BELIEF BEYOND BORDERS
by Jeremy Chance Springfield
8/1/2025
The Word is a message delivered to man from beyond the borders of our reality. It is a supernal truth distilled into this dimension from the innermost desires of the Spirit. All creation is invigorated by the inspiration it infuses so bountifully into every single atom.
The text brims with meaning beyond comprehension in each sentence, word, and letter, and it is the believer’s privilege to wrestle with and seize the revelations inhabiting those words. With dedicated endeavor we are blessed to eventually glean eternal truths from every facet preserved for our edification.
The text brims with meaning beyond comprehension in each sentence, word, and letter, and it is the believer’s privilege to wrestle with and seize the revelations inhabiting those words. With dedicated endeavor we are blessed to eventually glean eternal truths from every facet preserved for our edification.
In this manner the text is eternally new—forever enlivening all who turn to it in earnest attempts at understanding. Endless insights are embedded into even the most elementary of information in it. A wonderful example of this effusive significance lay in the very alphabet of Scripture itself—that is, the Hebrew Alef-Beit.
In fact, the late seventh Rebbe of the Lubavitch Hasidic sect—Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson—famously reiterated this about what a believer might be able to glean and share from the most rudimentary aspect of Judaism--the alphabet:
In fact, the late seventh Rebbe of the Lubavitch Hasidic sect—Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson—famously reiterated this about what a believer might be able to glean and share from the most rudimentary aspect of Judaism--the alphabet:
The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Alef. It rather roughly corresponds to the English letter “A” if it were to be vocalized in a guttural manner. Alef is the initial letter anyone learning Hebrew would encounter.
With simplistic wisdom the Rebbe implied the concept that even the most fundamental quanta of religious information is ultimately spiritual in nature, and as such, is suffused with a supernal value worth sharing. No matter how basic the knowledge may be, eternal truths learned by a believer are of sublime worth and should be celebrated both for their exalted origin and earthly application to better mankind.
Yeshua spoke of this two millennia ago in Matthew 5:18.
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Amin! For I say to you that until it is that the heavens and the earth shall pass away, one yudh or one line shall not pass from the Instruction until all shall happen.
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Yeshua’s assertion entails everything is important in the Word. Every single letter—even the smallest of them, the yudh—has a merit surpassing its written structure, for it is vital to convey eternal truths to the heart of man.
These sentiments infer incredible spiritual insights are inherent in the Hebrew letters that await unveiling. They carry a value beyond their grammatical use and must be appreciated for that higher reality they possess.
These sentiments infer incredible spiritual insights are inherent in the Hebrew letters that await unveiling. They carry a value beyond their grammatical use and must be appreciated for that higher reality they possess.
A wonderful example of this truth is found in the Hebrew letter Lamed.
Why is this letter exceptional among the rest? It has to do with how the letter is presented in Scripture itself—that is, how it is written upon a Hebrew scroll. Hebrew Scripture must be written with ink upon parchment by a scribe, but the letters are not placed randomly upon it. Rather, the surface of the parchment is scored by a special tool known as a SARGEL, and the letters are then written essentially hanging from these lines from the top-down.
The included image shows the scored lines as subtle bright streaks across the slightly darker skin of the parchment.
In stark distinction to this aspect of Hebrew, the top of the letter Lamed extends above the scored line on the parchment. It is the only letter of the Alef-Beit with this feature, as the small protrusions on some of the other letters are actually embellishments and not considered fundamentally part of a letter.
This simple facet of Lamed’s form holds an important spiritual truth. To appreciate that aspect, however, the letter needs to be defined a little more so its presentation will make sense.
It must be understood that each letter of the Hebrew Alef-Beit is itself also a word.
The word-form of the letter Lamed is thus LAMAD and means “to learn.”
The word-form of the letter Lamed is thus LAMAD and means “to learn.”
Therefore, every appearance of the letter Lamed in the text is a reminder that there is always more to learn as we strive to grasp the message proclaimed in Scripture. Although the text never changes, the message is alive and resonates with the believer afresh with each new encounter in the Word.
