Twebrew School

We've met these letters in previous lessons acting as vowel helpers. Today we are learning them as their own letters, each with their own sound. The letters are the Yud and the Vav. (Remember: To request your very own copy of our Hebrew textbook, which corresponds to our online instructional videos, please "Enroll" in Twebrew School by clicking here . Within 2 Business Days, you will receive an email from us with a personalized link to a site where you can download the book. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at JewishTreats@NJOP.org.)

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 ...