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Teachers; of all ages have used little lesson-stories to impress the memory and awaken the understanding of their pupils. In the New Testament such stories are represented in the parables which the blessed Lord Christ gave to his followers. These stories are sometimes homely and whimsical, but they always clarify a particular teaching and make it striking and memorable. A mere admonition may be forgotten, but when it is illustrated with a vivid story it is impressed deeply upon the emotions as well as the mind. And so it is that in the Hebrew writings, as in all mystical literature everywhere, parables abound, sometimes quaint, sometimes beautiful and inspiring, but always pointing up a profound lesson.
From the Zohar of Moses de Leon we have taken the parable of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Not only is this parable a helpful lesson on the Hebrew letters as such, together with related words, but it contains many hidden gems of mystical wisdom and understanding. The letters are personified as feminine angels enthroned before God before the dawn of creation, for the letters had to be in existence when He spoke the creative fiat. The letter-angels address God as Lord of the World, meaning not the physical world which was not then created but the spiritual universe with its ranks of angels, archangels and other divine beings. The letters present themselves before God in reverse order, beginning with Tau, because the lower worlds are a reflection of the higher ones, as in the Hermetic axiom, "As it is above, so it is below," and they will be reversed when they appear in the mirror or crystal of time and space.
All ancient mystic teachers used the symbolism of the mirror to explain or elucidate the mysteries of the created universe in relation to its archetype in the heaven worlds. And so it is that we find the letter-angels appearing before the Divine Face as in a mirror which is yet empty of images, with Tau, the last letter advancing first, "The first shall be last, and the last first."
Historically we note that Hebrew is written from right to left, hence the letter-angels who appear before God in reverse order, from T to A, suggest an opposite arrangement, such as we find in the Greek alphabet, which uses the same letters but writes them from left to right, which is the case in English also. We are reminded of Lucian's satire on the trial of the letters in the court of the vowels, quoted in another place, which was evidently inspired by just such mystical playing with letters as we find in this parable.
The parable of the letters was related by Rab Hammuna, the Venerable, in commentary on the verse in the book of Genesis, "In the beginning, God created."
When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to make the world, all the letters of the alphabet were still embryonic, and for two thousand years the Holy One had contemplated them and toyed with them. When He came to create the world, all the letters presented themselves before Him in reversed order. The letter Tau advanced in front and pleaded, May it please Thee, 0 Lord of the World, to place me first in the creation of the world, seeing that I am the concluding letter of EMETH (Truth) which is engraved upon thy seal; and seeing that Thou art called by this very name of EMETH, it is most appropriate for the King to begin with the final letter of EMETH and to create with me the world.
The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her, Thou art worthy and deserving, but it is not proper that I begin with thee the creation of the world, since thou art destined to serve as a mark on the foreheads of the faithful one (Ezekiel ix:4) who have kept the law from Aleph to Tau, and through absence of this mark the rest will be killed; and further, thou formest the conclusion of MaWeTH (death). Hence thou art not to initiate the creation of the world.
The shin then came to the fore and pleaded, O Lord of the World, may it please Thee to begin with me the world, seeing that I am the initial letter of Thy name ShaDDaI (Almighty), and it is most fitting to create the world through that Holy Name. Said He in reply, Thou art worthy, thou art good, thou art true, but I may not begin through thee the creation of the world, since thou formest part of the group of letters expressing forgery, SheKeR (falsehood), which is not able to exist unless the Koph and Resh draw thee into their company. Hence it is that a lie, to obtain credence, must always commence with something true. For the Shin is a letter of truth, that letter by which the Patriarchs communed with God; but Koph and Resh are letters belonging to the evil side, which in order to stand firm attach to themselves the Shin, thus forming a conspiracy (QeSheR). Having heard all this, the Shin departed.
Enters the Zade and says, 0 Lord of the World, may it please Thee to create with me the world, inasmuch as I am the sign of the righteous (Zadikim) and of Thyself who art called righteous, as it is written, "For the Lord is righteous, he loveth righteousness" (Ps.xi:7), and hence it is meet to create the world with me. The Lord made answer, O Zade, thou are Zade, and thou signifiest righteousness, but thou must be concealed, thou mayest not come out in the open so much lest thou givest the world cause for offence. For thou consistest of the letter Nun surmounted by the letter Yod (representing together the male and female principles). And this is the mystery of the creation of the first man, who was created with two faces (male and female combined). In the same way the Nun and the Yod in the Zade are turned back to back and not face to face, whether the Zade is upright or turned downwards. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her further, I will in time divide thee in two, so as to appear face to face, but thou wilt go up in another place. She then departed.
The letter Pe presented herself and pleaded thus, May it please Thee, O Lord of the World, to create through me the world, seeing that I signify redemption and deliverance (Purkana, Peduth), which Thou are to vouchsafe to the world. It is, hence, meet that through me the world be created. The Lord answered: Thou art worthy, but thou represented transgression (Pesha), and moreover thou art shapen like the serpent who had his head curled up within his body, symbolic of the guilty man who bends his head and extends his hand.
