Resh

Resh means "head" (rosh) and represents beginning, leadership, and the capacity for thought. "Rosh" is the word used for the head of a person, the head of the year (Rosh Hashanah), and the head of a community (rosh kehilah). Resh teaches that everything begins with the head -- with thought, intention, and vision. Before any action can be taken, the mind must conceive it. Before any journey can begin, the head must turn in the right direction. The Talmud (Shabbat 104a) contrasts Resh with Shin: Resh represents the "rasha" (wicked person) while Shin represents "sheker" (falsehood). But the sages add that even the rasha can return -- the head (resh) can turn, reorienting toward truth. This interpretation carries both a warning and a hope: the same faculty of mind that can lead a person astray can also lead them back. Resh is the letter of teshuvah through intellectual awakening, the recognition that one has been looking in the wrong direction. The shape of Resh -- a single horizontal stroke with a vertical descent, like an incomplete Dalet -- suggests a person bowing their head. The Kabbalists connect this to the idea that true leadership requires the ability to bow, to recognize a higher authority. A head that cannot bow is a head disconnected from its source. The gematria of 200 doubles the power of Qof's 100, suggesting that the head carries a doubled measure of sacred responsibility.

Resh is pronounced as an "R" sound, but the Hebrew R is quite different from the English R. In modern Israeli Hebrew, it is typically a uvular sound (produced in the back of the throat, similar to the French R) rather than the retroflex R common in English. Some speakers produce it as a gentle tap or trill. The Israeli pronunciation is closer to the French or German R. When writing Resh, it looks very similar to Dalet (ד) -- both have a horizontal top and a descending right side. The critical difference is that Resh has a rounded corner at the top right, while Dalet has a sharp, angular corner (and sometimes a small serif or extension). In Torah scrolling, confusing these two letters is a serious concern, so scribes are trained to make the distinction clear.