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| Hebrew letter Ayin |
The Hebrew letter Ayin (ע) is the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet with the numerical value of 70. The literal meaning of Ayin is "eye," symbolizing vision, perception, insight, and the ability to see both physically and spiritually.
In Hebrew the letter relates to deeper spiritual sight beyond the physical eye.
The number 70 symbolically represents completeness, judgment, and divine order in the Bible, often indicating a whole group or a significant period. Here are some key Bible scriptures and references related to the number 70:
- Genesis 46:27 - Jacob's family numbered 70 members when they went to Egypt, representing the entire Israelite nation at that time.
- Exodus 24:1 and Numbers 11:16-17 - God commanded Moses to gather 70 elders of Israel to help govern the people.
- Jeremiah 29:10 - The Israelites were exiled in Babylon for 70 years as a period of judgment and purification.
- Daniel 9:24-27 - The prophecy of "Seventy Weeks" outlines significant events for Israel and the Messiah.
- Psalm 90:10 - The years of our life are seventy,
- Matthew 18:21-22 - Jesus tells Peter to forgive not just seven times but seventy times seven (490 times), emphasizing boundless forgiveness.
- Luke 10:1-23 - Jesus sends out 70 (or 72) disciples to preach and prepare the way for him.
Hear & See
There is an ayin in the Hebrew word Shema, which means hear/listen, Shema underscores the interplay of seeing to perceive and hearing to obey in the Hebrew spiritual worldview.
The root letters also carry symbolic meanings in Hebrew pictographs:
- Shin (ש) can symbolize "to consume" or "destroy" (like fire) Shin is the 21st letter in the 22nd letter Hebrew Alpha-beyt. It's value is 300. The next and last (22nd) letter is Taw, symbolically pictured as a cross.
- Mem (מ) can represent "water" or "chaos,"
- Ayin (ע) means "eye" or "to see" and implies perception or insight.
The essence of Judaism's central prayer, the Shema, is to keep God constantly before our eyes and ears, expressed through wholehearted listening, loving, and obeying God. The prayer begins with "Hear, O Israel" (Hebrew Shema means “hear” or “listen”), but this hearing goes beyond just sound—it means to truly understand and respond by obeying God’s commandments with all your heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). This implies keeping God ever present in your mind, heart, and actions, symbolically before your eyes and ears, so that you live in faithful devotion and allegiance to Him
Love One Another
The central message of the Torah and the Bible emphasizes love as a foundational commandment, especially loving your fellow human being.
One of the core commandments stated explicitly in the Torah is “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). This commandment is considered by the Talmudic sages to be the greatest principle of the Torah. We are to treat others, even to strangers, the same care and respect one has for oneself. (Leviticus 19:34).
The scriptures command us to love God with all your heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5). Since man is created in the image of God, when we love our fellow we are showing God our love.
Spiritual Sight
Jesus healed the blind on multiple occasions, often using the healings to symbolize spiritual sight and revelation. Some key examples include:
Jesus healed Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, near Jericho, restoring his sight because of his faith (Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43).
In John 9, Jesus healed a man born blind by making mud with his saliva, putting it on the man's eyes, and telling him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, restoring his physical sight and using the event to teach about spiritual enlightenment.
In Mark 8:22-25, Jesus healed a blind man in Bethsaida in stages—first partial sight, then complete restoration—showcasing progressive spiritual understanding.
In John 1:48 Nathanael asks Jesus, "How do you know me?" Jesus replies, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." This indicates Jesus' supernatural knowledge of Nathanael even before their meeting.
In verse 49 Nathanael answered, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
The Hebrew letter Ayin (עַיִן), meaning "eye," symbolizes seeing or insight. Jesus healing sight has a strong spiritual connection to this concept, as these miracles not only restored physical vision but also signified opening the eyes of faith, understanding, and recognizing divine truth. This aligns with the biblical theme that Jesus is the "light of the world" who brings spiritual sight, transforming blindness into seeing (John 9:5)
Love Beyond Feeling
Creation is the first act of Love. God created a house in which to place us. Perhaps that is why the first letter of the Torah is Bet, which is a house.
