22 Letters
Aleph: א “Ox, Strength, Leader” – 1 Silent letter, symbol of unity, air, the ineffable beginning.
Beth: ב “House” – 2 Container of creation, the dwelling; first letter of Bereshit.
Gimel: ג “Camel” – 3 Bridge, movement, giving and receiving.
Daleth: ד “Door” – 4 Threshold, poverty, the gateway of transition.
Heh: ה “Window, Breath” – 5 Divine breath, revelation, life.
Vav: ו “Nail, Hook” – 6 Connection, union, axis between heaven and earth.
Zayin: ז “Sword, Weapon” – 7 Struggle, cutting, discernment, Sabbath rest.
Chet: ח “Fence, Enclosure” – 8 Boundary, life, covenant.
Tet: ט “Serpent, Goodness” – 9 Hidden goodness, potential, coiled force.
Yod: י “Hand” – 10 Point of creation, seed, divine spark.
Kaph: כ “Palm, Hollow” – 20 Capacity, container, the hand’s power.
Lamed: ל “Ox-goad, Staff” – 30 Teaching, guidance, aspiration upward.
Mem: מ “Water” – 40 Flow, womb, concealed wisdom.
Nun: נ “Fish” – 50 Life, movement, continuity.
Samekh: ס “Prop, Support” – 60 Circle, protection, support of all.
Ayin: ע “Eye” – 70 Perception, insight, watching.
Pe: פ “Mouth” – 80 Speech, expression, utterance.
Tzaddi: צ “Hook, Righteous one” – 90 Righteousness, meditation, fishing-hook of the soul.
Qof: ק “Back of head, Monkey” – 100 Imitation, reflection, holiness hidden in the mundane.
Resh: ר “Head” – 200 Beginning, poverty, renewal.
Shin: ש “Tooth, Fire” – 300 Consuming fire, three flames, Spirit.
Tav: ת “Mark, Cross” – 400 Completion, seal, finality.
The 10 Sephirot
Keter: כֶּתֶר “Crown” – 620 The highest sefirah, pure divine will, the supernal crown beyond thought.
Chokmah: חָכְמָה “Wisdom” – 73 Primordial Father, the flash of insight, masculine potency.
Binah: בִּינָה “Understanding” – 67 Supernal Mother, womb of form, matrix of creation.
Chesed: חֶסֶד “Mercy, Lovingkindness” – 72 Overflowing grace, expansion, abundance.
Gevurah: גְּבוּרָה “Strength, Severity” – 216 Power, discipline, judgment, restriction.
Tiferet: תִּפְאֶרֶת “Beauty, Harmony” – 1081 Balance of mercy and judgment, center of the Tree, the Sun, the Christ.
Netzach: נֵצַח “Victory, Eternity” – 148 Endurance, triumph, creative force, Venusian artistry.
Hod: הוֹד “Glory, Splendor” – 15 Intellect, form, magical word, Mercury’s brilliance.
Yesod: יְסוֹד “Foundation” – 80 Union, transmission, sexual energy, the etheric bridge.
Malkuth: מַלְכוּת “Kingdom” – 496 Manifestation, Shekhinah, the physical world, the Bride.
Key Terms
YHWH: יהוה “The Ineffable Name” – 26 The Tetragrammaton, Being-Itself, “I Am That I Am” (Ex. 3:14). The core divine name, basis of permutations and the 72 Names.
Elohim: אֱלֹהִים “God, Gods, Powers” – 86 Plural unity, Creator of Genesis 1:1, linked with Binah (Understanding).
Adam: אָדָם “Man, Humanity” – 45 Primordial archetype, red clay of the earth, Divine Image.
Sefer: סֵפֶר “Book / to count” – 340 Root of Sefer Yetzirah, the “Book of Formation.”
Yetzirah: יְצִירָה “Formation” – 315 One of the Four Worlds (Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, Assiah).
Sefirah: סְפִירָה “Emanation, Radiance” – 345 Channels of divine light, the spheres of the Tree of Life.
Ruach: רוּחַ “Spirit, Breath, Wind” – 214 Animating breath of creation.
Or: אוֹר “Light” – 207 “Yehi Or — Let there be Light” (Gen. 1:3). Fundamental principle of emanation.
