ג
Gimel
Camel, to carry, lift up, giving, walking
Gimel (ג) is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and its ancient pictographic form was a camel — the 'ship of the desert' that carried people and goods across vast distances. This image of carrying and transporting gives Gimel its core spiritual meaning: generosity, lovingkindness, and the act of giving to others. In the traditional ordering of the alphabet, Gimel follows Bet and precedes Dalet. The Talmud beautifully explains this sequence: Gimel (from 'gomel,' meaning 'to give') runs toward Dalet (from 'dal,' meaning 'poor') — teaching that the generous person should actively seek out those in need rather than waiting to be asked.
How to Pronounce Gimel
Gimel makes a hard 'G' sound, like the G in 'go' or 'garden.' It never makes a soft G sound like in 'gem.'
“Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer (go'el).”
Ancient Pictographic Form
The ancient pictographic Gimel resembled a camel or a person walking/running. It evolved through Phoenician into the Greek Gamma (Γ) and the Latin C and G.
Pictograph: A camel or a foot in motion, walking
Spiritual Significance
Gimel represents the concept of gemilut chasadim — acts of lovingkindness. Its numerical value of 3 connects to the three pillars of Jewish life: Torah, worship, and deeds of kindness. The shape of Gimel is said to resemble a person running to do good deeds, with a 'foot' extended forward in motion.
Connection to Scripture
Gimel begins the word גָּאַל (ga'al, to redeem), which is central to the story of Ruth and the concept of the kinsman-redeemer — a powerful foreshadowing of Christ's redemptive work. The Garden of Eden (גַּן עֵדֶן, Gan Eden) also begins with Gimel.
Words That Begin with Gimel
Gadol
Great, big
Gan
Garden
Gevurah
Strength, heroism
Ga'al
To redeem
Goy
Nation
Modern Hebrew Usage
In modern Hebrew, Gimel appears in words like גָּדוֹל (gadol, great/big), גַּן (gan, garden), and גְּבוּרָה (gevurah, strength/heroism). The Gimel is also significant in the dreidel game played during Hanukkah, where it stands for 'gadol' (great) in the phrase 'A great miracle happened there.'
People Also Ask
What does the Hebrew letter Gimel symbolize?
Gimel symbolizes generosity, lovingkindness, and the act of giving. Its ancient pictograph was a camel (the carrier of goods), and its root 'gomel' means 'to give' or 'to bestow.' The Talmud teaches that Gimel represents the generous person who runs to help the poor (Dalet).
How do you pronounce Gimel in Hebrew?
Gimel is pronounced with a hard 'G' sound, like 'GEE-mel' (rhymes with 'camel'). The G is always hard in Hebrew, never soft like in 'gem.' Some Sephardic and Yemenite traditions may slightly soften the sound.
Fun Fact
The English word 'camel' comes from the Hebrew 'gamal' (גָּמָל), which is the same root as Gimel. The letter literally looks like a camel's hump in its ancient form!
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