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The Meaning Of The Number Nine (Tet - ט)

By Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)

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In this study I would like to study the significance and meaning of the number nine.

 

The ninth letter in the Hebrew alefbet is tet - ט. The letter tet - ט has the numerical value of nine. The least common letter in the Torah is a Tet. Tet ט, represents the 9th sefirah, yesod - יסוד (meaning foundation).

 

The first tet - ט that appears in the Torah is in the word tov of Genesis 1:4, normally translated as good, but a better meaning is beneficial. When it appears in the Torah for the first time, the first letter tet of tov has a very unusual feature. The letter tet, like many other letters in a Torah scroll have tiny crowns (tagin) extending from them (which kabbalists teach is a hidden language of its own). What is unusual about this letter here is that it has four crowns instead of the usual three.

 

According to the Kabbalist, the B’nei Yissachar, when the four is multiplied by the number nine (the value of the “tet” itself), the total is thirty-six. The word in the Torah used to describe the Hidden or Primordial Light is tov meaning beneficial or good. This demonstrates that the letter nine and the tet - ט represent beneficence. Tov is like the pain of child birth. No one believes that it is good. But everyone believes that it was beneficial because through that pain we receive a new life.

 

The tet – ט - nine represents hidden, inverted beneficence.[1]

 

The secret of the tet (numerically equivalent to nine (9), the nine months of pregnancy) is the power of the mother to carry her inner, concealed good – the fetus – throughout the period of pregnancy.

 

The Talmud teaches that one who sees the letter tet - ט in a dream, it is a beneficial sign:

 

Baba Kama 55a R. Joshua said: He who sees [the letter] teth in a dream [may regard it as] a good omen for himself. Why so? If because it is the initial letter of [the word] ‘Tob’ [‘good’] written in Scripture, why not say [on the contrary that it is also the initial letter of the verb ‘ta'atea’ commencing the Scriptural verse] And I will sweep it with the besom of destruction?[2] — We are speaking [here of where he saw in a dream only] one teth [whereas ta'atea contains two such letters]. But still why not say [that it might have referred to the word ‘tum'ah’ as in the verse] Her filthiness is in her skirts?[3] — We are speaking of [where he saw in a dream the letters] ‘teth’ and ‘beth’. But again why not say [that it might have referred to the verb tabe'u as in the verse], Her gates were sunk in to the ground?[4] — The real reason is that Scripture used this letter on the very first occasion to express something good, for from the beginning of Genesis up to [the verse] And God saw the light[5] no teth occurs.[6] R. Joshua b. Levi similarly said: He who sees [the word] hesped[7] in a dream [may take it as a sign that] mercy has been exercised towards him in Heaven, and that he will be released [from trouble].[8] provided, however, [he saw it] in script.

 

The first use of the Hebrew word for nine - תשע, tesha, is found in:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine (תשע) hundred and thirty years: and he died.

 

Tisha - תשע is defined by Strong’s as:

 

08672 תשע tesha` tay'- shah or (masc.) תשעה tish`ah tish-aw'

 

perhaps from 08159 through the idea of a turn to the next or full number ten; TWOT-2550; n m/f

 

AV-nine 45, ninth 6, nineteenth + 06240 4, nineteen + 06240 3; 58

 

1) nine, nonad

1a) nine (as cardinal number)

1b) ninth (as ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

 

The fact that we see the number nine associated with the creation of Adam (man) suggests more than just a passing relationship.

 

Mispar katan[9] is a form of gematria that pursues the "root" of an idea by reducing a gematria to a number less than ten. This form of gematria is called small values; with all tens and hundreds reduced to 1 - 9 by summing the digits.

 

Consider that the summing the digits of the numbers represented by the Hebrew letters of the nameAdam” (אדם), results in the number nine. Nine is called the mispar katan (literally, "small number") of Adam, which alludes to the essential quality of man:

 

א = 1

ד = 4

ם = 40

--------

Total: 9

 

The Gemara[10] teaches us that whoever prays on the eve of Shabbat and recites vayechulu, it is as if he is a partner with HaShem in the act of creation. It is noteworthy that the word vayechulu in mispar katan equals nine. Shabbat in mispar katan equals nine, and the word emet, truth, in mispar katan equals nine.

