Category: Biblical Hebrew

Father of the Alphabet

May, 2000

In this third part on the Hebrew alphabet, we explore the letter aleph—a testimony to our Father who created us in His image. If we believe that every letter of the Torah is divinely inspired, many valuable lessons can be learnt and deeper understanding can be gained from the "hidden" meanings contained in the text.

"So now, YHWH, You are our Father. We are the clay and You are our Potter, and we are all Your handiwork." The Word of God is in the Bible as the soul is in the body." —Yeshayahu / Isaiah 64:8

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Cor. 2:9–10)

In God’s Image

For centuries, Jewish scholars have perceived the individual letters of the Hebrew alphabet as containing important spiritual lessons, and aleph (א), in its exalted position at the head of the alphabet, is considered to be the repository of all the alphabet’s wisdom. aleph (א) is much more than just the Hebrew equivalent of the letter ‘A’—merely the first in a series of letters. It is considered by Jewish theologians to actually be an expression of the image of God, and is thus the ‘lord and master’ of all the letters—a father with twenty-one children.¹ In fact, the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet—aleph and beit—together spell av (אב) ‘father,’ illustrating that all things begin with God, the Father of all.

The letter aleph consists of three parts. In turn, these three parts are themselves individual letters of the alphabet.² The three letters that comprise the aleph (א) are two yods (י), separated by a slanted vav (ו), as shown in the figure above.

Unlike the English alphabet, each Hebrew letter has a numeric value: א = 1, ב = 2, ג = 3, etc. Therefore, if we calculate the numeric values of the letters comprising aleph, we find that they have a total value of 26 (h + u + h = 10 + 6 + 10 = 26). What, one may ask, is the significance of 26? It is the numeric value of God’s Name—YHWH, יהוה (h + v + u + v = 10 + 5 + 6 + 5 = 26). This example is but one demonstration of how aleph (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, can be seen as representing God.

God’s Name—YHWH

What kind of Name is YHWH? The Name of God, יהוה (YHWH), is the Bible’s grandest example of the principle: "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings." ³ There is much in God’s great Name for us to explore; and to do so is to walk on holy ground. In fact, the Name YHWH is considered so holy that many religious Jewish people choose not to speak it at all. Whenever the Torah is read aloud and the Name of YHWH is encountered, the word ADONAI (Master/Sovereign) is substituted in order to avoid uttering this holy Name. Even the word ADONAI is not used conversationally among observant Jews because of the holiness it derives from being a substitute for YHWH. When referring to YHWH in daily conversation, the word HASHEM is used, which means "The Name."

A scribe, when copying Torah scrolls, exercises the utmost caution when printing God’s Name. Before printing the letters יהוה he says aloud, "I am about to write the Name of God in honor of His holy Name." Even if a king should address him as he writes the Name of God, he is not permitted to pause for a reply but must first complete the printing of these four sacred letters. And, should a scribe make the slightest error in printing God’s Name, he is forbidden to correct his mistake, rather, the entire sheet of parchment upon which he was writing must be replaced and rewritten.

Man, Made in God’s Image

The word translated "image" is tzelem (צלם) a word that refers to the essence of a thing, not just its outward appearance. God has made man in essence like Himself—with aspects of His nature, e.g. He created us with the ability to love because He is love. Unfortunately, as a result of sin, man’s ability to reflect God’s image has been terribly marred.

Since man is made in God’s image, many aspects of aleph (א) also apply to us. For example, the different parts of the aleph illustrate different aspects of man as "made in the image of God." As the vav (ו) stretches between the upper yod (י) and the lower yod, the soul dwells between the spirit and the body. Likewise, the vav (ו) as the central part of the aleph (א), represents the creative Essence the Father, so the soul is the creative centre of man. When we behold a person, we do not see the whole person but only his body. The person’s soul expresses itself through the body by means of words, deeds, and gestures. In other words, the body expresses the personality and character of the soul in the same way that Yeshua expressed the personality and the character of the Father. His every word and action was an expression of the Father, thus fulfilling Yeshua’s constant desire to do the will of the Father.4 Since all communication between individuals takes place through the expressions of the body (speech, gestures, writing, etc.) is it any wonder that Yeshua is called "the Word made flesh" who "dwelt among us?" ⁵ When Yeshua spoke of Himself as the Alef and the Tav (the first and last characters of the Hebrew alphabet,) ⁶ He was not merely saying that He was the First and the Last. He was also proclaiming that He is God’s Word—the Living Torah, from aleph to Tav—through whom the Father speaks.

The Five Senses—
Physical and Spiritual

Let’s apply what we have learned about aleph (א) to what we know about the body, soul, and spirit. As mentioned above, t is constructed from a slanted vav (ו) surrounded by two yods (י). Just as the vav (ו) in the aleph can represent the Father, so also the vav (ו) can be seen to depict the soul. The soul (made up of the mind, will, and emotions) is what makes you distinctly you. This is the essence of your personality; the way you think (mind), the way you make choices (will), and how you feel and respond to situations (emotions) are what makes your soul unique from all others.

The lower yod (י) of the letter aleph can symbolize the body, the ‘earthly’ part of a person wherein all physical sensations reside. The body provides the soul’s contact with the physical realm, and its five senses are five gates through which physical sensations reach the soul. Through the body we interact with others and learn many of the object lessons God has placed in nature for our instruction.

The upper yod (י) can represent the spirit, the loftiest part of a person wherein the five spiritual sensitivities reside. The word yod, in Hebrew, literally means ‘hand’. As the hand has five fingers, so the lower yod—the body—has five senses by which we may ‘grasp’ the physical realm; and through which the upper yod—the spirit— may also use the five corresponding senses to ‘grasp’ the spiritual realm.

