The Letter Vav – The Power of Connection and Unity

The letter Vav expresses the power of connection within creation, across all domains. It represents the material of creation, made up of connected parts and particles. As material, it is limited by six directions: east, west, north, south, up, and down. Unlike the spirit, which is not confined by these directions, the root of unity that allows for material existence is hidden in the secret of the letter Vav. Hence, the material world was created in six days.

The connecting power of the letter Vav is also evident in its use in Hebrew as the conjunction Vav.

Due to the importance of the illumination of the letter Vav in unifying parts of creation and their existence in the attribute of mercy, the Zohar refers to the letter Vav as the "Tree of Life". It is the letter of mercy and truth, acting as the male providing abundance.

The letter Vav first appears at the beginning of a word in the Torah in the verse: "And their hooks of gold". This reflects its essence: to connect parts like a hook that joins.

Form and Pronunciation

A hook is the connector between parts or the peg that connects to the wall itself. According to the Zohar, that hook, which serves to connect, is called a hook, after the letter Vav because its shape matches, and function akin to it: "Rabbi Elazar said, come and see. It is said, 'Make hooks for the posts.' Why are they called hooks? Because they were like the letter Vav." The depth meaning is that the illumination of the letter Vav is the spiritual source allowing connection in our material world; a connection that the hook called Vav embodies and represents in this world.

Thus, in spoken language, the letter Vav serves as the conjunction when it appears at the beginning of a word, as in: "the heavens and the earth".

Even when the letter Vav appears within a word, it serves as a link between the preceding group of letters and as a unit, and the letter or letters that follow them, forming a different unit. Similar to the addition sign + that creates a connection between a group of numbers as a unit and the group of numbers that follows. This combination of letter groups forms the full meaning of the word. For example, in the word 'dibur' (speech), the first three letters form one group expressing: spiritual (ד) emergence (י) divided (ב). The letter ר expresses the source from which the word emanates, but it is not part of the explanation of speech as the first three letters are. Therefore it stands alone, and only the letter Vav connects it with the first three letters that express the act of speech.

The letter Vav at the end of a word also creates a connecting relationship. For instance: 'his' (in place of 'of him', belonging to him), 'like' (in place of this is similar to it), 'this is' (instead of this is he). In these cases, the letter Vav is vocalized with a dot or dotation marks, for reasons not detailed here.

Moreover, all 22 letters contain the letter Vav, which creates their shape with the addition of different letters. For example, the letter Aleph comprises the letter Vav with the combination of two Yuds. The letter Kaf is made of three Vavs, while the letter Mem comprises the letter Kaf with a Vav. And so it is with the rest of the letters (except for the letter Yud, where the spread of its light creates the letter Vav as explained later). For the letter Vav is the connecting letter, joining and combining the different forces that form and create the illumination of each letter.

Interestingly, even in its pronunciation, the letter Vav is unique in that its duplication creates its own name. Unlike other letters that require the addition of other letters in their pronunciation, such as Aleph, Bet, it stands alone (even in the letter Mem, there is no exact duplication. One is open, and the other is closed. See further explanation in the section on Mem).

Numerical Value

The numerical value of the letter Vav is six, the number of connection that creates a single unit, both in the spiritual realm of this world and in the material dimension.

In the spiritual dimension, the number six represents the six carriers of Torah in the six orders of the Mishnah (Zeraim, Moed, Nashim, Nezikin, Kodashim, Taharot), in which the Oral Torah was put into writing. The detailed laws explained in the Oral Torah in the six orders of the Mishnah connect with the verses of the Written Torah, forming a single unit of an illuminated Torah for its learners.

In the material world, gravity enables the attachment and connection of human feet, animals, and various objects to the earth. The source of gravity, which confounds physicists in its definition and cause, lies in the illumination and action of the connecting letter Vav in the material world. This is hinted at even in the physical form of the legs of humans and animals, the shapes of tree trunks, and flower stems, which connect the ground with the body parts, resembling the shape of the letter Vav.

Moreover, as is known, every detail in the material world consists of particles called atoms, whose dense bonding creates the perception of the material's solidity (for instance, there are 3,000,000,000,000,000 atoms at the tip of a needle). Researchers have discovered that complex electrical connections bind innumerable atoms together. Without that binding force (and among the internal atomic particles), all matter in the universe would cease to exist. What is the root of this connecting electrical force, without which the material cannot exist? Science holds no tools for answering this question. Yet, in the esoteric lore it is explained that within every material is a soul, the source of that spiritual force connecting material parts. As said by Maharhu, inanimate objects have "a soul that composes [combines and connects] and positions them". The spiritual root of this connecting soul lies in the connecting letter Vav.

Therefore, according to esoteric lore, the number six represents the material itself. For the existence of material, once created and appeared through the illumination of the letter He, is rooted in the light of the letter Vav—it is the connecting letter joining each material particle with its parts and surrounding particles; a connection without which everything would collapse. And in the illumination of the next letter, the letter Zayin, lies the power of movement in the material, as will be explained later.

That is why material is limited to six directions (east, west, north, south, up, down), while the seventh dimension is the inner space that moves the material. For the same reason, the material was created in six days, even though certainly, the Creator could complete creation in a single moment. Also, in human's material work, it is said, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work". And in years: "And six years you will sow your land and gather its produce". The seventh day and year are the sources of blessing; that internal spiritual engine propels the economic cycle. As stated, "And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it", meaning He imbued it with the trait of abundance and blessing, thereby distinguishing and sanctifying it from the other days.

From now on, we understand why the number seven, representing the seventh spiritual dimension encircled by six directions, like the structure of the Star of David, symbolizes the inner spirituality in the material world. That spirituality drives and operates all the material.

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The word 'six', which is the numeric value of the letter Vav, expresses in its writing the essence of the letter: the connecting Vav. The word 'six' consists of two letters Shin, each made of three upright letters Vav, connected at their base, as in the verse "And a threefold cord is not quickly broken". And both together connect to form one word: 'six', thus creating six Vavs.

The word 'Va'v' in initials: Vav Vavim. For the secret of connection in our material and limited world lies in the six edges (Hineh) of the material, like the cube structure.

The word six also means whiteness. As in "fine linen garments"—garments made of white linen fabric. Because the root of the letter Vav is in the attribute of mercy, and in the unity it represents lies a great illumination that cleanses and whitens the sins of Israel and brings abundant mercy into the world, as written, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow". For when Israel is united and loves one another, all harsh decrees are annulled. As explained by the sages on the verse in Hosea, "Joined to idols, let him alone", that even if they are idol worshippers, if they are connected, let them be and do not punish them. Therefore, even though in King Ahab's time they worshipped idols, the attribute of judgment did not affect them because they were united.

This great light, emanating from the unity in the secret of the letter Vav, the letter of mercy, is hinted at in the writing of the word 'six', which appears as a drawing of radiant beams of light. This parallels the explanation of the word 'six' as whiteness. Thus, even the sun that burns and sends light rays into the world contains the letters 'six' in its name, like a flow of light rays. And so does the 'marble' that is a glowing stone. And 'elder', a person of age full of wisdom whose countenance radiates and shines, especially if crowned with a white beard.

However, the primary expression of the duplicated letter Shin in the word 'six' is splitting and sending forth branches. Since that is the power of the letter Shin, as the tooth that cuts like tooth action and splits. Therefore, the letters 'six' appear in words expressing extension and splitting, even when it refers to those who do not shine or radiate. For example, 'root', which sends its branches. Also in the word 'chain', split and composed of links. And in the word 'lily', spreading out its split petals. In both cases, both the lily and the chain express the brilliance and glow in the word 'six'.

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