The Letter Chet - Life and Grace: Spirituality Beyond Nature, and the Power of Choice

The letter Chet expresses the spiritual soul that animates a person, standing on its feet. It is the soul that imparts a spiritual and expressive charm to the physical face, unlike a deceased person whose facial expression is frozen.

Therefore, the letter Chet expresses the essence of life in this-world, and also the power of choice in the soul of the living person. This power determines how the movement (Zayin) of the physical body (Vav) will live and act: whether to open eyes and see the hidden spiritual light within the world's material and dark shell, thereby walking in a lit and correct path according to the Creator's instructions, or to be like those whom the Satan blinds and leads in this-world, walking in the darkness characterizing the world of material and desires, until they fall into a deep pit.

In other words, the choice is his whether to be fright (Chet) from Hashem, spotless (Chet) and clean from any sin, or a sinner (Chet) missing his creation's purpose.

Therefore, the letter Chet starts words associated with strong activity. For example: heat, cutting, diligence, decision, strength. As well as: point, arrow, spear, sword. Also, warm human emotions: compassion, kindness, mercy, pardon, affection. Also, joy and laughter on one hand, and sigh on the other, include the letter Chet, the letter of the soul. These traits come from the soul's warmth.

The first appearance of the letter Chet in the Torah as the initial of a word is in the verse: "And darkness was upon the face of the deep". Since what characterizes human life in this-material world, destined to challenge with the world's material tests, is the darkness and concealment of truth. Thus, the world's name is 'world', from the word concealment, as our sages interpret the verse in Psalms: "You make darkness, and it is night" - "this-world which resembles night." Man's role is to overcome the illusion of the material shell, discover the hidden truth in the world, revealed to all seekers in the Torah, and live a true, good, and happy life. Thus, the letter of choice and life in the material world, first appears in the Torah at the start of the word 'darkness'.

Its Shape

The letter Chet expresses the soul of life. Therefore, its primary shape resembles upright legs, with the body 'hunched' under the roof of the letter like a head standing on shoulders. The living being, distinct from the dead, is mainly recognized by its ability to stand on its feet.

The light of life emanating from the soul, bestows charm on the face of the living person. Without the soul, the face itself is like the face of an inanimate being. Without expression and without illumination. Only when the soul is in the body do the face bear a living charm, even showing the person's inner character, according to the soul's light reflected in the face as per one's thoughts and traits, as it is written: "A man's wisdom makes his face shine."

The letter Chet joins the two previous letters and completes them. While the letter Vav expresses the material nature, and the letter Zayin expresses the spirituality within nature, the inner soul creating the movement of material - the letter Chet expresses the spirituality beyond nature, granting to man, created in the image of Hashem, the unique ability in the creation to choose between good or evil, truth or falsehood.

Thus, the letter Chet symbolizes life in this-world, in terms of the challenges and trials faced by the living person, and expresses the ability of the spirit to transcend materialism, conquer its desires, and subject it to the service of Hashem. Therefore, in Torah script, the letter Chet is written Zayin opposite Zayin. In the letter Zayin, which is the letter of internal initiative, lies the ability to move and fight with weapons, hence its shape like a sword, and it expresses the warrior in war, while in the letter Chet lies the ability to overcome bodily desires in the battle of the spirit and subject the material to the service of Hashem, therefore it is written Zayin opposite Zayin. Since two opposing forces - equipped with their weapons - operate within a person. Material versus spirit. This comes with its imaginary desires to lead astray, and this comes with the power of truth and genuine good to elevate them.

According to the additional form some write the letter Chet in Torah script, Vav opposite Zayin, not only do two warriors stand in the letter Chet opposite each other, but their essence is also explained here: material (Vav) against the spirit within material (Zayin). A living man (Chet) is capable of winning the battle, if only he wants to. As it is written about man's ability to overcome the evil inclination: "Sin lies at the door, and unto you is its desire, but you may rule over it."

The upper part of the letter Chet in Torah script hints at a living person's head standing on two legs. However, the pointed tip at the center of the Chet’s head, which is not rounded but points like an arrow upwards, signifies that the source of life is Hashem, who bestows life from above to man.

The letter Chet has no bottom, and in its general shape, it resembles the letter Hey. In this resemblance is an important and fundamental message to the living person in the world. The letter Hey, expressing this-world, hints in its form that even if a person has sinned in this-world and fallen into the open abyss below, as long as he lives he can still return through the window at the top of the letter by returning to Hashem according to the rules explained in the laws of repentance.

"Return to Me, and I will return to you"

The laws of repentance are explained in the Rambam's Laws of Repentance: "And what is repentance? It is that the sinner abandons his sin, removes it from his thoughts [removes from his thoughts the desire to fail in that sin], and resolves in his heart never to do it again. As it is said: 'Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.' And let him regret the past, as it is said: 'For after I returned, I repented, and after I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh.' And let the knower of all secrets testify for him that he will never return to this sin again. As it is said: 'And we will no longer say to the work of our hands, Our god, for in you the orphan finds mercy.' And he must confess with his lips and say these matters which he resolved in his heart." However, the letter Chet symbolizing what is beyond the nature of this-world, expresses the man who remains in his sin and departs from this-world having died without repentance. For this person, the open window has closed. He has fallen into the open abyss, and there is no way back for him. Yet he will receive the deserved payment for his deeds to cleanse and purify him, or he will have to return in reincarnation (as explained in the letter Tet).

Its Pronunciation

The pronunciation of the letter Chet, from the expression 'sin' and 'iniquity', and from the expression 'purification' and purity.

If he failed in this-world and sinned in forbidden deeds, he missed the goal for which he was created, and he dirtied himself with transgression to his shame and disgrace. As the Midrash "Letters of Rabbi Akiva" states: "Chet, why does it not have a crown (tags)? Because anyone whose deeds are evil and ugly and sins, has no praise in this-world and no good name. Only disgrace, dishonor, and shame."

On the other hand, with the power of choice in his hand, a man is able to overcome his inclination and be purified and clean. However, this lofty level can only be reached by a person who has the awe of Hashem. That is, fear of Heaven. The God-fearing person necessarily rises to wonderful spiritual heights with their good choice, as hinted by the top of the letter Chet pointing upwards like an arrow indicating and pointing to the high spiritual ascent of the God-fearer who fulfills the purpose of his life in the world.

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