Samekh

Samekh means "support" or "to lean upon," and its shape -- a fully enclosed circle or oval -- represents God's all-encompassing protection and support. It is the only letter in the standard Hebrew alphabet that forms a complete enclosure, symbolizing the infinite, boundary-less nature of divine care. The Psalmist declares, "Somekh Hashem l'khol ha-noflim" -- God supports all who fall (Psalm 145:14) -- and this verse begins with Samekh. The circular shape of Samekh has deep mystical significance. In Kabbalah, it represents the Or Makif, the "surrounding light" -- the divine radiance that encompasses and protects from all sides. When the Israelites dwelt in sukkot (temporary booths) in the desert, they were surrounded by the Clouds of Glory, a manifestation of God's Samekh-like embrace. The sukkah itself, with its walls on all sides but an open, permeable roof, embodies the Samekh principle: protected yet still connected to heaven. The gematria of 60 connects to the "sixty mighty warriors surrounding the bed of Solomon" (Song of Songs 3:7), which the Midrash interprets as the protective forces of holiness that guard the Jewish people. Samekh, positioned after the absent Nun in Ashrei (Psalm 145), teaches that divine support comes precisely at the moment of falling -- God's circle of protection is most powerfully present when we feel most vulnerable.

Samekh is pronounced as an "S" sound, identical to the pronunciation of Sin (the left-dotted variant of Shin, שׂ). In modern Israeli Hebrew, there is no distinction in sound between Samekh and Sin, though they are different letters with different origins. When writing Samekh, it is a fully closed, rounded shape -- essentially an oval or circle. It is the only completely enclosed letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Be careful not to confuse it with final Mem (ם), which is also closed but square/rectangular rather than round. In some printed fonts, the distinction between Samekh and final Mem can be subtle, so look for the roundness versus squareness.