Chai (symbol)

"Living" in Hebrew

Chai or Hai ([[wikt:חַי "living" ) is a symbol that figures prominently in modern Jewish culture; the Hebrew letters of the word are often used as a visual symbol.

According to The Jewish Daily Forward, its use as an amulet originates in 18th century Eastern Europe. Chai as a symbol goes back to medieval Spain. Letters as symbols in Jewish culture go back to the earliest Jewish roots, the Talmud states that the world was created from Hebrew letters which form verses of the Torah. In medieval Kabbalah, Chai is the lowest (closest to the physical plane) emanation of God. According to 16th century Greek rabbi Shlomo Hacohen Soloniki, in his commentary on the Zohar, Chai as a symbol has its linkage in the Kabbalah texts to God's attribute of 'Ratzon', or motivation, will, muse. The Jewish commentaries give an especially long treatment to certain verses in the Torah with the word as their central theme. Three examples are Leviticus 18:5 וָחַי בָּהֶם 'Chai Bahem', 'and you shall live by [this faith]' (as opposed to just doing it), this is part of the section dealing with the legacy of Moses after his death. Deuteronomy 30:15 רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם, אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַטּוֹב, וְאֶת הַמָּוֶת, וְאֶת הָרָע. "Verily, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil, in that I command thee this day to love the thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances; then thou shalt live." There is nary an ancient Jewish commentator who does not comment on that verse. The Shema prayer as well speaks of the importance of Chai, to live and walk in the Jewish cultural lifestyle. Two common Jewish names used since Talmudic times, are based on this symbol, Chaya feminine, Chayim masculine. The Jewish toast (on alcoholic beverages such as wine) is l'chaim, 'to life'. It is heard in a BBC recording from April 20, 1945 of Jewish survivors of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp five days after their liberation. This was the first Sabbath ceremony openly conducted on German soil since the beginning of the war. With people still dying around them, the survivors sang what would become the Israeli national anthem, "Hatikvah". At the end of "Hatikvah", British Army Chaplain Leslie Hardman shouts out, Am Yisrael Chai! ("The people of Israel is alive!") In the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, which was held in Germany four decades after Shoah, Israel was represented with the song "Chai", performed by Ofra Haza, which includes the line Am Yisra'el chai. Several Jewish radio stations have the word in their names, including Kol Chai (Israel), Radio Jai (Argentina), and ChaiFM (South Africa).

Elvis Presley wore a chai necklace while performing toward the end of his life. Baseball star Rod Carew wore a chai necklace during his playing days; wore a chai necklace on the cover of Vibe magazine in 2010.