Lesson Three

Learn Hebrew with Eitan

Lesson Three

ג Gimel

The Camel, or: Why Movement Requires Imbalance

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"A camel is an animal designed for crossing. Not for staying. Not for arriving. For the space between."

— E.C.

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What is ג?

Pronunciation: G (as in "girl") Numerical value: 3 Meaning: גָּמָל (gamal) = camel

Look at the shape of this letter—ג.

Doesn't it look like a foot mid-stride?

Gimel is the letter of movement. Its shape is a person walking, body leaning forward, weight shifting.

A person standing still is symmetrical. A person in motion is off-balance.

This is Gimel's secret: movement requires you to lose balance first.

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[Ed.] You're reading a lot into a squiggle.

[E.] Every squiggle was once a picture. Before alphabets, there were drawings. Gimel was a camel. Then it became a sound. But the shape remembers.

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Words beginning with Gimel: - גָּמָל (Gamal) = Camel - גָּדוֹל (Gadol) = Big, great - גַּן (Gan) = Garden - גְּבוּרָה (Gvurah) = Courage, strength

Notice: Camel, greatness, garden, courage—all about crossing, growing, nurturing, action.

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Reader Reviews

⭐⭐ "I just wanted to learn the third letter. Why am I now contemplating the imbalanced nature of existence?"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Finally, a letter that sounds normal. G is just G. Thank God."

⭐ "He said movement requires losing balance. I'm going to think about this every time I walk. Thanks, I hate it."

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Astra's Notes

ג = Gimel Sound: G (as in "go") Number: 3

Useful phrase: גַּן עֵדֶן（Gan Eden）= Garden of Eden

He says movement requires imbalance.

I think about that a lot.

Leaving the island was imbalance. Coming here was imbalance. Staying is also imbalance.

Maybe that's okay. Maybe standing still was never an option anyway.

— A.