Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva

1 Rabbi Akiva said, “These are the twenty-two letters, by and through which the ‘Torah’ the law was given to all the tribes of Israel. They are engraved by a fiery pen on the most exalted crown of the Holy One. Praise to Him. When the Holy One wanted to create the universe, those letters gathered before the Lord, each wanting to be the means of creation.”

2 First the Taw appeared, the last of the letters in the Alpha Beth, and begged that the Lord would create the world with it, pleading, “Lord, create the world through me as I am the first letter of the Torah the law.” The Lord then replied, “No.” Then the Taw asked why, and the Lord answered, “Because I will put you as a sign of destruction on the foreheads of the wicked.” Taw means a sign in Hebrew. As it is written in Ezekiel, the Lord said to me, “Pass through Jerusalem, and put a sign on the foreheads of the groaning and moaning people for the wrongs they didEzekiel 9:4.” What is the meaning of the sign? When the Almighty resolved to destroy Jerusalem He called to the Angel of Death, saying to him, “Go through Jerusalem and divide the wicked and the good ones. On the wicked make a Taw of blood, a sign of death, while on the good mark a Taw of ink, the symbol of life.” Why is the shape of the Taw different from all the other letters? Because the Torah saves people from all troubles. At that time the Spirit of Justice appeared before the Lord, urging the destruction of the good ones too. The Lord asked why, and the Spirit of Justice replied, “Because they did not warn the wicked.” The Lord replied, “I know those wicked people would not listen to their warnings.” Then the Spirit of Justice said that it was their duty to warn regardless of the consequences. The Lord then declared that they should share the same fate as the wicked. At that time six destructive angels were sent against Jerusalem to destroy its people, as it is written, “Look, six men were coming from the upper gate, facing the north side, each armed, and the man dressed in linen stood among them, with a writer’s pen at his waist, and he went near the copper altarEzekiel 9:2.” Why the north side? Because all harmful winds blow only from the north side, as it is written “And he said to me, disaster will come from the north on the land’s inhabitantsJeremiah 1:14.” As soon as the Taw heard it from the mouth of the Most High it left the place sadly.

3 Then the letter Shin appeared before the Lord, the next to the last of the letters, asking the Lord to create the world with it, arguing that the letter Shin is the first letter in the Holy Name of Shadi the Almighty. Then the Lord refused to accept because Shin is the first letter of falsehood, “Sheker.” “And how,” said the Lord, “can I create the world with a letter which has no foot? Falsehood has no footing.” The Shin left sadly.

4 And the letter Reish appeared before the Lord with the same wish, saying, “I am the first letter of Your name, the Merciful and the Healer.” But the Lord said “No, because Reish is the first letter of Rashu, which means wicked.” So the Reish left sadly.

5 And the K appeared before the Lord, asking that the world might be created with it, as the people will praise the Lord with that letter by saying three times, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts” Kadosh means holy. The Lord refused because a curse is destined for the generations of the flood, and in Hebrew curse is “Kellala.” The K left sadly.

6 And the Zadic or Z appeared before the Lord with the same wish as the earlier letters, saying, “Create the world with me, because You are called Zadic” Righteous One. The Lord refused and said “No, because many troubles will come on Israel through you” Zara is trouble in Hebrew. The Z left sadly.

7 And the P came before the Lord, saying, “Create the world with me, because the laws will be called Pikiddim, and I am the first letter in Your name as Redeemer” Pode is redeemer in Hebrew. The Lord replied “No, because they will worship idols through you” Peor is the famous name of a famous idol. The P left sadly.

8 And the E or Ain came before the Lord, saying, “Create the world with me, because it is written ‘the eyes of the Lord are on the whole universeZechariah 4:10’” Ain is eye in Hebrew. The Lord replied “No, because through you people watch for night, to commit crime and sin, as it is written ‘the eye of the adulterer watches for nightJob 24:15,’ and I will punish the wicked through you, as it is written, ‘the eyes of the wicked will go outJob 11:20.’” The E left sadly.

9 And the S or Samech came before the Lord, saying, “Create the world with me, because through me You are called the supporter of those who fall” Samech means supporting. The Lord said “No, because through you the pagans will destroy my city, as it is written ‘they reduced Jerusalem to piles of ruinsPsalms 79:1.’” The S left.

10 And the N or Nun came before the Lord, saying, “Create the world with me, because through me You will resurrect the dead, and I am called the candle of the Lord, which is a person’s soulProverbs 20:27.” “Ner” is candle. The Lord answered “No, because I will blow out the light of the wicked in the days to come.” The N left sadly.

11 And the M or Mim came before the Lord saying, “Create the world with me, because through me future generations will crown You, proclaiming Your Heavenly, Eternal Kingdom, and with me You are called King Melech.” The Lord said “No, because through you will come a day of compassion.” The M left sadly.

12 And the L or Lamed came before the Lord, saying, “Create the world with me, because through me You will one day give Israel the two stone tablets, and Israel will learn Your laws.” Lamed means study. The Lord said “No, because the stone tablets will be broken.” The L left sadly.

13 And the Caf came before the Lord. At that moment, when the Caf went down from the divine Crown Keter is crown, a storm arose in the celestial realm. When the Caf appeared before the glorious throne, the throne began to shake, and the wheels of the glorious chariot began to tremble. The Lord asked why they were uneasy, and they said, “Because the Caf went down from the exalted glorious crown of our heads and stands before You, and all our glory is only called by the Caf, as it is written, ‘Exalted glorious throne, the glory of God is foreverJeremiah 17:12.’” So the Lord called to the Caf, saying, “What do you want?” The Caf said, “Lord of the universe, create the world with me, because Your Throne, Your Glory, and Your Crown are named through me.” He answered “No, because through you I will one day clasp my hands in grief, as it is written ‘I too will clasp my handsEzekiel 21:17’ Caf is hand. Through you my people’s tears will also flow, and should I create the world with you?” The C left sadly.

14 And the Jod came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me You are named Ja the Creator of the WorldsIsaiah 26:4.” The Lord said, “No, because through you I will create the wicked thought in people to lure them away from the good path.” The Jod left sadly.

15 And the T or Teth came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me You will send the Holy Spirit to those who fear You, and in me is hidden the good one” Tob is good. The Lord said “No, because through you I will one day call my people ‘unclean,’ ‘Tame,’ and every leper will be called that.” The T left sadly.

