The Hamsa is a very interesting symbol used in both Islamic and Jewish culture.
Most commonly, the Hamsa is in the form of a hand with five fingers extended. There is, however, the only Cohanim Hamsa. In this position, the index and ring fingers meet on one side, and the ring finger and little finger meet on the other side. This forms the Hebrew letter “shin” and is the position of Cohen’s fingers when he blesses the congregation.
The name “Hamsa” (“Hansa” in Sanskrit or “Al Khamsa” in Arabic) comes from the Semitic root of five, and is a very old symbol in the Middle East. Although an ancient symbol, the Hamsa is still popular today and is believed to possess magical powers of protection, happiness, and prosperity.
Some say that the Jews were the first to adopt the use of the Hamsa, as a protective amulet against the evil eye. Jewish tradition sometimes calls Hamsa the Hand of Miriam, referring to Miriam, the sister of Moses, or more generally it is called the Hand of God.
The Hamsa hand is also a popular talisman among Muslims, who call it the Hand of Fatima, in reference to the daughter of Muhammad. For Muslims, Hamsa sometimes refers to the five pillars of Islam.
The Hamsa (also spelled “Chamsa” or “Khamsa”) is a very versatile symbol and can be worn as a pendant, used to hang on a wall, or sometimes even placed on a car for good luck and happiness. protection against evil.
When deciding where to hang a Hamsa you may find many answers, but the truth is that it goes according to your feelings. Hang the Hamsa where you need its success powers or where you want its defense powers. In addition to being worn as jewelry on your body, the Hamsa can be used as a wall decoration in your bedroom or living room, or you can hang it in your kitchen where everyone would get hurt, or under your car mirror, to bring good fortune and prosperity. .
As to whether it is appropriate to wear Hamsa with fingers pointing up or down, it depends on whether you want protection against the evil eye or for luck and success. With the fingers pointing upwards, the Hamsa symbolizes a “stop sign” for the adversary, in other words, for protection. With the fingers pointing downwards, the Hamsa symbolizes the goodness and blessings of God that descend towards the wearer or the room where he is hung. The interpretation of the Hamsa is for the individual who possesses it.
For those interested in numerology, the word “Hamsa” means five, which is a prime number. The number five is a powerful number that symbolizes protection, power, and good fortune. The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “hey”, which means “Adonai” (God). The word “yad” (Hebrew for “hand”, the form of Hamsa) has the number 14. If you take the number 14 and see it as 1 plus 4, it equals 5, the number of Adonai.
In Chinese philosophy, the number five symbolizes the five senses, the five basic colors and the five elemental activities: Earth, Fire, Metal, Water and Wood, and is linked to the “sefira” Geburah, on the tree of life ( Cabala). .
The number five is also represented in the Pentagram (five-pointed star) and is an emblem of defense (The Pentagon).
The Pentagon in Washington, DC is a well-known five-sided pentagon-shaped building. The Pentagon was designed to house the War Department around the time the United States entered World War II. Since its construction, the Pentagon has been a symbol of power and defense for the United States and its allies.
From this article we can learn about Hamsa and the connection between the Hamsa hand, the Hand of God, the pentagram, the Pentagon and the Seal of Solomon. They are all symbols of the number five, symbol of power, protection and success.