Diamond "Chai" Pendant

The Hebrew word “Chai”, or life, has become a prominent symbol in Judaism, a faith that puts a tremendous amount of emphasis on the importance and value of life. While only two letters make up this word in Hebrew, each has a tremendous significance. The first letter “chet” (pronounced with a fun guttural sound in the back of the throat) is equivalent to the number eight as all Hebrew letters are also associated with numbers. The number eight is a lucky symbol in Judaism as it represents a lofty type of existence above the seven days of creation. Eight also represents infinity or the infinite and thus relates to the Creator and bringer of life. It is also the root of the first woman’s name, Eve or Chava in Hebrew, who brought life.

The second letter, “Yud” is the only letter in Hebrew that hangs loftily in the air, taking on the appearance of an apostrophe. Although small in stature this letter is considered one of the most powerful according to Jewish mysticism or Kabbalah. The letter “Yud” also is said to look like the flame of a Shabbat, or Jewish Sabbath, candle. Shabbat is celebrated every week from Friday evening until three stars can be seen on Saturday night. This special time honors the Creator’s day of rest and is a time when family and friends get together to learn, pray and eat a lot of delicious foods. Shabbat is described as a time above time, in that everything done during the week is refrained from on this special day, such as work, watching television and cooking. Instead this day is a day for spiritual activity and thoughts, a time for true quality time with the family. The “Yud” represents the number ten according to gematria, or Hebrew code where each letter represents a number.  The number ten also comes up many times throughout the Torah. For example: The Ten Commandments and the Ten Utterances which created the world.

“Chet” and “Yud” together when added then equal the number eighteen a number of high significance as the word and number represent life. To this day presents and charity are typically given in the amount or multiples of “18″ to ensure that every gift is imbued with the ultimate gift of life. The “Chai” symbol therefore always makes the perfect present for any age or occasion, men and women.