16 And the Ch or Cheth came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me they feel Your mercy filling the whole universe, and with me You are called merciful.” The Lord said “No, because through you I will one day engrave with an iron pen the sin of Judah.” The Ch left sadly.

17 And the S or Sain came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me people honor You from generation to generation.” The Lord said “No, because adultery will come into the world through you, and as a consequence Israel will lose twenty-four thousand people, and how can I create the world with you?” The S left sadly.

18 And the W or Waw came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me they praise You, the Holy One in Israel.” The Lord said, “No, because I will one day punish Israel for their passions.” The W left sadly.

19 And the H or He came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me they acknowledge Your majesty and glory.” The Lord answered, “No, because through you I will one day make the day of judgment a day of punishment, burning all the wicked and evildoers.” The H left sadly.

20 And the D or Dalith came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me the generations will praise You, as it is written ‘Generation to generation will praise Your workPsalms 145:4.’” The Lord answered, “No, because through you Israel will experience judgment among its own people, as it is written in the Scripture.” The D left sadly.

21 And the G or Gimel came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me the people praise Your greatness.” The Lord answered “No, because through you I will repay the enemies, as it is written ‘He will repay them according to their deedsIsaiah 59:18.’” The G left sadly.

22 And the B or Beth came before the Lord, saying, “Lord, create the world with me, because through me all creation praises Your glorious name, as it is written, ‘Blessed be the Lord forever. AmenPsalms 89:52. Praise the Lord all His hosts. All the coming generations will say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and Blessed be the glorious name foreverPsalms 72:18-19.’.” The B is the first letter in Hebrew for blessed. As soon as the Lord heard the plea of the B he accepted, and created the world with the letter B as it is written in Genesis, “Breishith Bara Elohim,” which means the Lord created heaven and earth with B.

23 When the A or the Aleph heard and saw how the Lord had accepted the letter B it went aside meditating in silence. Then the Lord said to the A, “Why are you silent?” and the A replied, “Because I do not count for much, as I represent only number one, while the other letters represent larger numbers, such as B, number two, C, three, D, four, and so on.” Then the Lord said, “Do not be afraid, because you are the king over all the letters. You are one, and I am one, and the law is one, and through you I will give it to Israel, my people, who are called one nation, as the first letter of the Ten Commandments is the A or Aleph in the word ‘Anochi,’ ‘I am your Lord.’”

1 Why is the head of the A or Aleph upright, standing on two legs like a man? Because it comes second in Truth A is the first letter of Emeth, truth and falsehood has no legs to stand on, since all the letters of falsehood have no foothold. Why is his hand stretched out from his side? Because it points to the Almighty, who is Truth Himself, as it is written “and the Truth of the Lord lasts foreverPsalms 117:2.”

2 Why is the B or Beth facing openly toward the G? Because the B resembles a house Beth is house in Hebrew open to all, and the G resembles a man who sees a poor person at the door, and goes into the house to bring out some food.

3 Why is the foot of the G or Gimel toward the D? Because all mercy must be extended to the poor. Dal means poor in Hebrew.

4 Why does the D or Dalith resemble a stick and face the H? Because a poor person strives only for happiness in the material world.

5 Why does the H or Hei resemble an open hut? Because anyone who wants to leave it can do so. Why does it have two doors, one small and one large? Because someone who wants to get out goes out through the larger, and anyone who wants to get in must come in through the smaller. Allegory for birth and death.

6 Why is the W or Waw upright like a stick facing the S? Because God has hinted through the symbols of the letters that He will one day punish the wickedIsaiah 3:11 by messengers with fiery sticks from purgatory, where their cries of pain will be heard, as it is written “How terrible it will be to the wicked.”

7 Why does the S or Sain have two points on its head, one toward the Waw and the other the Cheth? Because if someone goes to sin, they look twice, once to hide from people, then toward the crime.

8 Why does the Ch or Chet have no crown? Because the wicked have only shame, and they have no good name. Chet means sin.

9 Why is the hand of the T or Teth hidden inside and its head upright with a crown on? Because someone who does good and helps the poor without anyone seeing will calm the anger even of the Angel of Death, as it is written “A hidden gift calms angerProverbs 21:14.”

10 Why is the Jod smaller than all the letters? Because someone who humbles themselves here will inherit the life to come, which was created with that letter. Why is the point of it toward its face? Because each person is rewarded according to their merit, and their good deeds are before them.

11 Why does the Caf resemble a throne and face the L? Because a throne is fit only for kings to sit on. Kese is throne, and Melech is king.

12 Why is the L or Lamed taller than all the letters? Because it stands in the center of the twenty-two letters, and resembles a king, with a throne behind him and a kingdom before him.

13 Why is there an open M and a closed M? The former is used in the middle of the word as well as at the beginning, while the latter only at the end. Because there is a revealed king and there is a hidden king. Why is the head of the open M toward the ground with the hand stretched up high? Because it points out to Him, to whom all kingship belongs, as it is written “The Kingdom belongs to You, LordPsalms 22:28,” and at the same time looks to the ground to show, as King David said, “Everything comes from You.” The closed M points out that everything is hidden from us.

14 Why is the N or Nun facing the S or Samech? Because it looks like someone who falls and asks for support.

15 Why is the S or Sameech closed around? Because it is a symbol to Israel, who is surrounded on all sides by divine glory, and that He will not exchange it for another nation, and its descendants will not be mixed with those of others, as it is written “The Lord belongs to His people.” Also it is written “I, the Lord, will surround you with a wall of fireZechariah 2:5.”

16 The E or Ain is the initial of Esau the wicked, from whom Persians and Tarsians came. Why is the E in a sitting position? Because they will fall before the feet of Israel, as it is written “The house of Jacob will be fire and Edom will be his inheritanceObadiah 1:18.”

17 Why is there a sitting and a standing P? The standing P is only used at the end of a word. Because the mouth that opens also seals. P means mouth. Idol worshipers have no voice in the written law, the oral law, or prayers. Only Israel does, as it is written “He told His words to Jacob. He did not do this to any nationPsalms 147:19-20.”

18 Why does the Z or Zadic have two heads? Because there are two kinds of righteous people, one upright and the other humble.

