The Zohar

Section

6. The letters by Rav Hamnuna Saba
Individual energy forces, which express themselves as Hebrew letters, came before the Creator requesting that they be the instruments by which the world is created. The Creator eventually agrees to utilize the letter Beit ?, as this particular letter begins the Hebrew word Brachah [Blessing]. The Zohar then depicts the unique attributes of each of the twenty-two letters and the spiritual energy they emit. All these forces and their power of blessing are transferred to us when we visually scan the Aramaic text and learn the lessons it holds.


22. Beresheet (In the beginning): Rabbi Hamnuna Saba, (the elder), said that we have found IN THE WORDS: "BERESHEET BARA ELOHIM (In the beginning, Elohim created the...)" (Beresheet 1:1), THAT THE ORDER of the letters IN THIS PHRASE is arranged in reverse. At the beginning, the Hebrew letter Bet is immediately followed by another Bet, that is, BERESHEET BARA. Subsequently, IT IS WRITTEN at the beginning with an ALEPH and then another ALEPH, referring in Hebrew to Elohim Et. AND HE EXPLAINS THAT when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to create the world, all of the letters WERE STILL hidden. For two thousand years before the creation of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, watched the letters and amused Himself with them. (A) The letter Tav
23. When He desired to create the world, all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet came before Him in sequence from last to first. The letter Tav saw itself fit to come forth first. It said, Master of the World, may it please you to create the world with me because I am the seal of your ring, which is Emet (truth), MEANING THAT I AM THE LAST LETTER IN THE WORD EMET. And as You are called BY THIS NAME of TRUTH, so it would be most appropriate for the King to begin with the letter Tav, and create the world by me. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to it, you are worthy and deserving, but you are not suitable for the world to be created by you. You are destined to serve as a mark on the foreheads of the faithful one, who have kept the Law of the Torah from Aleph to Tav, but when you appear they shall die (Tract. Shabbat 55, col. A). Not only that, but you are the seal of the word Death, MEANING THAT TAV IS THE LAST LETTER TO APPEAR IN THE WORD MAVET (DEATH). And because of this, you are not suitable for Me to create the world with you. It then immediately left. (B) The letter Shin
24. The letter Shin then entered and stood before Him. It said, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me, as I am called in Your own name Shadai. And it would be most proper to create the world by a holy name. He replied: You are worthy, you are good, and you are truthful. But because you are included among the letters that form the word Sheker (falsehood), I do not wish to create the world with you. Sheker would not have prevailed had you not been attached to the letters Resh and Kuf.
25. From this WE LEARN THAT whoever wants to tell a lie, should add that lie to a base that is truthful. Because the letter Shin is a letter (i.e. a sign) of truth, meaning a letter of Truth by which the Patriarchs reached unison. NOTE THAT THE THREE LINES IN THE LETTER SHIN REFER TO THE THREE PATRIARCHS, WHO ARE CALLED CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET. And the letters Kuf and Resh appear on the evil side, because THE OTHER SIDE IS KAR (COLD), WITHOUT ANY OF THE WARMTH THAT GIVES LIFE. THE OTHER SIDE DRAWS ITS SUSTENANCE FROM THE MALCHUT WHEN IT IS AT THE STAGE OF THE FROZEN OCEAN. In order for the Other Side to continue to exist, it pulls the letter Shin into its realm, creating the combination Kesher, WHICH MEANS 'STRENGTHENING THE TIES' AND 'SURVIVING'. When the Shin realized this, it left. (C) The letter Tzadik
26. The letter Tzadik then entered, stood before Him, and said, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me, since the Tzadikim (righteous) are 'sealed' by my name. And YOU, who are called Tzadik, are also written by my name, as it is written, "For Hashem is righteous, He loves righteousness" (Tehilim 11:7). Therefore, it would be suitable to create the world with me! He replied: Tzadik, Tzadik you are truly righteous, but you should remain concealed and not be revealed too much; AS WOULD BE DONE IF THE WORLD WERE CREATED BY YOU, so that humans will not have an excuse for their sins. And what is the reason FOR IT REMAINING CONCEALED? IT IS THE INCLUSION OF the letter Nun and the adjoining letter Yud from the Tetragrammaton, which is also the Holy Brit, which came and mounted on the letter Nun, thereby CREATING the letter Tzadik. (D) The letter Pei [also alluded to, the letter Ayin]
