as it says, "for in Yah the LORD you have an everlasting Rock" (which can be also be read as "For with yod-he, YH_H formed the worlds") Isa. 26:4. This World with he and the World to Come with yod
First line taken from @rosends post​

Now try to read that as a kaf.

In the beginning created Elohim gates (by) twenty to inform mankind that with two letters from His name [he] created Bet (ie. 2) worlds, This World and the Next World as it says (Isa. 26:4), "for in Yah the LORD you have an everlasting Rock" (this can be also be read as "For with yod-he, the LORD formed the worlds"). This World with he and the World to Come with yod​

The first statement creates a non-sequitor with the rest of the passage if you read it as Steve thinks it should be read.

 

[Harel13]

Now try to read that as a kaf.
In the beginning created Elohim gates (by) twenty to inform mankind that with two letters from His name [he] created Bet (ie. 2) worlds, This World and the Next World as it says (Isa. 26:4), "for in Yah the LORD you have an everlasting Rock" (this can be also be read as "For with yod-he, the LORD formed the worlds"). This World with he and the World to Come with yod

Perhaps he read thus:
In the beginning created Elohim gates (by) twenty to inform mankind that with twenty letters from His name etc.

However, the rest of the context still doesn't match up.

 

[Tumah]

Perhaps he read thus:
In the beginning created Elohim gates (by) twenty to inform mankind that with twenty letters from His name etc.

However, the rest of the context still doesn't match up.

Yeah, I also thought that he might change the second and third beis as well, so that G-d uses 20 letters to create 20 worlds... but it only goes on to list two worlds and two letters.

 

[Bethsheba Ashe]

Here's a link to: Steve's translation.

He uses the term gate(s) a little further on in the text too: "Divide the gates by the name of Beth" and also: "Of Tau, the lives of the people [Thechiyieth Hamethiem] [are created]. Therefore, this is the gate to create the universe."

A "gate" is a special term in Merkabah/Kabbalah that is used to refer to letter combinations. Think of the Shaarai Orah (Gates of Light) by Gikatilla. Yes a different word for gate is used but I'm point to the fact that in Kabbalah the term has it own special meaning.

"…regarding “The Workings of the Chariot – Maaseh Merkavah- מעשה מרכבה ,” the word Merkavah-מרכבה-chariot is related to the word הרכבה-which means to combine or compose, referring to the combinations of letters, which carry meaning, just as the chariot carries its rider. Primarily, the methodology of Temurah-letter exchange, is referred to as Maaseh Merkavah-the Act of the Chariot or the act of combining the letters." ~ Joseph Gikatilla (Ginat Eroz).

On the Seven Palaces (in the world of Yetzirah) there are paths between the palaces (just as there are paths between the sephiroth of the Tree of Life) and the combination of letters from the paths and palaces make the "gates". For instance, the gate of the path Lamed is comprised of the Lamed itself and the palace of the Aleph and the palace of the Resh and so the gate is 231. They are also "openings" but they are guarded openings - the spirit (angel) of each letter guards the way - like a gate guards an opening. To have used the term "door" would have been far too confusing seeing that "doors" tend to refer to the Daleths, and דלתות is a mnemonic with the value of 4. Thus the term "gate" was preferred. Also פתח begins with the letter Peh which is a mouth in pictograms, and God was literally speaking the worlds into existence so it seems appropriate in that sense too. But a gate may be a single letter in the world of Beriah.

When it comes to the first word of creation we see that it is 220:
בראשית
2 + 200 + 1 + 3 + 10 + 4 = 220.
ב = 2
2 x 10 = 20
20 x 10 = 200.

And with the reversal cipher the holy name is 220:
YHVH = כעסע
כעסע = 220
And directly:
התורה = 220

"Divide the gates by the name of Beth" [the name of the House?] has meaning whereas: "divide the opening by the name of Beth" doesn't.

If we are forming an opinion on whether "gate" is the right word for פתח then we should check a goodly sample of its usage in the rest of the book so we can assess the matter properly.

 

[rosends]

Here's a link to: Steve's translation.