19 Why is the K or Kaf tall and horned? Because all the horns of the wickedPsalms 75:10 will be cut off, because they live proudly in this life. As it is written “And I will cut off all the horns of the wicked.” He will again raise up those of Israel, as it is written “The horns of the righteous will be raisedPsalms 75:10.”

20 Why is the face of the R or Reish turned away from the K? Because R is the initial of the wicked, and K the initial of the holy, and the wicked always turn away from the holy.

21 Why does the Sch or Shin have three branches above and no foot or root below? Because the Shin is the initial of falsehood, and falsehood has no foothold, and the Almighty will stop the mouth of falsehood. It resembles a tree whose branches are plentiful and its roots few. The wind can easily turn it over.

22 Why is the foot of the Taw a little broken up? Because Taw is the initial of the Torah, the law, and anyone who wants to study the law must be humble and lower themselves.

23 Aleph Beth means, learn wisdom. Aleph means learn, and Beth is like Bina wisdom, and in that way the whole Alpha Beth is explained according to the meanings of their terms.

24 Gimmel Dalith means, be merciful to the poor. Why is the leg of the Gimel stretched forward? Because good people hurry after the poor to help them. Why is the back of the Dalith turned toward the Gimel? Because a poor person looks behind them, expecting someone to help.

25 Why is the H after D? Because someone who helps the poor will become great.

26 Why is the W after H? Because about someone who does not help the poor, they say, “How unfortunate is someone who can do good with their wealth but will not,” and it is written “He who keeps away his wealth from charity will lose itProverbs 11:24.”

27 Why do S and Ch come after W? They show that if someone has conquered their temper and done good, then they will find mercy at the throne of the Almighty.

28 Why are the letters of truth scattered and the letters of falsehood together? A is the initial of Emeth, truth. M is the second letter, and Taw is the last letter, while Sheker, falsehood, formed from the letters Sh, k, r, follow each other. Because truth is very hard to find, while falsehood is close at hand. As they taught in the school of Rabbi Ishmael, they open the way for someone who wants to become impure, but they help someone who tries to be pure.

29 Why are the five special letters of double character? There are five letters in the Hebrew Alpha Beth which have double forms, and they are used at the end of the words. They are M, N, Z, P, Ch.

30 The open Caf and the closed Caf show the open hand of Moses and the closed hand of God.

31 The open M and the closed M show that there is an open sentence or word and a hidden word, and from this we must learn proper conduct. The teacher should speak, and the student should be silent and listen.

32 The bent Z and the upright Z. The former represents a humble righteous person, and the latter an upright one. Each sage must study and seek the truth of the law with the greatest sincerity, as it is written “Happy are those who keep His law. With all their hearts they seek HimPsalms 119:2.”

1 “At.” “Bash.” Aleph is Adam, who was the first creature of the world, because creation was made by the word logos, but he was created by the hand of the Almighty. How do I know that the world was created by the word? It is written, “He said, and it wasPsalms 33:9.” In another line he says, “The heavens were made by God’s wordPsalms 33:6.”

2 How do I know that Adam was made by His hand? As it is written “And the Lord created the manGenesis 2:7.” What is the meaning of the passage “And You put Your hand on mePsalms 139:5?” The Lord first made Adam so tall that his height was from the ground to the sky. When the angels saw him they began to tremble and appeared before the Lord saying, “Are there two Lords, one in Heaven and the other on earth?” What did God do? He simply put his hand on him and reduced his height by 2,000 cubits.

3 Bash, B, is the initial of animals. Shin is the initial of reptiles, which were created with Adam. Why were they created with him? Because the Lord says, “If he gets proud, then we say to him, ‘Look, animals and reptiles were created just like you, too.’”

4 Gar Dack a combination of the letter G with R, and the letter D with K, and continuing through the whole order of the Alpha Beth. Gar, Gimel. This represents the Garden of Eden, with twelve canopies of precious stones and of pearls placed there for Adam, as it is written “You were in Eden, the Garden of the Lord. All the precious stones were your shelterEzekiel 28:13.” It means that he, Adam, entered Eden first, before all the righteous.

5 D,K. D means the doors of Eden, which angels opened to him, whom the Lord appointed as his servants. K means holy. These angels called him Adam, “holy.”

6 H, Z. The Almighty lulled Adam to sleep. Z means the rib which He took from him to form from it his counterpart, his wife.

7 W,F. W means that He brought Eve to Adam, accompanied by tens of thousands of angels, who were singing and cheering. F means that the whole celestial family went down into Eden. Some of them were playing on harps and others were playing instruments like young women, while sun, moon, and stars were dancing before them like girls.

8 S,E. S means that the Lord invited them both to a banquet in Eden. E means that the Lord prepared for them tables of pearl. Each pearl was 2 cubits long and 60 cubits wide, and all sorts of food were on them, as it is written “You prepare a table for mePsalms 23:5.”

9 Ch, S. Ch means that the angels served as attendants, roasting his meat and cooling his wine, and the serpent saw their honor and envied them. S means that the Lord told him not to eat from the tree of knowledge.

10 F,N. F means that Eve mistook the words of the serpent, and ate from the forbidden fruit. N means that their eyes were opened to see that they were naked, and they covered their nakedness with fig leaves.

11 Jod, M. Yod means that the Almighty was aware of it, and he went down to call Adam to account for it. M means that the Lord questioned him, “Who told you that you were nakedGenesis 3:11?”

12 C,L. C means that the Lord invited them all for judgment. First, He called Adam aside, asking him why he ate from the fruit. Adam defended himself, saying that Eve gave him something to eat. The woman was questioned, and she pleaded that she did it under the temptation of the serpent. The serpent was called and cursed. When the Lord said to the serpent “You will crawl on your bellyGenesis 3:14,” the serpent begged, “Lord, make me like the fish in water, which have no feet,” and the Lord said, “Dust will be your food.” Then the serpent said, “If the fish eat dust, I will eat it too.” At that moment the Lord tore his tongue in two parts, saying, “Wicked one, you sinned through gossip, so I am making it known to the world that this is because of your unruly tongue.”

13 A, Ch, S, means that God said to the angels, “I myself will be more merciful to Israel than to the idol worshipers, because Israel crowns me twice a day and proclaim my kingdom morning and evening by their declarations, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is oneDeuteronomy 6:4.’ If Israel did not exist, neither glory nor exaltation would exist.”