27. The letter Pei was the next to enter. It stood before Him and said, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me, because the Redemption that You shall bring onto the world is described by my name, Pedut (Redemption or Salvation). THIS MEANS THAT SALVATION IS TO BE REDEEMED FROM OUR TROUBLES, AND THIS WORD IN HEBREW STARTS WITH THE LETTER PEI. THIS IS WHY the world should be created by me. He replied: You are indeed praiseworthy, but because of you, there will be inscribed (for posterity) the maxim 'to commit a crime in secret' - a crime akin to that of the snake that strikes, brings back its head, and then hides it within its body. Because whoever sins bends his head, MEANING THAT HE HIDES HIMSELF FROM THE 'OBSERVING EYE,' then stretches his hands out to sin. THIS REFERS TO THE SHAPE OF THE LETTER PEI THAT HAS A HEAD BENT DOWN INTO ITS BODY. And so it was similarly said of the letter Ayin, which describes the term Avon (crime, sin). Although it claimed, I have anavah (humility) in me, and the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to it saying: I shall not create the world by you. Ayin then took its leave! (E) The letter Samech
28. The letter Samech (Heb. Support) entered, stood before Him and said, Master of the world may it please You to create the world with me, because I am able to support those who falls. As it is written, "Hashem upholds all that fall" (Tehilim 145:14). He said to it, This is exactly why you should stay in your place and not move from it. If you leave your place IN THE WORD SOMECH, what will then happen to all those who fell and are being supported by you? The letter Samech then left immediately! (F) The letter Nun
29. The letter Nun entered and stood before Him saying, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me, because the phrase, "fearful in praises," (Heb. Norah Tehilot) (Shemot 15:11) starts with me. AND ALSO in the praising of the righteous, IT IS WRITTEN, "praise is comely" (Tehilim 147:1). He told it, Nun, go back to your place. It is because of you that the letter Samech returned to its place. And you should depend on it for support. THIS MEANS THAT THE LETTER NUN IS INSCRIBED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORD FALLING (HEB. NEFILAH) AND THE LETTER SAMECH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF "HASHEM UPHOLDS ALL THAT FALL." THUS, NUN RETURNED TO ITS PLACE TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO FALL, AS EXPLAINED IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH. (G) The letters Mem and Lamed
30. The letter Mem entered and said to Him, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world by me, because with me you are called Melech (King). He told it, yes, it is indeed so, but I shall not create the world with you, because the world needs a Melech (King)! Go back to your place, you and the letters Lamed and Kuf, as it is not proper for the world to be without a King. (H) The letter Caf
31. At that certain hour, the letter Caf descended from the "Throne of His Glory." Shaking and trembling, it stood before Him and said, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me, because I am Your Glory. When the letter Caf descended from the "Throne of His Glory," 200,000 Worlds were shaken and the Throne trembled. And all the Worlds were about to collapse. The Holy One, blessed be He, told it, Caf, Caf, what are you doing here?! I shall indeed not create the world with you. Go back to your place, because the Hebrew word Cliya (Total destruction) starts with you. AND BECAUSE OF YOU "...TOTAL DESTRUCTION IS DETERMINED AND DECREED" (YESHAYAH 10:23). SO RETURN TO YOUR THRONE AND STAY THERE. At that same moment it took leave and returned to its place. (I) The letter Yud
32. The letter Yud entered, stood before Him, and said, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me, because I am the first letter of the Holy Name Yud, Hei, Vav, and Hei. Thus, it should be proper for you to create the world with me. He replied: It should suffice you to be engraved upon My Name and appear in Me. You embrace all My desires. Rise up, it would not be proper for you to be removed from My Name! (J) The letter Tet
