The Letter Aleph: Principles of Creation and Humanity

In the writings of the Ari of blessed memory, it is explained that all material existing in creation contains in its internal composition the four elements: fire, air, water, and earth. However, the three principal elements are fire, air, and water. This is because earth and water are both simple matter and are included in the term 'water.' Among these three, air is the first, preceding the others, and the most important of them. It is explained in the Book of Formation that the graphic symbol of air is the Aleph. Here are the words of the Book of Formation:

"Three mothers (like the mothers) Emesh. Air, Mater, Ash.

... He made the letter Aleph king in the spirit (air) and tied a crown to it and united them this with that and sealed with it...

He made the letter Mem king in water and tied a crown to it and united them this with that and sealed with it...

He made the letter Shin king in fire and tied a crown to it and united them this with that and sealed with it..."

In fact, the entire Book of Formation deals with the creation of the universe through the combination of the three pathways: matter which forms the shell (water), spirituality which forms the moving and active inner part (fire), and time (air). As Raavad's language explains in his commentary on the Book of Formation: "The entire Book of Formation is grasped through three ways. One is in the world, the second in the year, and the third in the soul. Their sign: 'Mount Sinai was all [World, Year, Soul] smoke." And the Maggid of Mezeritch wrote that one of the reasons the letter Aleph is the first letter is because it is the foundation of air that preceded everything and from which everything was created: "Since these letters, we said, came from the foundational light, hidden in the infinite. It is the secret of the general spirit basis which is the air basis comprising all elements, all of which emerged from it. Therefore, water, air, fire - air first. And it is the secret of starting the letters with Aleph which alludes to all of them... And behold when this light descends from the infinite through the opening, the letter Aleph emerged first of all the letters, with all its hosts which are its pairings that come from it."

And as explained in the Book of Formation: "...and He made non-existence into existence. And carved great pillars [these are the sefirot] from air that is intangible."

It is wondrous that the character of each element is evident in the shape of the letter that symbolizes it. The letter Shin looks like flames of fire rising upward. The square of the letter Mem and final Mem is stable and calm, like water. Whereas the letter Aleph seems to aspire upwards because of its top corners, but also seems to aspire downwards because of its bottom corners. It thus appears to hover in the air.

Even the pronunciation of these letters resembles the nature of their elements. As the Book of Formation states: "Three mothers Emesh. Mem is silent, Shin whistles, Aleph air-breath dominates in between." The Vilna Gaon wrote about this: "Mem is silent, as it is from the lips and has no motion of voice and tongue [when saying Mem pausal and with lips closed]. And likewise, the attribute of kindness - endures all and is silent. Similarly, the water in its place rests. Shin whistles, it is from the tongue in the teeth and whistles more than all letters [when saying Shin pausal]. Likewise, the attribute of judgment which cries out. Similarly, the fire does not rest even for a moment and burns everything. Aleph, air-breath, it is at the opening of the throat with breath alone without tongue, and it corresponds to the spirit. It is likewise the attribute of mercy."

The Letter Aleph According to Kabbalah

According to the secret, the letter Aleph hints at the Sefira of Keter, the highest of them all, and therefore called in the holy Zohar "the highest head of them all, hidden from all hidden," that first illumination which included all future creation and from which everything emerged. Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, one of the great Kabbalists in Safed about 500 years ago, wrote that the main Aleph alludes to the first emanated Sefira, Keter, but all three upper Sefirot are hinted in it: Keter, Chochmah, and Binah. Therefore, the upper Yod of Aleph is on the right and looks upwards, as it is the Sefirat Chochmah receiving its illumination from above. The diagonal Vav resembling an elongated Yod hints at the Sefirat Keter, and the lower Yod hints at Sefirat Binah affecting the lower worlds.

Here is the language of the holy Zohar:

"Come and see that the first thing in the Torah taught to the child is Aleph Bet. This is something that people in the world cannot grasp with their intellect and not even raise in their thought, let alone speak it with their mouth. And even upper angels and the uppermost cannot comprehend the secret of the letters to their end because the letters are secrets of the holy name. And one thousand four hundred and five myriads of worlds all depend on the tip of the Aleph. And 72 [72] holy names etched in recessed letters [these are names emerging from the three verses of "and he journeyed," "and he came," "and he bent"] by which the heavens and earth are sustained, depend on the Vav in the middle of Aleph from the upper end to the lower end. And the 32 paths of wisdom, and the deep rivers which are fifty gates of understanding and ten utterances, all these emerge from the lower tip under the letter Aleph. After the emanation of the Aleph, henceforth the lights in the Aleph which is Sefirat Keter started to spread and the letter Bet which is Sefirat Chochmah was formed. And so the lights spread from letter to letter until the 22 letters were formed. Hence, the Torah written in its letters is the secret of the existence of all worlds and the secret of faith. And through the study of Torah, one merits this connection is made properly."

