The Letter Kaf: A Vessel and Royal Crown, Shaping and Giving Form

The letter Kaf embodies the power of bending and giving form to the material until it becomes a vessel. Therefore, it also expresses the ability of compulsion held by the ruler, and the crown of his kingdom.

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Thus far, in the cycle of the first ten letters, the first cycle from the beginning of creation to its purpose, the life of the world to come, starts and ends. However, the letter Yod, which is the first numbered ten, follows the single letters - from Aleph to Tet; it is also the letter that begins the second, higher cycle of the ten letters in the tens. They start with the letter Yod, numbered ten, and end with the letter Kuf, numbered one hundred. Each letter in the tens corresponds to its twin in the singles, though it is in the higher cycle, expressing the next stage of the specific power contained in the letter of the first cycle.

Now, after the letter Yod, the letter of the eternal world to come, which corresponds to the letter Aleph, the letter of The Master of the World, the letter Kaf follows, the letter of giving form to material, corresponding to the letter Bet, the letter of the raw creation of material, as explained below.

The letter Kaf first appears in the Torah at the beginning of a word, in the verse: "And Hashem saw the light that it was good." Meaning, ‘that there is good in it, it contains good.’ Since the letter Kaf essentially expresses the vessel and the containment.

Form and Pronunciation

The letter Kaf is pronounced: Kaf. From the term palm of the hand, which a person uses to bend and create shape in raw material. The word bending also comes from the term palm, because it is the way a person holds with his palm and bends the thing into shape.

Indeed, the shape of the letter Kaf is like a rod after being bent with two palms. Also, the shape of the Kaf is like a creating palm, where the thumb and fingers incline in one direction for grasping and creating.

Therefore, the letter Kaf is close in shape and numerical value to the letter Bet. In form: this is Bet's form, and this is Kaf's form. In numerical value: this is numbered 2, and this is numbered 20. Since the letter Bet is the letter of creation, composition, and building. Whereas the letter Kaf is the letter of giving form to material that was created, with its parts assembled and built together.

In deeper understanding, the letter Kaf, bending the material, determines its shape, and controls it, is also the root of the possibility of the existing governance in our world, expressing the crown and throne of the king to whom all are bent, and he determines the manner and form of managing his state and subjects. Therefore, the shape of the Kaf is like a royal throne prepared for the king to sit on, and also the bent crown hinted at in the letter expressing the bending of material to the desired form.

Indeed, on a higher level, the letter Kaf represents the crown of the kingdom of the one who controls his spirit, builds and shapes his personality according to the desire and guidance of his Creator. As it is written: "Better is the patient than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who captures a city." And as our sages said in Pirkei Avot: "Who is a hero? One who conquers his inclination." This person truly deserves the title king. For he subjugates his soul residing in the brain, which is the source of thought, over his spirit residing in the heart, which is the source of feelings, and over his soul residing in the liver, which is the source of desires. The initials of Moach, Lev, Kaved create the word: MeLeCh. And when reversed: KaLeM. The first achieves true kingship, and the latter from the word none and obliteration.

For on a deeper level, the letter Kaf expressing the power of bending and giving form operates not only in material, such as creating a vessel from raw material, but also in spirit, in the soul of a person. And as Ramchal explained in his book "Derech Hashem," a person receives a pure soul, which in a certain way is like raw material at that time. It is incumbent upon a person to use his body and act through it to build and shape it according to the principles of the 613 commandments, and thus make it a receptacle for divine abundance. For the body is the vessel and instrument that can elevate the spiritual level of the soul, shape its form, and adorn it through standing in the trials of the world, according to the Creator's instruction book. This magnificent formation is not properly visible in it until it departs from the body, which blocks and separates it. Here's a summary of his words there: "That the soul, as long as it is in the body in this world, is also darkened and obscure. And even though through good deeds that a person does, it acquires perfection and beauty in itself, the thing cannot be revealed, and it cannot shine with the radiance it should shine, because of the hindering body. However, when the soul departs from the body and goes to the world of souls, there it expands [meaning expands] and shines with its radiance, as it should, according to its deeds. Indeed, when it returns to the body after the resurrection, it will enter with all its radiance and all its power [the strength and level of its spirituality], and then immediately it will purify that body greatly. The purification will be according to all the good deeds already done, and it will place it in the rank it deserves among those who enjoy in perfection. Afterwards, they will both ascend [the soul and the body] ascensions after ascensions, as befitting someone in that rank." Meaning, initially the soul in the body is limited in its state, and then the body elevates and adorns it, and it is like a flower bud, with all its beauty packed within. When it exits the body, it blossoms with its radiance according to the degree achieved in this world, and returns powerfully at the resurrection into the rebuilt body, as it blossoms and shines, and purifies it according to its level. And from then on, both continue to ascend together from degree to degree according to the level of spiritual personality system they created for themselves while in this world.

It is also worth noting the testimonies of various possessed spirits, who, when asked how they dare to speak curses and vulgarity in speech while being spirit without a body, responded that while still in their body in this world they had the ability to correct their traits, change their speech style, and build their personality properly. But when they reached the world to come, their spiritual level was like preserved, and they speak as they were accustomed in this world, in vulgarity and the like, without the ability to change.

Usages of the Letter Kaf

The shape of the letter Kaf, when on its back, resembles a vessel with its mouth upwards. Since bending and giving form to the raw material turns it into a vessel, and prepares it for use as a receptacle. This vessel can also serve as a cover that shades from above, as in the verse "I will cover you with my palm until I have passed." And since the letter Kaf essentially expresses a receptacle, all words that relate to the containment of something, such as: utensil, cup, and many more brought in the adjacent context, begin with the letter Kaf.

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