The letter Ayin was likewise refused as standing for iniquity ('Awon), despite her plea that she represent humility ('Anavah). Then the SAMEKH appeared and said, O Lord of the World, may it please Thee to create through me the world, inasmuch as I represent upholding (Semikah) of the fallen, as it is written, "The Lord upholdeth all that fall" (Ps. CXLV, 14). The Lord answered her, This is just the reason why thou shouldst remain in thy place, for shouldst thou leave it, what will be the fate of the fallen seeing that they are upheld by thee? She immediately departed.
The Nun entered and pleaded her merits as being the initial letter in "Fearful (Nora) in praises" (Ex. xv, 11), as well as in "Comely (Nawa) is praise for the righteous" (Ps. xxxiii, 1). The Lord said, O Nun, return to thy place, for it is for thy sake (as represented in the falling, Nofelim) that the Samekh returned to her place. Remain therefore, under her support. The Nun immediately returned to her place.
The Mem came up and said, O lord of the World, may it please Thee to create by me the world, inasmuch as I commence the word Melkh (King), which is Thy title. The Lord replied, It is so assuredly, but I cannot employ thee in the creation of the world for the reason that the world requires a King. Return, therefore, to thy place, thou along with the Lamed and the Kaph, since the world cannot exist without a MeLeKh (King).
At that moment, the Kaph descended from its throne of glory, two hundred thousand worlds began to shake, the throne trembled, and all the worlds quaked and were about to fall in ruins. Said to her the Holy One, blessed be His Name, Kaph, Kaph, what doest thou here? I will not create the world with thee. Go back to thy place, since thou standest for extermination (Kelayah). Return then to thy place and remain there. Immediately she departed to her own place.
The letter Yod then presented herself and said, May it please thee, O Lord, to vouchsafe me the first place in the creation of the world, since I stand first in the Sacred Name. The Lord said to her, It is sufficient for thee that thou art engraved and marked in Myself and that thou art the channel of my will; thou must not be removed from My Name.
The Teth came up and said, O Lord of the Universe, may it please Thee to place me at the head in the creation of the world, since through me thou are called Good Job) and upright. The Lord said to her, I will not create the world through thee, as the goodness which thou representest is hidden and concealed within thyself, as it is written — O how abundant is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee (Psalms 31:20). Since then it is treasured within thyself, it has no part in the world which I am going to create, but only in the world to come. And further, it is because thy goodness is hidden within thee that the gates of the Temple sank into the ground, as is written-Sunk (Tabe'u) in the ground are her gates. (Lam. 2:9). And furthermore the letter Heth is at thy side, and when joined you make sin (Chet). (It is for that reason that these two letters are not found in the names of any of the tribes). She departed immediately.
Then the Zayin presented herself and put forth her claim, saying, 0 Lord of the World, may it please Thee to put me at the head of creation, since I represent the observance of the Sabbath, as it is written — Remember (Zakhor) the day of the Sabbath to keep it holy (Ex. xx:8). The Lord replied, I will not create the world through thee, since thou representest war, being in shape like a sharp-pointed sword or lance. The Zayin immediately departed from His presence.
The Vau entered and put forth her claim, saying, 0 Lord of the World, may it please Thee to use me first in the creation of the world, inasmuch as I am one of the letters of thy Name. Said the Lord to her, Thou, Vau, as well as He, suffice it to thee that thou art of the letters of my Name, part of the Mystery of My Name, engraven and impressed in My Name. I will therefore not give thee first place in the creation of the world.
Then appeared the letter Daleth as well as the letter Gimel and they put forth similar claims. The Lord gave them a similar reply, saying, It should suffice thee to remain side by side together, since "the poor will not cease from the land" (Deut. xv: 11), who will thus need benevolence. For the Daleth signifies poverty (Dalluth) and the Gimel beneficence (Gemul). Therefore separate not from each other, and let it suffice thee one maintains the other.
The Beth then entered and said, O Lord of the World, may it please Thee to put me first in the creation of the world, since I represent the benedictions (Berakhoth) offered to thee on high and below. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her, Assuredly, with thee I will create the world, and thou shalt form the beginning in the creation of the world.
The letter Aleph remained in her place without presenting herself. Said the Holy One, blessed be His Name, Aleph, wherefore comest thou not before me like the rest of the letters? She answered, Because I saw all the other letters leaving thy presence without any success. What, then, could I achieve there? And further, since thou hast already bestowed upon the letter Beth this great gift, it is not meet for the Supreme King to take away the gift which He has made to His servant and give it to another. The Lord said to her, Aleph, although I will begin the creation of the world with Beth, thou shalt remain the first of the letters. My unity shall not be expressed except through thee, on thee shall be based all calculations and operations of the world, and Unity shall not be expressed save by the letter Aleph.
Then the Holy One, blessed be His Name, made higher-world letters of a large pattern and lower-world letters of a small pattern. It is therefore that we have here two words beginning with Beth (Bereshith bara) and then two words beginning with Aleph (Elohim Teth). They represent the higher-world letters and the lower-world letters, which two operate, above and below, together and as one.
— Corinne Heline
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