 

In maths, quite extraordinarily, a number can only be divided by nine if its digits add up to nine, or a multiple of nine. For example, in the number 459, 4+5+9 = 18 which is a multiple of 9, and therefore we know it is divisible by 9.

 

The number nine (9) in kabbalah represents the truths contained in the Torah.

 

The number 9 is a basic number, and stands for truth. How so?

 

Take any number, say 347.

Now add up the digits: 3+4+7=14.

Now take away 14 from 347. 347-14 = 333.

Now add up the digits of the answer. 3+3+3 = 9!

 

Pick a number and try it yourself. The answer is always 9!

 

FALSEHOOD

 

The word for falsehood (Sheker) Shin-Kuf-Reish is 300, 100, 200 respectively, which equals 600 = 6 in gematria katana)  What is the opposite of falsehood? Truth. Which number is opposite of 6? - 9. (6 flipped over. not a coincidence).  We learned that the word falsehood has value 6.

 

 

TRUTH

 

9 = Truth in Hebrew.

The word for truth in Hebrew is Emet אמת The numerical value of each letter:

1 = א

40 = מ

400 = ת

 

Add the numbers 1+4+0+4+0+0=9

 

Thus, one who recites vayechulu is testifying to the truth that HaShem created Adam and the world in six days and that HaShem rested on Shabbat.

 

Unbelievably, we find that any number times nine equals nine (18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63 etc), in mispar katan. For example, 9 x 3 = 27 = 2+7 = 9. Likewise, 9 x 7 = 63 = 6+3 = 9

 

For bigger numbers, 9 x 5552 = 49968 = 4+9+9+6+8 = 36 = 3+6 = 9 in gematria katana. Whatever number you give, the result will always be nine.

 

The reason being that the pasuk says

 

Mishlei (Proverbs) 12:19 The lip of truth (Emet) shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

 

Emet, truth, lasts for ever. Therefore every multiple of nine remains a nine. Truth always remains the same and can never be altered. Similarly, HaShem is true from beginning to end.

 

Adam is also in mispar katan gematira nine, for he alone from the entire universe was graced with the seal of truth from his Creator.

 

Adam was crowned with glory and honour (Psalms 8). Which could be interpreted as tefillin (which are imprinted with the Shin)--convert the word "Shin" to its mispar katan and you also get nine! (shin=300 yud=10 nun=50 combined sum is 360 = sum of the digits is 9!). tefillin are kept in the form of the faithful and loyal dove, symbolic of emet=441 sum of digits is nine!

 

According to the Talmud, Truth is the "seal of HaShem". For it contains the first, middle, and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (of the 27 Hebrew letters, Mem is the exact midpoint). So too, HaShem "was, is, and always will be" (R.Moshe Shapiro).

 


 

אמת=Truth

ת

ש

ר

ק

ץ

צ

ף

פ

ע

ס

ן

נ

ם

מ

ל

ך

כ

י

ט

ח

ז

ו

ה

ד

ג

ב

א

 אמת  spans entire Hebrew alphabet like the foundation of a building which spans the whole building

 


The Talmud also brings that each letter stands on a firm base like bricks unlike the word falsehood whose letters all stand on one leg (Shab.104a).

 

Merkaba (3-Dimensional star of David)

 

Why did the Torah start with a Beit instead of Aleph?  Certainly, there are many other reasons but here is an amazing answer. On 3 things the world stands (Pirkei Avot 1:2) - if we take the first 3 letters of the Hebrew alphabet whereby the Torah started with aleph:

 aleph, beit, gimmel (אבג) = 1 + 2 + 3 = 6

dalet, hei, vav (דהו) = 4 + 5 + 6 = 15 = 6 in gematria katana.

zayin, chet, tet (זחט) = 7 + 8 + 9 = 24 = 6

yud, kuf, lamed (יכל) = 10 + 20 +30 = 60 = 6

Thus until the end of the alphabet. Every 3 letters = 6 = sheker (falsehood).

