\Gematria is a particular study of Jewish mysticism based on the numerical value of Hebrew letters in the Aleph Bais (Hebrew alphabet) as inscribed in the Torah.
This study of mysticism in Hebrew Gematria is dedicated in the loving memory of Mrs. Ethel Sakash Belk, my mother, may momma rest in peace.
The destruction of the world is months, weeks, days or maybe just hours away! Potentially millions of people are going to die! Practically every animal, insect and bird will die ... G-d is extremely displeased with His creatures! Now for some reason, and we will call that reason righteousness, you have been chosen as one of only eight people who will survive this world's destruction ... Millions of beings will die. You will survive. Place yourself in that position. Do you feel awkward? Do you feel relief... anxiety.. stress... appreciation? How do you feel about G-d? Do you trust G-d after the destruction of your friends, neighbors and relatives? Are there questions in your mind? Are you at ease with the pre destruction... destruction and post destruction period? Are you afraid? What concerns do you have?
There is no way for us to know how the eight surviving people of this world felt before, during and after this world's destruction by water. The Torah does not mention any CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAMS THERE TO ASSIST AND ANALYZE... Yet eight people did live through this incredible, turbulent, difficult time... HOW??
Did they need reassurance from G-d? What concerns and issues would they have? What uncertainty would they experience? ... The potential for so many different issues surrounding these eight survivors is unfathomable!
Yet, we see within the pages of Torah through Gematria that Hashem offered reassurance twenty-two different times to the eight survivors. We observed this through the word Ha Tay Vaw, meaning "the ark" which in actuality represents 'YOUR SAFETY / YOUR SURVIVAL." Ha Tay Vaw occurs twenty-two times in twenty-one verses. There is only one additional reference to Ha Tay Vaw in the entire Bible. It is the reference to Moshe being placed in an ark to save his life. The Gematria of 22 expresses Hashem's feelings towards the residents within Ha Tay Vah.. the ark of security/ safety.
We see these expressions in Chaw Veev, meaning beloved / cherished. From right to left:
Chaw Veev {Beloved / cherished}
22 = Bais 2 Yud 10 Bais 2 Ches 8
We see further expressions with Toh Vaw meaning, favor, kindness, welfare.
Toh Vaw {favor, kindness, welfare}
22 = Hey 5 Bais 2 Vav 6 Tes 9
In other words, the twenty-two occurrences of Ha Tay Vaw in the Torah as a sum total reveals Hashem's feelings to His beloved {ones}... to His cherished {ones inside the ark}. It is Hashem's constant message of reassurance, extension of favor to the eight residents of the ark and His concern for their welfare... that is because of what the ark represents.
The Gematria of Ha Tay Vaw = 412 which is also the Gematria of Bais, meaning "house". In this instance, Ha Tay Vaw represents a special house "a house above the world." Ha Tay Vaw represents "the house that floats on water".. Ha Tay Vaw represents the house of safety! Ha Tay Vaw represents the house of salvation!! So each time Hashem makes reference to Ha Tay Vaw He is actually offering comfort and reassurance to the eight people who will endure the world's horrible destruction.
This is clearly established once Noach completes Ha Tay Vaw. Hashem says, "Come into the ark, you and your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me, in this generation..." Genesis 7:1 In other words, Hashem invited Noach and his household into "His House" which would shelter them from the destruction of the world. In realizing this we observe Hashem's care for the residents of the ark as mentioned in the twenty-two occurrences of Ha Tay Vaw. We observe their acceptance of Hashem's invitation to security within the ark...
Ha Tay Vaw {The Ark}
412 = Hey 5 Bais 2 Sav 400 Hey 5
Bais {House}
412 = Sav 400 Yud 10 Bais 2
Again, there is no way to describe what the eight survivors experienced but it does help to know that Hashem prepared the survivors, guided them and assisted them in reestablishing after the flood. This is defined in the meaning of bais "HOUSE". In other words the ark was their transitional "house", from their house in the old world to their house in the new world. House implies a building, a structure, a place of gathering, a place of living, a place of learning and more. House implies security like HOME, a place to come home to after the world's destruction...
