Identify the letter. You can find the letter dalet written in four different types of script. The block print dalet has two lines, a vertical line topped by a horizontal line that lies along the vertical line's upper edge, leaving a small "shoulder" that extends beyond the top right of the letter. A dalet that is printed in a book or religious text has the same shape, but includes a little "tail" that curves up on the right-hand side of the horizontal line's "shoulder." The cursive dalet resembles the number "3." A dalet in Rashi script, which is writing that commentators used for Torah commentaries, does not include the right-hand "shoulder," but the vertical line slants up to the right to form a corner on the right-hand side of the letter.
Practice the dalet's sound. Hebrew words that begin with a dalet include "delet" (door), "dag" (fish), "dam" (blood) and "dov" (bear). Look for names that begin with a dalet, including Dalia, Dror, Dvir, Devorah, David and Daniel. Many students who begin to learn Hebrew find it helpful to practice letter sounds by learning words that have the same English and Hebrew pronunciation and meaning. Such words include dolphin, domino, dinosaur and dollar.
Practice movements of the dalet based on Hebrew letters. Otiyot Hayot, or "Living Letters," teaches the philosophy that each Hebrew letter contains an energy that you can tap by molding your body into the letter. When creating the dalet movement, you will stand straight up with your head bowed. Extend one hand straight ahead from your head. Fold your second arm, raise your shoulder and put your elbow behind your back to form the dalet's "shoulder."
Learn the kabbalistic meaning of the dalet. Jewish mysticism, kabbalah, teaches that each letter has a corresponding number that gives us information about a word's true meaning. The "gematriya," or numerical value of the dalet, is "four." Depending on the text and the circumstances, a dalet can represent the four letters of God's name, the four elements of the physical world (fire, air, water and earth), the four seasons of the year or Judaism's four matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah).