May anyone work out Gematria (the numerical value of a word in Hebrew letters, corresponding to the numerical value of another word or phrase in Hebrew)? Today many Rabbis publicize Gematriot on the weekly Torah portions, but does this have justification in reliable Jewish sources?
One of the methods of learning Torah is remez, which includes the method of Gematria, but every Gematria must have a source. The fact that two words have the same numerical value does not necessarily prove that their essence is the same. Only when it is known that there is a connection through the meaning of the words, does the Gematria prove that there is a connection at the source.
The Gematriot mentioned in the Torah are not coincidental, G-d forbid. They show the essential connection between certain expressions that have the same numerical value.
ליקוטי שיחות לפרשת תצווה, ז’ אדר חלק כ”ו, ויקרא חלק ז ג ס”ג
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