14 B, T, E Bata. My spirit is only calmed by Israel, because the nations mistakenly take sun, moon, and stars as deities. And when they bow before them and before the hosts of Heaven, then the Holy One is angry, as it is written, “God is angry every dayPsalms 7:11.” The Almighty says to the angels, “Look, I gave those pagans spirit, mind, glory, and ruling power, and they bow to sun, moon, and stars, which I have created from the radiance of my face.” At those words the wheels in the orbits of the sun, moon, and stars tremble, and two destructive angels go out to destroy the world because of their wicked deeds, but they abandon their plan for the sake of the sages who study the law, and the public-school children who read the scripture, and for the sake of the whole of Israel who proclaim morning and evening the Heavenly Kingdom.

15 G, I, F, Gif. do not read Gif, but Guf, body. That is the body of the Torah, which the teachers in the schools try to explain to Israel as it is written, “They will teach your laws to JacobDeuteronomy 33:10.”

16 D, Ch, Z. Dachaz, do not read Dachaz, but “Dach Kulu Chefez,” meaning the humble person is the entire desire. The righteous are God’s “land of desire.” Why are the pious ones called “desire?” Because they fulfill the desire of the Almighty.

17 Ch. L. K. Cheleck, meaning part. That is Jacob, who is the property of the Lord, as the glorious name was sanctified through him and his children, and the Lord has engraved his image on his glorious throne. When the children of Jacob praise God three times a day, then the Lord kisses his head, which is engraved on His glorious throne.

18 How do I know that Jacob is the property of God? It is written, “God’s portion is his people, Jacob the portion of his inheritanceDeuteronomy 32:9.”

19 N.M. R. Nmar, meaning “he said.” Those are the seraphim and fiery angels who cannot offer praise to the glory of the Lord, until Israel has first sanctified his holy name, as it is written “The morning stars sing together and the sons of God shout for joyJob 38:7.” The morning stars are the children of Israel, as Moses said, and you are like the stars of the sky. As the stars shine, so the children of Israel shine through the light of the law, as it is written, “The good deed is a candle and the law is lightProverbs 6:23.”

20 S, N. Son Sh, T, Shot are the initials of the words, “He bears the Sabbath.” When God promised Israel the pleasures of the life to come in exchange for keeping the laws, Israel demanded a sample of that pleasure, and the Lord gave him the Sabbath.

21 When Nagrasniel, the manager of the Purgatory, asked the Lord, “Why did You not give me the nation of Israel as food for my flames, like the others?” the Lord replied, “All the pagans are written in your books, with the exception of Israel, as they study the law, and I am with them.” He then asked, “Where will they live in the life to come?” And the Lord answered, “In the garden of Eden, full of myrrh and spices, whose fragrant air penetrates from one corner of the world to the other.” Then he wanted to know how they would enjoy their glorious time, and the Almighty will say, “The wicked do not live with me. Israel will one day be free of the tempting evil inclination, and neither Satan nor the Angel of Death will approach their dwellings.”

22 Then Nagrasniel will ask, “Lord, You give everyone their daily bread. Give me some too,” and the Lord will say, “I have given you all the wicked of the land, liars, and the gossipers and worshipers and the evildoers.”

23 Rabbi Akiva said, Aleph is the initial of “Teach your mouth truth.” Tell truth in order to have a share in the life to come. God is truth. His throne is truth, and He receives the truth. His words are truth, His ways are truth, and His laws are truth. As it is written in the Scriptures, Jehovah Elohim is truthJeremiah 10:10.

24 Aleph is the initial of the words, I will open mouth and tongue. The Holy One, praise Him, said, “I will open the mouths of the children of flesh and blood so that they will praise me every day, and proclaim my kingdom in all the corners of the universe. If it had not been for the sake of song and music, which they perform for me every day, I would not have created my universe.”

25 How do we know that God created the world only for the sake of music and song? It is written, “Majesty and beauty before Him, might and glory in His templePsalms 96:6, and the earth is full of His praiseHabakkuk 3:3.” God has made the heavens only for the sake of music, as it is written, “The heavens declare the glory of GodPsalms 19:1.” We know that the earth has sung since it was created, for it is written, “From the corner or border of the earth we hear a song to the righteousIsaiah 24:16, and only God is righteous,” as it is written, “God is righteous in all his waysPsalms 145:17.” How do we know that even seas and streams sing to the Almighty? For it is written, “Praise the Lord, all the heavens, and the waterPsalms 148:4.” Even all creation praises the Lord with music and song. Even Adam opened his mouth with song. I will open mouth and tongue, because among the two hundred and forty-eight parts of the human body none are as suited to praising the Lord as the mouth and tongue.

26 Mouth and tongue can be compared only to the ocean and its waves. As the ocean opens, so does the mouth. As the ocean is full of pearls, so is the mouth alluding to the teeth. As the ocean brings out water, so does the mouth. As the wave rises high, so does the tongue. As the ocean destroys a ship, so does the tongue destroys with a word. As the ocean roars, so does the mouth. As the waves kill the people, so does the tongue kills people. As the ocean has borders, so does the mouth has borders. As the ocean is sometimes calm and sometimes stormy, so is the mouth. As everyone fears the waves, so everyone fears the human tongue. As the outlet of the waters of the ocean turns to filth, so the words of the mouth turn into nothingness. Another version says that God said, “I will open the mouth of Israel to praise my name every day, for nothing is pure in the world without Israel and music, as for their sake the world exists, and I created Israel only for the sake of song, as it is written, ‘I created my nation to tell my praiseIsaiah 43:21.’”

27 If there is no Aleph, then there is no Beth, meaning if there is no learning there is no house. If there is no G there is no D, meaning if there is no charity there is no poor, and if there is no poor there is no charity. Israel is called poor, as it is written, “You help the poor nation, and You bring down the eyes of the proud among the nationsPsalms 18:27.”

28 Another version of the initial of the Aleph is that God says, “I deposited my truth with Israel.” When God gave the law to Israel, he promised them pleasure of future life in exchange for keeping the law. Israel demanded a sample of that pleasure and the Lord gave them the Sabbath. How do we know that the Sabbath is a prototype of future life? For it is written, “A song to the day of SabbathPsalms 92:1,” meaning the life to come which is an everlasting Sabbath.