Returning to the unique structure of the letter Lamed, whose head reaches up above the scored line in the parchment, we can take this notion of its core concept of “to learn” and apply it properly: Our learning must transcend the borders of what is contained in the text itself.
Returning to the unique structure of the letter Lamed, whose head reaches up above the scored line in the parchment, we can take this notion of its core concept of “to learn” and apply it properly: Our learning must transcend the borders of what is contained in the text itself.
This conclusion may perhaps seem odd, but it is validated by Scripture itself. What we learn by the text of Scripture is the introductory application of eternal truth. The commandments are the forefront of infinite wisdom—the border of a greater realm that exists beyond all our mortal experience.
The words of Psalm 119:18 reflect this gateway to the marvel inherent in the Torah.
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You must unveil my eyes and I shall behold wonders from Your Torah!
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The psalmist’s sentiment reveals that unless divine help blesses us we will not perceive the greater meaning instilled in the Word. A transcendent teaching is therefore at the core of the commandments of which we only perceive in part under normal circumstances.
Note the initial Hebrew phrase here: GAL EINAI “You must unveil my eyes.”
Since Scripture does not inform us as to how we are to read the text, it is possible to approach the phrase in a very different way. The initial letter of the word GAL is Gimel and has the numeric value of 3. The next letter is Lamed. The term GAL can thus be read as “3 Lameds.” The term EINAI can be translated variously as “eyes,” “sight,” or “seen.” Therefore, a possible rendering of the Hebrew phrase could just as well be “3 Lameds seen.”
If viewed in this manner, the question is naturally--What does this mean?
Well, how many Lameds are seen in the Torah?
The Torah itself is composed of 304,805 letters, and 21,570 of them consist of Lameds.
Well, how many Lameds are seen in the Torah?
The Torah itself is composed of 304,805 letters, and 21,570 of them consist of Lameds.
What significance is there to then be found in reading the Hebrew phrase GAL EINAI alternatively as “3 Lameds seen?”
The answer involves factoring in yet another curious aspect of the Hebrew text of Scripture.
The answer involves factoring in yet another curious aspect of the Hebrew text of Scripture.
Typically, all Hebrew letters are written without uppercase or lowercase forms—they are essentially presented in a standardized size. However, there are special instances preserved from tradition where the scribe is expected to write a specific letter in an enlarged form in the scroll. These letters are referred to as OTIOT RABATI “large letters.”
Sometimes these letters may come at the beginning of a book, but usually they are scattered in the middle of a word without any discernible reason as to why.
Now, concerning the letter Lamed, there are only three passages in the Torah where the scribe is traditionally allowed to write the letter large! Knowing this piece of information allows us to appreciate the alternative reading from the Psalm above as “3 Lameds seen.”
Those three passages are as follows.
And the gecko, and the chameleon, and the reptile, and the millipede, and the salamander. ~ Leviticus 11:30
For [the] sons of Shim’on—their generations—for their families, for [the] house of their fathers—those reckoned of them by [the] numbering of [the] names for their skulls—every male from a son of twenty years and above—all going forth [as] a legion: ~ Numbers 1:22
And YHWH uprooted them from upon their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great splintering, and hurled them to another land, as it is this day. ~ Deuteronomy 29:27 (28 in some versions)
Depending on which tradition the scribe is following, all three letters may or may not be found in a single scribe’s work. However, it is significant to admit that these are the only three possible instances where an enlarged Lamed can be seen in a Torah scroll. In those moments the letter Lamed—which already ascends beyond the border of the acceptable letter positions—is seen to reach even further in that very rare presentation. It visually leaps off the scroll to signal to the reader to not be satisfied with only the traditional reading of the term in which it is found, but to yearn for what greater truths the Spirit may be conveying by its presence in the text. This hints at the unbounded nature of the spiritual side of the Torah which we are to endeavor to learn in addition to the immediately recognizable application as written in ink.