He uses the term gate(s) a little further on in the text too: "Divide the gates by the name of Beth" and also: "Of Tau, the lives of the people [Thechiyieth Hamethiem] [are created]. Therefore, this is the gate to create the universe."

A "gate" is a special term in Merkabah/Kabbalah that is used to refer to letter combinations. Think of the Shaarai Orah (Gates of Light) by Gikatilla. Yes a different word for gate is used but I'm point to the fact that in Kabbalah the term has it own special meaning.

"…regarding “The Workings of the Chariot – Maaseh Merkavah- מעשה מרכבה ,” the word Merkavah-מרכבה-chariot is related to the word הרכבה-which means to combine or compose, referring to the combinations of letters, which carry meaning, just as the chariot carries its rider. Primarily, the methodology of Temurah-letter exchange, is referred to as Maaseh Merkavah-the Act of the Chariot or the act of combining the letters." ~ Joseph Gikatilla (Ginat Eroz).

On the Seven Palaces (in the world of Yetzirah) there are paths between the palaces (just as there are paths between the sephiroth of the Tree of Life) and the combination of letters from the paths and palaces make the "gates". For instance, the gate of the path Lamed is comprised of the Lamed itself and the palace of the Aleph and the palace of the Resh and so the gate is 231. They are also "openings" but they are guarded openings - the spirit (angel) of each letter guards the way - like a gate guards an opening. To have used the term "door" would have been far too confusing seeing that "doors" tend to refer to the Daleths, and דלתות is a mnemonic with the value of 4. Thus the term "gate" was preferred. Also פתח begins with the letter Peh which is a mouth in pictograms, and God was literally speaking the worlds into existence so it seems appropriate in that sense too. But a gate may be a single letter in the world of Beriah.

When it comes to the first word of creation we see that it is 220:
בראשית
2 + 200 + 1 + 3 + 10 + 4 = 220.
ב = 2
2 x 10 = 20
20 x 10 = 200.

And with the reversal cipher the holy name is 220:
YHVH = כעסע
כעסע = 220
And directly:
התורה = 220

"Divide the gates by the name of Beth" [the name of the House?] has meaning whereas: "divide the opening by the name of Beth" doesn't.

If we are forming an opinion on whether "gate" is the right word for פתח then we should check a goodly sample of its usage in the rest of the book so we can assess the matter properly.

Not only is his translation way off in a few different ways, but that later reference to "gate" ("divide the gates" [sic]) has the Hebrew singular noun "sha'ar" and not a p-t-ch word.

The next use "l'chach, patach livro olamo" means "therefore [he] began to create his world." The translation again uses a noun "gate" when the Hebrew word is not a noun. If one wanted to read it as "l'chach, petach livro olamo" (for this, opening to create his world) it would still not mean "gate" (nor would it make sense). If you look at the rest of the uses in the book, but assume that those uses mean gate, then you will decide that the word means gate. You start with your conclusion. A foolish consistency and all that.

 

[Bethsheba Ashe]

Not only is his translation way off in a few different ways, but that later reference to "gate" ("divide the gates" [sic]) has the Hebrew singular noun "sha'ar" and not a p-t-ch word.

The next use "l'chach, patach livro olamo" means "therefore [he] began to create his world." The translation again uses a noun "gate" when the Hebrew word is not a noun. If one wanted to read it as "l'chach, petach livro olamo" (for this, opening to create his world) it would still not mean "gate" (nor would it make sense). If you look at the rest of the uses in the book, but assume that those uses mean gate, then you will decide that the word means gate. You start with your conclusion. A foolish consistency and all that.

Well the "gate" would refer to the letter Tav (which represents Time). Obviously you need Time when you're creating a world. Lets try another one. How would you read it in this context with the two alephs at either side of it?

מרוחו וכל אות ו' קולו' כגון א קמן א פתח א צרי א שוא א שורק או הולם אור מן מאורות צפעוני אדם אם רחץ אם הדרך אני אור הרי הא' יש לה' ו' קולי'

This one is number 6 of 16 instances. I'm checking this version which appears to be OCRed so it can be searched:

ספר רזיאל המלאך

 

[dybmh]

the letter Tav (which represents Time)

Do you have a Jewish source for this?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tav (also spelled Taw) is the twenty-second and final letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
"Meaning 1. Truth 2. sign 3. life or death"

source: Chabad.org - Tav - The twenty-second letter of the Hebrew alphabet

"They further taught:
Shin: Falsehood [sheker]. Tav: Truth [emet]."

