Talmudic Homiletics on the Hebrew Alphabet - Pt.2 - Homiletics on Letter Transformations (Shabbat 104a)
Homiletics on the Hebrew Alphabet - Pt. 2: ‘At bash’; ‘Akhas beta’; ‘Al bam’
Continuation of previous piece: ““The likes of which were not said even in the days of Yehoshua bin Nun”: Talmudic Homiletics on the Hebrew Alphabet - Pt.1 - the Names and Shapes of Letters (Shabbat 104a)”
Source
Shabbat 104a (sections #10-13)
Outline
‘At Bash’ (א”ת ב”ש)
‘Akhas beta’ (אח״ס בט״ע גי״ף)
‘Al bam’ (א״ל ב״ם)
‘At Bash’ (א”ת ב”ש)
Gematria - Wikipedia > “Related transformations”:
Within the wider topic of gematria are included the various alphabet transformations, where one letter is substituted by another based on a logical scheme
On ‘Atbash’, see Atbash - Wikipedia (with adjustments):
“Atbash is formed by taking the alphabet and mapping it to its reverse, so that the first letter becomes the last letter, the second letter becomes the second to last letter, and so on. The name derives from the first, last, second, and second to last Hebrew letters (Aleph–Taw–Bet–Shin). Several biblical words are described by commentators as being examples of Atbash.“
Atbash - wicked
The Gemara cites another midrash that also deals with the letters of the alphabet. This one uses a code in which the first letter is paired with the last letter, the second letter with the penultimate one, and so on [alef tav, beit shin].
Alef tav (א״ת)
א״ת ב״ש: — אותי תעב אתאוה לו
Alef tav, God said: If he despised Me [oti ti’ev] would I desire [etaveh] him?
Beit shin (ב״ש)
ב״ש בי לא חשק, שמי יחול עליו?
Beit shin: If he does not desire to worship Me [bi], shall My name [shemi] rest upon him?
Gimmel reish (ג״ר)
ג״ר — גופו טימא, ארחם עליו
Gimmel reish: He defiled his body [gufo]; shall I have mercy [araḥem] on him? The word comprised of the letters gimmel and reish in Aramaic means licentiousness.
Dalet kuf (ד״ק)
ד״ק דלתותי נעל, קרניו לא אגדע?
Dalet kuf: He locked My doors [daltotai], shall I not cut off his horns [karnav]?
Atbash - righteous
עד כאן מדת רשעים, אבל מדת צדיקים:
To this point, the Gemara interpreted the letters as referring to the attribute of the wicked. However, with regard to the attribute of the righteous it is taught differently:
Alef tav, beit shin (א״ת ב״ש)
א״ת ב״ש — אם אתה בוש.
Alef tav, beit shin: If you have shame [ata bosh],
gimmel reish, dalet kuf (ג״ר ד״ק)
ג״ר ד״ק — אם אתה עושה כן, גור בדוק.
gimmel reish, dalet kuf: If you do so, you will reside [gur] in the heavens [bedok], as the verse says: “Who stretches out the Heavens like a curtain [dok]” (Isaiah 40:22).
Heh tzadi, vav peh (ה״ץ ו״ף)
ה״ץ ו״ף — חציצה הוי בינך לאף.
Heh tzadi, vav peh: There is a partition [ḥatzitza havei] between you and anger [af].
Zayin ayin, ḥet samekh (ז״ע ח״ס ט״ן)
ז״ע ח״ס ט״ן — ואין אתה מזדעזע מן השטן.
Zayin ayin, ḥet samekh, tet nun: And you will not be shaken [mizdaze’a] by the Satan.
Yod mem, kaf lamed (י״ם כ״ל)
י״ם כ״ל — אמר [שר של] גיהנם לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא: רבונו של עולם, לים כל.
Yod mem, kaf lamed: The minister of Gehenna said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, send the righteous as well into the sea to which all go [yam kol], Gehenna.
‘Akhas beta’ (אח״ס בט״ע גי״ף)
Gematria - Wikipedia > “Related transformations”:
Within the wider topic of gematria are included the various alphabet transformations, where one letter is substituted by another based on a logical scheme [...] Akhas beta divides the alphabet into three groups of 7, 7 and 8 letters. Each letter is replaced cyclically by the corresponding letter of the next group. The letter Tav remains the same.”
Alef ḥet samekh, bet tet ayin, gimmel yod peh (אח״ס בט״ע גי״ף)
אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא:
אח״ס בט״ע גי״ף — אני חס עליהם מפני שבעטו בגיף:
The interpretation of the alphabet continues with other combinations of letters. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said:
Alef ḥet samekh, bet tet ayin, gimmel yod peh: I have mercy on them [Ani ḥas aleihem] because they spurned [ba’atu] adultery [gif].
Dalet kaf tzadi (דכ״ץ)
דכ״ץ — דכים הם, כנים הם, צדיקים הם.
The Gemara continues with this combination of the letters: Dalet kaf tzadi: They are pure [dakkim], they are honest [kenim], they are righteous [tzaddikim].
Heh lamed kuf (הל״ק)
הל״ק — אין לך חלק בהן.
Heh lamed kuf: You have no portion [ḥelek] with them, based on the interchange of the letters ḥet and heh.
Vav mem reish zayin nun, shin tav (מרז״ן ש״ת)
ומרז״ן ש״ת — אמר גיהנם לפניו: רבונו של עולם, מרי, זניני מזרעו של שת.
Vav mem reish zayin nun, shin tav: The minister of Gehenna said [amar], based on vav mem reish, before Him: Master of the Universe, my Master [Mari], sustain me [zaneini] with the seed of Seth [Shet], which refers to all humankind, including the Jewish people.
The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him using another configuration of the alphabet:
‘Al bam’ (א״ל ב״ם)
Wikipedia, ibid.:
Albam – the alphabet is divided in half, eleven letters in each section. The first letter of the first series is exchanged for the first letter of the second series, the second letter of the first series for the second letter of the second series, and so forth.
Alef lamed, beit mem, Gimmel nun, dalet samekh (א״ל ב״ם ג״ן ד״ס)
אמר לו: א״ל ב״ם ג״ן ד״ס — להיכן אוליכן, לגן הדס.
Alef lamed, beit mem: Not with them [al bam], i.e., you will have no portion of them.
Gimmel nun, dalet samekh: To where will I lead them? I will lead them to the garden of myrtle [gan hadas], i.e., the Garden of Eden.
Heh ayin, vav peh (ה״ע ו״ף)
ה״ע ו״ף — אמר גיהנם לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא: רבונו של עולם, עיף אנכי.
Heh ayin, vav peh: The minister of Gehenna said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, I am tired [ayef anokhi] and thirsty and need people to care for me.
Zayin tzadi, ḥet kuf (ז״ץ ח״ק)
ז״ץ ח״ק — הללו זרעו של יצחק.
The Holy One, Blessed be He, responded: Zayin tzadi, ḥet kuf: These are the descendants [zaro] of Isaac [Yitzḥak].
Tet reish, yod shin, kaf tav (ט״ר י״ש כ״ת)
ט״ר י״ש כ״ת — טר יש לי כיתות כיתות של אומות העולם שאני נותן לך.
Tet reish, yod shin, kaf tav: Wait [tar], I have groups upon groups [yesh li kittot kittot] of other nations that I will give you instead.