Holy reader, think of the gargantuan transition from old to new... Everything... every bais, every house, would have to be reestablished after the destruction... by just eight people. These eight people had to be very learned...to reestablish a HOUSE of EDUCATION. They had to be horticulturists... the earth has just experienced the most incredible physical transition. Oceans are now mountains. Seas are plains. Mountains are oceans. The water canopy covering earth has been removed. The hemisphere has changed. Temperatures are no longer constantly hovering around 72 degrees. Parts of Mother Earth are now very cold while other parts are extremely hot and humid... a HOUSE of HORTICULTURE had to be built. Many houses had to be built. Let your mind expand on this thought... the baker's house... the grocer's house... the house of prayer...
Ha Tay Vaw represented the transfer from the Bais of the past to the Bais of the future. It was the vessel, the house, that transported what Hashem ordered to be brought from the past to the future... animals...books... tools... seeds... clothing... So Ha Tay Vaw was the bridge house from the past to the future...
Life has a bridge between man and G-d. The directions for building this bridge is Torah. The bridge is constructed through observance of Torah! The bridge of Torah assists us in our transformation from a life of sin to a life of holiness. G-d willing the bad things in our life are left in the old world. Those things are not transported on Ha Tay Vaw. They were unloaded at Rosh Hashanah. They were dumped into the sea! We were given a new clean slate for this coming new year. Our old sins and mistakes were left behind with the old house to be destroyed. We are now in our new house in this our second week of Torah study and observance. We are transferring all the good things carried with us in Ha Tay Vaw from our old house to our new House of Torah that we are constructing for this year. May this year's house be a very good house!!
Wishing you the best,
Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk
PS A few additional Gematrias for thought:
Noach spent 120 years constructing the ark. 120 represents the entire life of Moshe. 120 also represents the fifteenth letter of the Aleph Bais, the Samech. When Noach entered the ark he was in his 600th year. 15 divided into 600 = 40 which from a Gematrial position represents the Letter Mem. Both letters, Samech and Mem, are considered cycle of life letters because of their physical nature... their construction is circular, 360 degrees. Both represent the circle of life... the continuance of life...
120 = Years Preparing / Building the Ark
Samech {the letter spelled out}
120 = Chof 20 Mem 40 Samech 60
Seeing that the Samech represents the cycle of life, notice that the 120 years used to build the ark divided by the fifteenth letter Samech {15} equals the eight residents aboard the ark during the flood, the eight residents who would be commanded to carry the cycle of life forward, "be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth..." Genesis 9:1
Now we read that when the flood reached its heighth it was 15 amohs above the mountains... Genesis 7:20. Again fifteen represents the fifteenth letter of the Aleph Bais, the Samech, the eight survivors floating in the ark 15 amohs above the highest mountain tops...
An additional point of interest...
In the Gematria Mispar Katan of Ahr Baw Eem - Yom - Vi Ahr Baw Eem - Law Yi Law {meaning "forty days and forty nights," referring to the total time of destruction} we observe "63" which is also the Gematria of Vah Ahb Daym, meaning "and He destroyed them" and Ye Maw Chehm, meaning "{to} be blotted out, wiped out"...
Ahr Baw Eem - Yom - Vi Ahr Baw Eem - Law Yi Law
{forty days and forty nights}
Gematria Mispar Katan}
Ahr Baw Eem
17 = Mem 4 Yud 1 Ayin 7 Bais 2 Reish 2 Aleph 1
Yom
11 = Mem 4 Vav 6 Yud 1
Vi Ahr Baw Eem
23 = Mem 4 Yud 1 Ayin 7 Bais 2 Reish 2 Aleph 1 Vav 6
Law Yi Law
12 = Hey = 5 + Lamid = 3 + Yud = 1 + Lamid = 3
63 = 17 + 11 + 23 + 12
Vah Ahb Daym
63 = Mem 40 Dalet 4 Bais 2 Aleph 1 Yud 10 Vav 6
Ye Maw Cheh
63 = Hey 5 Ches 8 Mem 40 Yud 10
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