29 When Adam saw the Sabbath he began to sing the praise of the Holy One. At that moment the angels came down in groups, some played instruments and others performed different kinds of music, praising, singing and saying “God,” as it is written, “To sing to the name of the Most High, to tell of Your mercy in the mornings and Your truth at nightPsalms 92:1-2.”

30 The mornings mean future life, and nights this life, as it is written, “You make darkness and there is night, there the beasts of the forest are roamingPsalms 104:20.” Do the beasts only roam at night, and not during the day too?

31 But it alludes to this life which is as dark as night, and the idol worshipers which resemble the beasts who roam in the forest at night. When the morning star dawns the beasts return to their dens, so when the morning of the Messiah’s kingdom dawns the nations will turn back, never to come into the life to come, as it is written, “God will be the King of the universeZechariah 14:9.”

32 Aleph means thousand. The Lord opened five thousand gates of wisdom to Moses, corresponding to his five books. He opened eight thousand gates of “knowledge” corresponding to the eight prophets, and eleven thousand gates of higher wisdom corresponding to the eleven books of Scripture those of Ruth and the like. As it is written, “A desirable treasure and oil is the dwelling of the sageProverbs 21:20.” A treasure is the law, oil is the books of the scripture, soothing people like fragrant oil.

33 Another version of the Aleph represents the Holy One. As the Aleph is the first of all the letters so is God the first of all the kings, and He is also the last of the nobles, as it is written “I the Lord am first, and with the last ones, I amIsaiah 41:4.” Why is it written with the last ones, and not with the last one? From it we learn that when God renews His world He himself arranges the order of the last ones, the order of the pious, the order of the righteous, the order of the humble ones, the order of the prophets, the order of kings, of princes, of nobility, of generations, the order of every being, the order of every beast and bird, and that of every son. After arranging them in order, He brings down Enoch, the son of Jared, whose proper name is “Metatron,” and the four holy beasts from under the wheels of His glorious throne, and places His throne on one side. Then He brings up Korah and his company from the depth of the purgatory. Then He brings out all who have lived in this world, setting them on their feet. Then He asks them, “Did you ever see a God like me, either in heaven above or on earth beneath, in any of the four corners of the world? Be witnesses for me, and tell the truth,” as it is written “You are my witnesses that I am GodIsaiah 43:12!” Then Metatron and the holy beasts with Korah and his company will say in one voice, “We never saw a God like You, neither in Heaven above nor on earth below. You are the first and last, and there is no other God except You, our Lord and King,” as it is written “There is no God like You and none like Your workPsalms 86:8.”

34 At that moment the Lord will reply, “Truly, I am, and there is no God with meDeuteronomy 32:39. I was before I created the world and I am with the creation, and I will be a God in the life to come. I kill and I will resurrect, I wounded them in this life and will heal them in future life. People will appear at the resurrection with the same disability they had when they left this life—the blind, the lame, the deaf, and others similarly affected. And the Lord will sit as a healer and heal them.”

35 Why is Aleph written as one letter and read as a syllable of three letters? Because it represents the Holy One who is one, and the reading of his name is threefold, as it is written “Listen, Israel, our God, the Lord, God is oneDeuteronomy 6:4.” His praise and sanctification is also threefold, as it is written “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of HostsIsaiah 6:3.” Even the song is threefold, as in the Song of Songs of Solomon. Song is one, songs are two, here is a threefold song.

36 The Holy One has seventy known names, while the unknown ones are countless.

37 Aleph is the initial of “have chosen,” “have taken,” “have appointed.” The Lord said, “All those are applied to Metatron my servant, who is more exalted than all the celestials. I have chosen him in Adam’s generation, when the generation of the flood became wicked, and took away my glory from them, and went to the heavens amid the blowing of the horns, as it is written, ‘God went up at the sound of hornsPsalms 47:5.’ Then I selected Enoch, the son of Jared, from them, to be with me a living witness with the four holy beasts in my chariot. I put him in charge of all my treasures in my celestial realm, and handed their keys over to him. I made him a prince of princes at the glorious throne, a manager of the four holy beasts, responsible for putting crowns on their heads.

38 “I made him 7,000 miles taller than all the celestial beings. I raised his throne from mine. I turned his body into a flame and his bones into glittering light. I made him look like lightning, his eyes as the eternal light, and the reflection of his face as the reflection of the sun, the rays of his eyes as the rays of the glorious throne, and his garment full of majesty and beauty. I crowned him with a crown measuring 500 miles by 500 miles, and gave him some of my majesty.

39 “I called him in my name ‘Jedud the Little,’ who knows all the secrets and mysteries which I revealed to him in love. I placed his throne at the entrance of my palace, to judge among the celestial family. I gave him seventy names in order to increase his glory. I placed seventy princes under him in order to carry out the destinies of existence through them, to raise the lowly and lower the proud, to strike kings with his word and to humiliate the nobles, to change the course of time and to reveal wisdom to the earthly kings, delivering the secrets to those who strive for knowledge. That Metatron sits in Heaven three hours each day, gathering around him all those souls of infants, nursing babies, and of school children who died before their time. He gathers them under the glorious throne, dividing them into divisions and sections, and teaches them the law, wisdom and knowledge, and all the secrets of the Torah, as it is written, ‘To whom will he teach wisdom, to whom will he explain the message? To those who were weaned from milk, taken from the breastIsaiah 28:9.’”

40 Sagnasel is the Prince of Wisdom. Why is his name Sagnasal? Because the treasures of wisdom are given into his hand. All those treasures were opened to Moses while on Mount Sinai, where Sagnasel taught him the law in seventy languages and in seventy ways. He taught him the prophets, the oral laws, and all religious knowledge in seventy ways. At the end of his forty days Moses forgot everything in one hour, and the Holy One called on Jefeifia, the prince of the law, and presented him as a gift to Moses, and then his memory was strengthened. These are the ninety-two names of the Holy One, names of the outspoken name, which are engraved on the glorious throne, which the Holy One gave from His name to Metatron, and the twenty-two seals by which all the celestial orders are sealed, also the books of kings and of angels, of the Grim Messenger, and the books of fate of every nation.

