Appendix B
Patriarchs, Swindlers, Prophets, and Sinners: Meet 100 Torah Characters
Involving oneself in Torah study, including the commentaries (and commentaries on commentaries), is such an integral part of a Kabbalist’s life that the characters actually live among the student, guiding the way and teaching profound principles of the universe. Following is a quick rundown of these characters, including a scriptural reference to help you remember where to find them when you need to.
Note:
An asterisk (*) denotes that more than one character in Hebrew Scripture bears this name and
appears in this list.
The Torah (toe-rah): Five Books of Moses
| Name |
Hebrew Pronunciation |
Hebrew Scripture Source |
| Adam |
ah-dahm
|
Genesis 1:26 |
| Eve |
chah-vah
|
Genesis 2:18 |
| The Snake |
nah-khash
|
Genesis 3:1 |
| Cain |
kah-yin |
Genesis 4:1 |
| Abel |
heh-vel |
Genesis 4:2 |
| Noah |
no-akh |
Genesis 5:29 |
| Shem |
shem |
Genesis 5:32 |
| Ham |
kham |
Genesis 5:32 |
| Japheth |
yah-fet |
Genesis 5:32 |
| Melchizedek |
mahl-key-tseh-dek |
Genesis 14:18 |
| Abraham |
ahv-rah-ham
|
Genesis 17:5 |
| Sarah |
sah-rah
|
Genesis 17:15 |
| Lot |
lowt |
Genesis 11:31 |
| Hagar |
hah-gar
|
Genesis 16:15 |
| Eliezer* |
eh-lee-eh-zer |
Genesis 15:2 |
| Isaac |
yitz-khok
|
Genesis 17:19 |
| Rebecca |
riv-kah
|
Genesis 24:15 |
| Jacob |
ya-ah-kov
|
Genesis 27:6 |
| Jacob’s |
eeesh |
Genesis 32:25 |
| wrestling |
|
|
| partner |
|
|
| Esau |
ay-sahv
|
Genesis 27:19 |
| Amalek |
ah-mah-lake
|
Exodus 17:14 |
| Rachel |
rah-khale
|
Genesis 29:10 |
| Leah |
lay-ah
|
Genesis 30:16 |
| Bilhah |
beel-hah
|
Genesis 29:29 |
| Zilpah |
zil-pah
|
Genesis 30:9 |
| Laban |
lah-van
|
Genesis 24:29 |
| Reuben |
r-oo-vane
|
Genesis 29:32 |
| Levi |
leh-vee
|
Genesis 34:30 |
| Simeon |
sheem-own
|
Genesis 42:24 |
| Judah |
yeh-who-dah
|
Genesis 37:26 |
| Dan |
dahn |
Genesis 49:17 |
| Napthali |
naf-tah-lee
|
Genesis 30:8 |
| Gad |
gahd |
Genesis 30:11 |
| Asher |
ah-sher
|
Genesis 30:13 |
| Issachar |
yee-sah-khar
|
Genesis 30:18 |
| Zebulon |
zvoo-loon
|
Genesis 30:20 |
| Joseph |
yoh-sef
|
Genesis 37:3 |
| Benjamin |
been-yah-min
|
Genesis 43:29 |
| Dinah |
dee-nah
|
Genesis 34:1 |
| Tamar* |
tah-mar
|
Genesis 38:24 |
| Pharaoh |
pahr-owe
|
Exodus 1:22 |
| Moses |
moe-sheh
|
Exodus 5:22 |
| Miriam |
meer-yam
|
Exodus 15:20 |
| Aaron |
ah-hah-rown
|
Exodus 7:19 |
