10 Hebrew Symbols and Their Meanings

Judaism is based on learning the Torah and performing mitzvahs, through which we connect with God and make the world a better place. Throughout our history, many Hebrew symbols have become associated with the Jewish people, Jewish scholarship, and Jewish culture within Hebrew mythology. Here in this article, we will show you Hebrew symbols and their meanings within Jewish and Christian society.

1. Luchot: the two tablets

In Hebrew symbolism, the Luchot appeared in synagogues, hospitals, and on the uniforms of Jewish chaplains in the US Army. The two tablets that Moses received on Mount Sinai are poignant reminders of the divine mission of the Jewish people: to live according to God’s will.

These Hebrew symbols are sometimes engraved with the first words of each of the Ten Commandments, or just the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet, one for each commandment.

Interestingly, the most common iteration of the tablets, with rounded tops, is a historical inaccuracy introduced by Renaissance artists. According to Talmudic tradition, the tablets were made of sapphire and shaped like cubes.

2. Menorah: the temple candelabra

The Hebrew symbol known as the golden seven-branched Menorah (candelabra) appeared prominently in the Tabernacle that Moses built in the desert, as well as in the Holy Temples that were later built in Jerusalem.

This Hebrew symbolism comes from a story in which Jehovah asks rhetorically, “Do you think I need their light?” God asks rhetorically. “It is a testimony to all mankind that the Divine presence rests in Israel.”

Interestingly, this Hebrew symbol is also often depicted with rounded branches, while many authentic Jewish sources suggest slanted and straight branches. Perhaps the Jewish predilection for Hebrew symbolism that gives light can be attributed to King Solomon’s statement that “the mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light.”

Sometimes, the Hebrew symbol of the eight-branched Menorah, of the type used in Jewish homes to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah, is also used as a Jewish symbol in synagogues, letterheads, and more.

3. Torah scroll

In Hebrew symbolism, the open Torah scroll is often used as the central part of the logo of a yeshiva or other Torah study institution. The actual Torah scroll contains the Five Books of Moses, handwritten on parchment in Hebrew by a trained scribe (“softer”).

Scholars and students of Hebrew symbolism say that the 600,000 letters in the Torah scroll correspond to the 600,000 collective Jewish souls (understand the math of this equation), since every Jew has a portion of the Torah, and there is a portion of every Jew within the Torah.

Thus, the message of this Hebrew symbol is that the Torah should not simply sit in the holy ark; it must be opened, read, studied, and internalized by every member of the Jewish nation.

4. On gravestones: open hands and the thrower

In addition to the Hebrew symbols known as Stars of David, scrolls, and tablets, Jewish gravestones often feature several unique Hebrew symbols. A pair of hands with fingers extended in the Vulcan salute indicates that a Kohen, a member of the priestly clan who blesses the Jewish people while holding his hands in this position, is buried there.

A gravestone marked with a water jug is usually that of a Levite, who is honored with washing the Kohen’s hands before administering the Priestly Blessing.

Similarly, a lit candelabra (usually with several branches) is often used to decorate the grave of a righteous Jewish woman, who was surely particular about lighting the Shabbat candles in her home every Friday evening and on the eve of Jewish holidays.

5. Decoration of the Torah: lions and eagles

The Hebrew symbolism of the covers of the Torah scrolls and the sacred arches in which they are stored are often decorated with lions (their front paws on the two tablets). Eagles are also not uncommon in synagogue accessories, such as the silver crowns placed on the Torah scrolls.

These are violent animals that are not even kosher, so what are they doing near the Torah, whose “ways are pleasant and the streams are peace“?

First, it should be noted that the lion is the Hebrew symbol of the tribe of Judah, which produced David, Solomon, and other great kings, including the Messiah. Furthermore, these images evoke the words of Judah ben Teima, who was known for saying, “Be brave like a leopard, swift like an eagle, fleeting like a deer, and powerful like a lion, to do the will of your Heavenly Father.”

In fact, his words echoed David, who praised Saul and Jonathan (II Samuel 1:23) as “swifter than eagles and stronger than lions” in their Divine service.

6. Etrog Branch and Lulav (or palm branch)

In ancient times, the four species taken together on the holiday of Sukkot—the lulav (palm branch), etrog (citron), hadas (myrtle), and aravah (willow)—were used as a prominent Jewish symbol and can still be seen on some of the coins recovered from the brief Bar Kochba revolt.

The Midrash teaches that each of the four species represents a different type of Jew, yet the mitzvah can only be performed when we have all four together, symbolizing the unity of our nation.

7. The Seven Species

The Scriptures contain a special Hebrew symbolism describing the seven species with which the land of Israel was blessed: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.

Hebrew symbols or representations of some or all of these are often used in the decoration of synagogues and other Jewish places, and can be found in ancient archaeological ruins and on Jewish coins dating back to the Bar Kochva period. Even in exile, Jews kept these Hebrew symbols of their homeland.

8. Magen David: six-pointed star

Probably the most ubiquitous of Hebrew and Jewish symbols, but also the least significant, is the six-pointed star (or hexagram). While little is known about the origin of the Star of David (or in Hebrew Magen “Shield of David”), it has long been associated with the Jewish people and has adorned thousands of synagogues around the world.

9. Doves and olives

The dove and olive branch have become a universal Hebrew symbol of peace due to the somewhat misunderstood biblical story of the dove that brought an olive leaf to Noah to indicate that the waters had receded after the Great Flood.

At the same time, each has been used individually as a Christian symbol and metaphor for the Jewish people since biblical times. In Jeremiah, God calls the Jewish people “a leafy olive tree, righteous with good fruit.”

One explanation of this Hebrew symbolism is that “just as the leaves of the olive tree do not fall in summer or winter, so too will the Jewish people not be cast away, either in this world or in the world to come (Talmud, Menachot 53b).”

In the Song of Songs, the moving representation of the love relationship between God and His nation, the “dove” is an adjective often used to describe the bride, the Jewish people. One explanation of this Hebrew symbolism is that “Like a dove, once it knows its mate, it never leaves it for another… and just as a dove whose young are taken from its nest does not abandon its nest…, so are the Jews faithful to God.”

10. Chai Pendant

After the Star of David, the Hebrew symbol known as the Chai is probably the next most popular Jewish pendant. The word Chai means “life” in Hebrew. The word is written with only two letters, chet and yud, which have a combined numerical value of 18. This explains why Jews love to give birthday gifts, donations, and other gifts in multiples of 18 (36, 54, 72, 90, etc.).