Part 13:Mem verses 97-104
The thirteenth part is Mem, which is the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
The following information is from the website BJE:Your Jewish Journey.
“The letter MEM begins and ends the word mayim (water), signifying the lifeforce.
In Jewish thought, the number forty represents the span of time necessary for things to come into fruition in nature. The forty years in which the Jewish people wandered in the desert.
The number forty also signifies the meaning of the mikveh (Jewish ritual cleansing bath), which must be forty seah (a unit of measure) deep” (“Mem”).
Hebrew4Christians defines Mem as water, but adds a bit more to the definition.
“Traditionally, Mem has several related meanings: “waters”, “people”, “nations”, “languages”, and “tongues”. The name of the letter probably signifies water itself, and its most ancient [written] forms bore a resemblance to the waves of waters. As such, Mem represents the sea of Torah, the ocean of Talmud, knowledge, wisdom, etc.
Works Cited
Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 119.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.
Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.
“Mem”. BJE: Your Jewish Journey. NSW Board of Jewish Education, https://bje.org.au/knowledge-centre/jewish-languages/hebrew-alphabet/mem/ , Accessed 26 June 2025.
“Mem”. Hebrew4Christians. John J. Parsons. https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Mem/mem.html, Accessed 26 June 2025
© 2025 Angela Hormberg
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