33. The letter Tet entered, stood before Him and said, Master of the World may it please You to create the world with me, as by me You are called Tov Veyashar (Good and Honest). He replied: I will not create the world with you, because your goodness is concealed within you. Therefore it is written: "O how abundant is Thy goodness which You have concealed for them that fear You" (Tehilim 31:20). So because Your GOODNESS is concealed within You, it cannot take any part in this world that I want to create. It only applies to the world to come. Furthermore, because your goodness is concealed and treasured within yourself, the gates of the Holy Temple shall be 'sunk.' As it is written: "Her gates are sunk into the ground" (Eicha 2:9). And to add to all this, the letter Chet stands before you, together you become Chet (SIN). This is why these two letters do not appear in the names of the twelve tribes. Tet immediately then took its leave and went away from Him. (K) THE LETTER ZAYIN
34. The letter Zayin entered and said to Him, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me. Because with my help, Your children shall preserve the Shabbat, as it is written, "Remember (Zachor) the Shabbat day, to keep it holy" (Shemot 20:8). He replied: I will not create the world with you, because you represent war, THAT IS, a sharp pointed sword and a spear WITH WHICH PEOPLE make war. AND THEY ARE CALLED TOOLS of destruction, which in Hebrew is PRONOUNCED ZAYIN! And you are like the letter Nun, WHICH THE WORLD WAS NOT CREATED BY, BECAUSE IT IS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORD NEFILAH (FALLING). (L) The letters Vav and Hei
35. The letter Vav entered, and pleaded before Him, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me because I am in myself one of the letters of Your Name HA-VA-YAH!" He replied: Vav, you and the letter Hei should both be satisfied with being written in My Name HA-VA-YAH. Because you appear in My Name and are engraved in It, I shall therefore not create the world with you. (M) The letters Dalet and Gimel
36. The letters Dalet and Gimel entered. THEY both also claimed the same thing. He told them also be satisfied with being with each other, because there will always be poor men on earth, and they should be given a benefactor. The letter Dalet is poor, BECAUSE IT IS CALLED DALET, FROM THE EXPRESSION DALUT, WHICH SIGNIFIES POVERTY, and the Gimel reciprocates as a benefactor TO DALET. THEREFORE do not leave each other, and it should suffice you that you sustain one another! (N) The letter Bet
37. The letter Bet entered and said to Him, Master of the World, may it please You to create the world with me, because by me You are blessed in the upper and lower worlds. THIS IS BECAUSE THE LETTER BET IS THE FIRST LETTER OF THE WORD BRACHAH (BLESSING). The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: But, of course, I shall certainly create the world with you. And you shall appear in the beginning of the creation (Beresheet). (O) The letter Aleph
38. The letter ALEPH stood outside and did not enter. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to it, ALEPH, ALEPH, why do you not enter and stand before me like the other letters? It replied: Master of the World, because I saw that all the letters left You without benefaction. So what shall I do there myself? Not only that, but You have already presented the letter Bet with this greatest gift of all. And it would not be proper for the Supernal King to take back the gift, which He presented to His servant, and give it to another! The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ALEPH, ALEPH, even though the world is created with the letter Bet, you shall be the first (lit. 'head') of all the letters. My attachments shall be expressed only by you and all calculations and actions of the people shall commence with you. Therefore, all unity shall be expressed by the letter Aleph!
39. The Holy One, blessed be He, formed large upper letters, WHICH ALLUDE TO THE SFIRAH OF BINAH and smaller lower letters, WHICH ALLUDE TO THE SFIRAH OF MALCHUT. And this is why IT IS WRITTEN, Bet, Bet, WHICH REFERS TO Beresheet Bara. And ALEPH, ALEPH, WHICH REFERS TO Elohim Et. SO THE FIRST SET OF ALEPH AND BET LETTERS are letters from above, FROM BINAH, WHEREAS THE SECOND SET OF ALEPH AND BET are letters from below, FROM MALCHUT. And they are all united - the ones from the world above, FROM BINAH, with the ones from the world below, WHICH IS MALCHUT - SO THAT THEY CAN INFLUENCE EACH OTHER.