Source: Sefaria.org - Shabbat 104a

 

[rosends]

Well the "gate" would refer to the letter Tav (which represents Time). Obviously you need Time when you're creating a world. Lets try another one. How would you read it in this context with the two alephs at either side of it?

מרוחו וכל אות ו' קולו' כגון א קמן א פתח א צרי א שוא א שורק או הולם אור מן מאורות צפעוני אדם אם רחץ אם הדרך אני אור הרי הא' יש לה' ו' קולי'

This one is number 6 of 16 instances. I'm checking this version which appears to be OCRed so it can be searched:

ספר רזיאל המלאך

there aren't 2 alephs at either side. This word is patach. This line is discussing how each letter has 6 vocalizations. The text then shows, using an aleph, the vowel points and their names:
"...and every letter has 6 voices, such as aleph with a kamatz, aleph with a patach, aleph with a tzeirei..."

Patach is a vowel point in Hebrew (signified by a single horizontal line) אַ

If you look at the original 1700 publishing, you will see that the alephs are written with those vowel points to show how each would be pronounced. It is here, about 3 fifths of the way down the page. The first word in your excerpt, "merucho" is from the previous statement. It is followed by a colon, separating statements. The full line you quoted is rife with error.
-----------
I haven't yet found this Hebrew section in the translation you cited. I did find a similar section on page 52, listing the vowels. You can look there and see how "patach" (which he calls Patah) is just the name of a vowel point in Hebrew.

 

[Tumah]

Here's a link to: Steve's translation.

I'm literally laughing reading this. Steve is so far from being a scholar of Judaism that he can't even identify when the printer is using abbreviations or what they mean. He's also getting confused by the sprinkling of Aramaic that can be found in virtually all Rabbinic works.

In the beginning God created 20 gates. It is revealed to the son of man by twenty letters. Create two names (Hebrew: AaHZ OHAaHB). By Yod Heh the Lord formed the worlds. the heh of (Hebrew: HAaHB) by yod and (Hebrew: AaHB) over the works of creations preceding the universe. Yod precedes heh and Aleph Tau precedes the Holy Name blessed is it. Of Aleph Beth of Yod for the sake of combining Yod Heh Vau.
Aleph is one. Beth is two, which is three. Gimmel is three, which is six. Daleth is four which is ten. The Yod is upheld by Heh Vau. Yod Heh Vau is the holy name. Divide the gates by the name of Beth. There are three sides to the universe as the letter beth.
Of Yod words are created to corresponding to the 10 commandments.
Of Tau, the lives of people [Techiyieth Hameithim][are createג]. Therefore this is the gate to create the universe. Also the face of Beth is above. Aleph stands alone, forever turning the face in the universe.

בראשית ברא אלהים פתח בב' להודיע לבני אדם כי בב' אותיו' משמו ברא ב' עולמות עוה"ז ועה"ב שנא' כי ביה ה' צור עולמים העולם הזה בה' והעה"ב ביו"ד לפי שעה"ב עלה במחשבה לבראות קודם עולם הזה הקדים י' לה' וא"ת למה הקדים הקב"ה בא"ב ליו"ד כדי לצרף יה"ו א' אחד ב' שנים הרי ג' וג' שלשה הריד' ארבע הרי יו"ד וסמיך ליה ה"ו וזה יה"ו שם הקדוש כאשר נפרש בשער השמות בי"ת זה עולם הזה שיש לה שלש' דפנו' כמו ב' י' שנברא בי' מאמרות כנגד י' דברות ת' זו תחיית המתים לכך פתח לברוא עולמו ועוד ב' פונה גבה לאלף לומר יחיד לעולם פנה פניך בעולמך​

Everything in color here are mistakes Steve made because he either didn't understand the abbreviations, didn't know the Aramaic, or didn't understand the word or phrase. Because of those mistakes, you can actually see that he's trying to puzzle out how to read this text. Because he can't puzzle these things out, you can tell that he thinks he reading something that is purposely cryptic. He ends up with something very disjoined that makes no sense.

