Adding Gematria to the efforts to save Jonathan Pollard

J4JPnews - December 1, 2008

J4JP Preface:

Two friends, Yaacov in Miami and Meyer in Toronto, were corresponding electronically about their concern for the fate of Jonathan Pollard. Meyer shared with J4JP a copy of his email to Yaakov, in which he suggests adding an approach based on Gematria to the efforts to save Jonathan Pollard. Gematria is the mystical study of the calculation of the numerical equivalence of Hebrew letters, words, or phrases. Based on their numerical values, insight may be gained into interrelation of different concepts and one may thereby explore the interrelationship between words and ideas. J4JP has reprinted Meyer's letter below for the benefit of our readers, and included a brief glossary below the letter.

Sunday, November 30, 2008 B"H

Dear Yaakov,

People around the world, good people, people of justice and compassion, are writing and phoning* President Bush, so that he should do the right thing, and pardon Jonathan Pollard, before he leaves office. And we must continue to do so. But we too must do more, than simply call and write. And what we must do, can be found from Jonathan Pollard's name

His name in Ivrit is spelled " Pay, vav, lamed, raysh and a dalet". Let us see what we can learn from these letters. We know hebrew letters are loshon kodesh, and carry with them a special message.

The first two letters, the "pay and the vav', have a gematria of "86". This is the same gematria, of the name of Hashem "elokim", which carries with it, the midah of Din. It is not "din" we need at this time, but rather that of "rachamim", of compassion.

This same principle applies, at our first Shabbat meal on Friday night. Many people have the minhag, of taking the first piece of Challah they cut, and dip into salt, they have placed on the table. Here is the signifigance of this act.

We know that in the story of Lavan's wife, when she turned back, she turned into a pillar of salt. She disobeyed Hashem's wishes, and His midah of "din" came into play, and she turned into a pillar of salt. And thus salt stands for din.

This is why we now dip our Challah into the salt three times. The word for salt is "melach", which has a gematria of "78". Now by dipping the challah three times in the salt, we are asking that the midah of rachamim of Hashem, come into play, as in "Yud, Kay, Vav, Kay. This name of Hashem, has a gematria of "26". If we multiply same by three, we have "78", the same as melach. We have thus turned the midah of din into rachamim, as it should be, at our Shabbat table.

So how do we achieve the rachamim, we so yearn for, as seen from the name Pollard? We proceed to the very next letter in his name. It is a "lamed". And do you know how a lamed is made up? It is made up of a vav on a chuff. Gematria? Answer is "26". And we have seen above, that "26" is the gematria of the name of Hashem, "Yud, Kay, Vav, Kay", that has the midah of rachamim attached to it. So far so good!

But we know, we must take the first step, if we want to excite this midah of rachamim of Hashem. And do you know how we do this? We look to the rosha tayvot of Jonathan Pollard's names. It is a yud and a pay. If we reverse these letters we arrive at "pi". It is through our mouth, through tefillot, and through making 100 berachot a day. Let me explain

Would you believe, the beracha of "Modim" in the Shemone Esray has, oh oh, 86 words, standing for "din" again. But we can overcome same, every time we daven, by remembering, that the word "Modim" has a gematria of "100" representing the one hundred berachot a person is required to make each day.

Yes, yes, with our daily tefillot of the Shemone Esrai, said with kavana via our "pi", our mouth, and by saying the hundred berachot daily, then surely we can expect, that our wishes be fulfilled by Hashem. And what do we ask of him? Just look to the last two letters of his name, the raysh and the dalet.

Now in direct contrast, to when Hashem told Moshe at Har Sinai, "Laych rayd ki shi'chat umcho", here Hashem will surely say, to one of His malochim, "Laych Rayd, ki Uni Sho'may'a et ha'tefillot shel umi".

And let us hope and pray, with the help of Hashem, and because of our actions, that President Bush will surely pardon Pollard, so he can be home in Israel, for Chag Ha'Channuka.

Oh, would that not light up the world, and give B'nai Yisroayl, the world over, tremendous chizuk. Amen!!!

(Signed)

Meyer

J4JP GLOSSARY:

  • Loshon Kodesh

    - holy language
  • Ivrit

    - Hebrew
  • Teffilah / teffilot

    - prayer/s
  • Shomayim

    - Heaven
  • Shemone Esrai

    - Daily prayers consisting of 18 blessings (said 3 times per day)
  • Pi

    - mouth
  • Beracha

    - blessing
  • Din

    - judgment
  • Mida

    - measure / characteristic/ quality
  • Rachamim

    - mercy
  • "Rosha tayvot"

    - intials/ initial letters
  • Kavana

    - concentration / focus / intention
  • Malochim

    - angels
  • "Laych rayd ki shi'chat umcho"

    - "Go! Descend, for your nation has behaved corruptly! "
  • "Laych Rayd, ki Uni Sho'may'a et ha'tefillot shel umi"

    - "Go! Descend, for I have heard the prayers of My nation!"
  • Chizuk

    - strength / a boost of morale

    See Also: New Campaign for Jonathan Pollard

    *REMINDER! CALL THE WHITE HOUSE NOW!
    Tell President Bush: Free Jonathan Pollard Now!
    Dial 202-456-1111 or 202 - 456 -1414
    From Israel dial toll-free: 077- 5664305