Among the words which this character begins is zman (time ). Zayin also stands for number 7 representing the seven days of the week including the Sabbath and the seven days of creation. It teaches that time cannot be destroyed but sanctified. Zayin also begins the word (zachaer) which means to remember. During our daily life with all its cares we are often unaware of the purpose of life which we must strive to remember.38
"Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days may you labor and do your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, your God." (Ex 20:8) During the Sabbath, the Jews remember God's work of creation and their deliverance from their Egyptian slavery. The "work" prohibited is "melachah" which refers to the work done in building the sanctuary in the wilderness. This work had to be stopped on the Sabbath. From this the rabbi compiled a list of 39 categories of work which are unlawful on the Sabbath. (see Website: Judaism 101)
Christian Perspective
Jesus, who being Son God, also created and is creating the universe. He took a less restrictive stance toward the Sabbath because the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath and he further said "the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath". (Mt 12:8)
One Sabbath Jesus met a man born blind. Jesus spat on the ground, and made clay with the saliva which he smeared on the man's eyes. Jesus said to him, "God and wash in the pool of Siloam". (Jn 9:7) The pharisees considered Jesus a sinner because he had healed on the Sabbath.
Chet begins the word (chai) which means life . God's has Essential Life and he instills upon his people life to enliven. It is believed that the Jewish soul has essential life. The life-pulse which enlivens life in general emanates from the soul.
Chet is made up with the letter zayin and vav but connected which implies the delicate balance between God revealing himself and yet hiding himself during creation. His creative presence is like that of an eagle which incites its young forth by hovering over them. God keeps a fine balance between his overwhelming power and the power he imparts to his creatures allowing them to develop according to the individuality and freedom he has given them. Gürgen Moltmann, using the kabbalist doctrine of the self limitation of God, explains the relationship between Creator and creature thus, "The existence of the world outside of God is made possible by an inversion of God [God withdraws himself from himself to himself in order to make creation possible]. This sets free a kind of 'mystical primordial space' into which God - issuing out of himself - can enter and in which he can manifest himself." 39 The Jews believe that if God fully revealed himself or completely withdrew himself, the world would come to an end.
Christian Perspective
God's hidden presence reached its final stage when the Son of God entered into his creation by taking on a human nature. The Divine Person began to reveal God's presence by his human words and actions. Jesus Christ is now the natural Son of God not only as God but also as man. 40. So the Son of God even now acts through and with his human nature unto eternity. St. Paul says that God emptied himself by taking on the form of man. (see Phil 6.6-8) This does not mean that the Word gave up his divinity by taking on a human nature, but only the renunciation (in his human nature) of the divine glory.
This hidden divine glory, Jesus momentarily revealed one day to Peter, James and John. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared conversing with Jesus. The voice of the Father proclaimed that this was his beloved Son. The scene was so beautiful that the apostle wanted to stay there forever. (Mt 17:1-8)
Christ said: " Just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself" (Jn 5:26) "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." (Jn 10:10)
The Hebrew word tov (good) begins with the character tet. After God created light we read, "God saw how good the light was." (Gn1:4) If the creature is good the Creator must surely be good and only God knows what is essentially good. Psalm107 begins thus "Give thanks to the LORD who is good, whose love endures forever!" We observe that this letter is shaped like a womb and since it also stands for number 9 which suggests the nine months of pregnancy.
Christian Perspective
One day a young man asked Jesus what good he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus said to him, "Why do you ask me about good. There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." (Mt. 19:17) Jesus here points out the essential goodness which is God and what man must do to attain the ultimate good which gives true happiness
The good is that which all men seek even when they do evil. Sin is evil because it's a choice of a limited good to satisfy our desire for infinite goodness. To choose essential goodness is to make choices in conformity with the total good which God intends (the good of our soul and our fellow man in relation to God). For example, let's say a woman aborts her child. She has chosen to rip from her womb the gift of God justified as a good. This brings about the death of the child and an uneasy conscience because deep down she has defied the God of Life. She has chosen a limited good such as keeping her boyfriend, freedom from responsibility, belief that it was not human, etc. which will not satisfy her desire for infinite happiness.
To Yud, Kaf, Lamed