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The “tip of the yod” (a dot with no size dimensions) is equated with the beginning point of creation and might be said to equate with the zero. Dr. Benzi doesn’t talk much about this connection with the zero in the course, though. I suggest bringing this question up in the Wed. seminar. If the instructor doesn’t have an answer for you that is more complete, perhaps she can take the question to Dr. Benzi.
Regarding the homework: you should bring your homework to the Wed seminars. The instructions should go over it there and answer any questions that you have about it.
Enjoy your study! We are glad that you are here.
I might not be able to give complete answers to all your questions here, but in the course of learning they will be thoroughly answered. Here are some brief answers for now:
1) Ancient Hebrew is the historical, biblical language that evolved over centuries and faded as a vernacular, while Modern Hebrew is its revived, simplified, and expanded form, tailored to the needs of a contemporary society. Despite these differences, they share the same core alphabet, many grammatical roots, and a continuous cultural thread, making Modern Hebrew a unique resurrection of an ancient tongue.
2) You are probably referring to what are called “nikkud” that indicate the vowels sounds that are pronounced in the word. You will learn much more about this later.
3) Words that share the same roots have a common essence and connection. You will learn more about this during the course also.
4) I don’t have an answer for you to this question. I will have to ask Dr. Benzi and get back to you on this question.
5) The essential and original meaning of the letters also included their numerical values. This is why gematria can reveal hidden meanings related to spirituality.
6) Dr. Benzi does a deep dive into all the details of the individual letters and their spiritual meaning in this course. You will have to wait and hear his lessons on the letters “vav” and “dalet”. They are some of the first letters he discusses in the course, so it won’t be too long a wait for you.
7) The cursive forms of the letters will be presented to you. During the instruction of this course, however, the print forms will be used. But you will have all that you need to practice on your own.
8) You will learn how to create plural forms during the course. It’s much more complicated than English because both gender and number must be taken into account.
I hope that these short answers are helpful. Please let me know if you have more questions as you go along. Be patient though, all your questions will be answered in the course. Good luck.
ך (Final Kaf) = 20
(Same as regular Kaf, כ)
ם (Final Mem) = 40
(Same as regular Mem, מ)
ן (Final Nun) = 50
(Same as regular Nun, נ)
ף (Final Pe) = 80
(Same as regular Pe, פ)
ץ (Final Tsadi) = 90
(Same as regular Tsadi, צ)Correct. There are no live lessons with Bentzi. Your live interactions with native speakers happens during the Wednesday seminars.
In this course, you will learn which sounds are appropriate from the use of nikkud (vowel markings that you will learn). This is how children are taught in Israel too. Later, you will get a feel for what is most likely and memorize the right sounds. Most Hebrew is written without nikkud and people have just learned the correct pronunciations.
