ALEPH
(AY-lef)
First
letter of the Hebrew alphabet Common
clues:
First
Hebrew letter; Introduction to Hebrew?; Hebrew alphabet opener;
Beth's preceder; Hebrew leader?; A, in Hebrew Related
crosswordese: ALEF Crossword
puzzle frequency:
2 times a year News: 18
essential Hebrew words and phrases Video: Hebrew
Alphabet
Song
Aleph
is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Its
original value was a glottal stop. In Modern Israeli Hebrew, the
letter is either a glottal stop, or has no pronunciation besides
that of the vowel under it. The pronunciation of Aleph varies
from group to group, with some pronouncing it more as a glottal
stop, and others more silently.
Aleph
is the subject of a midrash which praises its humility in not
demanding to start the Bible. (In Hebrew the Bible is begun with
the second letter of the alphabet, Bet.) In this folktale, Aleph
is rewarded by being allowed to start the Ten Commandments. (In
Hebrew, the first word is 'Anokhi, which starts with an aleph.)
In
the Sefer Yetzirah, The letter Aleph is King over Breath, Formed
Air in the universe, Temperate in the Year, and the Chest in the
soul.
Aleph
is also the first letter of the Hebrew word emet, which means
truth. In Jewish mythology it was the letter aleph that was
carved into the head of the golem which ultimately gave it life.
Aleph
also begins the three words that make up God's mystical name in
Exodus, I Am That I Am, (in Hebrew, 'Ehye 'Asher 'Ehye), and
aleph is an important part of mystical amulets and formulas.
Hebrew
Sayings with Aleph
From
Aleph to Taw describes something from beginning to end; the
Hebrew equivalent of the English From A to Z.
One
who doesn't know how to make an Aleph is someone who is
illiterate.
Not
with a big Aleph (lo b'aleph rabati) means Absolutely not!.
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Aleph (Hebrew)".
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