41 Metatron, the prince of the interior, the prince of the law, the prince of wisdom, the prince of glory, the prince of the palace, the prince of the angels, the prince of princes above and below, said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, is my witness that when I revealed that secret to Moses an uproar arose among the celestial hosts, and they protested. They said to me, ‘Why do you reveal that secret to the human beings, born of women, who are full of faults, unclean, full of blood and disease? Why do you reveal that secret by which the creation was called into existence, why do you reveal to people of flesh and blood?’ I replied to them, ‘Because I received permission from the Holy One. Therefore I revealed to him the meanings of the names going out from light and fire.’ They were not satisfied with my explanations, and the Lord said, ‘This is what I want, and I appointed Metatron alone, and he can give it to Moses.’ “Moses delivered that to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, the prophets to the men of the Great Assembly, and the Great Assembly to Ezra the scribe, and Ezra to Hillel the Great, and Hillel to Rav Ahluhn, and Rav Ahluhn to the men of faith the Essenes, and the men of faith to the religious people to take care of it, and to heal by it all the diseases, as it is written, ‘If you listen to and keep the Lord’s words, I will not bring on you the plagues I brought down on Egypt, because I, your God, am your healerExodus 15:26.’”

42 B reads as Beth, which means a house the initials of Beth. The Lord said, “I built, I formed, I prepared. I built my two palaces, one in Heaven and the other on earth. I formed all the orders of creation. I prepared the life to come.”

43 Why did God create the world with the letter B? Because the Lord knew that the world would be destroyed twice, once by the generation of the flood and once at the end of 6093 years since the creation. The letter B is in Hebrew number 2.

44 Another reason is that the temple will be destroyed twice. He created two worlds, life here and life to come. God said, “I created two palaces, one for me and the other for the human beings, as it is written, ‘Heaven belongs to the Lord, the earth he gave to the human beingsPsalms 115:16.’”

45 The Holy One said, “People will have two kinds of worship. Israel will worship me, the nations will worship idols.” Another reason is that people have two inclinations, one good and the other evil.

46 Three are called “first”: the Torah, Israel, and the fear of the Lord, and for their sake the world was created. About the Torah it is written, “The Lord bought me, the first of His wayProverbs 8:22.” “Israel,” as it is written, “Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His fruitJeremiah 2:3.” Fear of the Lord is also called “first,” as it is written, “The first of wisdom is the fear of the LordProverbs 1:7.”

47 B is Binda, knowledge or understanding. Without understanding the world could not exist even one hour, as it is written, “Select men from among you of wisdom and understandingDeuteronomy 1:13.” When God requested Moses to select men of understanding to make them tribal leaders, Moses went throughout all the camps of Israel to seek men of understanding, and he could not find them.

48 Understanding is dearer to the Almighty than the Torah. If a person knows all the laws of the Torah, all the scripture, all the knowledge, and has no understanding, they have acquired nothing.

49 G is the initial of Charity. If there were no charity the world could not exist. The Lord said, “If it had not been for my charity the world could not exist.” What is the charity that God shows the world daily? It consists in giving the people spirit, wisdom, understanding, thought, power, sight of the eyes, hearing of the ears, movement of the feet, feeling of the hands, the opening of the mouths, and speech of the tongue. As it is written, “The earth is full of the Lord’s charityPsalms 33:5.” Spirit and soul, as it is written that the Lord blew into his nostrils a living breath. Wisdom, as it is written, “The Lord gives wisdom and knowledge from His mouthProverbs 2:6.” The sense of hearing, as it is written, “And the ears of the deaf will be openedIsaiah 35:5.” Movement of the legs, as it says, “Then the legs of the lame will leap like a deerIsaiah 35:6.” Feeling of the hand, as it is said, “Lift your hands in holinessPsalms 134:2.” Opening of the mouth, as it says, “Who made the human mouthExodus 4:11?” Speech of the tongue, as it is written, “A person arranges the heart’s thoughts, but the tongue’s reply comes from the LordProverbs 16:1.”

50 D,H. The Lord said, “My word stands forever in Heaven.” The word represents the angel of healing, as it is written, “He sends his word, and he heals themPsalms 107:20.” Word is the power of prophecy, as it says, “And He put His word in the mouth of BalaamNumbers 23:5.”

51 Dalit is the initial of the Lord’s promise. “I promise to raise the poor, because people do not favor the poor, as it says, ‘The wisdom of the poor is disregardedEcclesiastes 9:16.’ But when a poor person prays to me, I do not turn them away empty.” As it is written, “God comforts the ashamed poorPsalms 14:6.” The Holy One always looks toward the poor, and their words are sweeter to Him than the utterances of others, as it is written, “The Lord listens to the poor and does not shame His prisonersPsalms 69:33,” those afflicted people, who are imprisoned by their ailments and disease.

52 Why does the D face the H? Because someone who is poor in this life will be rich in the life to come, like Israel who is poor here, but will be rich in future life. Again, the nations who are rich here will be poor in the life to come.

53 Why are the wicked prospering? Because God gives them their reward here for the few good deeds they do. For instance, some wicked people do charitable works, not for charity’s sake, but for the sake of their name being praised, and so they are rewarded here with wealth.

54 If a man in Israel, who is born under a favorable planet to live a good, happy life, and acknowledges the Lord with all his heart, is humble in his ways and manners, and does not treat the poor arrogantly, and does not curse, and gives from his wealth to the poor, and to the rich as a loan, such a man will enjoy the fruit in this life while the principal will remain for him in future life and he will become one of the saints in heaven.

55 H, or Hei, is the sacred name of the Holy One, by which he created the world, as it is written, “Those are the histories of heaven and earth, when they were createdGenesis 2:4.” The initials of the words “they were created” are H.

56 From it you learn that the Almighty had no trouble in creating the universe, because the means He used was the H, the lightest of all the letters in pronunciation. All the letters, when pronounced, are felt through various organs, such as the tongue, lips, and teeth, and the letters are accompanied by the unclean saliva, but the H, or “Hei,” is pure, because pronouncing it requires no organ to help, and no saliva accompanies it.

