Christ Yoga / Messiah Yoga · Ophanim Yoga
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Glossary of Hebrew & Transliterated Terms
Every Hebrew word, Hebrew name, and Hebrew transliteration used anywhere on this site, defined in one place — including the name of every letter posture.
Adam אדם
The Hebrew word for “man” or humankind, and the name of the first human in Genesis. In Ophanim’s reading of the word (Aleph-Dalet-Mem), the aleph stands for God.
Aleph א
The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In Ophanim, the “mother” letter of the standing postures, associated with the air element, the chest, and the sefirah of Keter (Crown). See the Aleph posture.
Amidah עמידה
The “Standing Prayer,” the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. The Dalet posture is described as closest to the traditional standing position for this prayer.
Ayin ע
A Hebrew letter meaning both “a source” and “an eye.” The elemental letter for the month of Tevet. See the Ayin posture.
Baal Shem Tov
The 18th-century founder of the Chassidic movement in Eastern Europe (“New” Chassidism), referenced as a key figure in the tradition of Jewish meditation.
Bereshit בראשית
“In the beginning…” — the opening word of Genesis and of the Torah.
Bet ב
A Hebrew letter meaning “house.” The double letter practiced on Sunday, connected to the sefirah of Chesed. See the Bet posture.
Binah בינה
“Understanding” — one of the Ten Sefirot. In the Ya-H breathing practice, the Heh (numerical value 5) is linked to Binah and to the heart.
Chagigah
A tractate of the Talmud, referenced for its story of “the four who entered the garden” — a cautionary tale about the risks of advanced mystical practice.
Chassidim / Chassidism
Jewish pietistic movements. The book distinguishes the “First” Chassidim mentioned in the Talmud from the “New” Chassidism founded by the Baal Shem Tov in 18th-century Eastern Europe.
Chesed חסד
“Love” or “Kindness” — the fourth of the Ten Sefirot, the right side, the path to “ONE as All.” Corresponds to the letter Bet and to Sunday.
Chochmah חכמה
“Wisdom” — one of the Ten Sefirot, and the attribute connected with the Divine Name Ya-H. Described as the first point of creation, containing the whole in potentiality.
Da’at דעת
“Knowledge” or a stabilized, settled quality of mind. Associated with the Dalet posture.
Dalet ד
A Hebrew letter meaning “gate.” The double letter practiced on Tuesday, connected to the sefirah of Tiferet. See the Dalet posture.
Dibur דיבור
“Speech” — connected with the letter Dalet and the quality of a stabilized mind (da’at).
Elohim אלהים
A Hebrew Name of God, used in the Genesis creation narrative.
Eyn Sof אין סוף
Literally “the endless” — the highest, unknowable level of God, referenced in the Background Material chapter’s comparison of Hebrew and Sanskrit roots.
Gevurah גבורה
“Courage” or “Might” — the fifth of the Ten Sefirot, the left side, the path to “ONE as Unique.” Corresponds to the letter Gimel and to Monday.
Gimel ג
A Hebrew letter meaning “gracious giving.” The double letter practiced on Monday, connected to the sefirah of Gevurah. See the Gimel posture.
Halleluyah / Hallelu-Ya-H הללויה
“Praise Ya-H (God)” — from the final verse of the Book of Psalms, the source-verse for Ophanim’s breathing and mental vocalizing practice.
Heh ה
A Hebrew letter symbolic of the feminine and of breath. The elemental letter for the month of Nisan, with standing and moving forms. See the Heh posture.
Het ח
A Hebrew letter meaning vitality. The elemental letter for the month of Tammuz. See the Het posture.
Hitbodedut התבודדות
A traditional Jewish practice of solitary, spontaneous prayer and meditation; the standard term for this form of meditation, referenced in the Background Material chapter’s Hebrew–Sanskrit comparisons.
Hiyut חיות
Vitality or life-energy. The 10/5 breathing technique is described as the key to renewing one’s hiyut.