This is what it actually says:

Berei****h bara El-him. He opened [the Torah] with [the letter] beth to make known to mankind that with two letters from His Name He created two worlds: This World and the World to Come as it says, "for with Yod Heh the Lord formed the worlds" (Isa. 26:4). This World with Heh and the World to Come with Yod.
Because the World to Come arose in His thoughts to be created before This World, the yod precedes the heh.
And if you say, 'Why did the Holy One blessed be He make the alphabet before the [letter] yod? In order to combine [them to form] Yod Heh Vau. Alef is one. Beth is two, which equals three. And Gimmel is three, which [together] equals six. And Daleth is four which equals ten [the numerical equivalent of Yod]. And next to it (ie. the letter Daleth) are [the letters] Heh [and] Vau. And that is Yod Heh Vau a holy Name as will be explained in the [chapter called] The Gate of Names.
Beth (the letter is spelled Beth Yod Tau) is This World, as it has three sides like [the letter] Beth. Yod, (which has the numerical equivalent of ten) because it was created with 10 utterances to parallel the 10 commandments. Tau, this is the Revival of the Dead (the first letter of this word is spelled with a Tau). Therefor He began to create His world [with a Beth].
And also, Beth turns its back to the Aleph (ie. when written in order, one of the sides of the Beth is on the side of the Aleph) [as if] to say "Unique One of the World (ie. G-d represented by the Aleph which equals one)! Turn Your face to Your world!"​

That's the difference in reading it as someone not familiar with Rabbinic texts and someone who is familiar with Rabbinic texts.

 

[Bethsheba Ashe]

Do you have a Jewish source for this?

Just Genesis 1:14-16(a). The verse falls under the Tav when the letters of the alephbet (set out in the priestly order) are corresponded to chapter 1-2. The gematria of 1:16 is converted to base 60 to further underline the point. "Mark" is from the original pictogram and the Paleohebrew X. The association of "truth" to the tav ... well isn't truth proven with time עֵת֒? We are told that the letter Tav was put on the foreheads of the righteous (Ezekiel 9:4). What else are wrinkles on the forehead but the writing of time? And moreover they are a sign of death approaching. All things come to death in time.

 

[Bethsheba Ashe]

there aren't 2 alephs at either side. This word is patach. This line is discussing how each letter has 6 vocalizations. The text then shows, using an aleph, the vowel points and their names:
"...and every letter has 6 voices, such as aleph with a kamatz, aleph with a patach, aleph with a tzeirei..."

Patach is a vowel point in Hebrew (signified by a single horizontal line) אַ

If you look at the original 1700 publishing, you will see that the alephs are written with those vowel points to show how each would be pronounced. It is here, about 3 fifths of the way down the page. The first word in your excerpt, "merucho" is from the previous statement. It is followed by a colon, separating statements. The full line you quoted is rife with error.
-----------
I haven't yet found this Hebrew section in the translation you cited. I did find a similar section on page 52, listing the vowels. You can look there and see how "patach" (which he calls Patah) is just the name of a vowel point in Hebrew.

I thought it looked weird. That makes sense. Thanks for your help.

 

[Bethsheba Ashe]

You've all put your case forward very well (especially rosends). I think there is enough doubt about the translation that I feature on the Shematria front page to justify its removal (done). Thank you for thrashing that out, and have a great day.

 

[dybmh]

Just Genesis 1:14-16(a). The verse falls under the Tav when the letters of the alephbet (set out in the priestly order) are corresponded to chapter 1-2. The gematria of 1:16 is converted to base 60 to further underline the point. "Mark" is from the original pictogram and the Paleohebrew X. The association of "truth" to the tav ... well isn't truth proven with time עֵת֒? We are told that the letter Tav was put on the foreheads of the righteous (Ezekiel 9:4). What else are wrinkles on the forehead but the writing of time? And moreover they are a sign of death approaching. All things come to death in time.

Seems like a stretch to me. But thank you for the reply.

