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In Hebrew Torah scrolls, and most printed editions, seventeen times, certain letters appear either larger or smaller than the other letters. (Hebrew doesn’t have upper or lower case letters like English.) This is most apparent in the first word of the Torah, Bereshit (translated “In the beginning” or “In the beginning of”. We’ll return to this word in a moment.

Scholars have identified three approaches on how interpretation of a verse can be impacted by these extra large or extra small letters. First is “Letter Interpretation” - based on the meaning of the letter itself. The second is “Magnification/Diminuation” - how the size of the letters increases or diminishes the meaning of the word. The third method is “Addition/Omission” - interpreting a large letter as doubled, or a small letter as omitted.

Now, back to the enlarged “BEIT” (BEIS for ashkenazi pronunication) on the first word of the Genesis (Bereshit). The Ba’al HaTurim explains that the Torah begins with “B” (BEIT) because it is associated with “BRACHA” (blessing), as opposed to the first letter “A” (ALEPH), which is associated with “ARUR” (curse). The Torah wants to begin on a pleasant note, as Mishlei (Proverbs) 3:17 states: “Its way are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace.”

Can you see here, how the Rabbi was using the “Letter Interpretation” method here? He uses the meaning of the letter to interpret the verse. He further tells us that the letter “BEIT” has the numeric value of two. (In Hebrew school, children quickly learn that each letter has a numerical value, the first 10 letters based on the sequence of the alphabet). The number two is associated with duality. If we use our imaginations, to what duality could the first verse of the Bible be referring? Perhaps of heaven and earth, or the physical world verses the spiritual world (the seen as opposed to the unseen).

It could also suggest that the creation of the physical world depends on the male and female, duality of all species. It could also allude to the positive and negative charges of protons/electrons, or the magnetic fields which complement and balance each other.

Hebrew students also know that “BEIT” is not just a letter, it is also the word for “house”. The tabernacle is called the “BEIT HA-MISHKAN” (place of dwelling), and the temple is called the “BEIT HA-MIKDASH” (place of holiness). Thus, the large “BEIT” at the beginning of Gensis can also allude to the first and second temple, which represents God dwelling among men.