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In Hebrew it is called the hamsah or hamesh which means "five", and for Jews this refers to the five books of the Torah, which in bound form is referred to as the Chumash or Humash, and corresponds to the five fingers. Five is an important number as it is represented by the fifth letter Heh, which can represent the sacred tetragrammaton as a unigram. It is alternately called the Natzar in Hebrew, Natar in Aramaic, and Nazar in Arabic, which means "watcher" or "keeper" and corresponds to the eye, and carries the semantics of protection, guarding, observation, keeping, safety, yeilding, etc. (This is not to be confused with the sun symbol of the all seeing eye.) The five fingers and the eye together symbolize the observance of the Torah and the keeping of its commandments.
The symbol naturally implies "stop" to those who would do harm or violence, it says, "this is a protected zone" or "peace and security" and "remember to be kind". Many interpret it to mean the eye of God is watching over, and His mighty hand will protect. For Natzraya it also reminds us of the need for co-operation and community as the eye and hand work together.
"Now there are many members but there is one body. The eye can not say to the hand, 'I do not need you'...so that there would not be division in the body but rather all members of the body should care equally one for another." - 1 Corinthians 12:21
Design
You will rarely see the palm or the eye without the other, but together is proper. The palm is often shown as perfectly symmetrical indicating neither left or right hand perhaps recalling Debarim (Deuteronomy) 5:32. Asymmetrical designs typically show the right hand for strength recalling Mazmura (Psalm) 17:7. The colour is ideally ultramarine or lapis lazuli representing the heavenly origin, especially in the eye. The 'fingers up' position emphasizes protection, peace, life and when pointing down emphasizes blessings, providence, and assistance. Sometimes other symbols with similar meaning are added as ornaments such as little fish or a chai.
Evil eye vs. Good Eye
"Be careful you do not manifest a thought of evil in your heart and say, Since the year of release is approaching, the seventh year, and you have an evil eye against your poor brother and do not loan to him, and he calls to YHWH and it becomes a sin against you. But give to him and your heart will not be evil when you give to him because of this precept, for יהוה your Almighty will bless you in all your work and in everything you develop. For the poor will never disappear from the land, therefore I command you this, I declare that you open your hand to your poor brother and the disabled people who are in the land." - Debarim (Deuteronomy) 15:9-11
The concept recognizes two possible reactions when one encounters a beggar or person in need. You might look away, closing your eye to their needs, and therefore closing your hand which is denying them the aid you might give. Or some may actively glare with contempt, jealously, and wish to do harm and curse them. This is called having an "evil eye" or ayin hara in Hebrew. On the other hand, those who are good will see the need and open their hand to help thus having a "good eye" or ayin tova in Hebrew, commonly expressed in Yiddish as knayna hara "without the evil eye". Thus this symbol has come to represent the opposite of the evil eye, and represents providence, blessing, and assistance, by acknowledging the need and taking action.
See also Debarim (Deuteronomy) 28:54-56, Matlea (Proverbs) 23:6, 28:22, Matay 6:3, 20:15, Marqos 7:22Evolution of Glyphs
The
symbol is actually the combination of two Hebrew letters kap and ayin.
In Hebrew kap means "palm", and ayin
means "eye". In ancient script these characters looked more like
icons of a hand and eye unlike their more symbolic modern form. English
inherited these characters which became the letters K and O.
| Kap Icon | Middle script | Late script | Modern script |
 ca. 1500 b.c.e. |  ca. 1000 b.c.e. |  ca. 100 b.c.e. |  ca. 1000 c.e. |
| Ayin Icon | Middle script | Late script | Modern script |
 ca. 1500 b.c.e. |  ca. 1000 b.c.e. |  ca. 100 b.c.e. |  ca. 1000 c.e. |
Equivalent Symbols
Hebrew letters also represent numbers. kap = 20 and ayin = 70. Combined they total 90, which makes it numerically equivalent to the tzade. The tzade is the 18th letter, and 18 is associated with life. The Chai which means "life" is composed of het and yod which combined has a numerical total of 18. This is why it is sometimes included in the design. Positionally, kap is the 11th letter and ayin is the 16th totalling 27, which is the gematric value of אחחי meaning "brotherhood".
Another symbol that amounts to 90 is the samech (the hedge of thorns) lamed (the staff) which spells sal (basket). All three are symbols of protection and guarding. The "Hand of Miriam" recalls her role as Moses' guardian, as it was she who watched over the basket that she placed in the "waters" or in Hebrew mayim = 90. There is also a possible connection the hand gesture of made by Aaron and the cohanim when giving the priestly blessing over the children of Israel.
