The Letter Zayin - Mysteries of the Star of David

As explained in previous articles, the spiritual soul within the matter, in the realm of the number seven, is the driving force of the limited matter confined to six planes created in six days. This inner and spiritual soul is considered the holy sanctuary mentioned in Sefer Yetzirah:

"Seven doubles: BGD KPRT [these seven letters have a strong and weak form] corresponding to seven edges. Among these, six edges: up and down, east and west, north and south. And the holy sanctuary is positioned in the middle and it carries them all."

These words of Sefer Yetzirah concerning the sacred spiritual center, around which are six edges, lying at the foundation of the known Jewish symbol called the Star of David. The Star of David's structure is composed of two opposing triangles laid on top of each other, combining to create an inner space surrounded by six triangles. This Jewish symbol, like much other Jewish knowledge, leaked over the generations to some nations in the Far East, leading some to mistakenly believe its origin comes from other cultures. The oldest depiction of the Star of David discovered in a Jewish context is engraved on a Jewish seal found in Sidon, dating back to the era of the First Temple.

The structure of the Star of David is indeed found in the menorah of the Tabernacle and Temple, whose form, as known, was determined by Hashem, and each of its details holds secrets. In the menorah, beneath every lamp was a flower shape. This flower had six petals resembling the Star of David, such that the flame was in the center of the Star of David. This implies the secret of the spiritual soul likened to a burning lamp, as it is written, "The lamp of Hashem is the soul of man," dwelling within the material confined by six directions. To indicate that material, although tangible and more perceptible in our world, merely serves the spirituality within it, which is its essence; just as the six-petaled flower of the menorah was intended to serve the flame burning within it. Additionally, the menorah had seven branches, whose six flames faced the central flame. The illuminating menorah is the source of wisdom's light in the world. Because the abundance of wisdom that would descend into the world via the Temple did so through the menorah of light in the Temple. Similarly, the source of intellectual and wisdom's light in man is the soul in the body, the flame at the center of the menorah. Thus, the high priest kindling the flame in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, with the same vessel called a menorah, whose form and every detail were determined by Hashem, had the privilege to activate, in the act of lighting the menorah, sublime spiritual abundance systems to bestow great goodness upon the world, with incomprehensible power to the ordinary mind (like all the commandments, given such that using the material existing in the world - according to the Creator's rules and instructions, such as tefillin houses and passages, etc. - achieves great wonders in the higher systems).

This secret is embedded in the Star of David, containing six small triangles standing around the center - the seventh and inner dimension, upon which all six surrounding it depend. The six triangles allude to unified matter (Vav), which is incapable of moving and acting without the spiritual soul within it. Is it not the soul implied in the seventh dimension by the illumination of the letter Zayin - the letter of spiritual power that moves the matter?

However, many are still perplexed about the source of the name of this graphical symbol: "Magen David."

One of the most known and widespread qualities in Judaism for protection and safeguarding, and even for victory in any struggle, is the "For the Leader in the Form of the Menorah." This special Psalm deals plainly with: A. The foundation of faith in Hashem, who is the source of grace, blessing, and growth. B. The messianic days to come, when truth will triumph over falsehood, all nations will acknowledge the Kingdom of Hashem, and they will know and understand that all His ways are truth and justice, and they will rejoice in His straightforward judgments punishing the evil-doers, and thank Him for it, meriting pure fear of heaven. This psalm is composed of seven verses hinting at the seven branches of the menorah. Six are the six thousand years designated for the period of toil and standing in the trials of life and the physical world, and the seventh branch is the seventh millennium in the messianic era corresponding to the spiritual soul, the time designated for receiving the reward, when the dead will rise in a body cleansed from sin, and the evil inclination, also being the angel of death, will be removed. This psalm contains 49 words, corresponding to the 49 items of the menorah and the 49 gates of wisdom. Every word in the psalm is composed of the letters symbolizing one specific item according to its form and location in the menorah, and its corresponding gate of wisdom belonging to that item. Additionally, all the letters, words, and sentences in the psalm connect together in the combinations of their letters with holy names hidden and encrypted within them. Rabbi Chida wrote about this in his book "Midbar Kedemot," "King David, peace be upon him, was shown by Hashem in holy vision this psalm when it was written on a gleaming gold tablet, made in the shape of the menorah. And so it was shown to Moses our teacher, peace be upon him." In deeper terms, this implies that according to the hidden secrets in those specific letters of this psalm, the menorah of the Temple was made by Moses our teacher. And Rabbi Chida continues to write that because of the hidden secrets within it, "King David was carrying this psalm engraved on his shield in the shape of the menorah on a gold tablet. And when he would go to war, he would align its secret, and he would triumph, and the enemies would fall before him." And so wrote the Rema in his book "Torat HaOlah": "Therefore it is customary that the menorah was depicted in the Star of David." Likewise wrote the author of the "Rokeach," and added: "Whoever sees it depicted in the form of the menorah will find grace and favor in the eyes of God and man. And if it is depicted in the synagogue on the ark of the covenant, it will protect the whole congregation." And "Ebebraham" wrote: "Reading it every day is considered as if lighting the pure menorah in the Holy Temple, and as if receiving the Divine Presence." Many sages of Kabbalah also wrote in their books about the secrets of this psalm, with its words corresponding to the 49 days of the Omer count.

