Saturday, January 9, 2010

Sufficient To Do It

Shemot

מזה מה-זה בידך
what is in your hand? ... Shemot 4:2

With digit sums of 10 (the value of the Hebrew hand-letter yod) and 1 (the value of unity), the total gematria of this phrase is 145. The gematriot of each word of the phrase are:

52 = בן = מזה = classification, family, nation
45 = מה = what (am I) I am, with the power to rectify reality
12 = בי = זה = b'yod (in the pintele yid)
36 = לו = בידך = lamedvavnik

Thus, we can see that, with this phrase, Moses is being assayed as to whether or not his pintele yid (Divine spark) is one that can be classified as being one among the thirty-six sparks in whose merit the world exists and within which dwells the Divine power to rectify reality.

With a gematria of 54 (the number of weekly portions in the Torah), Moses answers that in his pintele yid is a staff (מטה), which translates in my mind as sufficient (דים, with a gematria of 54) to do it.