The Letter Kuf: Insights from Torah and Kabbalah

The Radbaz writes: "Know that wherever you find the expression 'kaf' in the scripture, such as 'at the turn of the year'; 'at the end of days'; 'do not round the corners of your head', and many others, all hint at this letter [Kuf], as I am about to explain."

From his words, we learn that the letter Kuf symbolizes encompassment, and indeed the ancient meaning of "Kuf" is the eye of a needle.

As we observed with the letter 'Peh', it signifies the outer surface of a thing, so the word "Kuf" is composed of letters representing a line of surface, an outline.

As with the letter 'Mem', signifying essence, Kuf plus Mem creates the root for "place," the essential nature of an outline being the place.

From "place" also comes "existence", something becomes when it is defined in place. From this comes the ability to establish, to set up, to create reality. Hashem is called the place because he is the essence and encompassment of all reality.

The letter 'Vav' means connection, so Kuf-Vav = a connection between two places. From this comes "they gathered" the waters, a gathering of water from different places to one where they connect, into bodies of water.

The letter 'Tsadi' means restriction or end, so the word "shorten" means to limit the place, to cut it. The root "cut" refers to slicing meat into pieces, thus revealing its interior (Ba - interior). "To cut" - Tsadi doubled, cut again and again.

"A little" is something cut down, only a part remains. "Edge" is the result of cutting the place. "Officer" in sacred language is one standing at the edge of the camp, supervising the battle.

"Thorn" is entirely an edge, sharp and prickly. From this, "to loathe" – unable to bear someone to the point where their sight feels prickly to the eyes.

Awakening – the end of sleep.

The word "foam" is very interesting, as its chemical definition is the breaking of the liquid's surface. Frothing "splits" the surface of the liquid into thousands of fragments.

The letter 'Chet' denotes lack, therefore to engrave means to create a space by removing material. Thus all templates, like "bread by law", as the way to manufacture uniform shapes is by engraving in a mold. Also, tracing someone's footsteps, "on the roots of my feet you walk" (Job 13:27) is adhering to the pattern made by their feet in the soil.

This brings us to the meaning of the word "Kof". "Kof" is a replica and imitation of man: Kuf signifies existence, Vav signifies connection, and Peh signifies the outer surface. The "Kof" is connected to the exterior of man, resembling him outwardly, but only from the outside, hence it's an imitation, merely a monkey's act.

The letters Aleph-Yod-Kuf make a series of the first letter, the tenth, and the letter symbolizing the number one hundred. Aleph is the first force, Yod symbolizes the hand of Hashem in the world, and Kuf symbolizes the place, creation, and alternatively – the Creator, who is the world's place.

The letter 'Resh' means material, so a membrane is material that surrounds a place, as is to "grow skin and tendons". "Hook" is a material enclosing around something. A wall and a ceiling are material surroundings for the space of the home.