Additional Hints in the Aleph According to the Secret

Hashem governs the world with the attribute of kindness – giving without limits; and with the attribute of judgment – reward and punishment according to the worthy truth, through the upper Sefirot that serve as a channel to our world. The structure of the human body is made according to the structure of the ten Sefirot. The Sefirot on the right side are the Sefirot of the mercy line, while the Sefirot on the left side are the Sefirot of the judgment line, strength. While the middle line is the line of balance. In practice, Hashem's conduct with us is in the manner of left pushing away and right bringing close. That is, the judgment is in weakness, and the kindness in strength.

This fundamental principle in the governance of creation is hinted at in the secret of the shape of the Aleph. The diagonal line of the Aleph expresses the channel of abundance of governance descending from above to below. Therefore, it is not a straight horizontal line. But descends. However, it is not a straight vertical line either, but starts at the top on the left and ends at the bottom on the right. Because from the perspective of truth the main governance was supposed to be the governance of the judgment line. Since the governance of the judgment line is reward and punishment according to what is truly deserved. The judgment line is the line of Sefirot on the left side. Therefore, the line of the Aleph, the line descending to the world, starts from the left, as the sages said that initially the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to create the world with the attribute of judgment, as it is stated "In the beginning, Hashem made," and the name "Hashem" hints at judgment. Meaning, that's how it was fitting that man would be judged truthfully.

However, the line of the Aleph descending to the world continues diagonally and ends on the right. And as the sages stated there, that eventually, He joined the attribute of kindness with the attribute of judgment, as it is said at the end of the chapter of creation "on the day that the Lord Hashem made heaven and earth." Thus, actually, creation was created also in the name of YHVH which hints at kindness. The upper right Yod is the secret of kindness (the Sefirot of the kindness line are: Chochmah, Chesed, Netzach. The three Sefirot on the right), and the lower left Yod is the secret of judgment (the Sefirot of the judgment line are: Binah, Gevurah, Hod. The three Sefirot on the left). The left is attached to the descending diagonal line after a quarter of its descent, while the right is in the middle of the diagonal line. Since the descending measure of judgment is stopped early in its path "forever, Hashem, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens." It is not like the measure of kindness, which is the central governance descending to the world in great abundance.

Moreover, the gematria of Aleph is 1. Echad, an acronym for Echad, Chesed, Din. That is, the letter Aleph expresses the way of descending abundance of upper governance in these two measures, and the way Aleph, Mighty One of the World, the one divine, governs His world.

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In conclusion, in the Aleph is hidden the power of initial illumination spreading out in all directions, and the potential for originality and innovation. However, through the power of choice given to man, it is up to him to use this power positively, creatively, and for beneficial renewal, or heaven forbid, for the negative.

Therefore, from the negative side, the Aleph represents negative spiritual influence, which is why the word "cursed" begins with Aleph.

Conversely, positive words: truth, love, unity, and others also begin with Aleph. Because in all these, both positively and negatively, there is hidden spiritual power.

The Letter Aleph in a Person's Name

Therefore, when the letter Aleph is in a person's name, and especially if it is at the beginning of their name, they receive from its spiritual abundance the ability for original creativity that precedes others, and a high level of spiritual ascension. If they wisely use and activate it properly according to their Creator's guidance, they will reach good and happy quality of life. From there, they will progress to enriched life materially as well, provided they are connected in their good deeds and studies to the divine light revealed in the Torah and its commandments.

All this parallels the operation and expansion of the illumination of the letter Aleph during creation, as explained at the beginning of this chapter, according to the fundamental principle that everything exists and functions in man, the small world, as in the great world. As is commonly said: in micro as in macro, in man as in the universe.

On the other hand, the person with the letter Aleph in their name must be more careful than others about striving for a lack of boundaries and not accepting authority to the point of self-destruction, due to disobedience to instructions. For every spiritual root has the potential to produce positive actions and to produce negative actions, and the power of choice is in the hands of man (as broadly explained in the introduction to the book and in the chapter dealing with a person's name).

It should also be noted that the illumination of the letter Aleph appearing in a person's name, especially if it is at the beginning of the name, creates in them a desire for spiritual fulfillment above the average. Such a person will not be satisfied as long as this desire is not fulfilled through the study of Torah, fulfillment of commandments, and good deeds that constitute food for the soul.

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