Why Should You See the Letter Tet in Your Dream?

The shape of the letter Tet resembles a basket covered from above, except for a narrow opening created by the lid pointing downwards, allowing for entry without exit. This indicates that everything created at the time of the world's creation, and all that is done in the world, is stored within and never lost, even if its form changes. As it is written in the verse: "That which God does will be forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it." To clarify this, we add that while the form of the letter Peh also appears as a box with an opening, its opening lies at the bottom, and its open door stands in a way that allows everything within to roll out. This is because the letter Peh expresses an opening and exteriority. In contrast, the opening of the letter Tet is on its top, and its door leans slightly inward for entry only. This illustrates the force of the conservation law.

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The letter Tet also appears as a serpent with its tail pointing towards its mouth. The primordial serpent symbolizes the evil inclination, whose role is to tempt humans not to observe the commandments of the Creator. As is well-known, the purpose of creating the evil inclination is to allow humans to build their spiritual world through confronting challenges. Thus, they earn divine goodness by keeping the Torah's commandments and not as a charitable free gift. Therefore, it is said in the Midrash regarding the verse "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good," "Very good – this is the evil inclination." Through it, one earns the divine good. Hence, it is wonderful that the evil inclination is hinted at in the form of the letter Tet, the letter of good. Even the mud, implied by the letter Tet, hints at the serpent about which it is said: "And dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life." In the form of its tail pointing towards its mouth, the principle of cyclicity in the letter Tet is hinted at.

However, on the other hand, the serpent, representing the evil inclination, might lead a person into a cycle (Tet) of pursuing material wealth and various desires, a pursuit with no end. As it is written, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money." This person, instead of striving to receive the good in the letter Tet, drowns by it in a sea of desires, revolving his entire life around material things like a serpent with its tail embedded in its mouth, struggling to break free from the endless cycle.

Therefore, Hashem sent the burning serpents to the people of Israel in Sinai after they sinned with the advice of the evil inclination, the serpent, as the scripture says: "Your own wickedness shall correct you" - the evil a person does is what punishes them. And as Chazal taught us in the Talmud and the sacred Zohar that "the evil inclination [which tempts the sinner] is the Satan [which accuses the sinner], is the Angel of Death [which afflicts the sinner with ailments, poverty, sadness, and pain, and even takes his soul]."

Thus, on the other hand, Israel's remedy in the desert was by a serpent. As it is written: "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." This teaches that the same evil inclination can be good and productive when used as intended, to elevate humans spiritually, using it as a tool to train the physical body's muscles.

Because of these opposites within the letter Tet, it opens the word 'impurity,' indicating a descent into the dirt of sin, and also opens the word 'purity,' indicating uplifting and cleansing. On one side, the ninth day is when the forces of darkness rule in the month of Av, the day of Tisha B'Av, and on the other, it is the day of the Messiah's birth, which will cleanse the world and bring it to a perfected era. This is hidden in the name 'serpent' against the name 'Messiah,' both equaling the numerical value (358). As it is stated: "Also, He has set the one over against the other, so that man should find nothing after Him."

The letter Tet as one of the letters of royalty

The letter Tet is one of the seven letters Shatnez Getz, which receive three crowns in their writing. This concept is explained in the Midrash "Otiot of Rabbi Akiva":

"Tet, why is its hand hidden inside, and its head raised, and it has a crown? Because whoever performs good deeds, charity, and kindness, and gives to the poor, must do so in secret. Anyone who gives charity in secret suppresses the Angel of Death away from himself and his household."

Meaning, with the strength of standing in trials (hinted at in the earlier letters), Hashem bestows goodness upon him, which he uses to benefit others discreetly ("his hand hidden within"), even amidst wealth and fame. He is granted to be like a king ("his head raised, and he has a crown"), whom everyone is happy to fulfill his will and satisfy his spirit. He also receives another gift hinted at by the bowed Tet: suppressing the Angel of Death from himself and his household, as he bends his hand to avoid shaming the poor. As it is written: "A gift in secret averts anger."

The letter Tet according to Kabbalah

According to the secret wisdom, the ninth letter, the letter Tet, corresponds to the ninth sefirah, Yesod. This is the sefirah of the source of life for the next generation. Therefore, it is not incidental that the duration of an embryo's stay in its mother's womb, from its initial formation until it enters the outside world, is nine months. The shape of the letter Tet, with the inner bending line leaning inside the letter, hints at the fetus in the womb.

Thus, the letter Tet is the foundational letter and the letter of life in the spiritual dimension above the material nature in the world. Therefore, while the letter Chet implies the soul entering the body to animate it, and within it lies the power of choice in this world, the letter Tet is the letter of the eternal soul life, and the letter of eternal life to which the world will arrive in the Messianic era at the end of the time cycle when the world will return (Tet) to its state before the corruption. This will be the time when there will be no death, as it is written: "He will swallow up death in victory, and Hashem God will wipe away tears from all faces." These eternal lives lie in the secret of the letter Tet. And this somewhat explains the matter explained in the sacred Zohar, that there is a place in the world where the Angel of Death does not have control. Even though all its inhabitants also eventually die, they do not die within the city itself, only when they go out of it. For they cannot permanently reside in the city, only those enter as others leave. And why does the Angel of Death have no power in this city? "There are secrets of secrets here for those gazing into the wisdom's secret. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He created it in the secret of the letters. The letters revolved, and the world was created through their engravings with the sacred name's carving. They revolved further and surrounded the world during engravings until all its parts were formed. When creation was completed, the letter Tet hovered above that place, and its illumination caused no death to ever be there. Because the letter Tet is the letter of life illumination. Therefore, whoever sees a Tet in his dream, it is a sign of good for him, and a life of perfection for him."

Seeing a Tet in a dream

As the Zohar clarifies, it is also explained in the Talmud: "Rabbi Yehoshua said: Whoever sees a Tet in his dream, it is a good sign for him.

What is the reason? If we say because it is written 'good,' then why not say the implication is negative according to the verse 'and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction?'?

We are talking about a single Tet [and the negative message here results from twice Tet].

Why not say 'her impurity is in her skirts?'?

We are discussing a Tet with a Bet [the word also contains Tet and Bet].

Why not say 'they sank into the earth in her gates?'?

Rather, because the scripture begins with goodness. From the Genesis until 'And God saw the light, that it was good,' Tet is not written.

And it implies that the combination of twice Tet has a negative connotation, rooted in T.A.T.

Further there, it is noted that the initial tablets did not contain the letter Tet because they were destined to be shattered. Had the Tet appeared there, due to the shattering of the tablets, goodness would have ceased from Israel, heaven forbid.

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