The Negative Aspect of the Letter Mem

Counter to the positive action of the letter Mem, which can transition from a state of development to a higher, more complete one, it can also operate in a negative direction, as noted in the scriptural quote 'Hashem made this corresponding to that.'

This letter, that flows and spreads like water, symbolizes chaos and confusion like tumultuous waters that rush in their course, getting confused for a moment upon reaching a crossroads and then continuing without measured thought. Hence, in Jacob's rebuke to his sons before his death, he admonishes his eldest, Reuben, with the words: 'Unstable as water, you shall not excel [thus you shall not be superior in your standing over your siblings in birthright, priesthood, and kingship, as you were meant to be].'

So too, in the Midrash "The Letters of Rabbi Akiva," the reason the letter Mem was not chosen for creation is explained. Here is the text of the Midrash:

"After this, Mem came forward and asked Hashem: Would you wish to create the world with me? In me, future residents of the world will say your Kingdom and Authority in all, as it states: 'Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and Your dominion is throughout every generation,' and the beginning of your Name is in me, as I am called 'King.' Hashem replied: No. Mem asked: Why? Hashem answered: Because a day of tumult lies within you, as it is written: 'For the day is of chaos and trampling and confusion.'"

That is, from the negative side, the letter Mem expresses internal chaos and mental disorder, stemming from recklessness like water, leading one to transgression by not pondering the truth and weighing the reward of sin against its loss.

Therefore, when the generation of the Flood sinned with idolatry, sexual immorality

Measure for measure

The Talmud explains that this is why those of the Flood were punished with boiling water: "They sinned in heat, and were judged with heat." In his commentary on the Torah, the "Kli Yakar" explained these matters in depth. Here is a summary of his words:

"And the reason is, by promiscuity, they desecrated the sacred name Y-H, the intermediary between man and woman. With its removal, only ash remains, as it is said: for it is ash that devours to oblivion. This is what our Rabbis of blessed memory said, 'They sinned with heat, and were judged with heat' – for they themselves ignited the ash."

As also seen with Hezekiah, who at first was sentenced to die for not engaging in procreation, and the prophet said to him 'Give orders to your house, for you are dying, and will not live.' Our Rabbis of blessed memory interpreted 'for you are dying in this world, and will not live in the world to come.' Why such severe wrath, that for neglecting procreation, he would be punished in both worlds? It's because it says "for with Y-H, Hashem formed worlds," teaching us that this world was created with the letter Hey, and the world to come with the letter Yud. By neglecting procreation, he caused the Y-H name to depart from man and woman, as if destroying the 310 worlds dependent on the Y-H name. Therefore, his judgment was to be expelled from both worlds, this and the next. When Hezekiah repented and accepted to engage in procreation, restoring the Y-H name to its place, he was told "I will add fifteen years to your life," corresponding to the Y-H name.

Our Rabbis also said that between the men's area and women's area in the Temple were fifteen steps. All this indicates the number Y-H is always an intermediary between man and woman, flowing from the sanctity of the name Y-H." About theft, it is said: "I, will rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights and will obliterate all existence created from the face of the ground."

Precisely forty days. Because each sin from these three sins, requires cleansing in forty days.

Idol worship: corresponding to the forty days the Torah was given, as the idolater denies the entire Torah.

Adultery: corresponding to the forty days of embryo formation. As Rashi explained there: "Corresponding to the formation of a child, which they corrupted by troubling the Creator with forms of illegitimate offspring."

Theft: theft is seen as stealing a person's life; formed in forty days. As our Sages said on the verse "and to him he lifts his soul," "For what did this one climb the ramp, hang on a tree, and risk his life to death? Is it not for his wage? Another explanation: 'and to him he lifts his soul,' for anyone withholding workers' wages it is as if taking his soul from him." People often climb to dangerous places like scaffoldings of buildings and treetops and risk their lives to earn money honestly for their livelihood. Thus the money they earn is dear as their soul, and the one withholding wages steals their life. It's hinted at in the word theft, which is also the numerical value of forty, like the forty days of human formation.

So, the letter Mem also expresses death, signifying the inanimate hinted at by this letter, and as explained above, the letter Mem transitions from "mother" to "death."

Indeed, the holy Zohar comments on the verse: "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, turned back my wrath from the children of Israel," indicating Phinehas saw a destructive angel called 'Hima' descending upon the heads of Israel. This explains "He turned back my wrath from the children of Israel." He removed the angel named Hima, that they would not harm Israel. The Zohar details:

"What did he see? He saw the letter Mem [from Sam-Ael] floating in the air, seeking to merge with the letters Vav and Tav [born from the transgressions of the Israelites], to form 'death' and annihilate Israel regretfully. When Phinehas was zealous for Hashem, he was endowed with the spirit of our patriarch Isaac, whose attribute was might, and received from him the letter Yud, rising to be called 'Phinehas' in full, which is numerically 208 as the count of 208. When he invoked upon the flying Mem the explicit name, he subdued it, and the Mem descended and included in his name, becoming the value of 248, which is the numerical value of 'Abraham,' whose attribute is kindness. As the attribute of kindness shone for Israel, he specifically took a spear in his hand, and with it, he nullified the decree from Israel."

The Zohar goes on to explain:

"Why the letter Mem [why was it the letter from Sam-Ael's name that was flying during the decree]? Because it is a symbol of death, a sign of the forty lashes, and a sign of the four capital punishments [each multiplied by ten, and rooted in the letter Mem]. For the letter Mem can ascend and descend. Ascend to forty [they are four Yuds from the seventy-two-letter name] and descend to four [they are four letters of the divine name]. Moreover, it can descend from the holy four to the four of the other side that are four evil directions [named: 'blindness,' 'destruction,' 'wrath,' 'rage'], due to which there are four capital punishments. Extending to the letter of Mem, the symbol and vessel of the angel of death named Samael, when the letter Mem is removed from his name, a holy angel named Sael remains. This is what's written: 'in avenging my vengeance among them.' The word 'among them' is made of the letters 'within Mem.'"

The Zohar continues to speak with terrible severity against those who marry non-Jewish women, defiling their seed, and bringing plagues upon themselves and Israel. For it was due to the sin with non-Jewish women that the plague came upon Israel at that time.

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