By the Way of Negation: The Letter 'L' in Various Combinations

According to the mystical understanding, the letter Lamed, which signifies study and understanding things from other things, hints at the upper Sephira of Binah. As the Radbaz mentions in "Magen David": "And there is no letter higher than Lamed. Therefore it is called the tower floating in the air, hinting that Binah is above the structure of the other Sephirot, with its body within the line of the building [just as the head of the letter Lamed is above all letters, and its body is among them in line]. And its head is above among the upper letters [hinted at in the large letters of the Torah called 'Ravti']. Since it connects the world of intellect [the spiritual world] with the world of building [the physical world]."

Similar to the letter Lamed, so too does the letter Gimel, the third in the order of singular letters, hint at the third Sephira of Binah in the order of the Sephirot, and thus Lamed is also third in the order of tens.

Furthermore, the largest of all letters, the letter Lamed, comes from the language of learning and Binah. As mentioned, the large letters in the verses of the Torah (Otiot Ravti) have their root in the Sephira of Binah.

Lev

The origin of understanding that an action needs to be performed begins in the brain. However, the aspirational force driving towards the goal to actualize understanding lies in the heart, the center of emotions. Therefore, the word 'Lev' opens with the letter Lamed, the letter of aspiration.

Even in terms of the act of learning that the letter Lamed represents, the heart, which begins with Lamed, has a central role, as intellectual learning begins with the heart's emotions and its aspiration to learn and know.

Moreover, the main success of intellectual study depends on the heart's positive emotions towards that learning, in its desire and joy in it. As Chazal state in the Talmud: "A person should always learn where his heart desires."

The engraving of learning in the learner's memory also depends on the joy of the heart and its excitement from the learning. The more a person is happy with his studies and is impressed by the beauty of the wisdom revealed to him, the longer he remembers his learning. Although memory cells are in the brain, the heart determines their activity strength and the depth of their engraving in memory. Thus it was said about the words of the Torah: "And these words which I command you today shall be on your heart." Meaning, be impressed by them in your heart as befits their wonderful content, and you will always remember them in your mind.

The immense value of joy in Torah learning

On the importance and great benefit of learning Torah with feelings of joy, the Admor of Sochatchov writes: "The main mitzvah of learning Torah is to be joyful and happy and to delight in one's learning. Then Torah words are absorbed in his blood. And since he enjoys Torah words, he becomes attached to the Torah... the learner for the sake of mitzvah and delights in his learning, this is learning for its own sake, and it is all holy, for even the delight is a mitzvah."

On the other hand, the feeling heart is influenced by the knowledge existing in the brain, the repository of knowledge. As we clearly see, the one who learns words of Torah and ethics corrects his character traits and controls various emotions such as anger, jealousy, pursuit of honor and wealth, and the like, until he rises properly and rectifies them.

Furthermore, the heart itself learns, for part of a person's learning in life is the feeling that comes naturally, which is often correct. These insights are usually acquired and learned from experience combined with natural wisdom, and they belong to the heart's feeling (intuition). Indeed, Lamed is an acronym for 'Lev Mevin Daat' as explained in the Midrash "Otiyot d'Rabbi Akiva".

Moreover, the attribute of humility in the heart leads a person to broad and deep intellectual wisdom, as he is not ashamed to learn even from those inferior to him. As the Sages stated in the Mishnah: "Who is wise? He who learns from every person. As it says, 'From all my teachers I gained understanding.'" Interestingly, the word 'Lev' consists of the letters: Lamed, Bet. That is, twice Lamed. And behold, writing the letter Lamed twice, with both faces turned towards each other, like two people conversing, creates the shape of a heart. This is the humble person who converses even with the simple and inferior, learning in his humility from every person the goodness within them and their merits.

The word 'Lo' and the word 'El'

In the letter Lamed, the letter of learning and contemplation, which looks into the future from its heights and broad perspective, lies the ability of a person to be cautious and use the wisdom he acquired to foresee developments to prevent negative actions that ultimately harm him. As "God will bring every work into judgment with every hidden thing."

Therefore, the warning word 'Lo' begins with Lamed, which foresees the future, and is joined by the letter Aleph representing Hashem, as his guidance determines what is permitted and forbidden, what is good and bad. For example: "Thou shalt not murder!" "Thou shalt not commit adultery!" "And the seventh day is Shabbat to the Lord your God, thou shalt not do any work!"

The letter Aleph in 'Lo' also represents the beginning. To say, when you are still at the initial stage, and the negative action has not yet been done, prevent yourself from it.

The warning message in the letter Lamed is also expressed in its unusual height, as told in the words of the Sages: "A matron [a Roman noblewoman] asked Rabbi Yosei: Why did the Lamed deserve to be taller than all the letters? He replied: Because it is a herald, and the way of the herald is to stand in a high place and announce."

On the other hand, the one beginning (Aleph) that looks to the distance and sees the future (Lamed) is the 'El'.

Moreover, both the letter Aleph and the letter Lamed, which together create the word: 'El', are each composed of letters whose numerical value is twenty-six, like the name of Hashem. The letter Aleph is composed of the diagonal letter Vav and two Yods. The letter Lamed is composed of the letter Kaf with a Vav standing on its back.

Furthermore: each of the letters of the word 'El' stands at the head of a camp of ten letters following it (Aleph: Bet to Kaf. Lamed: Mem to Tav). To instruct on "a single Lord El, a faithful king ruling over all" said in the Book of Creation. He is blessed, ruling over the ten Sephirot which compose and activate every detail in our physical world (hinted at in the ten letters Bet to Kaf), and in the spiritual worlds (hinted at in the letters Mem to Tav), and they are only channels of flow of His blessed light.

'Bal' in Different Letter Combinations

The word 'Bal', which means negation in the future tense, like "it shall not be moved", is composed of the letter for division: Bet, and the letter of anticipation of the future: Lamed. Its explanation: division and distancing from the future; it will not happen, or it should not happen.

Thus, something with no substance, like all the delusions of this world, is called hevel (vanity). As the word 'Bal' is joined by the letter of this world – Heh. Bal - He. Its explanation: there is no substance in the acquisitions of this world.

When a person’s soul (Aleph) leaves his body, the result is mourning. Bal - Aleph.

When there is no protection for a person, the letter of protection (Samech) is absent, and the result: suffering. Bal - Samech. Whereas after the body nourishes and absorbs the sustenance part of the food (Zayin), the rest of the waste is called: garbage. Bal - Zayin.

Yet in all these, the letter expressing the main thing (world, soul, protection, food), is the first and then follows the word of deficit 'Bal'.

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