Samech ~ ס
"Count on Me"
Gemetria Value = 60
Sounds like = “S”
Meaning = Secret (sod)
The secret of the Sukka (Tabernacle) which begins with the letter Samech, and represents the Sukkah of Messiah
Zechariah 14: There is this idea that Messiah will return during the Festival of Sukkot The ethics of the letter: In Judaism, the word Samech is rooted in the word *Samach (Samach pi kol)
The Messiah Himself is also known by that name: Someich (Psalm 145)
The Messianic link within Liturgy:
Within the liturgical service, we recite the Ashrei ("Overly joyful") which consists of most of Psalm 145. It is an acrostic poem where every letter of the Hebrew Alphabet in order starts the verses ... except for the letter Nun! Why? "Someich Adonai lechol hanofelim, vezokeif lechol hakefufim" is "Adonai supports all who have fallen, and straightens all the bent" and comes directly after the verse that connects us with the letter Mem. The Mem is known as "the letter of Mashiach." The Mashiach is the Someich ~ the One who supports us, but what about the letter Nun ... why is it "missing" and what does it have to do with what we are looking at here? By pointing us to where the Nun can be found, it is pointing us to who is actually fallen and what it means:
It is understood that the missing Nun in the Ashrei is not missing at all, but actually found in Amos 5, where we see it starting verse 2:
נָֽפְלָה֙ לֹֽא־תוֹסִ֣יף ק֔וּם בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נִטְּשָׁ֥ה עַל־אַדְמָתָ֖הּ אֵ֥ין מְקִימָֽהּ
"Fallen, not to rise again, Is Maiden Israel; Abandoned on her soil With none to lift her up."
So ... who is falling down
Ultimately we submit to G-D, but scripture also tells us to submit to one another
When we are in this state, we always have the potential for G-D to raise us up
S’micha Concept: (derives from root סמכ ,which means to rely on or to be authorised, literally “leaning [of the hands]”
Concluding the Torah during every Shabbat:
We have a responsibility to support one another BUT also to support G-D … does that sound crazy? Why does G-D need our support? Is it not us who need Him?
We are in relationship with one another, ultimately with G-D:
The letter Samech in the Scriptures:
“Shimon explained how HaShem first concerned Himself to receive from the Nations a people for SHMO (His Name). And this is in agreement with the dvarim of the Nevi’im, just as it has been written, “After these things I will return and I will restore the Sukkah of David which has fallen and the things having been torn down of it, I will rebuild and I will *restore it.”
Key word: Restore which is the word K’yem: to fulfill, to realise, to perform, to arrange, to organise, to maintain, to support, to provide for, to sustain, (law) to affirm, to confirm, to implement
“G-D takes those who need resurrection so they can then go about and support the ultimate message of resurrection.”
The Heart of the Matter:
Then let us ask ourselves, how?”
Even in learning Hebrew there is this purpose …
Sounds like = “S”
Meaning = Secret (sod)
The secret of the Sukka (Tabernacle) which begins with the letter Samech, and represents the Sukkah of Messiah
Zechariah 14: There is this idea that Messiah will return during the Festival of Sukkot The ethics of the letter: In Judaism, the word Samech is rooted in the word *Samach (Samach pi kol)
- Support, post: (Jewish Ritual) i.e. assistant cantor
- it means to be able to count on somebody, able to depend on, rely on, to trust
- (literally) to lean on, to rest on; to strengthen, to support …
- “you can count on me.”
- Someone we can draw strength and support from … ultimately it is G-D.
The Messiah Himself is also known by that name: Someich (Psalm 145)
- “The L-RD upholdeth (supports) all that fall, and raiseth up all those that are bowed down”
- G-D is the One we can trust and rely on …
- He is upholding us, but it is a picture of something that is literally falling down and someone comes along at the last second and grabs onto it and doesn’t let it fall
The Messianic link within Liturgy:
Within the liturgical service, we recite the Ashrei ("Overly joyful") which consists of most of Psalm 145. It is an acrostic poem where every letter of the Hebrew Alphabet in order starts the verses ... except for the letter Nun! Why? "Someich Adonai lechol hanofelim, vezokeif lechol hakefufim" is "Adonai supports all who have fallen, and straightens all the bent" and comes directly after the verse that connects us with the letter Mem. The Mem is known as "the letter of Mashiach." The Mashiach is the Someich ~ the One who supports us, but what about the letter Nun ... why is it "missing" and what does it have to do with what we are looking at here? By pointing us to where the Nun can be found, it is pointing us to who is actually fallen and what it means:
It is understood that the missing Nun in the Ashrei is not missing at all, but actually found in Amos 5, where we see it starting verse 2:
נָֽפְלָה֙ לֹֽא־תוֹסִ֣יף ק֔וּם בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נִטְּשָׁ֥ה עַל־אַדְמָתָ֖הּ אֵ֥ין מְקִימָֽהּ
"Fallen, not to rise again, Is Maiden Israel; Abandoned on her soil With none to lift her up."
