Twebrew School

New to Twebrew School? View our introductory video here . To receive a copy of our corresponding textbook, the Reishith Binah, click here . If you're currently enrolled in one of our synagogue-based Hebrew Reading Crash Courses, you will receive a hard copy of the Reishith Binah directly from your instructor. Below is a complete list of all the video lessons in order, as well as links to the "Treat" where you learn more about the letters discussed in each video. Lessons 1 & 2: Video | Aleph Treat | About the Vowels Lessons 3 & 4: Video | Bet and Vet Treat Lessons 5 & 6: Video | Mem Treat Lesson 7: Video | Reish Treat Lesson 8: Video | Hey Treat Lesson 9: Video | Ayin Treat Lessons 10 & 11: Video | Daled Treat Lesson 12: Video | Mem Treat Lessons 14 & 15: Video | Lamed Treat Lessons 16 & 17: Video | Gimmel Treat Lesson 18: Video | About the Vowels Lessons 19 & 20: Video | Tav/Sav Treat Lessons 21 & 2...

The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet is also one of the five letters that changes its sound depending on whether it has a dagesh (dot) in the middle or not - but that change of sound is highly dependant on the community of origin. Most Sephardim do not make any distinction between the two letters. Ashkenazim, however, will pronounce the letter with the dagesh as a “t” and without a dagesh as an “s.” Jews from Yemen pronounce the one without the dot as a “th.” More than any other letter in the Hebrew alphabet, these differences in pronunciation of the tav distinguish Jewish communities from one another. Most interesting of all, however, is that the common English translation of certain nouns may also demonstrate that the Yemenite pronunciation is the most historically accurate. Two examples: Shin-Bet-Tav: Ashkenazim say Shabbos, Sephardim say Shabbat and Yemenites say Shabbath. The English rendition of the word is Sabbath. Reish-Vav-Tav: Ashkenazim say Roos, Sephardim say Root and Yem...

The letter shin/sin is unique in that the two versions of this letter are mirror images of each other. The difference is in the dot that floats above the letter. If the dot is to the right of the letter, then it is a shin and makes a “sh” sound. If the dot is to the left of the letter, then it is a sin and makes an “ssss” sound. The shin is more common than the sin. The name of the letter, shin, is related to the word shain, which means tooth. In its calligraphic form as used in the Torah scroll, each of the three prongs of the shin has a cap, making them look like molars. However, the shape of the shin/sin also can be seen as an allusion to the word shamayim, heavens, (which begins with the letter shin). During the process of creation, God took the water that covered the earth and split them. He set half in the firmament (meaning atmosphere) and half upon the earth. The water set in the firmament became part of shamayim. When a shin is written properly, one can imagine a vertical mirr...

The name of the letter reish is related to the Hebrew word rosh, which means head, and rishon, which means first. In fact, reish is the second letter of the Torah, following the bet of Bereishit (In the beginning). At the same time, reish is also related to the word rasha, meaning wicked one. Note the similarity in shape between the reish and the daled. It has been said that the roundness of the reish symbolizes the person who bends to the fashions and ways of the times and looks to acher (spelled aleph-chet-reish), the other, for direction. Whereas the daled has a flat top symbolizing the straight path toward the Divine, looking toward Echad (spelled aleph-chet-daled), the One, as God is called in the Shema prayer: Shema Yisrael Ah’doh’nai Eh’loh’hay’nu Ah’doh’nai Echad, Hear O Israel the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. The order of the alphabet can also teach a meaningful lesson about life. The letter reish comes one letter after the letter kuf, which begins the word kodesh, holy. ...

The letter kuf (which should not be confused with the letter kaf) represents the concept of holiness because it is the first letter of the word k’dusha (as well as: kiddush, kaddish, kadosh, all of which represent sanctification/holiness). To be holy, or to sanctify something and make it holy, is, in actuality, the act of separating that object from the mundane and elevating it to a state of holiness. A silver goblet holds no special meaning until one fills it with wine and blesses that wine in order to honor the Sabbath. Perhaps this is why the form of the letter kuf is separated into two pieces. The numerical value of kuf is 100, which represents completion, an entire unit. This concept of completion is also symbolic of God’s holiness. The name of the letter, kuf, is closely related to the word monkey (kof). At a quick glance, when looking at the shape of the kuf, one can actually see the physical shape of a monkey crouched down with its tail hanging. Kuf, however, also derives from ...