| Ziporah |
tzi-poe-rah |
Exodus 4:25 |
| Eliezer* |
eh-lee-eh-zer |
Exodus 18:4 |
| Gershom |
ger-shom
|
Exodus 6:17 |
| Caleb |
cah-lev
|
Numbers 14:24 |
| Bezalel |
beh-tzahl-ale
|
Exodus 36:1 |
| Nachshon |
nakh-shown |
Numbers 7:12 |
| Balaam |
bih-lahm
|
Numbers 22:5 |
| Balaam’s |
ah-tone
|
Numbers 22:28 |
| she-donkey |
|
|
| Phineas |
pin-khas
|
Numbers 25:7 |
| Korah |
ko-rakh |
Numbers 16:5 |
The Nevi’im (neh-vee-eem): Prophets
| Name |
Hebrew Pronunciation |
Hebrew Scripture Source |
| Joshua |
yeh-ho-shoe-ah |
Joshua 1:1 |
| Jephthah |
yif-takh
|
Judges 11:1 |
| Samson |
shim-shone
|
Judges 14:5 |
| Eli |
eh-lee
|
I Samuel 2:22 |
| Samuel |
shmoo-el
|
I Samuel 3:4 |
| Saul |
shah-ool
|
I Samuel 13:13 |
| David |
dah-veed
|
I Samuel 16:22 |
| Absalom |
av-shah-lohm
|
II Samuel 3:3 |
| Amnon |
ahm-known
|
II Samuel 13:7 |
| Tamar* |
tah-mar
|
II Samuel 13:7 |
| Uriah |
ooree-yah
|
II Samuel 11:6 |
| Bathsheba |
baht-sheh-vah |
II Samuel 12:24 |
| Solomon |
sh-lo-mo
|
I Kings 1:13 |
| Nathan |
nah-tan
|
II Samuel 7:2 |
| Obadiah |
oh-vad-yah
|
Obadiah 1:1 |
| Hosea |
ho-shay-ah |
Hosea 1:1 |
| Amos |
ah-mos
|
Amos 1:1 |
| Micah |
mee-khah
|
Micah 1:1 |
| Elijah |
eh-li-yah-hu |
I Kings 17:1 |
| Elisha |
eh-lee-sha
|
II Kings 2:2 |
| Jonah |
yo-nah
|
Jonah 1:1 |
| Isaiah |
ye-shah-yah-hu |
Isaiah 1:1 |
| Joel |
yo-el
|
Joel 1:1 |
| Nahum |
nah-khum
|
Nahum 1:1 |
| Habakkuk |
kha-vah-kuk
|
Habakkuk 1:1 |
| Zephaniah |
tz-fan-yah
|
Zephaniah 1:1 |
| Jeremiah |
yir-mi-yah-hu |
Jeremiah 1:1 |
| Ezekiel |
yeh-khez-kel
|
Ezekiel 1:3 |
| Haggai |
khah-guy
|
Haggai 1:1 |
| Zechariah |
zeh-khar-yah
|
Zechariah 1:1 |
| Malachi |
mahl-ah-khi
|
Malachi 1:1 |
| Deborah |
deh-vo-rah
|
Judges 4:5 |
| Hannah |
cha-nah
|
I Samuel 1:2 |
| Abigail |
ah-vee-gah-yil |
I Samuel 25:23 |
| Huldah |
khul-dah
|
II Chronicles 34:22 |
The Ketuvim (keh-too-veem): Writings
| Name |
Hebrew Pronunciation |
Hebrew Scripture Source |
| Job |
ee-yov
|
Job 1:1 |
| Satan |
sah-tahn
|
Job 1:8 |
| Naomi |
nah-ah-me
|
Ruth 1:2 |
| Ruth |
root |
Ruth 1:4 |
| Esther |
es-tehr
|
Esther 2:7 |
| Mordechai |
more-deh-khai
|
Esther 2:5 |
| Ahasuerus |
ah-khash-vey-rosh
|
Esther 1:1 |
| Haman |
hah-man
|
Esther 3:1 |
| Charvonah |
khar-vo-nah |
Esther 7:9 |
| Daniel |
dah-nee-yale
|
Daniel 1:6 |
| Ezra |
ez-rah
|
Ezra 7:25 |
| Nehemiah |
neh-khem-yah
|
Nehemiah 1:1 |