Let us briefly consider each of the suggested five spiritual senses listed in the diagram above.

Faith

We are to walk by faith and not by sight.⁷ In the physical realm we use our eyes, but for those things we cannot see God has given us faith. Like physical sight, faith too is a gift from God⁸ that helps us focus upon His truth. Faith is not wishful thinking, but is in fact more dependable than physical sight: "For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." ⁹ But even the eyes of faith require a light by which to see, and the Word of God as lived in Yeshua, the Light of the world, is a "lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." ¹⁰

Conscience

The conscience is a moral alarm system located in the spirit. It sounds a warning when we ‘stray’ from God’s way through a wrong decision or action. If it is heeded, we can avoid a great deal of remorse and guilt. Even when unbelievers obey their consciences, they "show the work of the law [Torah] written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness." ¹¹ If we violate the conscience often enough, it becomes seared and, just as if covered with scar tissue, it grows numb to things which should cause pain. Society is reaping the consequences of having taught children behaviors contrary to their consciences, thus making their consciences dysfunctional and ‘deaf’ to the pleadings of God’s Spirit.

Discernment

Yeshua commands us to be "wise as serpents, but innocent as doves." ¹² If we obey our conscience, we will maintain our innocence; and if we exercise discernment we will be wise as serpents—more able to protect ourselves from wolves in sheep’s clothing.

This spiritual ‘sense’ complements the conscience in that while the conscience warns me of error in myself, discernment can warn me of error in others. Discernment of the spirit and motives that lie behind words or actions is similar to the sense of smell in that both are useful in detecting hidden rottenness. It also enables us to enjoy the sweet "fragrance of Messiah" in one another—"the aroma of life leading to life." ¹³

Fellowship

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!" ¹⁴ This spiritual "tasting" occurs only as we spend time feeding upon God’s Word and conversing with Him in prayer. This is the archetype of all spiritual food and fellowship—a living relationship between man and God. Prayers can be written in a book, but fellowship cannot. It is through fellowship with Him, ‘digesting’ His Word and in communing with Him in prayer, that we acknowledge God and submit our lives to the paths He has directed for our lives. This kind of fellowship in the spirit is the attitude of prayer Paul had in mind when he said, "Pray without ceasing."

Worship

In the physical realm, love is naturally and most frequently expressed through touch. How do we ‘touch’ God in order to express our love for Him? Yeshua said, "God is spirit. And they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth." ¹⁵ Our love for God can therefore be expressed through His gift of worship—when our spirit can ‘touch’ His. Worship is the quiet contemplation and adoration of God born out of fellowship with His Spirit. Worship is a function of the spirit but praise is a function of the soul and is expressed through the body. Praise of God is then the natural fruit of worshipping God.

In summary, we see that consciousness and discernment are especially useful in one’s relationship with others, whereas fellowship in prayer and worship are vital to one’s relationship with God. All four must operate from the starting point of faith, which is seated in the soul. The soul is central to the body and spirit and responds fully to both. It is equally able to direct its full attention to an injured toe, or to worship of the Beloved. This truth is reflected by the aleph’s slanted vav (ו) that descends to the level of the lower yod (י), representing the body, and also ascends to the level of the upper yod (י), representing the spirit.

Keep the "א" in Adam

The Hebrew name for the first man, Adam (אדם), also begins with aleph (which again can be seen as a parallel that man is created in God’s image). Realizing that the aleph represents God’s presence, one Jewish Sage wrote that when Adam (אדם) sinned, the aleph (א) fled and only dam (דם, ‘blood’) was left.¹⁶

History has repeatedly demonstrated the truth of this statement. Mankind’s propensity for bloodshed has been a perpetual reminder of Adam’s sin in departing from God.

The same principle can be applied to a common Hebrew word for ‘man’—איש (ish). When the aleph is removed from this word, we are left with yesh (יש), a word meaning ‘substance’.

This characteristic earmarks the life of the carnal person who cannot see beyond his physical existence. He fills his life with material possessions in an attempt to satisfy the emptiness in his soul—an emptiness caused by the absence of God (א) in his life. However, Yeshua said, "…A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." ¹⁷

God is…

There is much more to be said about the letter aleph (א), more than we have space for here. aleph (א), lord and master of the alphabet, is the first in a grand parade of deep truths and rich insights that will be revealed by the letters that follow. Although many secrets within aleph remain hidden, let us end this article with just one final insight.

Three times, the Bible states that "God is… " followed by something to which He can be likened.

Note below that each of these three Hebrew words begins with the letter aleph (א), the letter that, more than any other, symbolizes God’s nature and character.

Our God is a consuming fire; He is light; He is love. How can we begin to understand the magnitude of His nature? We suggest that a good place to begin is by searching the Scriptures, the Word, which, as we saw in the previous issue of Bikurei Tziyon (March/April 2000) is represented by the next letter —beit (ב).

Footnotes

1 Rabbi Michael L. Munk. The Wisdom of the Hebrew Alphabet, p. 43.
2 Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh. The Alef–Beit, p. 24, 378
3 Proverbs 25:2
4 John 8:28
5 John 1:14
6 Revelation 22:13–16
7 II Corinthians 5:7
8 Ephesians 2:8
9 II Corinthians 4:18
10 Psalm 119:105
11 Romans 2:15
12 Matthew 10:16
13 II Corinthians 2:14–15
14 Psalm 34:8
15 John 4:24
16 Rabbi Yeshayah Hurwitz (1560–1630) in Shnei Luchos Habris, Part Three, 13b.
17 Luke 12:15.

© 2006 First Fruits of Zion. All rights reserved. This material may not be republished, rewritten or redistributed. From Bikurei Tziyon #64 | May, 2000. For more information about this publication, click here.

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