Teth – Keep Your Eyes Open

You have treated Your servant well, Lord, according to Your word.  Psalm 119:65  NASB

טוֹב עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִם־עַבְדְּךָ֑ יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ

ט֚וּב טַ֣עַם וָדַ֣עַת לַמְּדֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י בְמִצְו‍ֹתֶ֣יךָ הֶֽאֱמָֽנְתִּי

טֶ֣רֶם אֶֽ֖עֱנֶה אֲנִ֣י שֹׁגֵ֑ג וְ֜עַתָּ֗ה אִמְרָֽתְךָ֥ שָׁמָֽרְתִּי

טוֹב אַתָּ֥ה וּמֵטִ֗יב לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ

טָֽפְל֚וּ עָלַ֣י שֶׁ֣קֶר זֵדִ֑ים אֲ֜נִ֗י בְּכָל־לֵ֚ב | אֶצֹּ֬ר פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ

טָפַ֣שׁ כַּחֵ֣לֶב לִבָּ֑ם אֲ֜נִ֗י תּוֹרָֽתְךָ֥ שִֽׁעֲשָֽׁעְתִּי

טֽוֹב־לִ֥י כִֽי־עֻנֵּ֑יתִי לְ֜מַ֗עַן אֶלְמַ֥ד חֻקֶּֽיךָ

ט֣וֹב לִ֖י תּ֣וֹרַת פִּ֑יךָ מֵֽאַלְפֵ֖י זָהָ֣ב וָכָֽסֶף

Well – The word is ṭôb (tov).  It means good, but here English grammar requires “well.”  English syntax also changes the word order which in Hebrew reads, “Good You have dealt with Your servant.” The acrostic requires the first word to begin with a tet, but so does the emphasis of the verse.  This is a statement about goodness.  The range of application is fairly wide.  “This root refers to ‘good’ or ‘goodness’ in its broadest senses. Five general areas of meaning can be noted: 1) practical, economic, or material good, 2) abstract goodness such as desirability, pleasantness, and beauty, 3) quality or expense, 4) moral goodness, and 5) technical philosophical good.”^[1]  All of this seems straightforward . . . until we look at the mystical meaning of tet.

Tet (ט): Snake, goodness, and concealed wisdom

Tet represents the presence of hidden wisdom within creation, waiting to be discovered. The snake, often associated with wisdom and transformation, is a symbol of this concealed knowledge. The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3) illustrates the concept of hidden wisdom, as the knowledge of good and evil is revealed through the interaction with the serpent.[2]

How does ṭôb contain hidden wisdom?  What is there about “good” that is concealed?  And how does this affect our reading of the story of the Fall?  Let’s start in Genesis.  The story of the Fall is almost always viewed as a horrible tragedy.  Nothing good came out of this sinful act.  In fact, death came upon us all and that is probably the summum bonum of evil.  But wait, isn’t the exercise of free will what makes us human?  Are we human because we have the potential to act contrary to the good, or does humanity require actually exercising that option before we are really free agents?  Furthermore, according to the Genesis story, humanity was expelled from the Garden as a result of this act, but wasn’t leaving the Garden always necessary?  Were we designed to live in blissful paradise, or were we intended to be God’s agents in the creation, bringing His will to fruition on the earth?  Is there a reason that Judaism by and large ignores the Fall while Christianity treats it was one of the fundamental elements of theology?  Finally, there’s the larger question: What is the meaning of good if there is no evil?  So, maybe there is something hidden in this story after all.  We might not have all the answers, but we do have some very good questions.

Now notice how the poet amplifies his claim.  He hasn’t just been treated well.  There are conditions on what this means.  “According to Your word” is the boundary of “good.”  Here the Hebrew term is dābār, but we shouldn’t think of this as only written words.  dābār also means speaking.  Written or spoken, the measure of what is good for me comes from God.  And that has some very interesting hidden implications.  You see, there are a lot of things that happen to me that I consider bad because I don’t recognize them coming from the hand of God.  But if I did, if I saw His hidden handiwork engineering my life in all its dimensions, perhaps my perspective would change—radically.  What do the rabbis pray?  “May my heart be so malleable that I can accept whatever You arrange for me.”

Ah, tet.  A little something hidden in that story about the snake.

Topical Index: dābār, word, speech, ṭôb (tov), good, serpent, Genesis 3, hidden, Psalm 119:65

^[1] Bowling, A. (1999). 793 טוֹב. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 345). Moody Press.

[2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mystical-symbolism-hebrew-alphabet-deeper-exploration-kevin-kull-#:~:text=Tet%20(ט)%3A%20Snake%2C%20goodness,symbol%20of%20this%20concealed%20knowledge.