The letter tzadi is one of the five letters of the aleph-bet that has a sofit, a different form used when the letter appears at the end of the word. The regular tzadi is one of the most difficult letters of the Hebrew alphabet to write. The letter bends and folds while at the same time reaching its arms upwards. And yet the very shape of the letter helps us to better understand the letter. The root word of tzadi means hunter. If one looks at the shape of the letter, one can envision (using one’s imagination) a hunter kneeling down with his bow, ready to strike. At the same time, the Hebrew word tzad means side, and the tzadi bends to one side while stretching to the other. Still again, the letter’s name is often mispronounced as tzadik, which means righteousness, and one can see in the stretched out arms of the letter the idea of humankind reaching up to heaven while striving to reach the Divine. There can be no doubt about it, tzadi is an intense letter. A tzadik is a righteous person...

The letter pey, like the chaf, has three forms: pey with a dot in the middle, phey with no dot, and phey sofit, with a different shape when appearing at the end of a word. The name of the letter, pey, is related to the word peh, which means mouth. Human beings are the only one of God’s creations that have the power of intelligent speech. Symbolically, the sages see the shape of the pey as representing the two sides of communication. The regular pey (or phey) represents a closed mouth, whereas a phey sofit represents an open mouth. Part of the responsibility of having intelligent speech is knowing when to talk and when to listen. The order of the alphabet can also teach a meaningful lesson about life. The ayin, representing the eye, precedes the pey, representing the mouth, because one should first visually assess a situation before opening one’s mouth to comment on it. Another important word that begins with the letter pey is pote’ach, which means to open. In the prayer of Ashrei, we d...

The pronunciation of the letter ayin varies according to location. Initially, the sound created by ayin was very guttural, meaning that the sound was produced almost completely in one’s throat. An excellent example of this is the name of that sinful city, Gomorrah (as in Sodom and Gomorrah). The first letter of Gomorrah is an ayin not a gimmel. Many Middle Eastern communities still maintain this pronunciation, while most Ashkenazi communities read the ayin as a silent letter that assumes the sound of its accompanying vowel. The numeric value of ayin is 70, a number of significance in Jewish life. The great legislative body of the Jewish people, the Sanhedrin had 70 members, just as there were 70 elders who led the Israelites. One of the qualifications to be a member of the Sanhedrin was knowledge of the 70 languages of the world (created when God destroyed the Tower of Babel and confused the people by dividing them into 70 nations with 70 languages). (Talmud Sanhedrin 17a) The age of 7...

The official language of Israel is Hebrew, but many people don't know that until the end of the 19th century almost no one spoke Hebrew colloquially. Lashon Hakodesh, the holy tongue, was used only for prayer and study. Much of modern Hebrew usage must be credited to the efforts of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (originally Eliezer Yitzhak Perlman), about whom the historian Cecil Roth noted: “Before Ben-Yehuda... Jews could speak Hebrew; after him they did.” Born in Luzhki, Russia, Ben-Yehuda abandoned his traditional background for more secular studies when he was a young adult. He also became an ardent Zionist. Ben-Yehuda and his wife Devora arrived in Jerusalem in 1881. Even before he left Paris (where he had studied at the Sorbonne), Ben-Yehuda tried to use Hebrew to communicate with other Jews, and many were able to respond to him because of their knowledge of Biblical Hebrew. The Ben-Yehudas tried to raise their children speaking only Hebrew. As they grew, Ben-Yehuda was forced to create...

Samach is one of the less commonly used letters of the Hebrew alphabet. As its name suggests, the samach makes an “ssss” sound, which is also produced by the letter sin (to be introduced in a future Twebrew Treat). In fact, masoretic grammar rules allow the samach and the sin to be used interchangeably. The name of the letter, samach is related to the word li'smoch , which means to support. It is interesting to note that the previous letter, nun , was left out of the Ashrei prayer because of its relationship with the word nophail , falling. The line in Ashrei relating to the samach is “ Somaich Ah’doh’nai L’chol Ha’nophlim , God supports those who are falling.” Samach is the first letter of the word saviv , which means surrounding. ( Sivivon is the Hebrew word for a dreidel or spinning top played with on Chanukah) The roundness of the letter alludes to protection, like the gates of a city protect those within. The numeric value of samach is 60. Bibliographical acknowledgment: The W...

