Be still...{part 4 - revelation continues}

Joy. 
 chedvah: spelled in Hebrew: 
 chedvah

The second letter, dalet...
dalet - door, pathway

The pictograph for Dalet looks something like a closed (hanging) tent door, whereas the classical Hebrew script (ketav Ashurit) is constructed of two lines and a corner point (or overhang) called an "ear." The bent shape of the dalet symbolizes a needy person who is bent over.

Dalet (pronounced "Dah-let") - It is the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a sort of doorway to the first three letters, which represent The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit respectively.  Dalet represents lowliness and the consciousness of possessing nothing of one's own.  I cannot help but think of the description of Jesus in Philippians 2:6-8 as I consider this letter!

Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

One of the names Jesus calls Himself is "The Door" (John 10:7; 9)

From another viewpoint, Dalet as a door, also symbolically represents the choice to open ourselves to the hope of our dreams or to remain closed off and alienated.

So, simply said, true joy comes by first, life, God's life (cheit), then comes the door, the entrance to that life, through Jesus...

and this is just the first two letters!!!

Be Still... series:
Part 1 - Be Still
Part 2 - The Catalyst
Part 3 - Rumblings of the Silence Begin
Part 4 - Revelation Continues
Part 5 - A Nail that Holds and Anchors
Part 6 - Take a Breath, Breathe in God
Part 7 - Deepest Joy

You can stop reading now or continue down to get more research...

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The above definition is the highlights of the letter as I researched it.  What follows is the complete set of notes about the letter dalet from this website:  hebrew4christians.com...because, I rarely click over on links, and if you have the inkling to read the rest of the material, it will do for you what it did for me!

Dalet wasn't AS powerful as cheit for me, but the idea of the "door" and how that relates to Jesus has totally consumed me!

1.  Mysteries of Dalet
Dalet represents lowliness and the consciousness of possessing nothing of one's own. As a door Dalet also symbolically represents the choice to open ourselves to the hope of our dreams or to remain closed off and alienated.

The corner point represents the concept of bitul or spiritual self-nullification. Practice of bitul leads to humility, the doorway to God's house, which is attained by the technique known as devekut, cleaving or clinging to God.

 2.  Dalet and the Pardes
Traditional Jewish sages identify four levels of interpretation of the Scriptures, called  (pardes), an acronym formed from:

•  - P'shat (literal meaning based on historical intent of author)
• - Remez (hint, allusion, analogy, allegory)
• - D'rash (application, exposition)
• - Sod (mystery, "deep" meaning)

Indeed the word for knowledge, (da'at), means the "door on the eye" using the ancient pictographs.
  
3.  Dalet and the Torah
There are four letters to the Name of the LORD , just as there are four components of the text of Torah, including:

•  - Otiyot (letters). The 22 medial and 5 final forms of the Hebrew consonants.
• - Nikudot (vowel marks). The vowel marks added to the text.
• - Tagin (crowns). The crowned letters for the so-called Sha'atnezgets letters: Shin, 'Ayin, Tet, Nun, Zayin, Gimmel and Tzade.
• - Ta'amim. Cantillation (or trope) marks used for chanting the Torah.

 4.  Dalet and the Names and Titles of God

God is called dayan ha'emet, the True Judge.

Yeshua the Mashiach is indeed the True Judge whom the Father has given all authority over the destinies of mankind. 

5.  Dalet and the Doorway from Judah

Yeshua the Mashiach, of course, was of the tribe of Judah. Interestingly, the name for the tribe (yehudah) contains every letter of the Sacred Name except for the letter Dalet, suggesting that the door to the LORD would come through Judah.    

6. Dalet is a Picture of Humanity in need of Yeshua

The word for religion is (dat), which means the "door of the cross" using the ancient pictographs. The Father (Aleph) sent His Son (Bet) and by means of the Holy Spirit (Gimmel) who makes appeal to the poor and needy to receive the grace of the LORD God of Israel. As Yeshua said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).