The Letter 'Heh': Manifestation, Birth, and Sustenance

The letter 'Heh' contains the ability to manifest potential. Therefore, the world was created with the letter 'Heh', as explained in the Talmud about the verse: "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created - with 'Heh' they were created." In other words, with the letter 'Heh' of the Tetragrammaton, the physical universe was created.

The Letter 'Heh' – The Letter of Creation

The 'Heh' in the word "when they were created" in the Torah is a small letter. This simplistically hints at splitting the word into two words. "When they were created" - "with 'Heh' they were created", as interpreted by the sages. However, according to the esoteric interpretation, in the writing of the Torah, the size of the letter indicates to which spiritual world it is associated and belongs. A small letter - in the world of action (where the physical universe visible to us is), a standard letter – in the world of formation. A large letter – in the world of creation.

This is why the 'Bet' of the word "In the Beginning" is a large letter. For initially, after the Atzilut world emanated from the infinite Light of Hashem, from it descended and was created the world of creation, where the concept of 'creation ex nihilo' started to gain perceived significance. This exalted division and descent from the higher world activated by the illumination of the dividing letter, the letter 'Bet', is the letter of the world of creation. The actual division from Atzilut, which is considered a hidden 'pregnancy', was done by the illumination of the letter 'Bet', while the emergence of the world of creation, considered 'birth' and manifestation from potential to actual, was done by the illumination of the letter 'Heh'. Thus, the initial illumination of the letter 'Bet' is in the world of creation; hence the 'Bet' in the word "In the Beginning" that relates to creation is a large letter.

From the world of creation, proceeded and appeared in a similar way, the world of formation, where the action of boundaries began to shape forms, sizes, and quantities, even though it is still a spiritual world. Only finally, from the world of formation, descended the world of action, in which again occurred the aspect of 'creation ex nihilo' via the materialization of the galaxies and stars.

The four worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah were created with the four letters of the Tetragrammaton:

Y’          Heh         Vav       Heh

Emanation       Creation        Formation     Action.

It is found that every actual emergence from potential to reality in terms of creation ex nihilo operated by the illumination of the letter 'Heh': Firstly, the very appearance of the world of creation was by the illumination of the first 'Heh' of the Tetragrammaton; whereas our world, the world of action, appeared through the illumination of the last 'Heh' of the Tetragrammaton. Therefore, the 'Heh' in "when they were created" is a small letter, to indicate its belonging specifically to the world of action here.

Also, in the sacred Zohar, it is explained that the world and mankind were created with the letter 'Heh', and their existence depends on its illumination. Here is the language of the Zohar: "With 'Heh', the world was created, and on it [meaning by its continuous illumination] stand the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all creatures that were created. As it says: These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. With 'Heh', they were created. And if its illumination was removed from the world even for a moment, the world would be destroyed and cease to exist. This 'Heh' does not depart from the body, and by it the body exists. And if it departs, then the poison of death will come and reside upon it."

The explanation here is that while the letter 'Bet' expresses the power of division in creation, the letter 'Heh' expresses the emergence of the created from potential to actual and its appearance. That is, the illumination of the letter 'Bet' operates in terms of cell division and the formation of the tiny embryo which is still unperceived, whereas the illumination of the letter 'Heh' operates in terms of completing the fully formed and perceived fetus in its mother's womb and its birth to the world. As the letter 'Heh' represents the exit from potential to actual; from unperceived and unfelt, to perceived and felt, and from the mother's womb into the external world.

The letter 'Heh' first appears in the Torah at the beginning of a word in the verse: "Now the earth was." Because the essence of the letter 'Heh' is becoming.

The Pronunciation

The pronunciation of the letter 'Heh' requires no effort, and in this it is unique among all letters. While the pronunciation of every other letter requires the movement of the tongue, lips, or teeth for the air exhaled from the mouth to produce the sound, like Aleph, Bet, etc., the pronunciation of 'Heh' requires only exhaling air: heh.

Therefore, the world was precisely created with the letter 'Heh': to indicate that it was created without any effort whatsoever, but rather "by the word of Hashem the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host." As it is written: "And Hashem said, Let there be light, and there was light." And so throughout the days of creation. The language of the Midrash "Letters of Rabbi Akiva" states:

"There is no 'Heh' but the explicit name with which the entire world was created, as it is said: "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created" – read not 'when they were created' but with 'Heh' they were created. From here, you learn that there was no toil before the Holy One, blessed be He, in the work of creation of this world, nor in the work of the last of the world to come. That the Holy One, blessed be He, did not create them but by that which has no substance. And why is 'Heh' distinguished over all other letters? Because it has no substance. All the letters, when a person pronounces them from his mouth, he feels them [in pronunciation] with his lips and tongue, and a drop of saliva comes out of his mouth. But 'Heh', when a person pronounces it from his mouth, he does not feel it with his tongue or lips, and no drop of saliva comes out of his mouth."

The Shape of the Letter 'Heh' and Its Numerical Value

Since the letter 'Heh' contains the creation of the world in all its details, the letter 'Heh' is composed of the letter 'Daleth' and an inverted 'Yod' within it. For the letter 'Daleth' expresses the limitation of matter in the physical world with its four directions. However, the 'Heh' contains within it also the spiritual 'Yod', like a soul within a body. Yet the 'Yod' is inverted, as it conceals its true essence and form. For the matter existing in the world and in man obscures and hides the spiritual dimension within. This true and primary spiritual dimension in creation, which man must reveal.

Even in its numerical value, five, the letter 'Heh' expresses this same principle. After the 'Daleth' which creates by its number the square, the letter 'Heh' adds a point at the center of the square. The four expresses the limitation of matter, while the five is the spiritual dimension within this world.

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