JOT AND TITTLE. The force of these ex pressions, which are usecl figuratively in Scripture (Matt. v. IS ; Luke xvi. 17) to represent the minutest part, will be seen when their form and proverbial use among the rabbins are described. La; or Yod, which is the proper meaning of '1(7)ra, being the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet (4), is constantly used in the rabbinical writings to denote the smallest, or the most insignificant thing. Thus, the conscious insignificance, and yet the irnportance, of this small letter 4, is beautifully described in one of the Midrashic parables as fol lows :—` R. Josua b. Karchah said the Iod which God took from the name Sarah was divided [into two Iles], one was left for Sarah (Mr)), and the other was given to Abram when his name was changed into Abraham (CrliZlg). R. Simon b. Jachai remarked, the Iod, which was thus divided from the namc Sarai, complained before the throne of God, saying : Lord of the universe, is it because that I am the smallest of all the letters (runp 1-114111N1V) that thou hast taken me away from the name of the righteous woman ? Whereupon the Lord said, hitherto thou hast been in the name of a woman, and wast the last of the letters (41V), now thou shalt be in the name of a man, and be the first of the letters. This is it which is written, that Moses called Hosea Yoshtta a/VIM% Num. xiii. 16), putting the lod before it' (comp. Mid rash Robba and .7alkat on Gen. xvii. 5). The figurative use of the letter Zoo' to express that which is small, may also be seen from the fact, that a small city was called Iod, because this is the smallest letter of the alphabet (II"' 71)7V.:1 nrnIN2 natap Iry nry runp N'n1 comP.
Rashi on Taanit/z 21, b), and from the phrase, / saw a city come forth from a Iod' (tc 71, Nann, Kiddushin 16, b). Still more insignificant is the tittle kcpcita, or the different ornantents of the letters, called in the Talmud 1:r11-17, WV?, and ran, and cvsip, inasmuch as these ornaments are smaller even than the and form no essential part of the letter, which is complete without them. Much stress, however, has been laid upon these ornaments from time immemorial, and the Talmud specifies seven letters, each of which must be orna mented on the top with these r)11. To shew
what these ornaments are, and that they form 310 part of the letters, we shall give these seven letters, both ornamented and without the ornaments.
Other letters again have the wan, and Maimonides gives every word which is to be written with this ornament in the four passages of the Pentateuch to be enclosed in the phylacteries [PHYLACTERY], of which the following is a specimen—rntul'6 14'Th. .7'.•Tow, from this it will be seen that thc meaning of our Saviour in Matt. v. IS and Luke xvi. 17 is, that not only shall the 4, the smallest letter of the alphabet, not fail to fulfil its design in the word of God, but even the ornament, this insignificant stroke, which is smaller still both in size ancl pur pose than the shall not pass away. A striking illustration of this phrase is given in one of the Tal mudic allegories, which is as follows :—Once upon a time the Book of Deuteronomy fell down before the throne of God, and bitterly exclaimed, 0 Lord of the universe, thou host laid down in tne thy I,aw, but remember, that if the least thing is altered therein, the 'whole of it must fall. Now King Solomon labours to expunge the letter 1, for it is written, vta,a ;Ian, he shall not multiply wives to him self (Deut. xvii. 17), as by the omission of the the prohibition ceases. Whereupon the Lord answered, Solomon, and thousands like him, shall perish, but not even the tittle or ornament of the Iod shall pass away from the Law (tylst ile.n*, Jerusalem Sanhedrin 20, b). This passage iders it unnecessary to refute the opinion that Itejikiat are the little t11171S Of the strokes, the points or the corners of letters by which one letter ay-rs from another simila2- to it, which is advanced by Origen (comp. Ps. xxxiii.), T 631, ci-Totxelrap rap' ES patois, Ne-yee xez.q5 Kai To0 JAB (7 and Z), roXXiiv inzozornra 0-Cd-oPTWP, e1.13 ICCLTeL Mop ataXXcirretv i) ppaxcict Kepalct Om and has been espoused by almost all modern critics. Comp. Alenachoth 29, b ; Maimonides, Iod lia-Chezaka Ililchoth Tefillin, section ii. ; Ifilchoth Sepher Tora, section vii.—C. D. G.