א: ☧: First and last
Aleph - the first and the last
Hebrew uses letters as numbers. There is no zero and the values increment like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000.
You have probably been told that there are 22 letters, but you see 28 values. That's because there are 28 different symbols. Since each symbol has a unique meaning, there are really 28 letters.
From the previous post you have the attributes of the letter aleph א. Here is the riddle (and you don't need to know Hebrew): In what way is the aleph both the beginning and the end?
Hints:
- What is the position of the aleph?
- What is the meaning of it's name?
- What is the value of the last letter?
SPOILER . . . The aleph is the beginning because it is the first letter and the end because the meaning of it's name is the value of the last number.
Now can you find verses where this 'riddle' is used in word-play?