 

[Tumah]

I'm literally laughing reading this. Steve is so far from being a scholar of Judaism that he can't even identify when the printer is using abbreviations or what they mean. He's also getting confused by the sprinkling of Aramaic that can be found in virtually all Rabbinic works.

In the beginning God created 20 gates. It is revealed to the son of man by twenty letters. Create two names (Hebrew: AaHZ OHAaHB). By Yod Heh the Lord formed the worlds. the heh of (Hebrew: HAaHB) by yod and (Hebrew: AaHB) over the works of creations preceding the universe. Yod precedes heh and Aleph Tau precedes the Holy Name blessed is it. Of Aleph Beth of Yod for the sake of combining Yod Heh Vau.
Aleph is one. Beth is two, which is three. Gimmel is three, which is six. Daleth is four which is ten. The Yod is upheld by Heh Vau. Yod Heh Vau is the holy name. Divide the gates by the name of Beth. There are three sides to the universe as the letter beth.
Of Yod words are created to corresponding to the 10 commandments.
Of Tau, the lives of people [Techiyieth Hameithim][are createג]. Therefore this is the gate to create the universe. Also the face of Beth is above. Aleph stands alone, forever turning the face in the universe.

בראשית ברא אלהים פתח בב' להודיע לבני אדם כי בב' אותיו' משמו ברא ב' עולמות עוה"ז ועה"ב שנא' כי ביה ה' צור עולמים העולם הזה בה' והעה"ב ביו"ד לפי שעה"ב עלה במחשבה לבראות קודם עולם הזה הקדים י' לה' וא"ת למה הקדים הקב"ה בא"ב ליו"ד כדי לצרף יה"ו א' אחד ב' שנים הרי ג' וג' שלשה הריד' ארבע הרי יו"ד וסמיך ליה ה"ו וזה יה"ו שם הקדוש כאשר נפרש בשער השמות בי"ת זה עולם הזה שיש לה שלש' דפנו' כמו ב' י' שנברא בי' מאמרות כנגד י' דברות ת' זו תחיית המתים לכך פתח לברוא עולמו ועוד ב' פונה גבה לאלף לומר יחיד לעולם פנה פניך בעולמך​

Everything in color here are mistakes Steve made because he either didn't understand the abbreviations, didn't know the Aramaic, or didn't understand the word or phrase. Because of those mistakes, you can actually see that he's trying to puzzle out how to read this text. Because he can't puzzle these things out, you can tell that he thinks he reading something that is purposely cryptic. He ends up with something very disjoined that makes no sense.

This is what it actually says:

Berei****h bara El-him. He opened [the Torah] with [the letter] beth to make known to mankind that with two letters from His Name He created two worlds: This World and the World to Come as it says, "for with Yod Heh the Lord formed the worlds" (Isa. 26:4). This World with Heh and the World to Come with Yod.
Because the World to Come arose in His thoughts to be created before This World, the yod precedes the heh.
And if you say, 'Why did the Holy One blessed be He make the alphabet before the [letter] yod? In order to combine [them to form] Yod Heh Vau. Alef is one. Beth is two, which equals three. And Gimmel is three, which [together] equals six. And Daleth is four which equals ten [the numerical equivalent of Yod]. And next to it (ie. the letter Daleth) are [the letters] Heh [and] Vau. And that is Yod Heh Vau a holy Name as will be explained in the [chapter called] The Gate of Names.
Beth (the letter is spelled Beth Yod Tau) is This World, as it has three sides like [the letter] Beth. Yod, (which has the numerical equivalent of ten) because it was created with 10 utterances to parallel the 10 commandments. Tau, this is the Revival of the Dead (the first letter of this word is spelled with a Tau). Therefor He began to create His world [with a Beth].
And also, Beth turns its back to the Aleph (ie. when written in order, one of the sides of the Beth is on the side of the Aleph) [as if] to say "Unique One of the World (ie. G-d represented by the Aleph which equals one)! Turn Your face to Your world!"​

That's the difference in reading it as someone not familiar with Rabbinic texts and someone who is familiar with Rabbinic texts.

I just had my 12 year old read the passage from the original book in Hebrew and then from Steve's book. She was on the floor. She kept asking me if he wrote it as a joke.