What is jewish gematria

jewish gematria is an ancient numerical code system used to encrypt auspicious messages within Hebrew writing since the Middle Ages. It is based on numerological interpretations of letters associated with words in both the Hebrew alphabet and other languages. Unique to Jewish gematria is that it incorporates the concept of aulamot, a term referring to hidden meanings in religious texts.

Gematria is based on the notion that words have inherent numerical values. Letters in Hebrew, Aramaic, and other languages were ascribed numbers from 1-100 and grouped into categories – some numbers are seen as good or bad luck, or auspicious or inauspicious for events such as marriage, for example. These values can be combined to calculate individual words which can then be ascribed with different meanings or symbols.

For example, three letters in Hebrew for "love" add up to 72 (Kuf letter=20+Vav letter= 6+ Heh letter= 46), so that 72 itself has been linked with love by Jewish tradition as well as other religious communities through time. Additionally, if you put together enough words attributed with similar numerological values it may be possible to uncover deeper messages beyond their literal understanding – this concept has been applied in attempts to explain the meaning of major religious texts such as the Torah and the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). In Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism) gematria holds an important role as one way of understanding God presented through numerical symbolism; for example, the value of 10 signifies divine perfection (Gimel-Lamed-Yod-Aleph which adds up to 10).

Many attempts have been made to translate Jewish gematria into modern mathematical notation via a process called nikud ('points'). In essence this process assigns each letter a value corresponding to its place not only in the Hebrew alphabet but also its place on printed page – both aspects are essential elements when considering traditional works such as scrolls or other handwritten manuscripts. Further research into mathematical formulas has revealed relationships between different combinations of numbers and special symbols giving rise to great complexity using this ancient language code system – so much so that some people devote a great deal of time and effort attempting solve 'gematric puzzles'!