The original scribal purpose for the presence of the enlarged Lamed in the text is not preserved, but one can propose a possible intent based on the surrounding context.
The Leviticus passages mentions what is forbidden to us as food. No explanation exists as to why these are not acceptable, but we know a supernal wisdom dictates their prohibition to us. The enlarged Lamed reminds us some truths are beyond our reach if reasoning remains only in this earthly realm.
The Numbers passage mentions the individual worth of each person in Israel. The term in which it appears—LEGULGELOTAM “for their skulls”—is only used also for the tribe of Reuben in 1:20, but apart from these, it is omitted for other tribes. The enlarged Lamed reminds us each person has a value to the Creator that is not always revealed in the plan of the Most High.
The Deuteronomy passage mentions divine judgment upon the people. The enlarged Lamed reminds us that while the type and duration of divine punishment is not always immediately clear, the justice and mercy of the Holy One exists within it if we will strive to discern those higher matters.
Therefore, if the passage from Psalm 119 is viewed in this manner, then it is telling us that our perception of the spiritual meaning of the three enlarged Lameds is a gateway to seeing much more amazing aspects in the Word than an otherwise straightforward reading might yield. A multiverse of meaning--like galaxies without number--imbues the ink of the Torah scroll if we can only perceive it with spiritual eyes!
The Numbers passage mentions the individual worth of each person in Israel. The term in which it appears—LEGULGELOTAM “for their skulls”—is only used also for the tribe of Reuben in 1:20, but apart from these, it is omitted for other tribes. The enlarged Lamed reminds us each person has a value to the Creator that is not always revealed in the plan of the Most High.
The Deuteronomy passage mentions divine judgment upon the people. The enlarged Lamed reminds us that while the type and duration of divine punishment is not always immediately clear, the justice and mercy of the Holy One exists within it if we will strive to discern those higher matters.
Therefore, if the passage from Psalm 119 is viewed in this manner, then it is telling us that our perception of the spiritual meaning of the three enlarged Lameds is a gateway to seeing much more amazing aspects in the Word than an otherwise straightforward reading might yield. A multiverse of meaning--like galaxies without number--imbues the ink of the Torah scroll if we can only perceive it with spiritual eyes!
In fact, later in the same psalm is found another feature of the letter Lamed that similarly portrays this concept. To appreciate this, it needs to be understood that the entirety of Psalm 119 is an acrostic based on the Hebrew Alef-Beit. It is composed of 176 verses that are divided into twenty-two stanzas that begin with a corresponding letter of the Hebrew Alef-Beit. Each stanza has eight verses beginning with that corresponding letter. Therefore, the first eight verses of Psalm 119 begin with the letter Alef, the next eight verses begin with the letter Beit, the next eight verses begin with the letter Gimel, and so on and so forth.
Psalm 119:89 is the first verse to begin with the letter Lamed. Consider now its contents.
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Forever, YHWH, Your Word stands in [the] heavens.
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This seemingly simple statement actually affirms what has been proposed in this study: His Word is supernal—a heavenly source of information given to man. It is our supreme honor to explore it and strive to understand the text written in ink and the higher intent of the Spirit behind it.
The stanza of Lamed ends with Psalm 119:96.
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To all perfection I have seen a border, [but] Your commandment is very broad!
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The final stanza of Lamed essentially reiterates the initial idea: the loftiness of His Word is without end. Although a limit exists even to perfect things, no border can be discerned for the Creator’s exalted intent in the written text—it is an infinite sentiment of the Spirit.
This reflects the character of the One responsible for that information: the Creator is without end Himself—the only and infinite entity interpenetrating and surpassing all existence. Nothing is hidden from Him nor escapes His Presence: He surrounds and fills all existence.
This reflects the character of the One responsible for that information: the Creator is without end Himself—the only and infinite entity interpenetrating and surpassing all existence. Nothing is hidden from Him nor escapes His Presence: He surrounds and fills all existence.
In fact, a traditional Hebrew title in Jewish writings for this most exalted concept of the Creator is EIN SOF, which literally translates as “NO BORDER.”
