Why is the Torah Written Without Vowels?

The one who studies the secret of the letters, if only with an open heart, stands in awe at the beauty and magnificence of the small amount of wisdom left to us, from the wide scope and great depth of the Torah concerning the twenty-two letters. In the Talmud, the sages marvel at the brief explanation of the letters provided there, to the point of stating that "these words were not spoken even in the days of Joshua." For the one who delves into the concise explanation in the Talmud discovers that it reveals the most essential and central point of each letter. However, that point expands and spreads into endless layers of depth. As the Maharal wrote: "Not only is this hinted at in their simplicity, but there is an infinity of things within them. And only one of the matters is mentioned here."

Indeed, the learner in the book "Etz Chaim" of the words of Maharchu of blessed memory as he received from his teacher the Ari of blessed memory on TaNaTa"A (tastes, points, crowns, letters) stands amazed at the depth inherent in each of them, and the marvelous connection between them and the evolution of the worlds of ABi"A and the Sefirot. And this after Maharchu emphasizes that he cannot write all that he received from his teacher, after his teacher taught him only part of what he received from Elijah the prophet and higher revelations.

The Meaning of Vowels

While the letters are the 'stones' from which the 'building' of the word is crafted, the vowels shape the structure. Just as a building can be built square and tall, or in the form of a pyramid – from the same stones themselves, so too the word formed from the same letters can have a completely different meaning according to the vowels that determine its shape. For instance, "hָlָkh" or "hֵlֶkh", "ra" or "re'a". Things reach such a point that, according to the "Minchat Chinuch", one who vowels the letters of the Name with incorrect vowels transgresses a Torah prohibition, as it is like erasing the Name of Hashem.

And since the vowels 'lock' the word and fix its form, the Torah is written without vowels, as the Torah is written with divine wisdom in such a way that it has four levels of PaRDe"S, and each level has seventy facets, like a multifaceted polished diamond shining from each facet in different bright colors, and the seventy facets of the Torah are divided into countless sparks of wisdom all being true. If the Torah were vowelized, its words would be locked in a certain way. This is the explanation of many Midrashic statements by the sages saying about a word in the scripture: "Do not read it this way, but that way." Changing the meaning of the word by vowel alteration. And both reading forms are true. This in the simple sense, and that in the homiletic sense.

In the holy tongue, sometimes the vowels 'give birth' to a hidden letter explaining the word. For example: "shemֶsh", the tsere vowel under the mem forms a pronunciation: 'sh-mesh' (with the vowel of the mem pushed and passing to the letter newly born thanks to it just now). And now the essence of the sun is explained: the name of fire! Also, in the word "barach". 'rach' is the root of spirit and comfort. 'Barach' like 'came to comfort'. And many others. We add that this mechanism that splits an incomprehensible word into two words explaining its meaning exists in many useful words lacking significance at first glance but are a combination of abbreviations. For example, the black in the eye is called "ishon". This word is a combination of the two words 'small man' (like 'rabbiton', instead of 'small rabbit') after the small man seen on the eyeball when looking into it, indicating that this small hole is the gateway for the people of the world into a man's inner world.

In the deeper layer of vowels, just as there are letters that stand at the line height, some above the line, and some descend below the line, and each has a reason according to the flow of its illumination (as explained later in the chapters of this book), so with points and flavors. Some stand above the letter, some below the letter, and some at the line of the letter, each having its reason for which a detailed connection is required.

Each form of vowels corresponds to one of the Sefirot. Therefore, each mention of the Tetragrammaton in the conclusion of every blessing in the Amidah prayer is vowelized differently, according to the Sefirah related to the matter being requested in that blessing, and it is in the secret of the key that opens the gates of heaven to receive one's prayer in the worthy place. In the teachings of Kabbalah, the level of the points is higher than the letters and crowns, and only the tastes are higher than the points, as explained in "Etz Chaim" about TaNaTa"A (tastes, points, crowns, letters). In "Ma'or V'Shemesh" on the Torah, it is written that one who prays and mentions the Name of Hashem in their prayer with all their soul, spirit, and breath, then that name becomes in the appropriate vowels, tastes, and crowns, even if that person does not know to direct them properly. See all his comments there. And the Ramak in his book "Pardes Rimonim" elaborated to explain in the gate of points all the particulars of the vowels and the reason for their names according to both the simple and the mystical explanation.

And in the letters themselves, in ancient days when Israel dwelled on its land peacefully, and even in later generations, there were, in the Torah scrolls, words in which certain letters were written in special forms hinting at the secret of this word in that section. Such as the Pe with its inner curve or the crooked leg of the Het or the Lamed with its different head. And as Maimonides wrote: "Be careful with the large letters, with the small letters, with the dotted letters [where there's a small circular point above each letter], and with the letters whose shape is different such as the Pe with curves, and the crooked letters, as transcribed by scribes one from the other. Be careful with the crowns and their count. There are letters with one crown on them, and some with seven." However, since all these things were only stated for the mitzvah to the finest, as Maimonides wrote there, they were not strictly adhered to over the generations due to the difficulties and burdens of the exile, and they almost became forgotten from us.

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