Shem ha-Mephorash: שם המפורש “The Explicit Name” – 340 (שם) The 72-fold Name of God derived from Exodus 14:19–21.
Ein Sof: אֵין סוֹף “The Infinite” – 207 (61 + 146) Without end, primal source before emanations.
Metatron: מֶטָטְרוֹן “Celestial Prince, Scribe” – 314 Linked with Shaddai (314). Sometimes called the “Lesser YHWH.”
Shekinah: שְׁכִינָה “Indwelling Presence” – 385 The feminine divine presence, associated with Malkuth, the Sabbath Queen.
Abba: אַבָּא “Father” – 4 Title for the divine paternal aspect, linked with Chokmah.
Aima: אִמָּא “Mother” – 52 The supernal mother, Binah, womb of souls.
Shaddai: שַׁדַּי “Almighty” – 314 Protective divine name, inscribed on mezuzot, linked with Metatron.
Adonai: אֲדֹנָי “Lord, Master” – 65 Sacred name of God, often spoken in place of YHWH.
Ehyeh: אֶהְיֶה “I Am / I Will Be” – 21 Divine self-declaration, as in “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh.”
Shemesh: שֶׁמֶשׁ “Sun” – 640 Solar principle, associated with Tiferet.
Levanah: לְבָנָה “Moon” – 87 The white one, lunar principle, associated with Yesod.
Chayyim: חַיִּים “Life” – 68 Living essence, often in the phrase “Etz Chayyim” (Tree of Life).
Qadosh: קָדוֹשׁ “Holy” – 410 Sanctity, separation; chanted “Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.”
Raziel: רָזִיאֵל “Secret of God” – 248 Archangel of mysteries, keeper of hidden wisdom.
Sandalphon: סַנְדַלְפוֹן “Brother” – 280 Angelic figure linked to Malkuth, twin of Metatron.
El Shaddai: אֵל שַׁדַּי “God Almighty” – 345 Protective name, often inscribed on amulets and mezuzot.
El Elyon: אֵל עֶלְיוֹן “God Most High” – 151 Title used in Genesis 14, associated with Melchizedek.
Yeshua: יֵשׁוּעַ “Salvation” – 386 Name of Jesus; numerically close to YHWH + Shin (יהשוה).
Mashiach: מָשִׁיחַ “Anointed One, Messiah” – 358 Numerical twin of “Nachash” (serpent); redeemer and healer.
Nachash: נָחָשׁ “Serpent” – 358 Ambivalent symbol of wisdom, temptation, transformation.
Qlipoth: קְלִיפּוֹת “Shells, Husks” – 566 Forces of concealment and distortion; shadow side of the Sefirot.
Lilith: לִילִית “Night Spirit” – 480 Mythic feminine figure, associated with independence and shadow.
Ain: אַיִן “Nothingness” – 61 Mystical void, root of Ein Sof; paradoxical fullness of emptiness.
Etz Chayyim: עֵץ חַיִּים “Tree of Life” – 233 + 68 Symbol of the Sefirot, the living cosmic order.
Sheol: שְׁאוֹל “Grave, Underworld” – 337 Realm of the dead, precursor to later concepts of Hell.
Malkah: מַלְכָּה “Queen” – 95 The Bride, Shekhinah; feminine counterpart of the King.
Sar: שַׂר “Prince, Ruler” – 260 Used of angelic or celestial rulers (e.g. Michael, “Sar Yisrael”).
Michael: מִיכָאֵל “Who is like God?” – 101 Archangel of mercy and protection.
Gabriel: גַּבְרִיאֵל “Strength of God” – 246 Archangel of power and annunciation.
Raphael: רְפָאֵל “Healing of God” – 311 Archangel of healing and guidance.
Uriel: אוּרִיאֵל “Light/Fire of God” – 248 Archangel of illumination and prophecy.
Chayyot: חַיּוֹת “Living Creatures” – 424 Visionary beings of Ezekiel’s throne-chariot (Merkavah).
Merkavah: מֶרְכָּבָה “Chariot” – 267 The divine throne-chariot, central to early Jewish mysticism.
Sod: סוֹד “Secret, Mystery” – 70 Esoteric wisdom, hidden teaching, the innermost layer of Torah.
Raz: רָז “Mystery” – 207 Root word of Raziel; secret wisdom of God.