Part 2:Beth or Bet verses 9-16
The second part is Beth or Bet, which is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
The following information is from the website BJE:Your Jewish Journey.
“BET is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, with a numeric value of two. It begins the plurality, reinforcing the uniqueness of One from which all else is derived.
Aleph and BET share a strong relationship. The word for rock, ‘eben’, displays the aleph and BET next to each other, followed by the letter nun. When divided, the letters form two words, ab and ben, meaning father and son. The rock, signifying strength and stability, is testament to the relationship between father and son; God and humanity.
A large BET is found at the beginning of the Bible. Bereishit (‘in the beginning’) is the first word of Genesis.
BET signifies duality: the two drives, yetzer hatov (the good inclination), and yetzer harah (the evil inclination).
Moses received two tablets of the Ten Commandments, emphasising the dual nature of existence. The aleph, which represents the Torah, is declared on the two tablets, which signify the plurality of humanity and the universe.
BET also symbolises the two genders: Adam and Eve, male and female.
BET is the first letter of the word bayit (house). This can be interpreted both on a mystical and practical level. The home represents shelter, protection and security. It is also symbolic of the universal home, in terms of a place of spiritual belonging.
BET is made up of three vavs. It is said to represent the formation of a house, always open on one end as a sign of eternal hospitality. The three vavs also represent the innate characteristics of mercy, kindness and modesty.
The BET is open on the north side, denoting the evil ‘from the north’. Therefore BET implies man’s struggle with his evil inclination” (“Bet”).
Works Cited
“Bet”. BJE: Your Jewish Journey. NSW Board of Jewish Education, https://bje.org.au/knowledge-centre/jewish-languages/hebrew-alphabet/bet/ , Accessed 27 May 2025.
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.
© 2025 Angela Hormberg
You must be logged in to post a comment.