Hod הוד
“Praise” or “Beauty/Splendor” — the eighth of the Ten Sefirot. Corresponds to the letter Peh and to Thursday.
Kabbalah / Kabalah קבלה
The Jewish mystical tradition. Ophanim is presented as a physical, embodied practice aligned with Kabbalistic teaching, though no prior study of Kabbalah is required to benefit from it.
Keter כתר
“Crown” — the highest of the Ten Sefirot, corresponding to the letter Aleph and to the skull and the space around it.
Khaf כ
A Hebrew letter. The double letter practiced on Wednesday, connected to the sefirah of Netzach. See the Khaf posture.
Kohanim כהנים
Priests. Referenced in the description of the Jewish people as intended to be “a nation of Kohanim” and prophets.
Kuf ק
The last of the twelve elemental letters, connected to Malchut. The elemental letter for the month of Adar. See the Kuf posture.
Lamed ל
A Hebrew letter meaning “learning.” The elemental letter for the month of Tishrei. See the Lamed posture.
Malchut מלכות
“Kingdom” — the tenth and final Sefirah, the feminine attribute, “Mother of all living.” Corresponds to the letter Tav and to Shabbat.
Mem מ
A Hebrew letter; the “mother” letter of the sitting postures in Ophanim, associated with the water element and the lower abdomen. See the Mem posture.
Mem Sofit ם
The “final” form of Mem; the first of the Five Strengths, practiced every day. See the Mem Sofit posture.
Merkavah מרכבה
The divine “chariot” seen in the Prophet Ezekiel’s vision. The Ophanim (wheels) are described as the lowest, interfacing level of the Merkavah’s spiritual hierarchy.
Na’aseh V’nishma נעשה ונשמע
“We will do and we will understand” — a Torah principle cited as the basis for this book’s practice-first approach: understanding follows experience.
Nahash נחש
“Snake” — an image connected with the letter Nun.
Nefesh נפש
The most external of the three levels of the soul in Jewish teaching: soul, life, mind, breath, self. Refers to the physical body, everyday awareness, and the life-energy that animates it.
Nefesh Hayyim / Nishmat Hayyim נפש חיים / נשמת חיים
“Living soul” and “breath of life” — the phrases used in Genesis for what God breathed into Adam.
Neshamah נשמה
The deepest of the three levels of the soul: the higher soul, described as “a pure spark of God.” The inner exercise is said to work at the level of neshamah.
Neshimah נשימה
“Breath.” The Midrash (Bereshit Rabba 14) reads the word neshamah (soul) in Psalm 150 as neshimah (breath), yielding the teaching that “with each breath we need to praise God.”
Netzach נצח
“Eternal Triumph” or “Victory” — the seventh of the Ten Sefirot, the root of Time. Corresponds to the letter Khaf and to Wednesday.
Nun נ
A Hebrew letter connected with Malchut-Kingdom and the image of the snake (nahash). The elemental letter for the month of Heshvan. See the Nun posture.
Nun Sofit ן
The “final” form of Nun, one of the Five Strengths, practiced in the month of Heshvan — a forearm-stand inversion, also called “the fish” or “the snake.” See the Nun Sofit posture.
Ophan / Ophanim אופן / אופנים
“Wheel” or “circle” (singular: ophan); by extension, “Angels of Form.” In Ezekiel’s vision of the Merkavah, the Ophanim are the wheels — the lowest level of the divine chariot, interfacing between the spiritual and physical worlds. The practice takes its name from this concept.
Peh פ
A Hebrew letter meaning “mouth.” The double letter practiced on Thursday, connected to the sefirah of Hod, once known as the “Prophetic Position.” See the Peh posture.
Peh Sofit ף
The “final” form of Peh, one of the Five Strengths, practiced on Thursdays. See the Peh Sofit posture.
Resh ר
A Hebrew letter meaning “the head.” The double letter practiced on Friday, connected to the sefirah of Yesod. See the Resh posture.