The command to love your neighbor is not just about feeling but about action. Our actions are the outward expression of our inner feelings. Action is how we show our love. Sacrafice, charity, compassion and kindness are love put into action.
Jesus elevated this principle of loving our neighbor as yourself to the foundation of Christian life and faith.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." — Matthew 22:37–40
In the Gospel of John, Jesus commands us to love one another:
“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34
In the next verse, Jesus says He will distinguish his followers by our love for others.
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
The Opposite of Hate is Love
The absence of brotherly love can be attributed to the first murder recorded in the Bible—the story of Cain and Abel. Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and anger because God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. This act is widely understood as the tragic consequence of lacking love, compassion, and responsibility toward one’s own brother, escalating to the first act of murder in human history.
Cain’s refusal to love and care for his brother Abel is underscored by his reply to God when asked about Abel’s whereabouts: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9).
Love at First Sight
The love of Adam for Eve, Rebecca for Isaac, and Jacob for Rachel, where all love at first sight. Jesus' love for his disciples is illustrated by actions such as calling them to follow him. He loved them at first sight.
Recognition of God's Image
Love at first sight in a spiritual sense means:
- Recognizing the divine spark within everyone.
- A spiritually response to their soul's needs
- Openness, respect, compassion, or even a protective urge whether they’re a friend, or stranger.
- When our spiritual antenna perceives something of divine value or destiny in the other, even before any relationship forms.
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| Hebrew letter Bet |
After God created a magnificent bet (house) for us, God said, Genesis 1:26 (esv), “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Now the house was ready for man “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he him; male and female he created them.” -- Genesis 1:27 (esv).
In essence, mankind is no different than a beautiful sunrise or the view from a mountaintop or looking down at a tiny flower. The amazing physical nature of a human being is as complex as any of God's designs.
Eyes Are An Amazing Creation
The human eye is an extraordinarily sophisticated design, consisting of multiple specialized layers and components that work together to convert light into electrical signals sent to the brain for image formation
Neuroscientific research has determined that approximately 50% of the human brain is directly or indirectly dedicated to vision and visual processing. The visual cortex alone has more neurons than the number of stars in our own galaxy (about 100–400 billion in the Milky Way.
Conclusion
In the most fundamental spiritual sense, to love someone at first sight is to use our God given spiritual eyes (ayin) to see our fellow as God’s creation. When we do, we also see God and God recognizes us.
The Jewish sages say "Baseless Hate" led to the destruction of the 1st and 2nd temple and multiple other tragedies in Jewish history, most on Tisha B'Av (the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av. I have to wonder that the "Baseless Love" Jesus preached is a response.
Psalm 121:1-2 -- I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."
Ephesians 1:18 (ESV) -- "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,"
I pray to see with spiritual eyes.
Epilogue:
The name of this Shabbas's Parshah is from Deuteronomy 3:23 and it is called "Va’etchanan," which means "I entreated*."
Moses tells the people of Israel how he implored G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but G‑d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain and see the Promised Land.
The spiritual meaning of the word "entreated" (as in "Va’etchanan" from Deuteronomy 3:23, meaning "I entreated" or "I pleaded") centers on a deep, heartfelt, and persistent prayer or request made to God, often in a moment of vulnerability and earnest desire. Moses' entreaty to God to allow him to enter the Promised Land conveys intense longing and humility in approaching the Divine with a sincere plea, but God gives him spiritual eyes to see.
This moment profoundly connects to the concept of Ayin, emphasizing spiritual sight and insight rather than physical possession.
This parsha also contains the Shema, which commands keeping God before your eyes (a direct connection to Ayin as the "eye"), highlighting the theme of ever-present spiritual awareness and devotion.
(BTW, I was unware of the Torah portion when I wrote this blog.)