The Letter Ayin: Physical Labor Versus Spiritual Vision

Researchers of letters have marveled at the form of the letter Ayin in ancient Semitic scripts because its shape in these writings is a circle with a dot in the center, or without a dot. Similar to an eye, with or without a pupil. Based on the mistaken belief common among them that holy letters were invented by humans, it is thought that according to the names of the letters, the original shapes from which the known letters developed can be revealed. In other words, they believe the letter Ayin was named after the organ of sight, which for some reason was chosen to represent this letter, and thus it was drawn, from which the well-known letter shape developed over generations. They do not know that the opposite is true: the ancient Semitic script is based on the holy language script, as explained and proven extensively in the first chapter above. The organ of sight is called "eye" after the letter Ayin that represents the spiritual root of the possibility of vision in the world. That is, if this spiritual root did not exist, there would be no possibility of vision in creation (!). Since the sin of building the Tower of Babel, with the distortion of the original language and the creation of different languages, the true and original shapes of the letters, which are the universe's code, have been forgotten and their secret was kept only among certain individuals like Shem and Ever and the holy forefathers, and not common knowledge. These letters are the code of creation and existence of the universe and contain within them all the secrets and codes of creation in all its details, and one who knows them can control and change nature as he wishes, similar to a person who knows and is proficient in the codes programming the computing in a massive factory. Since the form of the letter Ayin was forgotten by later generations and only knew that the name of the letter is Ayin, when they came to mark the letter, they drew the organ of sight called "eye".

Meaning of the First Sixteen Letters in Sequence

Continuing the explanation of the order of the letters from Alef to Yud, brought above in the letter Yud, we will now consider from the letter Yud to the letter Ayin:

One who stands properly in the path of worldly trials implied in the order of the first nine letters, merits eternal life implied in the letter Yud, and when the scales of justice tip in his favor, his body will be rebuilt from one small bone until he regains his original form (Kaf), and rises to life, meriting great spiritual and material abundance in the secret of the letter Kaf Sofit, to royalty (Lamed), and great wisdom (Lamed), to see into the distance and foresee the future (Lamed) as he resides in the light hidden by Hashem for the righteous, from there he ascends and moves (Mem) to a higher spiritual level, involving self-nullification (Nun) and eternal merging (Nun) of the soul (Nun) with the infinite light. This light encircles (Samekh) and protects (Samekh) with love, and it is with him as a reward for being devoted to his mother. Then he is fortunate to delight in comprehending the depth (Ayin) of the Creator’s mysteries and the secrets of His Torah, as it is written "an eye has not seen an Eloha besides You".

The Letter Ayin in the Meaning of the Initial Tens Series

Beyond the continuous meaning of the letters presented above, which is the simplest and most basic among many, beginning with the letter Yud starting the tens series conveying the message of the letters to the reward in eternal life, the letters in the tens series also have an independent meaning serving as guidance for a person in this world, as a continuation of the guidance up to the letter Yud. However, while the initial letters of the units dealt with general worship of Hashem, the tens series is dedicated to the very study of Torah and the virtues obtained by one who applies himself properly:

By the spiritual person (Yud) laboring and utilizing the creative power of his intellect to work, innovate, and create a form (Kaf) in the words of Torah he studies (Lamed), he reveals its secrets (Mem) and it instills in him life and freshness like water (Mem), elevating his personality to be humble (Nun) and loyal (Nun), and making him protected and sheltered (Samekh) from any sorrow and harm, and capable of seeing (Ayin) hidden things.

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Thus, the letter Ayin expresses both depth and tangibility, hence, physical sight and spiritual sight. The depth of Torah wisdom is manifested in seventy facets to each verse, and each word and letter in the Torah - in every level of Pardes from the four Torah levels - and the range of human opinions culminates in up to seventy opinions.

Indeed, the tangible side of the letter Ayin represents physical labor, the ability to cope with toil and effort, and the material world, felt by the five senses. Therefore, it also hints at the evil inclination in this world, attempting to present a materialistic and lustful lie as if it were true, thereby causing a person to fall into sin. However, its drooping form also hints at the fall of the forces of the 'other side' at the end of days as explained in "Letters of Rabbi Akiva" mentioned above.

The Letter Ayin in a Person's Name

Therefore, when the letter Ayin is found in a person's name, especially if it is at the beginning of the name, he receives through the three spiritual abundance channels flowing in it (in its form, its number, and its pronunciation) practical and tangible qualities. This person is stable and practical, examining each action logically to see if it leads to the desired result. He is ready for labor and effort, even if it involves hard physical work, and even if the result of his toil and effort is not immediately evident, but he sees in his deep thinking the future result arising from his current effort, working diligently step by step until achieving the desired. From his toil, he provides good abundance to his family, according to what he understands is good for them, but tends to be strict with them if they do not do what is right and logical in his view. Overall, he is a very friendly person but may harm others when he is hurt or when he sees others hindering his goal. However, he is especially prone to lean excessively toward materialism and desires in this world, towards ostentation and arrogance, due to his aspiration for the tangible and felt. However, through proper work, he can direct this powerful aspiration towards the tangible and felt towards the positive side. This is achieved through using the three basic qualities of the letter Ayin and integrating them together: A. Aspiration to see far and deep. B. Willingness to work and strive step by step until achieving the goal. C. Aspiration for the tangible and felt. This combination is achieved through dedicating fixed time daily to studying Torah and ethics deeply and thoroughly by a scholar who fears Heaven and performing acts of kindness above and beyond the norm. Thus, through the joy in the depth of the Creator's holy Torah, perseverance in toil, joy in kindness, and the insight gained from personal development, correction of attributes, and knowledge of wisdom, he attains a profound sense of truth in closeness to Hashem and joy in fulfilling the commandments, to the point of tangibly feeling delight and spiritual life experiences that this spiritual path brings.

The immense galaxy in the shape of an eye, whose special appearance sent a shudder of God-fearing awe into the hearts of countless people until it received the name "Eye of God". Because of the improbable wonder that without a guiding hand, a random convergence of billions of giant stars formed an impressive and precise structure of a colossal eye in space.

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