The Hidden WISDOM in the Alef-Bet
We are taught that Betzalel, our ancestor who built the Mishkan in the desert, was filled with the Wisdom from HaShem, and knew the secrets of the letters with which HaShem created… everything! So somewhere within our Alef-Bet lie the secrets of creation. We now live in a time where everything is judged by it’s ‘package’, one of the first things that I look for, for example, in the market is the Kesher mark and then at the ingredients. We are told over and over that you can only make one good first impression… no brown shoes with your black suit… and it is only after that that we get to put our intelligence, character, values and our other intangibles on display. Right?
So, since we have learned this through our many years of childhood and well into our second childhood, why should we expect to think that the Lashon Hakodesh is any different? Of course it is similar to that – but only on a much deeper level. The more we seek to see and understand the invisible lines of connections that surround us, the more we come back to the primal elements hidden within our 22 letter Alef-Bet.
If you believe that HaShem has a scheme – or plan – for the universe, and everything in it, then it follows that it was formed in a particular way to carry out the rôle that G_d has devised for it (& for us). Each of us has a particular make-up, personality, skills and sense of self that is – and has been – directing us and it is that that makes our choices. And how has our ‘being’ been developed? Certainly not by our own means for while we have made many personal choices which has brought us to where we are now… there has been a whole lot of outside influences. The obvious ones being our parents, siblings, environment and our educators… all of whom were influenced themselves. And do you think that perhaps all of those influences in history have – perhaps – been set-up just so that we would be at a certain place and at a particular time to cause something else to happen? We, in other words, are part of a chain of occurrences in a Heavenly Plan.
Thus, if we accept this sketchy basis as a reason for (all) occurrences, we can begin to look into the very beginning of these influences… or would you use the word: manipulations? Let’s look at the Hebrew.
Chazal have taught that Torah is the “soul” of creation and that if there were no one learning Torah someplace, every moment of the day, that the world would cease to exist. This is esoteric and cosmic and wrapped in Kabbalah but, on the simplest of terms, it gives a rationale to continue the study of Torah. And in the study of Torah we learn that the olam (world, universe, time, eternity) was created with ten utterances. The Maharal [Prague 1525~1609] gives us some insight into the meaning of this and explains that the term, which we translate into English as “utterances”, is, in the Hebrew- tvrmam. This, he tells us is different form the synonymous word rvbd. “Ma’amarot” alludes mostly to the intent, the forethought, the motive of the One Who Spoke. On the other hand, “debur” connotes the external, or physical process of speech. So the Chazal teach that when HaShem spoke the ten utterances, that these were the foundation and the building blocks of creation and that they were the motives behind the physical process of speech. Another way to look at this process is that G_d created something from nothing. That His word(s) formed of the Alef-Bet had the intent and the means to create.
I want to make a little digression here and look at how some of our fellow Jews have understood the beginning words and phrases of Breishit:
- “When G_d began to create heaven and earth – the earth being unformed and void with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from G_d sweeping over the water - G_d said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. ‘G_d saw that the light was good, and G_d separated the light from the darkness. G_d called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.’ And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.” JPS Tanakh 1999
- “In the beginning of G_d’s creating the heavens and the earth- when the earth was astonishingly empty, with darkness upon the surface of the deep, and the Divine Presence hovered upon the surface of the waters- G_d said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. G_d saw that the light was good, and G_d separated between the light and the darkness. G_d call the light: ‘Day,’ and to the darkness He called: ‘Night.’ And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” Stone Chumash, Artscroll Series 1993
- “At the beginning of G_d’s creating of the heavens and the earth,
- when the earth was wild and waste,
- darkness over the face of Ocean,
- rushing-spirit of G_d hovering over the face of the waters-
- G_d said: Let there be light! And there was light.
- G_d saw the light: that it was good.
- G_d separated the light from the darkness.
- G_d called the light: Day! And the darkness he (sic) called: Night!
- There was setting, there was dawning: one day. “Fox” 1995
“Within His mind (head) G_d began to conceive (create) the heavens and the physical essentials for existence. And the basic needs were chaotic and confused elements of matter and darkness was all encompassing. And with His breath G_d spoke saying: ’Let light exist!’ and light came to be; and G_d saw that light was (indeed) good and G_d separated between the light and the dark elements from which it emerged. And G_d call the light: Day, and of darkness He called: Night. And with light coming forth from darkness there was evening and (there was) morning – The First Day. Yisrael Betzalel ben Avraham (source matter from: Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew 2004)
Invisible lines of Connection… The 22 letters – formed into words – (in the Hebrew) have had the power to move, at least, these 4 authors, or ‘poets’, or translators to re-interpret the opening words of Torah according to their understanding of what was intended by the Lashon haKodesh. There exists a Hidden Wisdom in the alphabet that brings us new meanings and new “understandings” each time we read the Hebrew text. Let’s look at some of this now.
When we use terms like “letters”, “utterances” and “HaShem spoke to Moses ‘saying’…”; or when we use expressions referring to the Mouth of G_d, or His Arm, we are only trying to express in human terms – in terms that humans can understand – in a very small way, what this Omnipotent G_d is doing. It is our language that is lacking, as well as our comprehension.
Humans usually think – have a thought – and convey those thoughts to others humans by the way of language. Some humans (artists and poets) convey their thoughts through graphic means and those thoughts are as susceptible to a variety of ‘translations’ as are the “word(s) of G_d”. So if we are careful enough to choose our words in order that they be understood by our ‘audience’; then certainly we must take more care to understand what the Torah says as it is ‘twice removed’ from the original conception.
There is much more for us to learn and the journey will be long. So Confucius tells us to take the first step. Let us step lightly to ALEPH:
ALEPH (Alef) is the Symbol of G_d’s Oneness and His Singular Mastery of all. And the symbol that we use [a] has a gematria value and a numerical value of one. This first letter is so related to HaShem that the structural form of the letter alludes to His Sacred Name and the letter’s name is related to one of G_d’s names: Aluph [master].
There is a medrash that HaShem addressed the letter [a] “saying”, in effect, that it (Alef) stands at the head of the alphabet like a king… “You are one, I am One and the Torah is one.” And He used the [a] as the first letter of the Ten Commandments.
The graphic form of a consists of three parts. If you look at the upper right portion of this letter you will see the form of a [y] (Yud), and if you were to stand the [y] (Yud) on its head, you would see the lower left segment of the letter. The center of the letter is a diagonal line and that connects the top and bottom [y] (Yud). That diagonal line forms a [v] (Vav). The numerical value of [y] (Yud) is 10 and the numerical value of [v] vav is… 6. The total of the combined number is: 26. Twenty-six is also the value of the “Four-letter Divine Name of G_d” [Yud=10; Hey=5; Vav=6; Hey=5].
If you look further; the expression of HaShem’s Eternality you will find those four letters (and only those four letters): He was, He is, He will be. [hyhy hvh hvh].
Before we look at the letter alef occurring is words related to the Divinity of HaShem; I think that this is a good place to stop for this session. To be continued…
Shabbat Shalom. Let’s daven.
Yisrael Betzalel ben Avraham, Melamad
Re’eh 30 Aug 2008 – 29 Av 5768
Beth Shalom
Bermuda Dunes, CA
Portions of this discussion are referenced in:
The WISDOM of the Hebrew Alphabet – Rabbi Michael L. Munk
&/or
The Book of Letters, a Mystical Alef-bait – Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
&
The Artist’s Statement – Yisrael Betzalel ben Avraham
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