 

Now, if you take the letters Beit-Gimel-Dalet and you do an At-bash reversal, which means, you take the letters of Aleph-Beit-Gimel and you look at the corresponding letters at the other end of the Alef Bet, the letters that you get, are Shin-Kuf-Reish=Sheker= Falsehood. When you don't look at the world from the perspective of Alef, Alufo Shel Olam, when you do not see the world as a Beged, as a "garment" concealing HaShem, you are living a world of Sheker (falsehood). When you look at Nature as an independent thing in and of itself (like most scientists), independent of Alef, you are seeing Sheker.

 But as is known, the Torah starts with the letter Beit. Let us examine now the 3 letter groups:

beit, gimmel, dalet (בגד) = 2 + 3 + 4 = 9.  

 

[Beit-Gimel-Dalet=Beged. The letters that spell the word "garment" in Hebrew. The reason why HaShem wanted the Aleph-Beit in this order was because it serves to teach us that HaShem, Master of the World, is always hiding behind a garment in the world. Everything we see, everything we experience, is just HaShem's garment. HaShem is hiding everywhere, behind everything. Every noun, every verb that you can come up with in the Aleph Bet, every person, place or thing, every action, every law of physics, is just HaShem hiding behind a garment. The garment of HaShem, the world we see, is the way HaShem portrays Himself to the World.]

hei, vav, zayin (הוז) = 5 + 6 + 7 = 18 = 9 in gematria katana.

 Thus it is until the end of the alphabet. When we start with Beit (ב) we always get 9.

 The Torah is truth!

 

AVRAHAM

 

In chapter 17 of the Book of Genesis we are given the story of the circumcism of Abraham. First off, we are told that he was 99 years old, but the Torah prefers to reverse the numbers and say he was 90 and 9….Why? Furthermore, is it really important whether or not he was 99 or 98?

 

Abram was 99 when HaShem changed his name to Abraham.  At that moment, HaShem also gave him the covenant of circumcision, and predicted Isaac’s birth. (Gen. 17)

 

Sarai was 90 when HaShem changed her name to Sarah; this was the moment when she was promised a son (Isaac). (Gen. 17)

 

 

 

* * *

 

According to Jewish law, once something is done three times it is considered a permanent thing. This is called a chazakah. Once we have done something three times, we have connected to it and connected it to this world. A threefold sequence associated with strength and permanence[11] as in the continuum of three holy days (Rosh HaShanah and Shabbat) with which some years began. Nine is three times three, i.e., a chazakah in regard to this chazakah.

 

* * *

 

In the ninth blessing of the amida we ask HaShem to bestow upon us the goodness He invested in creation:

 

Bless us, our Father, in all the work of our hands, and bless our year with gracious, blessed, and kindly dews: be its outcome life, plenty, and peace as in the good years, for Thou, HaShem, are good and does good and blesses the years. Blessed be Thou, HaShem, who blesses the years.

 

* * *

 

The clear Torah demarcation that marks nearly every seder in Torah is nine spaces, or more. I am unable to see any exceptions in the sederim for the septennial cycle (two triennial Torah cycles of three and half years.)

 

ATBASH:

 

Maximal

MALE

Maximal

FEMALE

א - Alef

ת - tav

ב - Beit

ש - shin

ג - Gimmel

ר - reish

ד - Dalet

ק - kuf

ה - Hei

צ - tzadik

ו - Vav

פ - pei

ז - Zayin

ע - ayin

ח - Chet

ס - samech

ט - Tet

נ - nun

י - Yud

מ - mem

כ - Kaf

ל - lamed

Minimal

MALE

Minimal

FEMALE

 

נפש (nephesh - soul) is an ATBASH of תוב (tov - good). So, in HaShem’s world, the male world of creation, you have tov, good. This intangible male word is given concrete, female, reality in the nephesh, the soul of man. A nephesh, a soul, is the ability to connect, as we have seen before. That nephesh which connects with HaShem is tov, is good. That soul which burns and makes the connection, is tov, is good. This נר, this ner – this flame, this nephesh ruach, when it becomes lit up, it becomes tov, good. Where does the flame of connection between us and HaShem burn? It burns in the Beit HaMikdash, HaMakom, The Place of connection. Thus our nephesh connects with HaShem in The Place of Daat, the place of connection, the place of knowledge. That is what the menorah signifies!

