Page 112 - Coincidences in the Bible and in Biblical Hebrew

CHAPTER 5 “DOUBLE” AND A MESSAGE OF SYMMETRY
CHAPTER 5 “DOUBLE” AND A MESSAGE OF SYMMETRY 91 91

A nearly equivalent rule is valid for nouns that have plurals that are not typi-
cally manifested in pairs (doubles), like “weeks.” In this case, unlike in previous
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examples, the Hebrew word for the general plural of “weeks” is shvuot. However,
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“two weeks” is shvuayim. Just “days” is yamim (the regular plural); however,
two days is yomayim. 18
To sum up, the affi x -ayim is added to nouns in plural either to indicate two, or
when the objects of the noun commonly appear in pairs.
The fact that pairs most often show symmetry (like pairs of human body
organs) has been extended, in the Hebrew language, to special cases, where it is

clear that the noun in plural is not typically realized in pairs, yet symmetry is still
a most prominent feature of the objects the noun describes. For instance, though
teeth do not commonly appear in pairs (the way hands do), their arrangement in

symmetry within the mouth (for most people) indicates that the affix of -ayim
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would be adequate. This is indeed the case. While “tooth” is shen, “teeth” is
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shinayim. Thus, the -ayim has been extended, as this example demonstrates, to
include objects associated with symmetry—not necessarily symmetry of the “two”
sort.
Once we are familiar with the rules just laid down, it is perhaps instructive, and
at times amazing, to learn of some comprehensible examples and some incompre-
hensible coincidences employing -ayim for symmetry or for duality.

5.2 “Jerusalem”

The Hebrew word for the city of Jerusalem is Yerushalayim. Being aware of rules

expounded earlier, Jewish sages understood that there is something peculiar about
calling Jerusalem, the most sacred city for the Jewish people and a sacred city for
others, by a name indicative of “two.” Jewish sages therefore explained that there
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are two Jerusalems: the heavenly Jerusalem (Yerushalayim shel malah —literally,
“Jerusalem of the above”) and the earthly Jerusalem (Yerushalayim shel matah). 22

The latter, the Jerusalem of the below, is a reflection of the former, Jerusalem of
heaven, but both mutually influence one another.

5.3 “Sky”

5.3.1 Symmetries in Our Universe

The space, time, and matter of our universe are awash with symmetries. Modern
cosmology has shown that symmetries permeate the universe that we inhabit.
There are symmetries in the time-space dimensions; there are symmetries in