So ... who is falling down
- On one level, it is us who is falling
- Those who are bowed down, also refers to those who are in bondage, but
- It is also a picture of those who are bowed down before G-D, completely submitted
Ultimately we submit to G-D, but scripture also tells us to submit to one another
When we are in this state, we always have the potential for G-D to raise us up
S’micha Concept: (derives from root סמכ ,which means to rely on or to be authorised, literally “leaning [of the hands]”
- Numbers 27:18 ~ Just before Moshe departs, he asks HaShem not to leave the community like sheep that have no shepherd: “And the L-RD answered Moses, “Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man, and lay your hand upon him" [the root word there is samach]
- Refers typically to the ordination of a rabbi or cantor
- Taking all the blessings that have been given to us and we are passing them onto somebody else
- Giving something that is truly ours, and passing it on to one(s) who will complete the mission so to speak
Concluding the Torah during every Shabbat:
- Eitz Chaim: The letter Samech … She is a tree of life to them that *lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that holdest her fast (*Proverbs 3:18) ~ Tamach = to support … “happy is everyone who *supports her” is the way it should be read
- We each have a responsibility to hold onto the Torah … what does that mean exactly?
- That process of falling down and getting up time and time again … and why does He continue to raise us up?
We have a responsibility to support one another BUT also to support G-D … does that sound crazy? Why does G-D need our support? Is it not us who need Him?
We are in relationship with one another, ultimately with G-D:
- It is a COVENANT RELATIONSHIP! Which resembles the relationship of a husband and wife
- It is a TWO-WAY responsibility! We need to support our G-D and support the message of who He is among all the other gods of the world …
- Mi Chamocha (“Who is like You, O L-RD among the gods!”) … effectively we are saying as Moshe did “we are supporting the cause! We are supporting the message!”
- Without you or I, there is no gospel! Nobody to take the message - the Good News!
- G-D is saying, “I will keep on raising you up, continually, so that in return you will be able to support Me!” And support the message of resurrection!
- We do this, remembering the fallen state from which He has raised up ...and we can know His promise to us:
The letter Samech in the Scriptures:
“Shimon explained how HaShem first concerned Himself to receive from the Nations a people for SHMO (His Name). And this is in agreement with the dvarim of the Nevi’im, just as it has been written, “After these things I will return and I will restore the Sukkah of David which has fallen and the things having been torn down of it, I will rebuild and I will *restore it.”
Key word: Restore which is the word K’yem: to fulfill, to realise, to perform, to arrange, to organise, to maintain, to support, to provide for, to sustain, (law) to affirm, to confirm, to implement
“G-D takes those who need resurrection so they can then go about and support the ultimate message of resurrection.”
The Heart of the Matter:
- RESURRECTION!!
- He has chosen again and again to resurrect us that we would be master implementors in the world to promote His Name… so let us ask ourselves?
Then let us ask ourselves, how?”
- What do we do to convey the message of the Gospel …
- Yeshua is saying: “I am not coming just to build the sukka of David, I am coming to implement it! - As one coming to fulfil His promise … HE IS A PROMISE KEEPER!
- Are we promise keepers? Do we keep our word to the best of our ability? “Yes be yes and no be no”
- The letter Samech needs to be written on our hearts … “we have been in a fallen position, but G-D comes to put us in a resurrected position.”
Even in learning Hebrew there is this purpose …
- It is not simply that we would learn Hebrew itself, but that we would become a builder of the Sukka of David, working in partnership with HaShem who continually resurrects us and in partnership with one another as we work to be purchasers of one another as Abraham purchased Lot. • We can look forward to the final resurrection of all of Israel when we will praise Him in His Holy House and He will teach us His awesome Name … amen amen shem hanora! (The Adon Olam)
For further insights, I was reading an interesting article on Chabad: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/137087/jewish/Samech.htm