57 All the pronounced names of the Holy One are written with H, and with it heaven, earth, this life and the life to come, and the Messianic era, were sealed. The letters by which heaven and earth were sealed are twelve, corresponding to the twelve hours of the day and those of the night, to the twelve months of the year, corresponding to the twelve planets in the Zodiac. The twelve tribes correspond to the twelve continents, bearing the twelve names of the twelve tribes, as it is written, “He set the nations’ borders according to the number of Israel’s tribesDeuteronomy 32:8.” All those letters are like fire, and they glitter like lightning, and each letter measures 21,000 miles, and on each are chained crowns of glory as they are engraved by the finger of the Holy One.

58 They are also the seals of the Lord, with which He seals all the souls on the glorious chariot. Each name has a special seal. The Lord sits on a throne of fire, surrounded by fire pillars with the sacred names on them. By each pillar countless angels of fire stand. When someone knows those names and uses them, all the heavens are filled with fire, and they go down to burn the earth, but the heavens are linked and chained to the borders of the earth, and seeing the seal of the Holy One, they are filled with the spirit of mercy and do not destroy the earth.

59 S, or Sain, is the name of the Holy One, as Sain means “maintainer,” as the Lord is the maintainer of all.

60 The Almighty has the key of childbirth, as it is written, “He opened her wombGenesis 29:31,” the key of rain, as it is written, “He will open you his best treasureDeuteronomy 28:12,” the key of maintenance, as it is written, “You open Your hand to satisfy all with good willPsalms 145:16,” the key of human structure, the key of manna, as it is written, “He opened the heavens abovePsalms 78:23,” the key of kingdoms, the key of eyes, as it is written, “Then the eyes of the blind will be openedIsaiah 35:5,” the key of the deaf, as it is written, “The ears of the deaf will be openedIsaiah 35:5,” the key of the lips, as it is written, “The Lord will open my lipsPsalms 51:15,” the key of the mouth, as it is written, “And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkeyNumbers 22:28,” the key of the tongue, the key of the earth, as it is written, “The earth will open and bring forth salvationIsaiah 45:8,” the key of the prisoners, as it is written, “The Lord frees the prisonersPsalms 146:7,” He has the key of Eden, as it is written, “Open to me the gates of righteousnessPsalms 118:19,” He has the key of the purgatory, as it is written, “Open the gates and let the righteous nations who keep the truth enterIsaiah 26:2.”

61 Do not read Amonim Truth but “Amanim,” because for the sake of “Amen,” which the wicked say in the purgatory, they are redeemed from it. In the later days the Lord will sit in Eden and explain the laws while all the good ones will sit and the celestial family will be on his right, and sun and moon with all the planets to the left, and the Lord will explain the laws of the new Torah, which will be given through the Messiah. At the end, Zerubbabel will stand up and say, “May the great Holy name be honored and sanctified.” His voice will be heard from one corner of the universe to the other, and all existence will say “Amen.” The wicked of Israel and those of the nations in the purgatory will also say “Amen,” and their voices will reach before the Lord. The Lord will ask about them, and the angels of the service will say that they are the voices of the wicked condemned in the purgatory. At that moment the Lord will show His mercy and hand over to Michael and Gabriel the keys of the purgatory to bring them out from there.

62 At that time the two archangels will go and open the forty thousand gates of hell. The hell is 300 miles long, 300 miles broad, 1,000 miles thick, 1,000 deep, and when a wicked man falls into it, he can never get out.

63 The two archangels at that time will bring out the condemned. They will be washed and cleansed, their wounds will be healed, and they will be dressed in garments of pure rays and brought before the glorious throne. When they are before the Lord, they will fall on their faces, bowing, praising the Holy name. At that moment all will join in the eternal praise of the Lord!

64 Ch, or Chet, means sin. When the wicked are punished in the purgatory for their sins, they repent and they are forgiven and share the future life with all the pious and good ones, and they sit near the “Shekinah,” as they save their broken hearts with repentance, as it is written, “God is near to the brokenheartedPsalms 34:18,” and they are dearer to the Lord than the angels.

65 The angels are 36,000 miles from the “Shekinah,” as it is written, “Seraphim stand above himIsaiah 6:2.”

66 “Above” in numerical calculation is “thirty-six thousand.” The Shekinah measures twice thirty-six times ten thousand miles, and the celestial mile is thousands of cubits. A cubit is four spans and a fist, and a span measures from one corner of the world to the other. The earth is only one foot long, one foot broad, and one foot high up to the first heaven, and yet, those broken-hearted through repentance are near to the Shekinah.

67 But the Lord is far from the proud. Those who are proud are like idol worshipers, and if a man is like Moses, our master, peace be with him, and has pride, he will not escape the punishment in hell.

68 F, or Feth. Feth means “lime,” that is, the lime from which all was created, and to which all returns, as it is written, “All was from dust and all returns to dustEcclesiastes 3:20,” and dust is lime. Lime is the lime of the future, from which all the good ones will flourish in groups, like the grass of the field with many garments, whose perfume will fill the whole of the universe, like the perfume of “Eden,” as it is written, “They will flourish from the city like the grass of the fieldPsalms 72:16.” The city is Jerusalem, as the Lord will start the resurrection only from Jerusalem, as it is written, “I will give an ornament in the land of the living.” Is there a dead land? It means Palestine, which is called “The land of the livingEzekiel 26:20,” because its dead will be resurrected first.

69 What will become of those righteous who have died in other lands? On the day of resurrection the Lord will say to the angels, “Go out and lift up the surface of the ground, and make tunnels through which to bring the good ones from foreign lands to Jerusalem.” The angels will take up the four corners of the globe, and shake the wicked from it, and the good ones will be brought to Jerusalem through tunnels. There the Lord himself will resurrect them.

70 How will the resurrection take place? The Lord will take a trumpet measuring a thousand cubits, the cubits of the Lord, and will blow so that it will be heard from one corner of the world to the other.

71 At the first blow the world will be shaken up. At the second blow the ground will be divided. At the third blow the bones will be gathered. At the fourth blow the portions of the bodies will be warmed up. At the fifth blow their skins will be shaped. At the sixth blow the soul will be returned to their respective bodies. At the seventh blow they will stand up alive with their garments on.

72 J, or Jod, means hand and might. We learn from it that the Lord will give the righteous strength and a foothold in the days to come, as it is written, “I will give them a hand and a good name in my house and my wallsIsaiah 56:5.”

