Reprinted with permission from the Encyclopedia ofMagic, Myth, and Mysticism (LlewellynWorldwide).

Thepractice of gematria, or thespiritual interpretation of numbers, is an important hermeneutic technique forunderstanding sacred Scripture and tapping theurgic powers.

The followingare considered important symbolic and/or sacred numbers in Judaism:

1-One indicatesunity, divinity, and wholeness, as exemplified by God.

3-Threesignifies completeness and stability, as represented by the three Patriarchsand the three pilgrimage festivals--Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot (I Kings17:21; Daniel 6:10).

3+1-This is anumber cluster that signals the fulfillment of God's plans (Amos 1; Daniel 7:25).

4-Four is a recurrentnumber in both exoteric and esoteric Jewish traditions. The Passover Seder isparticularly structured around fours: the Four Questions, the Four Sons, andfour cups of wine. There are four cardinal directions and there are fourMatriarchs. Four is also a common factor in esoteric interpretations: fourangels surround the Throne of Glory, there are four kingdoms of the eschaton,and the famous four Sages who enter Paradise.

5-There are fivebooks of Moses and five divisions to the Psalms. Magical/mystical texts arealso sometimes separated into divisions of five. Five is the number ofprotection, as symbolized in the hamsa,the talismanic hand.

7-Seven is one of thegreatest power numbers in Judaism, representing Creation, good fortune, andblessing. A Hebrew word for luck, gad, equals seven in gematria. AnotherHebrew word for luck, mazal, equals seventy-seven.

The Bible isreplete with things grouped in sevens. Besides the Creation and the exalted statusof the Sabbath, the seventh day, there are seven laws of Noah and sevenPatriarchs and Matriarchs. Several Jewish holidays are seven days long, andpriestly ordination takes seven days. The Land of Israel was allowed to lie fallowone year in seven. The menorah in the Temple has seven branches. The prophet Zechariahdescribes a strange celestial stone with seven eyes (Chapter 4).

This emphasison seven continues post-biblically with seven wedding blessings, seven circuitsperformed about a groom, and seven days of mourning after the death of a closerelative.

Events, prayers,and esoteric observances that involve multiples of seven are also common.Entities both natural (gold) and supernatural (angels) are often grouped bysevens (I Enoch 20; II Enoch 19). Seven is a factor in many occult elements andevents.

The firstverse of the Torah consists of seven words and seven is the recurrent number inPharaoh's divinatory dreams in Genesis. The walls of Jericho fall after the Israelitesencircle it seven times. In the Zohar, the seven lower sefirot are thoseaspects of God that are present in asiyah, our world of action. Seven isalso the preferred number in spells, magic squares, amulets, and the like (Genesis7:2; I Kings 18:43;Deuteronomy 16:9; Pesahim 54a; Sotah 10b).

8-Eight is the numberof completion. The Tabernacle was dedicated in an eight-day ceremony. Malechildren are circumcised on the eighth day (Genesis 17). Hanukkah is aneight-day holiday.

10-Ten is asymbol of good luck and power: there are 10 commandments. God requires 10righteous individuals in Sodom to avert divine punishment, and 10 menconstitute a traditional minyan, a spiritual community (Genesis 18, 24:10;Exodus 26:1; Daniel 7:7-24).

12-Twelverepresents totality, wholeness, and the completion of God's purpose. There are 12tribes of Israel (10 of which must be restored), 12 months in the year, and 12houses of the zodiac (Genesis 27:20, 25:16; Exodus 24:4, 25:27; Ezekiel 43:16;Yoma 75b, 77b; Taanit 25a; Hullin 95).

18-Eighteen isthe value of the Hebrew letters chetand yod, which togetherspell the word chai, life. For this reason, 18 is considered theluckiest number. God is mentioned 18 times in both Psalm 29 and the Song of theSea (Exodus 15:1-21), giving these verses special protective power.

24-The number 24symbolizes abundance. At its prime, Jerusalem once had 24 dream interpretersyou could consult, 24 main thoroughfares with 24 side-streets leading to 24 alleyseach containing 24 houses (Lamentations Rabbah I).

32-According to Sefer Yetzirah, 32 is the number of the"wonderful ways of wisdom," the number of organizing principles thatunderlie the universe. These are the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet plus thedecimal numbers that form the basis for the sefirotic tree.

40-Forty appearsmany times in the Bible, usually designating a time of radical transition or transformation.Among the most famous examples are these: It rained for 40 days and 40 nightsduring the Flood (Genesis 7). Exodus records that Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinaiwith God. Forty is the number of years the Israelites were required to wanderin the wilderness until they were allowed to enter Canaan. Corporeal punishmentin the Torah involved 40 lashes. Elijah fasted for 40 days prior to receivinghis revelation on Mount Horeb. Multiples of 40 are also common: 40,000 menrallied to Barak in the book of Judges.

The Talmudalso reports wondrous phenomena occurring in units of 40. It also appears inmystical texts, usually as an element of purification. Thus the Book of theGreat Name advises its readers to abstain from sleeping in one's own bed for 40days and nights after using the book, mimicking the time Moses spent away fromcamp while he received the Ten Commandments (Genesis 7; Exodus 24; I Samuel 17:16;I Kings 19:8; Gittin 39b, 40a; Sotah 34a).

70-This numbersymbolizes the world. There are 70 nations in the world, 70 languages, and 70princely angels. The Greek translation of the Bible, the first to make itavailable to the gentile, was done by 70 Jewish scholars, who, though workingseparately, produced 70 identical translations.

Finally, it isimportant to note that odd numbers are considered lucky; even numbers(especially pairs) are considered bad luck.