vulcan salute

Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the half-Vulcan Spock on Star Trek, devised the Vulcan Salute, consisting of a raised hand, palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger. The Salute first appeared on the original Star Trek series in the second season opening episode, "Amok Time." In his autobiography, I Am Spock, Nimoy has said that he based it on the Jewish priestly Cohen blessing with both hands, thumb to thumb in this same position, representing the Hebrew letter Shin. (ש), which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute. The letter Shin also stands for Shaddai, meaning "Almighty (God)" and has mystical significance in Judaism. Also in I Am Spock, Nimoy explains how, when he was a child, his grandfather took him to an Orthodox synagogue. There he saw the blessing performed, and was very impressed by it. Nimoy also coined the accompanying spoken blessing, "Live long and prosper." The lesser-known response is "Peace and long life." This format is similar to (and probably based upon) the Hebrew greeting, "Shalom aleichem" (peace be upon you) and it's reply, "Aleichem shalom" (upon you be peace.)

Vulcan Salute

See also