How does gematria work

gematria is an ancient system of assigning numerical values to words and phrases, in order to uncover hidden meaning within them. This system is based on a Hebrew practice that assigns numerical values to letters of the alphabet. Many other cultures have adopted this practice, including Greeks, Arabs, and Spaniards. Gematria has long been used as a tool for unlocking secrets of the universe and for understanding spiritual concepts.

In traditional gematria, each of the twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet is assigned a numerical value ranging from one to four hundred. Thus Aleph is assigned a value of one, Bet a value of two, and so on up to Tav which has the numerical value of four hundred. When two or more letters are combined into a word or phrase, then these numbers are added together until each individual word or phrase has an associated numerical value. For example, when the word "peace" (שלום) in Hebrew is translated into gematria it adds up to 357.

Gematria can be used to numerically analyze various text in order to gain insights into its deeper meanings and truths. For example, some Jews use gematria when interpreting biblical Scriptures or exploring Kabalistic teachings. For this reason, it was once believed that Gematria held the key to unlocking "divine knowledge" from religious texts.

The primary focus of gematria today is discovering the hidden messages found within works of literature or analyzing common phrases and expressions for deeper meaning. To uncover these hidden messages one must first apply gematria methods to determine the numerical values associated with given words and phrases; then compare these values with known associations between certain numbers and ideas throughout history (i.e., three can represent divine perfection). This process allows people to discover connections between seemingly unrelated words and phrases that present underlying meanings about a text which may have gone unnoticed before employinggemerential analysis techniques like gematria.