The Hebrew Letter feature in this piece is the
MEM sophit. The Mem sophit is the closed or final Mem which appears at the end of a word. The open Mem is used in the beginning and middle of a word.

MEM is the 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of 40. Mem makes a sound like the M in Middle. But according to the ancient kabbalistic text Sefer Yetzirah, the MEM hummmmmms! Mem is usually associated with the word mayim - WATER or Eemah - MOTHER. Mem is composed of a Caf (20) and a Vav (6) = 26, which have the same GEMATRIA as the Yud (10) Hey (5) Vav (6) Hey (5) = 26  name of God - the holiest of God's Names.

Tradition tells us that the engraving of the letters of the 10 commandments went all the way through the tablets  from the front side to the back side. Therefore the final Mem since it is completely closed, should have fallen out. Because it did not, R. Hisda said that it stood there be means of a miracle Shabbat 104a)

The MEM is one of the 5 letters [Caf Mem Nun Pey Tsade] that have 2 forms Shabbat 104a. One form is used in the beginning and the middle of a word - the open Mem. The other form is at the end of the word - the closed Mem. According to Talmud, the open Mem represents revealed teaching and the closed Mem represents concealed teaching AIR Shabbat 104a.

Of the increase [Lamed Mem sophit Resh Beit Hey] of his government and peace there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:6).

R. Tanhum said: Bar Kappara expounded in Sepphoris, Why is every Mem in the middle of a word open, whilst this [Mem sophit] is closed? - The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to appoint Hezekiah as the Messiah, and Sennacherib as Gog and Magog;(8) whereupon the Attribute of Justice (9)said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the Universe!
(8) Gog and Magog are, in Jewish eschatology, the tribes who shall lead all nations in a tremendous attack upon Israel; their final defeat ushers in the halcyon days of the Messiah (Ezekiel 38). It is not clear whom the prophet had in mind, the whole passage having the mystic form of apocalyptic prediction. The present passage is remarkable in that it shews that in the opinion of its author no particular nation was intended, but any great heathen power whose destruction, by the will of God, is to precede the millenium.
(9)The attributes of Justice and Mercy are often hypostasized and represented as interceding with the Almighty.

Sometimes when I meditate with this letter, the MEM acts like sort of a submarine for me. At other times I can breathe under water. Nice. Let me know how you do.

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This work is accompanied by the kabbalistic explanation printed above.

The original 5x7 watercolor painting of this image is available.

mat color:: blue

stock number:: m4