Muslims adapted the symbol to their faith calling it by the Arabic cognate Hamsa, so that the five fingers represent the five pillars of Islam for Sunnis and the Five People of the Cloak for Shi'ites. They also give it an alternative name, the "Hand of Fatima", which recalls her great charity in her poverty.
The symbol can be found right around the world from ancient cultures in the Americas among the Haida people of the Queen Charlotte Islands, the northern Yupik, and the western Modoc who connected it to Kumush, to the middle east Catalhuyoki people, all the way to the far east where it was called the Ahimsa. Crossculturally the meaning and name doesn't change much, even over vast distances and periods of time which suggests a common ancient source for this tradition.
Origin of the Symbol
Although the symbol is very ancient and no one can claim with absolute certainty where it originated, the Torah perhaps gives us a clue. Qæyïn (Cain) is portrayed as the full embodiment of the evil eye, to the point where he murders his brother Habeyl (Abel). To prevent a cycle of revenge, YHWH places a symbol upon Qæyïn so that anyone who saw it would not harm him. It was a sign of a covenant that YHWH would guard and keep him. This is the first account of a symbol of protection. The Aramaic word ata, for symbol or sign, can also be translated as "letters". As to what icons or letters they were is a matter of speculation, however they had to be universally recognizable to all people so that it would invoke a predictable response. This symbol appears to fit the requirements as it is ancient and universally recognized as a symbol of protection and guardianship and non-violence.
"And יהוה said to him, 'Not so, any murderer who murders Qæyïn the vengeance upon that one will be sevenfold." And יהוה placed a symbol on Qæyïn so that anyone who found him would not kill him." - Genesis 4:15
Interestingly the Hebrew name Qæyïn is an anagram for the word naqiy meaning "innocent" or "exempted" and has a numeric value of 160 that is equivalent to mana which means "to keep" or "to protect". In Aramaic Qæyïn is spelled qop-aleph-yod-nun. Qop and Kap are interchangable letters, as are Aleph and Ayin. The difference between Kap and Qop is one represents being "open" and the other being "closed". Even with the alternative spelling KAYN, the name is still pronounced the same and coincidentally(?) retains its gematria or numeric value of 160. Thus the name KAYN becomes an acronym, Kap Ayin Yhwh Naqiy. To explain this contrivance I present the following from Rabbi Yissocher Frand.
Parshas Balak
The Apter Rebbe Bends The Rules For Ahavas Yisrael
The Apter Rebbe was known by his sefer called Ohev Yisrael [lover of Israel]. The Apter Rebbe was, as the name of this sefer implies, an exceptional proponent of the mitzvah of loving one's fellow Jew. He was accustomed to say that in every single Torah portion there is an allusion to Ahavas Yisrael (the mitzvah of loving a fellow Jew).
One of his Chassidim came to him and asked where such allusion was to be found in Parshas Balak. A superficial reading of this parsha certainly turns up no such reference.
The Rebbe looked at the Chossid in surprise and told him there was an obvious allusion -– the name BaLaK is an acronym for the words V'ahavta L'Reacha Kamocha [You shall love your neighbor as yourself] [Vayikra 19:18]! The Chossid looked at the Rebbe and protested, "But Rebbe, Balak is spelled Beis Lamed Kuf and the words in the pasuk [verse] teaching we should love our neighbor begin with the letters Vov Lamed Chaf? – You are matching a Beis with a Vov and a Kuf with a Chaf to make this allusion!" [The matched letters make the same sounds, but are different letters.]
The Apter Rebbe responded with something that was more than just a whimsical quip. He responded with a profound insight saying: "You have been my Chossid all these years. Haven't you learned yet that when it comes to 'Ahavas Yisrael', you can't be so precise about the exact lettering (ven es kumpt tzu Ahavas Yisrael ken mi'nisht medakdek zayn mitt de'oysiyos)"?
The Apter Rebbe knew very well how to spell Balak. But he was teaching his disciple the lesson that when it comes to Ahavas Yisrael, there must be an elasticity. We have to cut people flak. We have to be a little more tolerant, a little more open, a little more willing to bend.
If we go with strict justice (shuras haDin) one will not achieve Ahavas Yisrael. One has to go beyond the strict interpretation of the rules in order to achieve Ahavas Yisrael. One who is too precise will nev er be a true Ohev Yisrael and never come to complete fulfillment of the mitzvah "V'Ahavta l'Reacha Kamocha".
