The Name Israel - Paperback

by Michael J. Alter (Author), Jeremy Barras (Foreword by)

Israel is a divine name. The Name Israel is a scholarly, niche project that provides its readers with an informative, meaningful, and spiritually uplifting reading experience. The purpose of The Name Israel is to investigate the name employing four levels of study (PaRDeS): peshat, remez, derash, and sod. Each level is deeper and more profound than its predecessor. This text is divided into eight chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 explore the historical name Israel and pardes (four methods of Bible interpretation). The book also presents details about the shapes and sizes of the letters, permutations of Israel, anagrams, and gematria (numerology). Additionally, it includes a discussion of the Four World system, the ten sefirot, and an overview of parshat Vayishlach (Gen 32:4-33 and Gen 35:10). Throughout, The Name Israel analyzes the first word of the Torah (Bereshit) and the creation process. Readers will be fascinated as it also delves into facts about the numbers 2, 701, 37, 73, and 541; "The end of the action was at first in thought"; unique features (and hints) of the letters forming the name Israel; and concluding remarks. Come and learn!

Author Biography

Michael J. Alter was an educator in the Miami-Dade County Public School System for over forty years. During the past thirty-plus years, he has studied and learned Torah, Kabbalah, and Jewish Spirituality with Chabad. In addition, he regularly learns Torah on Shabbos morning at Temple Beth Am, a reform congregation. He has edited numerous books and authored ten: three in the field of Jewish studies and five related to exercise science.