The prayer Ashrei (which is Psalm 145) is recited during services three times a day. One of the most noticeable features of Ashrei is that it is an acrostic of the entire Hebrew alphabet, with the letters of the aleph-bet, in order, starting each line except one. The line that should have begun with the letter nun, is missing. From aleph to tav, all the other letters are accounted for. According to the Talmud (Berachot 4b), “Rabbi Johanan says: Why is there no nun in Ashrei? Because the fall of Israel begins with it. For it is written: ‘Fallen is the virgin of Israel, she shall no more rise’ (Amos 5:2).” The letter nun is skipped because it represents the concept of falling (Nun-Phey-Lamed). On the other hand, nun is also the letter that begins such words as neshama (soul) and ner (candle). The neshama is often compared to a ner, representing the way that the soul guides a person through the turmoil of life. When used as a prefix with a verb, nun signifies the first person plural futur...

The letter mem is a majestic letter--literally. Mem is the first letter of the Hebrew words malchut/royalty and memshalah/dominion. A melech (king) is a leader who rules by the will of the people, whereas a moshel is more of an authoritarian ruler. The letter mem, when used as a prefix, is the preposition “from.” Perhaps this is related to the letter's connection to forms of government, from where rules are issued. This, of course, can be understood spiritually to relate to the words that emanated from God, the ultimate Melech, to create the world. The mem is closely tied to the word mayim (water), which is written as two mems connected by a yud. Water is a critical ingredient for life. Indeed, every creature is predominantly made of water. Mayim is often used as an analogy for the Torah, which is referred to as mayim chaim, living water, because it is critical for spiritual life. The numeric value of the letter mem is forty. In Judaism, the number 40 is connected to several impor...

The word lev , which means heart, begins with a lamed . When the Hebrew letters are lined up, it is not surprising to find that the lamed is the middle letter, the "heart" of the Hebrew alphabet. In addition to taking center position, the lamed is also the tallest letter of the aleph-bet , making it a visual focal point. The name lamed is related to the Hebrew root Lamed-Mem-Daled , which means both to teach and to study. The teaching and studying of the Torah is the central focus of Jewish life and those who immerse themselves in studying the Torah are meant to be the central figures in Jewish society, those to whom we turn for leadership. (Of course, in the ideal state!) Lamed is often found as a prefix representing either the preposition “to” or “for.” For instance, “Hoo holech l’veit ha'knesset” means “he is going to the synagogue.” Whereas the Biblical verse “lech lecha” is translated as “go for yourself.” Numerically, lamed represents the number 30.

Archeology is one of the major academic attractions of the Land of Israel. One hardly has to scratch the surface of the land to find coins dating back thousands of years. A walk through the corridors of the many Israeli museums reveals much about the land, its people and their language. What is most noticeable about the archeological finds of ancient Israel is that, while the words are in Hebrew, the letters all “look funny.” If the shape of the Hebrew letters have mystical significance, as the kabbalists tell us, then why do the ancient Hebrew letters look nothing like the Hebrew letters of the Torah? The sages themselves address the distinction between the scripts in Talmud Sanhedrin (21b). The script of the Torah and of all Hebrew writing since the Talmudic period, is known as K’tav Ashuri (possibly meaning Assyrian Script). The script found on ancient coins and in tombs resembles the ancient Phoenician writing, and is referred to as K’tav Ivri (Hebrew Script). While the sages ...

The name of the letter chaf ( kaf when there is a dot in its center) is derived from the word kafuf , meaning bent, and alludes to the shape of the letter (which to most English readers looks like a backwards C). It is interesting to note that the palm of one’s hand is also known as a kaf . Whereas the letter yud represented the complete yad (hand, including the fingers), the kaf , palm of the hand, is that which forms a cup and is able to contain things. When used as a prefix, the letter chaf represents the comparative proposition “like.” Genesis 1:26 reads: “Va’yomer Eh-lohim, na’aseh adam b’tzal'maynu kid’moo'tainu...” And the Lord said ‘Let us make Adam in our image, like our form.” The letter chaf is also the first letter that has a sofit , a different shape when appearing at the end of a word, with the letter appearing as a right angle with the vertical line hanging lower than the other letters. When used as a suffix, the chaf sofit represents the second pers...

This tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is distinctive for its petite size. The yud dangles in the air, half the size of the other letters. Perhaps the letter looks like this to remind us to look up toward the Heavens in order to understand what is important in life. Yud , along with the letters hey and vav , is one of the letters that form the name of God. Indeed, yud in a name may indicate a special relationship with the divine (as in Yehoshua / Joshua). Like many of the letters previously discussed, the numeric value of yud is significant. Yud represents ten. Ten is the first of the two digit numbers and represents a completeness in the process of counting. The wholeness of the number ten, and thus the letter yud , is exemplified by the Ten Commandments, the Ten Sephirot , and numerous other groupings of ten in Jewish tradition. Since ten represents the next interval in counting, it can also be seen as symbolic of the future. From that vantage point it is not surprising that ...

The letter tet is the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It first appears in the Torah in the word tov , which means good, when God creates light and notes that it is “good” (Genesis 1:4). According to the Midrash (legendary interpretation of the Bible), the name tet alludes to the word tit , which means mud. This is a reference to the earth from which Adam, the first human being, was created. When God created the first human, His response was more than just tov , it was “ tov me’od, ” very good. Some letters in an alphabet are in constant demand. Others, like the tet are less commonly used. In fact, the letter tet . is the least common letter found in the Torah, where it appears a mere 1,802 times. (In comparison to the letter yud, which appears 31,530 times.) Bibliographical acknowledgment: The Wisdom In The Hebrew Alphabet: The Sacred Letters as a Guide to Jewish Deed and Thought. By Rabbi Michael L. Munk. Published by Mesorah Publications, 1983.

Many people are familiar with the shape of the letter chet because it is the first letter of the words chai and chaim, both of which mean “life.” The significant numeric value of chet (eight), is perhaps why chet is part of the Hebrew word for life ( chaim ). As mentioned in the discussion of the letter zayin , the number seven is related to the concept of wholeness in nature--explained as the count of the walls of a cube plus its inner (empty) mass. Eight, however, represents that which is a step beyond nature. (In fact, this understanding of eight is often associated with brit mila /circumcision, Chanukah and Shemini Atzeret .) What is the importance of the chet in chai in relationship to the letter eight and its representation of the supernatural? A person must always respect the miracle of life and of the incredible power of “animate” beings. It is interesting to note that when a scribe writes the letter chet , he combines two zayins with a “roof” attaching on...

A E I O U and sometimes Y...To an English speaker, vowels are letters and are no different in form from consonants. In Hebrew, however, the vowels, which specify the sounds of the letters, are composed of dots and dashes and are known as nikkudot (dots). One may notice, however, that most Hebrew books (and, for that matter, all Torah scrolls) lack nikkudot . Those fluent in Hebrew reading do not need the vowels in order to read the language. However, when one is first learning to read Hebrew, the vowels are very important. We therefore introduce them here: The Kamatz looks like a small t but the vertical line is often an attached dot rather than a line. Kamatz gives the consonant a rounded “ah” sound. The Patach is a flat, horizontal line and gives the consonant a flat “ah” sound. The Tzayreh is composed of two dots aligned horizontally. Tzayreh gives the consonant an “ay” sound. The Segol is an upside pyramid of three dots that gives the consonant the sound of “eh.” The S...

The letter zayin looks quite similar to its neighbor, the letter vav. Tall and straight, a simple vertical line, the vav (equivalent to the number six) represents the visible world (corresponding to six sides: front, back, right, left, up and down). The zayin, which looks like a crowned vav, has the numerical value of seven and represents, according to Kabbalah, the natural order. Seven represents the natural order as represented by the seven days of creation. One way of understanding the power of seven is to imagine a box. A box has six sides including the top and the bottom, the seventh “dimension” of a box is the empty matter inside. As a representative of nature, is it any wonder that zayin is the first letter of the word zera, seed? A seed represents ultimate completion in nature, for everything a plant needs to grow is already contained within it. It is also the first letter of the word zan, which means sustainer and is a reference to God who provides the world with grain for foo...