One God, one love
The hidden meaning of God’s oneness
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The Essence of Judaism
The Shema has been called the thesis statement of Judaism. It is the Bible’s most succinct statement of the belief in one God. It explains our obligation to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul and all our might. These are the first words recited each morning and the last words each night by observant Jews. But the deepest truths of the Shema can only be understood when reading it in the original Hebrew.
The numbers behind the letters
According to the ancient alphanumeric system known as “Gematria,” every Hebrew letter has a numerical value. The first letter Alef (א) equals 1, the second, Bet (ב), equals 2 and so on. When you add up the values of the letters, you get the numerical value of the Hebrew word. The Shema ends with the words “the Lord is One”. In Hebrew, One is ehad אחד:
(ח=8, א=1 and ד=4). This word has the total numerical value of 13 (1+8+4=13).
A biblical message of love
Amazingly, the numerical value of the Hebrew word for love, ahava (אהבה), is also 13 (ה=5, ב=2, ה=5, א=1). Many biblical scholars believe this means that at the deepest mystical level the concept of God’s oneness is inextricably linked to the concept of love. Only in Hebrew can you feel the essence of this unique prayer; the Lord is a loving God and worshiping him means bringing love into the world. It is time to feel a new love for the bible by learning Biblical Hebrew in our live online courses.
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