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Hebrew letter Aleph on parchment paper

Aleph: The First Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet

Aleph: The First Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet

Raskin, Rabbi Aaron L.
October 19, 2021

The [letter] alef has three different meanings.

 

One is aluf, which means a master or a chief… This lets the world know that there is a Creator… The uni­verse did not simply emerge by itself… [and] God is the Aluf, the Master of the universe.

 

The second is ulfana, a school of learning or teacher… Not only [is] God the Creator of the universe, but also the Teacher of all mankind… Through the Divine wisdom of His [Torah], God establishes Himself in the world on the level of the ultimate Teacher.

 

The third meaning is …[alef written backward, which means], peleh—wondrous… [This] represents the esoteric or mystical level of Torah—Kab­balah and the teachings of Chassidic thought… These secrets of Torah comprise its greatest level.”