 

To transform the oceans of blood and tears into joy and elevation is surely an innermost desire of every Yid. Nevertheless, when the proposed solution is a Beit HaMikdash, we immediately disconnect, unable to comprehend the slightest notion of such a reality. The actual date of Tisha B’Av subtly hints at this idea. Tisha, the number nine, represents birth (as we know from the Pesach Seder —“Tisha mi yodeia?…tisha yarchei leidah” – Who knows nine? Nine are the months of child-bearing.). The concept of birth is a recurring theme on Tisha B’Av. The chant for Shacharit begins: When you give birth to children and grandchildren…” In fact, Chazal tell us that Mashiach’s birth will take place on Tisha B’Av. Furthermore, the pains of exile are constantly compared to the painful pangs of childbirth. It is, thus, fitting for this day to be on the ninth of the month.

 

The first nine days of the Hebrew month of Av are collectively known as "The Nine Days" (Tisha HaYamim), and are a period of semi-mourning leading up to Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of Av on which both Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed.

 

* * *

 

Bamidbar (Numbers) 34:13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which HaShem commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe: 14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance: 15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.

 

Shofar Blasts

 

The original Torah requirement calls for blowing only nine blasts - three Teruot, each of which is preceded and followed by a Tekiah for a total of nine blasts. The number 9 is derived from the fact that the Torah has three verses that mention teruah and another verse that indicates that each teru'ah needs to be preceded and followed by a tekiah blast - this makes for a total of 9 blasts.[12] Though some of the Sages indicate that the requirement of nine blasts is of rabbinical origin, the halakha indicates that this requirement is Biblical.[13]

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Arizal explains that numbers have their origins in the supernal spiritual worlds. Single digit numbers correspond to the physical realm Asiyah, the sefirat Malkhut. Tens correspond to the angelic realm Yetzirah, the sefirat Tiferet. Hundreds correspond to the Neshama realm Beriah, the sefirat Binah, Imma. Being that hundreds emanate from the realm of Imma, they are the source of blessing. Therefore, all offerings are the rectification of 100% of the produce offered.

 

* * *

 

The Arizal explains that numbers have their origins in the supernal spiritual worlds. Single digit numbers correspond to the physical realm Asiyah, the sefirat Malkhut. Tens correspond to the angelic realm Yetzirah, the sefirat Tiferet. Hundreds correspond to the Neshama realm Beriah, the sefirat Binah, Imma. Being that hundreds emanate from the realm of Imma, they are the source of blessing. Therefore, all offerings are the rectification of 100% of the produce offered.

 

This study was written by

Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David

(Greg Killian).

Comments may be submitted to:

 

Rabbi Dr. Greg Killian

12210 Luckey Summit

San Antonio, TX 78252

 

Internet address: gkilli@aol.com

Web page: http://www.betemunah.org/

 

(360) 918-2905

 

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Send comments to Greg Killian at his email address: gkilli@aol.com

 



[1] Zohar: “its good is hidden within it.” 

[2] Isa. XIV, 23

[3] Lam. I, 9

[4] Lam. II, 9

[5] Gen. I, 4

[6] And since the first teth in Scriptures commences the word denoting ‘good’ it is a good omen to see it in a dream.

[7] Which denotes an elegy and a lamentation.

[8] As the word hesped could be divided thus: has pad [ah]. i.e. mercy has been exercised and release granted.

[9] HaMeugal Gematria

[10] Shabbat 119b

[11] Bava Metzia 106b

[12] Rosh Hashana 33b-34a

[13] Rambam, Hilkhot Shofar 3:1, Tur OC 590, and Shulchan Arukh OC590:1