This unique title arises from reading a Scriptural passage in a unique manner, which is found in Psalm 121:1.
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I raise my eyes unto the mountains; from where comes my help?
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The phrase "from where" is the Hebrew MEI'AYIN, but it is spelled identically to MEI'EIN "from nothing." The result is that it could be read that "Nothing / No" is a title for the Creator, from whom the help obviously comes, as the subsequent verse makes clear. The mountains upon the horizon form the "borders" of the earth from a visual perspective, but the Creator is not confined to the boundaries of the physical. He is thus EIN SOF "No Border."
The text of Scripture is therefore a reflection of that divine truth of His EIN SOF transcendent nature. It comes to man from the summit of the Spirit and we are encouraged to pursue that higher origin that is distilled into the ink of the scroll.
This idea is expressed in the sentiment of Paul in 2nd Corinthians 3:6.
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[It is the Deity] who has merited us to be ministers of the New Covenant—not by the text, but rather, by the Spirit, for the text kills, yet the Spirit enlivens. |
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If a believer is content only to observe what is preserved in the text he will eventually find it is unfit for the intended purpose of mankind--eternal life with the Creator. Rather, the text is the gateway to a lofty relationship with the Holy One, and when used correctly to advance in our spiritual journey towards the Creator, then is its spiritual Source reached and realized.
As believers in covenant with the Holy One, the ultimate union is found in the “New Covenant,” which will be shown to provide the highest of meanings of all the preceding covenants—building upon them and revealing their true and intended manifestation.
As believers in covenant with the Holy One, the ultimate union is found in the “New Covenant,” which will be shown to provide the highest of meanings of all the preceding covenants—building upon them and revealing their true and intended manifestation.
This view is presented in the words of the Midrash Talpiyot 58a.
The Midrash makes it clear that the text is eternally true and unchanging, but its degrees of meaning are inexhaustible and can never be completely mined. Messiah emphasizes this exalted reality by raising the meaning of the Word to ever-higher intents for the Most High.
This concept is alluded to originally in Isaiah 54:13.
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And all your sons shall be discipled of YHWH, and great is [the] peace of your sons! |
At that time believers will be “discipled” directly from the Creator Himself. The term in Hebrew is LIMMUDEI—which could alternatively be symbolically interpreted as “Lameds” instead of “discipled.”
The Lamed extends beyond the border of the inspired Hebrew written text, yet it does so without transgression. Rather, it transcends to teach the higher reality of the Word and the necessity to never stop seeking out eternal truths. We therefore look forward to that time when all His people exhibit that Lamed quality of reaching past the limitations of a mind of flesh and a faith made lacking by the chains of sin. At that grand time we will all be transcending our limitations and learning without hindrances the eternal truths we need for us to properly function in an everlasting Kingdom.
The concept of this extension of our efforts to know the Creator and strive for further and further experience of His reality is perhaps best appreciated with the last letter that appears in the final Hebrew word of the Torah, as found in Deuteronomy 34:12, in the term YISRAEL "Israel."
The concept of this extension of our efforts to know the Creator and strive for further and further experience of His reality is perhaps best appreciated with the last letter that appears in the final Hebrew word of the Torah, as found in Deuteronomy 34:12, in the term YISRAEL "Israel."
The final letter written in a Torah scroll is Lamed. It rises above the line into uncharted areas, a signal that the people of the Holy One must reach above what is known and beyond the boundaries of what is comfortable to continue our journey of faith towards the sublime character and exalted Presence of the Most High. The end of the text is therefore a call to keep going in a never-ending effort to know Him.
The believer is thus forever tasked with experiencing the higher calling of our walk: to seek out our Creator with everlasting diligence, never satisfied with the spiritual level at which we currently inhabit but knowing instead that our belief is meant to reach beyond all borders and into the very heart of the Holy One.
All study contents Copyright Jeremy Chance Springfield, except for graphics and images, which are Copyright their respective creators.