TIL - The Spock hand gesture has a Jewish origination

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Gene Roddenberry’s mission for Star Trek was always to tell stories that included elements from a diversity of cultures, be they alien or of Earth. When Leonard Nimoy had an idea for a Vulcan greeting, Roddenberry let him bring along a piece of his culture. Nimoy introduced the hand sign of the Kohanim Jewish blessing, which would become the Vulcan salute.

In a project for the Yiddish Book Center, Nimoy recounted the story of the first Star Trek episode where Spock visits the planet Vulcan in the Season 2 premiere, "Amok Time." Spock was to visit his home planet to be married, and it would be the first time another Vulcan would be seen on-screen. After considering the the greetings people have across cultures, Nimoy thought the Vulcans should have their own.

Though most of us immediately recognize the salute as the Vulcan greeting, its true origin comes directly from the Torah. It represents the Jewish Priestly Blessing of the descendants of Aaron. Aaron is the Jewish High Priest, and the sons of Aaron are Priests, or the Kohanim.

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I chatted with Rabbi Morrison of Beth Emeth Synagogue in Toronto, Ontario, an expert on both Judaism and “nerd TV culture,” who told me more about the origin of the salute. “When the Kohanim do the Priestly Blessing, they take their two hands and bring the thumbs together and it’s like the ‘Live Long and Prosper’ sign.”

The version in the blessing differs slightly, Rabbi Morrison continued, “[Spock] only does it on the show with the one hand, but the Kohanim, when they do the blessing, take the two hands, connect the thumbs to make the Hebrew letter 'Shin.'” Shin is the first letter of Shaddai, one of the names given to G-d in the Torah. [Writer's Note: As Jews, we are not to type, write, or say the word for god — capitalized — unless in an in-context blessing.]

The hand sign is done during the performance of the blessing by the Kohanim who stand at the front of the sanctuary and bless the congregation. Historically, this was done daily in the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Temple, when it stood in Jerusalem. “You needed the Kohanim and their officiating to be able to fulfill certain Jewish practices,” Morrison said, “Now, the blessing is done ‘symbolically’ by the Kohanim daily in Israel, and outside during festivals.”

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