The 72 Names of God
Hidden in the story of the Red Sea are 72 three-letter sequences. Rav Berg's school teaches them as "technology for the soul" – a meditation tool for everyday struggles.
Of all the tools taught in Rav Berg's school, the 72 Names may be the most popular. The school's teaching brought them to a wide modern audience far beyond traditional study halls.
Where they come from
The 72 Names are hidden in three consecutive verses of the Book of Exodus (14:19–21), at the moment the Israelites stand trapped between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea. Each of those verses contains exactly 72 Hebrew letters. Kabbalists take the first letter of the first verse, the last letter of the second verse (reading it backward) and the first letter of the third verse – and so on, letter by letter – producing 72 three-letter sequences.
These aren't "names" in the everyday sense. Nobody pronounces them as words. They're understood as combinations of spiritual energy.
Why the Red Sea?
In Rav Berg's reading, the splitting of the sea wasn't a miracle handed down from above. Moses and the people had to take a step into the water with total certainty, and the 72 Names were the tool that let them overcome the laws of nature. The lesson is that you, too, face "Red Seas" – moments of fear, addiction, conflict or doubt – and the Names are offered as a way to connect with the power to cross them.
How the practice works
Rav Berg's school teaches the Names mainly as a visual meditation:
- Choose the Name connected with the challenge you're facing.
- Scan its three letters from right to left with your eyes.
- Hold a clear intention – ideally to change something in yourself, not just your circumstances.
- Follow it with action. The meditation opens the door; your proactive behavior walks through it.
Try it here
Our 72 Names page shows all 72 sequences, derived directly from the Hebrew text of Exodus 14:19–21, with a quiet meditation mode for scanning them one at a time.