What are TeX codes for Hebrew letters to be used as math-mode symbols?

Question

As far as I saw in most TeX code manuals, only four letters of the Hebrew alphabet are available in LaTeX for mathematical symbols. i.e. \aleph, \beth, \gimel, \dalet.

Question: I would like to know whether there are TeX codes for other Hebrew letters or not. And if not, can anybody help to define some codes for them particularly the followings:

Lamed, Mim, Ayin, Tsadi, Qof, Shin

In order to make my question more clear let me add some additional explanations:

I want to use new Hebrew letters in research level mathematical papers. That means, I am looking for a simple code, say \shin, which could be used between dollar symbols $ ... $ (formula environment) in an English-language text and can interact with other mathematical operators like index and power. For example, as we write $\aleph_{8}^{2}$ I would like to write $\shin^{3}$.

Answer 1

I can show you how to do this in clear plain TeX and in plain TeX with OPmac. First clear plain TeX:

\newfam\hebfam
\font\tmp=rcjhbltx at10pt \textfont\hebfam=\tmp
\font\tmp=rcjhbltx at7pt  \scriptfont\hebfam=\tmp
\font\tmp=rcjhbltx at5pt  \scriptscriptfont\hebfam=\tmp

\edef\declfam{\ifcase\hebfam 
     0\or1\or2\or3\or4\or5\or6\or7\or8\or9\or A\or B\or C\or D\or E\or F\fi}

\mathchardef\shin   = "0\declfam 98 % 98 is hexa code of shin
\mathchardef\aleph  = "0\declfam 27
\mathchardef\beth   = "0\declfam 62
\mathchardef\gimel  = "0\declfam 67
\mathchardef\daleth = "0\declfam 64
\mathchardef\lamed  = "0\declfam 6C
\mathchardef\mim    = "0\declfam 6D
\mathchardef\ayin   = "0\declfam 60
\mathchardef\tsadi  = "0\declfam 76
\mathchardef\qof    = "0\declfam 72

Now I can use $A_\shin, \shin$ or $B^\shin$.

\bye

The solution is based on the font rcjhbltx which is present in common TeX distributions. The encoding of this font is described in the file cjhebltx.enc. You can look into this file in order to find another codes you need.

The main disadvantage of clear plain TeX is that the main font size is fixed to 10pt and the math typesetting is set to fixed 10pt/7pt/5pt. On the other hand, OPmac provides arbitrary size of main font (and derived math typesetting). Finally, the declaration of new math family is more simple:

\input opmac
\addto\normalmath {\loadmathfamily 15 rcjhbltx } \normalmath
\addto\boldmath   {\loadmathfamily 15 rcjhbltx }

\mathchardef\shin   = "0F98  % 98 is hexa code of shin
\mathchardef\aleph  = "0F27
\mathchardef\beth   = "0F62
\mathchardef\gimel  = "0F67
\mathchardef\daleth = "0F64
\mathchardef\lamed  = "0F6C
\mathchardef\mim    = "0F6D
\mathchardef\ayin   = "0F60
\mathchardef\tsadi  = "0F76
\mathchardef\qof    = "0F72

Now I can use $A_\shin, \shin$ or $B^\shin$. (10pt size)

\typosize[12.3/15]

Now I can use $A_\shin, \shin$ or $B^\shin$. (12.3pt size)

\bye

Answer 2

A LaTeX complement to wipet's excellent answer.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb}

\DeclareFontFamily{U}{rcjhbltx}{}
\DeclareFontShape{U}{rcjhbltx}{m}{n}{<->rcjhbltx}{}
\DeclareSymbolFont{hebrewletters}{U}{rcjhbltx}{m}{n}

% remove the definitions from amssymb
\let\aleph\relax\let\beth\relax
\let\gimel\relax\let\daleth\relax

\DeclareMathSymbol{\aleph}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{39}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\beth}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{98}\let\bet\beth
\DeclareMathSymbol{\gimel}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{103}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\daleth}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{100}\let\dalet\daleth

\DeclareMathSymbol{\lamed}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{108}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\mem}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{109}\let\mim\mem
\DeclareMathSymbol{\ayin}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{96}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\tsadi}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{118}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\qof}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{113}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\shin}{\mathord}{hebrewletters}{152}

\begin{document}

Now I can use $A_\shin$, $\shin$ or $B^\shin$.

