My
friend and I were comparing Hamsa
necklaces the other day, and we wondered – why is it a Jewish symbol? What does
it mean? How could we be wearing something without knowing what it stands for?
Hopelessly Hung
Up on my Hamsa
Dear Hung Up,
Ah,
symbolism! For those darlings who don’t know what we are talking about, a Hamsa
looks like a funky hand. Funky, because typically the ‘thumb’ and ‘pinky’ on a
hamsa are symmetrical (the same). If you look at yours, you’ll notice they most
certainly are not! Hamsa are worn as jewelry, hung on walls, even decorate
religious books.
This
symbol can be found throughout the Middle East, and its original origins may pre-date
monotheism. However, in its present form, it would appear to come from Islam
where it is a symbol of good luck and often referred to as ‘the hand of Fatima’.
What? You say, a Jewish symbol comes from Islam? Yes dear, get over it. Things
were not always so contentious in the holy land.
The Arabic and
Hebrew words for “five” khamsa/hamesh are very similar, and where the symbol
gets its name. In Judaism it is said that the five fingers represent the Five
Books of Moses, though others say it represents the hand of God, and in kabbalistic
manuscripts it often doubles as the letter shin
standing for the first letter of the divine name Shaddai.
The hamsa is
said to protect against the ‘evil eye’, a look that brings bad fortune.
Additional protection is offered by other symbols added to the hamsa. Some
common ones are a blue eye; the letters chet-yud for chai- life; a Star of David; or fish – which are thought to be
symbols of luck themselves.
The hamsa became
more popular as interest in the Kabbala grew in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Tanta Golda
thinks it is wonderful when a symbol unites cultures, instead of separating
them! Perhaps when more of us wear them, there will indeed be peace in the
Middle East.
