Kabbalistic Hebrew

Cracking the Code of the Universe

Level 1 Lesson 4 LESSON 4 PLAN

PART 1: Homework Review [15 mins]

PART 2: ALPHABET

[] ז ,[VAV] ו ,[HEY] ה Letters .1

2. Nekudot: Holam, Hirik, Shuruk

PART 3: Q&A, Homework PART 1

HOMEWORK REVIEW

אֶ בֵ גֶ ד אֵד אַגֵד אֶגֶד גַבֵב בֶגֶד PART 2: ALPHABET

ח ,[ZAYIN] ז ,[VAV] ו ,[HEY] ה Letters .1 [TET] ט ,[CHET]

2. Nekudot: Holam, Hirik, Kubutz, Shuruk “The moment the Creator set about creating the world- ZON by selecting their properties, all twenty-two letters of ZON appeared before Him, starting from the last – Tav, and ending with the first, – the head of all letters. The reason for the letters coming in reverse order is that they constitute theMAN of ZON, the Kelim of ZON, which emerge from below upwards. The usual alphabetical order corresponds to the Light (MAD), which descends from Above downwards. But the order of MAN is opposite to that of MAD, for it ascends from below upwards.

Letters are none other than desires, properties, and thoughts that, in man’s opinion, are suitable for the attainment of the spiritual, the Creator, of His Providence. Man skips from one thought to another: one moment thinks that it is possible to attain the Upper Worlds with one property, next he believes he can enter the spiritual realms by mastering another property, then he begins to stubbornly observe all the Commandments and pray zealously, or disregards all the actions and plunges into contemplation and reading. Sometimes he craves only knowledge, and sometimes only faith, right down to fanaticism. Just as there are two extremes in our world – knowledge and faith, in the spiritual world, as man now consciously ascends the spiritual ladder to the Creator, there is spiritual work in the attainment of knowledge and faith. Hence, Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag’s commentary on The is entitled The Sulam(The Ladder)… …Therefore, The Zohar tells us how the letters – properties, forces, and desires – come to the Creator. By offering up his prayer (MAN), man asks for some property that seems like a real goal to him. And each letter tries to prove that it is best suited for the attainment of the sensation of the Creator and merging with Him. But the Creator shows that the best and the only letter is , as only it can help man to establish contact with Him. This is why the Torah begins with this letter.” Michael Laitman “The Zohar” ה [HEY] ה ו [VAV] ו נִכְנְסָה אות ו' (וָאו), אָמְרה לְפָנָיו: "ריבון הָעולָם, טוב לְפָנֶיָ לִבְרוא בִי אֶת הָעולָם, שֶאֲנִי אות מִשִמְָ". אָמַר לָה: "וָאו, אַת וְה' (הֵא) דַי לָכֶן, שֶאַתֵן אותִיות מִשְמִי, הויה, שֶאַתֶן בְסוד שְמִי, וַחֲקוקות ומְפותָחות בִשְמִי, לא אֶבְרא בָכֶן אֶת הָעולָם". אֶלָא הַו' (וָאו) חָשְבָה שֶהַי' (יוד) נִדחֵית מִטַעַם שֶקומַת הַו' (וָאו) גְבוהָה יותֵר, וְראוי שֶיִבְרא הָעולָם בְמִידתָה, בְקומַת ו"ה (וָאו הֵא) שֶל הויה.

The letter Vav entered. She said to Him, “O Lord of the world, it is good for You to create the world with me, for I am a letter in Your name, HaVaYaH.” He told her, “Vav, it is enough that you and Hey are letters of My name, HaVaYaH, that you are in My name, carved and engraved in My name. I will not create the world with you.” (Zohar for All, Introduction of the Book of Zohar, Otiot de Rav Hamnuna Saba [The Letters of Rav Hamnuna Saba], p.35) ז [ZAYIN] ז סוד הַז' (זַיִן) הִיא י' (יוד) עַל ו' (וָאו). גַדלות הַנוקבָא שֶנִּכְלֶלֶת בְעולַם הַזָכָר, וְהוא ו' (וָאו). שֶנַעֲשֵית עֲטָרה עַל ראשו שֶל בַעֲלָה זְעֵיר אַנְפִין, הַמִתְעַטֵר בָה, וְאָז נִכְלֶלֶת בְסוד זָכור וְנִקראת "קודש". לָכֵן טַעֲנָה אות ז' (זַיִן): "כֵיוָון שֶאור זֶה גָדול וְקדוש בְסוד הַמְנוחָה, וְשָם הַשְבָתַת כֹל הַקּלִיפות, עַל כֵן אֲנִי ראויָה שֶיִבָרא הָעולָם בְמִידתִי".

indicating she is mingled with the male ,[ו] over Vav [י] is Yod [ז] Zayin world, which is Vav, and then becomes a crown over his head, and her husband is crowned in her, as it is written, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” By elevating the Sabbath day, the Nukva, up to a crown over the ZA, at which time she is included in the male, the Nukva is called “holy.” The Zayin argued that since this light is great and holy, as is the rest, and there is cessation of all the Klipot there, I am worthy of the world being created with my quality. (Zohar for All, Introduction of the Book of Zohar, Otiot de Rav Hamnuna Saba [The Letters of Rav Hamnuna Saba], p.34) PUNCTUATION MARKS IN THE (NEKUDOT) Holam

SOUND: O

בוא Arrival, coming Shuruk

SOUND: U

אָהוב Hirik

SOUND: i

אִגוד - union אַבָא Dad, father גַג Roof; top, maximum דָג Fish

Back גַב גַאֲוָה Pride אַהֲבָה Love זֶה (This (male הוא (He, it; is (male זָהָב Gold

This is, that is (male), that's it זֶהו דְאָגָה Worry, concern אָבוד Lost; hopeless PART 3

Q&A “Our entire language consists of signs representing forces. We have a point, a line, a circle from which the letters are constructed. Why does each letter look as it does? Because each letter symbolises the development of a special force from Above that operates on our world. Twenty-two letters, plus five final letter forms twenty-seven letters in all—representing the twenty-seven powers that manage our world. In other words, within the twenty-seven templates is the general force of nature (“Nature” in the of God is 86) that operates on the world, activating all reality. We exist under these forces, and according to their directions, we respond. You can imagine this like beacons of different colours—red, blue, and so on. The Upper Light passes through the beacon, through its particular pattern, and illuminates us. And what are we? We are only puppets that respond to the activations coming from above. The wisdom of Kabbalah explains to man, how to ascend to a place from which he can activate these beacons himself, direct them to himself and change his fate." Dr. Michael Laitman, “Meeting Kabbalah” TV program