Hebrew names -The letter Heh

The Hebrew letter Heh, or Hey (האות ה), is the 5th Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. It also represents the number five.

There is a special significance of the letter Heh in Judaism: It appears twice in the Hebrew name of G-d (יהוה). The letter also refers to the Five Books of Moses, which were given to the Jews by G-d in five separate voices.

The Hebrew word for light (or) is mentioned five times in the description of the first day of Creation.

Today we will learn names in Hebrew starting with the letter Heh. Enjoy!

1) Hadas (הֲדַס)-  One of Sukkot’s “four varieties”. Girl’s name.

2) Hadara(הֲדָרָה) – The name “Hadara” is derived from the word “הדר” (hadar), which means “glory” or “citrus fruits”.

3) Hillel (הִלֵּל )- The meaning of the name is (He) praised, glorified. The past tense masculine singular form of the verb לְהַלֵּל (lehalel). Hillel is the name of the father of Abdon, one of Israel’s judges. This is also the name of “Hillel the Elder”, the head of Sanhedrin in the first century C.E. Hillel is the founder of the Beit Hillel (“House of Hillel”) tradition.

4) Hagar(הָגָר)- Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maid, was Ishmael’s mother, as written in Genesis 16:15-

“תֵּלֶד הָגָר לְאַבְרָם, בֵּן; וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָם שֶׁם-בְּנוֹ אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה הָגָר, יִשְׁמָעֵאל”

“And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

5) Harela (הַרְאֵלָה)- The name “Harela” is derived from the name “Harel”. The altar in the Temple is called “harel” or “ariel”. In the Jewish tradition, Harel is one of the names of Jerusalem.