The Letter Yod - Spiritual Completeness and the World to Come

The letter Yod, which has the numerical value of ten, represents the culmination of the preceding letters and thus encompasses all the messages they contain. Therefore, the letter Yod signifies the spiritual completeness of a person and the life of the world to come, which they will earn after overcoming the trials of this worldly life and completing the stages represented by the nine preceding letters.

The verse in Isaiah "For with Y-H Hashem is the foundation of worlds" is explained in the Talmud: "Two worlds were created with two letters. This world, and the world to come. One with Hei and one with Yod... This world was created with Hei, and the world to come was created with Yod." This means that the verse "For with Y-H Hashem created worlds" states that the divine realms were created with the letters Y-H.

This explains why the letter with which the world to come was created appeared after the others in the alphabet sequence — because it is the letter representing the reward following labor. Since the purpose of creation is to achieve spiritual perfection in the world to come, which is the place of spiritual pleasure after shedding the physical body, and this purpose is only achieved after successfully navigating the nine initial letters, the letter Yod, representing the world to come, follows them.

Yod first appears in the Torah at the beginning of the word, in the verse "Let there be light". This is because the spiritual and initial creation of everything in the created universe is rooted in the letter Yod, which is the essence of the letter (as distinct from a more tangible creation which is an experienced creation, made possible by the power of the letter Hei). Thus, the letter Yod is the beginning of spiritual creation and also the spiritual goal of man in the world to come, as it is written in the Book of Creation "Its end is imbedded in its beginning".

Its Shape and Pronunciation

Yod, from the word 'Yad' (hand), is shaped like a hand with bent, adjacent fingers.

The explanation of the word 'Yad': extending onward. Thus, the limb extending from the human body onward is called 'Yad', similarly 'Yad HaYeor' (the hand of the Nile) is 'the area adjacent to the river', the place appearing to extend from the river; one who stands there stands "by the source". This is the essence of the letter Yod, in which began the illumination of the spiritual world (which extended from the initial, tiny spark known as 'the tip of the Yod', from which the light extended forward like a hand extending from the body), and from that world descended all worlds until the appearance of the physical universe.

Thus, as mentioned, the letter Yod is as "its end is imbedded in its beginning". On one hand, it expresses primacy: it is the first letter in the Tetragrammaton and also stands at the top of the first letter - Aleph, and its numeric value in small Gematria is one; on the other hand, in the alphabet order, it is the tenth letter expressing spiritual completeness. Because this letter, which is the beginning of all world appearances, is also their purpose, to bring man to life in the world to come. This is the secret of the circle's closure in it: to start with Aleph, and ultimately return to it.

Yod, from the verse: "A hand and a good name," are words that express commemoration. For the letter Yod expresses the life of the world to come, which is complete eternity.

Additionally, the life of the world to come, is adjacent to life in this world, and the reward a person receives there is determined by their actions here. Thus life in the world to come extends from life in this world, as a hand extends from the body. Therefore the letter Yod, which in its essence signifies the extension of the world to come from this world and their adjacency, also expresses extension (like "by the river").

As mentioned, in the letter Yod began the illumination of the spiritual world from which the rest of the worlds on all their details emerged. It also expresses the purpose of all worlds, to bring man to life in the world to come in reward for his labor in this world. For this reason, the letter Yod, the smallest of all letters, symbolizes the mystery of contraction, representing the little holding much. Since countless details of spirit and matter in the spiritual and physical universe descend and emerge from the primary singularity which includes everything. As explained in the holy Zohar that the mystery of the shape of the Yod is a single point. "Yod: the complete number, in the unity of all the particulars in totality, as in their beginning, in their end; marks the trait of the Yod in its point-form, contraction and concentration, a pictorial touch, and ascension to that which has no title or description, and the picture itself is only a form of speech annihilation. A black dot devoid of exposure, and of glow. This is the sublime treasury, whose acting hand is filled for its sake in the treasury of life, and the continuation of the supreme yield expressed by the Yod. The point, the line, and the area." For the spiritual manifests in the least material. And this dot which lacks white space as in other letters, is the secret of "I am black but comely" stated in Song of Songs. Since in its small blackness, great spirituality is hidden. Indeed, in this world, with minor effort and overcoming material temptation, which is all illusion, a person derives great and vast spiritual benefit in building their inner spiritual personality, and also merits a great reward in the life to come. Thus, it is not surprising that physics research found that immense energy can be extracted from minimal matter, and on this is based the atomic bomb, as known.

"Yod Why is it the smallest of letters?

Because anyone who minimizes himself in this world and is not arrogant, merits and inherits life in the world to come which was created by Yod, as it is said "For with Y-H Hashem is the foundation of worlds" — this world was created with Hei, the world to come with Yod.

Why was the world to come created with Yod?

Because the righteous people of the world to come are few.

And why is the tail of Yod facing its front?

Because every righteous person is rewarded according to their deeds. And their righteousness precedes them as it’s said, 'And your righteousness will go before you.'"

Its Numerical Value

The numerical value of the letter Yod is ten. The complete number includes all its predecessors.

In deeper understanding, every detail in creation is built and composed of ten spiritual sefirot and operates through them. Thus, ten is the number of perfect creation in all its particulars. The word 'ten' divides into words: 'do prince'. For all the sefirot that acted and act in creation are like the king's officers acting and operating in his power and according to his orders.

A person who achieves spiritual perfection is the true wealthy one both in this world and the world to come. Therefore the root letters of the word 'rich' in Hebrew are the letters ע.ש.ר (osher) because one who looks at his possessions with a correct, spiritual, and complete (Yod) perspective is satisfied with his portion. This is the true wealthy person as explained in the Mishnah: "Who is wealthy? One who is happy with their portion." For they know that Hashem loves them and gives them all that is truly good for them. But they, the human, do not know what and how much will truly benefit them, therefore they want more and more. However, one living with a correct spiritual outlook expressed by the letter Yod, is entirely content with what they have, living in true satisfaction and joy, knowing that indeed they have all the good for them. Thus they are the true wealthy persons who have all. As Jacob said to Esau: "Please take my blessing that has been brought to you, for Hashem has been gracious to me and I have all." Unlike Esau who said: "I have much, my brother." I have plenty. But he could not say I have all because despite all his assets, he felt a lack of more and more. And the lacking, indeed is a pauper. Yearning for more and not content. As it says about Haman: "And Haman recounted to them the glory of his wealth, and the multitude of his children, and all how the king promoted him, and how he elevated him above the princes and servants of the king. And Haman said, even Queen Esther brought me with the king to the banquet she prepared, and tomorrow too I am invited by her with the king. Yet all this is worthless to me..." Thus he is called rich — from the root 'ten', meaning complete. In contrast, his friend blessed with more material possessions, yet unsatisfied with their lot, indeed lacks all they need and is not truly seen as rich. They are not complete in the completeness represented by the number ten, but rather paupers yearning and craving more.

Even in the plagues of Egypt, where Hashem showed the Egyptians the completeness of His absolute control over the world, and taught them that matter is but secondary to spirit, and that man should humble himself before his Creator, this was expressed specifically through ten plagues. As explained in the Midrash, every plague demonstrated the Hand of Hashem controlling that which was plagued, such as the sea, air, land, humanity, animals, etc.

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