Ruach רוח
The middle of the three levels of the soul: “spirit” or wind, associated with communication, speech, and emotion. Ruach is described as bridging the neshamah and the nefesh.
Ruach HaKodesh רוח הקודש
“Holy spirit” — the aspect of ruach connected to inspiration and the feeling of God-within.
Samech ס
A Hebrew letter meaning “support.” The elemental letter for the month of Kislev. See the Samech posture.
Sefer HaZohar / Zohar ספר הזהר
“Book of Splendor” — the central and most important text of Kabbalah, a mystical commentary on the Torah, quoted extensively in this book’s epigraphs.
Sefer Yetzirah / Sefer Yetzira ספר יצירה
“Book of Creation” or “Book of Formation” — the earliest known text of Kabbalah, traditionally ascribed to the Patriarch Avraham. It describes the 22 Hebrew letters (three mothers, seven doubles, twelve simples) as the building blocks of creation, and is the direct structural basis for the Ophanim system of postures.
Sefirot / Sefirah / Sefira ספירות / ספירה
The Ten Sefirot are the conceptual stages or emanations through which, in Kabbalistic teaching, a transcendent God brings about the created world — often diagrammed as the “Tree of Life” and mapped onto the human body. Each Ophanim letter-posture is associated with a particular configuration of the sefirot within the body. See the full list in Background Material.
Shekinah שכינה
The indwelling Divine Presence, referenced in the Zohar epigraphs as rising through the name “Ya-H.”
Shin ש
A Hebrew letter; the “mother” letter of the one-legged postures in Ophanim, associated with the fire element and the head area. See the Shin posture.
Sofit סופית
“Final” — the special written form taken by five Hebrew letters (Mem, Nun, Tzadi, Peh, Khaf) when they fall at the end of a word. In Ophanim these five “final letters” (sofiot) are a distinct group of postures, the “Five Strengths.”
Tav ת
A Hebrew letter meaning “sign.” The double letter practiced on Shabbat, connected to the sefirah of Malchut. See the Tav posture.
Tiferet תפארת
“Beauty” or “Harmony” — one of the Ten Sefirot, associated with the torso and with the direction east, which practitioners are instructed to face during postures.
Tzadi צ
A Hebrew letter connected with the attribute of Yesod-Foundation. The elemental letter for the month of Shevat. See the Tzadi posture.
Tzadi Sofit ץ
The “final” form of Tzadi, one of the Five Strengths — an advanced handstand posture. See the Tzadi Sofit posture.
Tzadik צדיק
“Righteous one” — the traditional name for the letter Tzadi.
Ya-H / YaH יה
A Divine Name, the short two-letter form (Yud-Heh) of the Tetragrammaton. Central to Ophanim’s inner exercise: the numerical values of Yud (10) and Heh (5) give the “10/5” breathing rhythm, and the name is mentally vocalized on every breath.
Yesod יסוד
“Foundation” — the ninth of the Ten Sefirot, the root of Being. Corresponds to the letter Resh and to Friday.
Yichud יחוד
“Unification.” The Hebrew term the book uses to explain the true sense in which Ophanim can be called a Jewish “yoga” — a practice that unifies the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical.
Yishuv Hada’at ישוב הדעת
“Stabilizing the mind” — described as the basic definition and initial aim of Jewish meditation: a state of mind that is settled, awake, clear, relaxed, and renewed.
Yud י
The smallest Hebrew letter, root of all other letter-shapes. The elemental letter for the month of Elul, with sitting and moving forms. See the Yud posture.
Zahzahot זהזהות
“Splendor” (Isaiah 58:11), quoted in the Zohar passage on the nefesh being illumined by the neshamah and ruach.
Zayin ז
A Hebrew letter meaning “weapon” — man’s true weapon being prayer. The elemental letter for the month of Sivan. See the Zayin posture.