ב
Bet
House, family, dwelling, inside
Bet (ב) holds the extraordinary honor of being the very first letter in the Bible. The Torah opens with 'Bereshit' (בְּרֵאשִׁית — 'In the beginning'), and Jewish sages have pondered for millennia why God chose to begin creation's story with the second letter rather than the first. The ancient pictographic form of Bet was a simple house or tent floor plan, and this meaning of 'house' permeates Hebrew thought. From 'Bethlehem' (House of Bread) to 'Bethel' (House of God), Bet creates the spaces where life, family, and the sacred dwell. Its dual pronunciation — B with a dagesh dot, V without — makes it one of the most distinctive letters to learn.
How to Pronounce Bet
Bet makes a 'B' sound when it has a dagesh (dot) inside: בּ. Without the dagesh, it makes a 'V' sound: ב. This is one of the six 'BeGaD KePhaT' letters that have dual pronunciation.
“In the beginning (Bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.”
Ancient Pictographic Form
The earliest form of Bet was a simple drawing of a house or tent seen from above — essentially a square with an opening on one side. This evolved through Phoenician script into the Greek Beta (Β) and eventually the Latin letter B.
Pictograph: A simple floor plan of a house or tent
Spiritual Significance
The sages teach that Bet was chosen to begin the Torah because it is open on one side (facing forward) and closed on three sides, symbolizing that we should focus on what is revealed to us rather than speculating about what came before creation or what lies beyond. Bet's numerical value of 2 represents duality and relationship — heaven and earth, male and female, God and humanity. The very shape of Bet suggests a container, a dwelling place for the divine presence.
Connection to Scripture
The Bible's very first word begins with Bet: בְּרֵאשִׁית (Bereshit, 'In the beginning'). The word בְּרִית (brit, covenant) — central to God's relationship with His people — also begins with Bet. Jesus was born in בֵּית לֶחֶם (Beit Lechem, Bethlehem — 'House of Bread').
Words That Begin with Bet
Bereshit
In the beginning
Bayit
House
Ben
Son
Baruch
Blessed
Brit
Covenant
Modern Hebrew Usage
In modern Hebrew, Bet appears in countless common words. בַּיִת (bayit) means 'house,' בֵּן (ben) means 'son,' and בַּת (bat) means 'daughter.' The prefix בְּ (be-) means 'in' or 'at,' making Bet one of the most frequently used letters in everyday Hebrew.
People Also Ask
Why does the Bible begin with the letter Bet?
Jewish tradition teaches that God chose Bet because its shape is open toward the text that follows (reading right to left) and closed on three sides, teaching us to focus on what God has revealed rather than speculate about what came before. Bet also means 'house,' suggesting that creation is God building a dwelling place.
What is the difference between Bet and Vet in Hebrew?
Bet (בּ) and Vet (ב) are the same letter with different pronunciations. When Bet has a dagesh (a dot inside), it's pronounced as a hard 'B' sound. Without the dagesh, it's pronounced as a 'V' sound (called Vet). This dual pronunciation is part of the BeGaD KePhaT group of letters.
Fun Fact
The word 'alphabet' comes from the first two Hebrew letters: Aleph + Bet = Alphabet. The Hebrew word for alphabet is 'aleph-bet' (אָלֶף-בֵּית), which literally means 'ox-house' in its pictographic origins.
Learn the Hebrew Alphabet Step by Step
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