Thus, the seventh spiritual dimension embedded in the seven-branched menorah, which is the secret of the letter Zayin, the letter of struggle and victory, whose entire array of powers was inscribed in the letters of the psalm in the shape of the menorah - on David's shield, is the root of the name of the graphical symbol called "Magen David," composed of a central and internal seventh space, surrounded by six spaces, thus hinting, as a mundane graphical symbol, to the high and sacred secrets that were engraved as letters in the form of the Temple's menorah on King David's shield.

Especially to the one who delves into the form of the Star of David, revealing to their amazement that it secretly includes the form of all twenty-two Hebrew letters (!), as seen very clearly in the adjacent illustration.

When dealing with the hints of the Star of David, it is worth adding that in addition to the above secret of its seventh dimension, this ancient Jewish symbol embodies many lofty ideas and messages:

The two triangles, with one point facing upwards and the other facing downwards, express the principle of opposites in nature. The male and the female, the giver (being the triangle wide at the top and narrowing downwards like a funnel to deliver its abundance to the receiver) and the receiver (with its base wide, and narrowing upwards, turning its face towards the giver). And they unite together in the Star of David, forming a single completeness of man.

This union is made in our world using the Vav connector hinted at in the six sides of the Star of David, whose shape was created as a result of the union of two triangles. It is wonderful that this union made by the power of the Vav, returns to the starting point in the aspect of "its end is tied to its beginning" mentioned in Sefer Yetzirah, and it itself creates six triangles.

However, nature is imprinted with the connecting force in the letter Vav, that it is only able to function in our world and maintain it through the connection of particles and parts of the universe when there is benevolence between people in the world, as it is written: "The world is built upon kindness." This principle is hinted at by the three sides of each triangle from the two triangles of the Star of David, since the letter Gimel is the letter of completion and bestowal. Only when these two contrary triangles are benevolent, granting each other, do they unite and create the connecting power hinted at in the six sides.

This mutual benevolence between the giver and the receiver occurs through the giver bestowing with abundance and the receiver with their willingness to receive the abundance. Without the receiver, the giver cannot give, nor can they unite and achieve their completeness. Therefore, the connecting Vav, whose value is six, is composed of Gimel+Gimel (3+3), and thereby the Star of David is composed of two opposite Gimels, each granting from what it has and the other lacks, and through that they unite. As in the word "V'natanu" in the Torah, a palindrome – read forwards and backwards.

The nature of giving is such that it creates in the giver's heart a profound feeling of love towards the receiver, a feeling that delights the giver more than the receiver's enjoyment. Thus, the receiver gives to the giver more than what the giver gives to the receiver. This joy of love brings forth a real existence of unity. Therefore, the word 'love' (Ahava) and the word 'one' (Echad) are equal in their numerical value (Ahava=13. Echad=13), together totaling 26, the value of the Tetragrammaton. Because unity stemming from true love of mutual kindness is desired by the Almighty.

Additionally, the triangle whose base is wide symbolizes this world with all its desires and impulses, and the triangular top wide symbolizes the world to come and spiritual life. To hint that one who takes for themselves the pleasures of this world as the essence of life, at first desires much, but as they attain more and rise, their enjoyment diminishes until it ceases. This is the triangle that narrows upward until it ends. But the one in this world, based below, who chooses spiritual life, initially finds it difficult, for all beginnings are hard, represented by the narrow point below, but as they rise and are uplifted, their happiness and success broaden infinitely. After all, the spiritual triangle's diagonal lines can extend infinitely.

More deeply, according to the secret, every positive or negative action a person performs in this world rises and affects the upper worlds, and the influence returns and descends to the world, in accordance with the person's deeds. This is the secret of "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, I will give your rains... and grant peace..." This important principle is wonderfully expressed in the Star of David: the top horizontal line of the Star of David symbolizes the heavens, and the lower line - the earth. Initially, a person does in the earth a good or bad deed, and their action rises and penetrates the heavens, affecting the upper worlds. This is the bottom triangle rising upward and penetrating the upper line. The influence of that action then returns, descending into this world and penetrating to work in our world for good or ill as per the person's deed. This is alluded to by the triangle descending from above downwards.

Moreover. In the Star of David's structure, the form of the human body according to the structure of the ten sefirot is hidden. The upper apex of the Star of David corresponds to the head (sefirot 'Chokhmah', 'Binah', and 'Da'at' - in the head. And these are the three upper: Gimarishonot). The two top triangles at the sides correspond to the two hands ('Chesed' and 'Gevurah'), the center of the Star of David – corresponds to the chest ('Tiferet'). The two lower triangles – correspond to the two legs ('Netzach' and 'Hod'), and the last triangle – as a seal of the covenant ('Yesod' and 'Malchut').

From another view: the seven spaces of the Star of David align only against the seven lower sefirot (ZT) .

In conclusion, it's wonderful that although the symbol found in many countries of the Far East, also made in a way that expresses the principle of opposites in nature, that is the Yin and Yang uniting together, still their entire perception even that called spiritual is limited to matter of this world, such as the balance needed for body healing and so forth, without knowledge of deep layers in mutual influences from the physical world to the upper worlds 'Atzilut', 'Beri'ah', 'Yetzirah', and from there to our world. Influences derived from the power of a Jewish person when acting according to the royal behavior set in 613 mitzvot of the Torah, therefore in individual supervision from above, they set their symbol's shape as the shape of the material world - the Earth alone.

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