Sacred Numbers
The Four Methods
The Four Methods
| Method | Hebrew Name | How It Works | Example: Torah (תורה) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Mispar Gadol | Each letter = its full numerical value | ת(400) + ו(6) + ר(200) + ה(5) = 611 |
| Ordinal | Mispar Siduri | Each letter = its position in the alphabet (1-22) | ת(22) + ו(6) + ר(20) + ה(5) = 53 |
| Reduced | Mispar Katan | Reduce each letter to a single digit (drop zeros) | ת(4) + ו(6) + ר(2) + ה(5) = 17 |
| Full Spelling | Mispar Shemi | Spell out each letter’s name and sum those values | Tav+Vav+Resh+He = expanded sum |
Why multiple methods? Because Torah operates on multiple levels simultaneously. A word might reveal one truth in Standard gematria and a completely different truth in Reduced. The Kabbalists believed God encoded meaning at every layer.