The Differences Between Avraham and Bilaam, and Avraham and Iyov
The Mishna [Avos 5:22] teaches: "Those who have a good eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul (ayin tova, ruach nemucha, nefesh shefalah) are among the disciples of our forefather Avraham. Those who have an evil eye, an arrogant spirit and a greedy soul (ayin ra'ah, ruach gevoha, nefesh rechava) are among the disciples of the wicked Bilaam.
What does ayin tova (a good eye) really mean? It means a generosity of spirit and a generosity of dealing with people – to give and to give with an ayin tova.
Rabbeinu Yona asks how we know that Avraham Avinu had an 'ayin tova'. Rabbeinu Yona cites as proof the pasuk "and he took a calf, tender and good" [Bereshis 18:7]. When the 3 Angels came, Avraham went and slaughtered for each his own head of cattle and prepared for each his own tongue with mustard.
When we look at this part of Parshas Vayera, there seem to be many examples that Avraham had a generous spirit. Avraham had a whole hotel going –- providing food, drink, and companionship. Why does Rabbeinu Yona specifically cite the above-cited pasuk to demonstrate that Avraham Avinu had an ayin tov?
Rav Matisyahu Solomon explains that there is a difference between a normal "baal chessed" [kind person] and a person who has an "Ayin Tova". If a person is a normal "baal chessed" and he sees a person who needs lunch, he gives him lunch. If he sees a person who needs a place to sleep, he'll find him a place to sleep.
"Ayin Tova" represents a higher level of generosity. A person with an "Ayin Tov" does not just look at the next person and ask "how might I fill his need?" Rather, the "Ayin Tov" asks himself "if I were in that situation –- what is the thing that I would want the most?" This is "Ayin Tova", generosity of spirit: Not merely filling a void and not merely taking care of his needs, but looking at a person beyond his needs to determine what he really wants.
The hotel, the food, the water that Avraham provided represented an effort to satisfy the needs of the wayfarers. Providing each guest with his own tongue from a tender calf –- that takes chessed to a higher level! This is "generosity of spirit" (ayin tova). This defines Avraham Avinu.
The disciples of the wicked Bilaam are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Ayin Ra'ah [evil eye] represents a certain kind of skimpiness -- a person who is not able to tolerate the fact that someone else has something that he does not have.
Rabbeinu Yona cites the pasuk "If Balak will give me his house full of silver and gold..." [Bamidbar 22:18] as proof of the fact that Bilaam had an Ayin Ra'ah. This proves that Bilaam was desirous of that which belonged to other people. Bilaam did not merely say "if he will give me A house full of money". He said, "if he will give me HIS house full of money". There is more than just a concern that "I should have", but also that "he should not have" as well! This is the opposite of "ay in tova".
It is interesting to note that when the Mishna lists the key attributes of Avraham, it neglects to mention what most of us assume was his key attribute –- Chessed. The reason for this is that the Mishna is specifying the root personality traits that allowed Avraham to be such a master of Chessed. Those root personality traits are a good eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul (ayin tova, ruach nemucha, nefesh shefalah).
Avos D'Rav Nassan [Chapter 7, Mishna 1] states: "'Let impoverished people be members of your household' –- like the practice of Iyov. However, when the tragedies befell Iyov he asked the Almighty 'Did I not provide food and drink and clothing to those who were hungry and thirsty and naked?' But the Almighty responded, 'Iyov you have not yet reached half the level of generosity of Avraham. You would wait in your house and a guest would come to your door. If it were his custom to eat wheat bread, you would give him wheat bread. If it were his custom to eat meat, you would give him meat. If it were his custom to drink wine, you would give him wine. But Avraham acted differently. He went out of his house and went looking around for people. When he found someone he would invite him in and inquire of his customary diet. If the person normally (only) had wheat bread, Avraham would give him meat. If he normally (only) ate meat, Avraham would (also) give him wine. Avraham did not merely give the person what he needed. He gave him MORE than he needed.'"
What is the difference between Iyov and Avraham? Iyov was a Baal Chessed. He fulfilled people's needs. Avraham had the superior attribute of ayin tova. He did not merely fill a void, he would ask: "What would I want?" and provide that benefit as well.
Some Additional Gematria
(to be added later)Hands of Fatima by Laila Shawa. http://humorlessfeminist.tumblr.com/post/3107753222/hands-of-fatima