Vulcan salute

The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture popularized by the 1960s television series Star Trek. The blessing phrase "live long and prosper" is frequently spoken alongside it.

Quotes

"Live long and prosper."

• For what would soon become known as the Vulcan salute, I borrowed a hand symbol from Orthodox Judaism. During the High Holiday services, the Kohanim (who are the priests) bless those in attendance. As they do, they extend the palms of both hands over the congregation, with thumbs outstretched and the middle and ring fingers parted so that each hand forms two vees. This gesture symbolizes the Hebrew letter shin, the first letter in the word Shaddai, "Lord"; in the Jewish Qabala, shin also represents eternal Spirit.
  • Leonard Nimoy: I Am Spock, ch. 4: "Vulcanalia: Or The Vulcan Grows". Hyperion (1995). ISBN: 0-7868-8910-1.

• So much later, I learned that this is the shape of the letter shin, Hebrew alphabet shin. Very interesting letter in the language. It's the first letter of the word Shaddai, the first letter in the word Shalom, the first letter in the word Shechinah, which is the name of the feminine aspect of God. … People don't realize they're blessing each other with this! It's great.
  • Leonard Nimoy, in "Leonard Nimoy's Oral History" (1:02:04–1:06:01). Yiddish Book Center (2013).

See also

• Priestly Blessing
• Vulcan proverbs