$X\aleph\beth\gimel\daleth\lamed\mem\ayin\tsadi\qof\shin X$

$\bet\dalet\mim$

\end{document}

We declare a new font family in the generic U encoding and then assign it a font. Then a math symbol font is defined and the codes assigned to the commands.

The glyphs from amssymb and Computer Modern (aleph) are disabled and reassigned for uniformity.

I also add a table of the rcjhbltx font so that codes for other glyphs can be derived.

Answer 3

As of 2021, this question could use an update. In PDFTeX, the Culmus Project fonts are now available for 8-bit LaTeX, through the culmus-latex package.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb}
% The culmus-latex package is available for free  at:
% https://sourceforge.net/projects/ivritex/files/culmus-latex/
\usepackage{culmus}

% Use Frank Ruehl CLM as a math symbol font:
\DeclareSymbolFont{alephbet}{HE8}{frank}{m}{n}
\SetSymbolFont{alephbet}{bold}{HE8}{frank}{b}{n}

% remove the definitions from amssymb
\let\aleph\relax\let\beth\relax
\let\gimel\relax\let\daleth\relax

\DeclareMathSymbol{\aleph}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E0}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\beth}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E1}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\gimel}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E2}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\daleth}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E3}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\he}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E4}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\vav}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E5}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\zayin}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E6}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\het}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E7}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\tet}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E8}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\yod}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"E9}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\kaf}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"EB}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\lamed}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"EC}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\mem}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"EE}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\nun}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F0}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\samech}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F1}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\ayin}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F2}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\pe}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F4}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\tsadi}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F6}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\qof}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F7}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\resh}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F8}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\shin}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"F9}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\tav}{\mathord}{alephbet}{"FA}


\begin{document}

Now I can use $A_\shin$, $\shin$ or $B^\shin$.

{\bfseries\boldmath Also, $A_\shin$, $\shin$ or $B^\shin$.}

$X\aleph\beth\gimel\daleth\he\vav\zayin\het\tet\yod\kaf\lamed\mem\nun\samech\ayin\pe\tsadi\qof\resh\shin\tav X$

\end{document}

To install the package, decompress the files to your local TeX tree, then run

texhash
updmap-sys --enable Map=culmus.map

I used Frank Ruehl for this example, but many other fonts are supported.

In LuaLaTeX or XeLaTeX, it is probably more convenient to switch to text mode and use an OpenType font. (Although it is also possible to declare Hebrew letters from a Unicode-encoded symbol font.) In this example, I use Libertinus Serif with Libertinus Math:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{Libertinus} % For example

\newcommand\vav{\textup{\rmfamily\symbol{"05D5}}} % ו
\newcommand\shin{\textup{\rmfamily\symbol{"05E9}}} % ש

\begin{document}
\section*{The Symbol \(\shin\)}

\( f(t) \cdot \shin \)
\end{document}

The hex codes here are the Unicode codepoints of the Hebrew letters.

You can insert any text-mode commands within \textup or \textnormal, including switching to a Hebrew font that you load with fontspec.

If you need so many symbol alphabets that you’re using Hebrew, you will not run out if you use unicode-math.

Answer 4

I found it most convenient to use the cjhebrew package, see: https://ctan.org/pkg/cjhebrew

It's in standard packages so trivial to include and very easy to use, supports also more advanced things such as changing direction (right-to-left, as in Hebrew) and adjusting the fonts as necessary for end-of-word characters (which are different in Hebrew for some characters). Very easy to use (definitely if you only need few characters).