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  • From: "Yitzhak Sapir" <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Addition of /h/ sound
  • Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 12:28:53 +0200

On 1/16/07, Anita wrote:
Hello,
I'm doing research on the sound of the letter H in several languages, and
I'd like to know if you can shed light on the mystical power that ancient
Hebrews ascribed to the letter Het, especially when said aloud.
Since the /h/ is produced purely with the aspirated breath, and breath was
often equated with "spirit," I'm wondering if this would have had something
to do with Abram's name being changed to Abraham, and Sarai's name
being changed to Sarah.
Thank you.
Anita

I believe mysticism as such did not develop until after the Biblical period.
However, one of the earliest mystical books is the Book of Creation (Sefer
Yetsirah). While traditionally attributed to Abraham, it probably dates to
the early Muslim period. It is also very interesting because it deals with
the pronunciation of letters.

And this is what it has to say about He and Heth:
"There are 12 simple letters: Heh, Waw, Zayin, Heth, Teth, Yod, Lamed,
Nun, Samekh, Ayin, Sade, Qof. Twelve, not eleven. Twelve, not thirteen. ...
He created He, and gave it a crown, and combined them one with
another, and with it He create the Aries in the zodiac, the month of Nisan in
the year, and the liver in the body. ... He created Heth, and gave it a
crown, and combined them one with another, and with it He created the
Cancer in the zodiac, the month of Tammuz in the year, and the intestines
in the body. ... With Heh was created Aries, Nisan, liver, sight and
blindness. ... With Heth was created Cancer, Tammuz, intestines,
speech and muteness."

The letter charged with the creation of wind is Alef.
The letter charged with the creation of life (and death) is Beth (and Veth).

http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~barilm/yezifra.html

I think it is unlikely that if He or Heth were somehow related to breath or
spirit in any early mysticism, this would not be reflected in the Book of
Creation.

Yitzhak Sapir




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