73 House means the temple, as it is written, “And my house will be called a house of worship for all nationsIsaiah 56:7.”

74 Wall means Jerusalem, as it is written, “I appointed watchmen on your walls, JerusalemIsaiah 62:6!”

75 Jod means also gifts, as the Lord will present gifts to all the pious ones, each one with a cup of life’s elixir in order to live forever.

76 Name means that the Lord will reveal to them the pronounced name by which he has created the heavens and earth, so that they can create worlds too. Each righteous person will get three hundred and forty worlds as a reward for his good deeds. “They will have an everlasting name” means the pronounced sacred name, with which the life to come was created. Praise and honor will be the light of their eyes, so that at one glance they will be able to see from one part of the world to the other.

77 Kaf, or K, means the hand of swearing because when swearing we lift up the hand. It will be hands clasping in joy at the banquet which God will give the righteous in the days to come when the “Shekinah” will walk with each one, accompanied by tens of thousands of angels, with pillars of lightning around them, and the elements will dance before them.

78 At that time the prophet said, “Lord, Your hand is raisedIsaiah 26:11.” At that banquet, Isaiah will say “Lord, raise Your hand. Do not let the wicked see the pleasures of the good ones.” The Lord will reply,“No, on the contrary, let them come, and be ashamed.” Then the prophet will say, “No, do not let them come or see.”

79 The Jewish nationality will be called on to settle that dispute. Metatron will bring the Jewish nationality before the Lord. Then she will say, “Why have I been called here?” Then the Lord will say, “My dear daughter, I want the wicked to come and see the pleasures of the good ones.” “Let them come,” she will say, “and be ashamed.”

80 At that time the wicked will come to the doors of Eden to look at the pleasures of the pious ones. They will see how everyone is dressed in a suitable garment, and in front of each is a table of pearl, and in front of everyone there is a golden cup mounted with precious stones, while the cup is filled with life elixir, and many dishes are arranged on the table of delicious food, and angels wait on everyone.

81 Their faces seem to reflect rays of light like the sun’s, penetrating from one end of the world to the other, while the heavens will open their doors, showering them with perfumed dew, and its aroma will fill all the spaces in the universe, and millions of angels, harps in hand, will play and sing, while the sun, moon, and the planets will dance.

82 When the wicked see those glorious things they will ask, “Why are they given such honor and pleasure?” And the angels will answer, “Because they kept the laws.” Then the wicked will fall on their faces praising the Lord, saying, “Happy is the nation that has this. Happy is the nation whose God is the LordPsalms 144:15.”

83 L, or Lamed, is the initial of “Heart understands knowledge.” The heart reflects a person. As people have eyes, so does the heart. People have ears, and so does the heart. People have a mouth, and so does the heart. People speak, and so does the heart. People roar, and so does the heart. People cry, and so does the heart. People walk, and so does the heart. The heart sees, as it is written, “My heart saw wisdomEcclesiastes 1:16.” The heart hears, as it is written, “A heart that listens to judge1 Kings 3:9.” The heart talks, as it is written, “I spoke with my heartEcclesiastes 1:16.” The heart cries, as it is said, “Their hearts cried to the LordLamentations 2:18.” People are comforted, and so is the heart. As it is said, “And He comforted them and spoke to their heartGenesis 50:21.” People make laws, and so does the heart. As it is said, “My heart is with Israel’s lawmakersJudges 5:9.” People wander, and so does the heart. As it says, “My heart overflows with a good thingPsalms 45:1.” People are joyful, and so is the heart. As it is written, “My heart is joyful in the Lord1 Samuel 2:1.” People are clean, and so is the heart. As it says, “Create a clean heart in me, LordPsalms 51:10.” People grieve, and so does the heart. As it says, “And he grieved in his heartGenesis 6:6.” People are awake, and so is the heart. As it is written, “I slept, but my heart was awakeSong of Songs 5:2.” People ask questions, and so does the heart. As it says, “I turned my heart to inquireEcclesiastes 1:13.” People are wise, and so is the heart. As it is written, “The wise heart takes to good deedsProverbs 10:8.” People are good, and so is the heart. As it is written, “A good heart is always cheerfulProverbs 15:15.”

84 Everything in a person is contained in the heart, and the heart is equal to the two hundred and forty-eight portions of the body. There are twelve actions and qualities distributed to the various organs of the body.

85 The brain acts through thought and is the thinking machine. The mouth divides the food, the tongue smooths the ground food, the airways of the lungs do the breathing, and so on.

86 But hatred, love, and envy live only in the heart. Therefore it is said, “Do not hate your brother in your heart. Love your God with all your heart.” God therefore looks only into the heart. As it is written, “People see with the eyes, while God looks into the heart.”

87 M, or Mim. Why is it pronounced with both letters? Because both are at the height of the glorious throne, where they chain the crowns of light. When the time for sanctification comes, and God does not step down from His height, they approach each other saying, “When will I come to see the face of the LordPsalms 42:2?” When the Lord comes down then all the letters open their mouths with song of praise, the open M says, “Your kingdom is foreverPsalms 145:13,” while the closed M says, “And Your rule lasts through all generationsPsalms 145:13.”

88 At that time the Lord takes all the letters and kisses them, placing two crowns on each, one a crown of glory and the other a crown of glory. To the open M He gives two crowns, and to the closed M one of rule and the other of majesty, and places one to His right and the other letter to His left, saying, “My letters, which I engraved with a pen of fire, my kingdom is only proclaimed through you.”

89 With the open M the Lord is called “King of Kings,” while with the closed M He is called “Ruler of Rulers.” When the two M’s hear it, they open their mouths in song of praise, and all the celestials come, fall down, and bow before the Holy One, singing and praising the Almighty.

90 N, or Nun. Why is the one N straight and the other at rest? Because the human soul, like every soul, was created with them. Sometimes it rests and sometimes it stands. When the soul is in the body, it rests, and when it is outside the body, it stands.

91 A king once wanted to enter his palace, which was an unclean place, and he said to his servant, “Bring the candle in.” So the Lord created man from dust, blood, and gall. Therefore He placed the soul in him in order to see what goes on in that dark, unclean place, and the soul is the candle of the Lord. The human soul is the candle of the LordProverbs 20:27, rather than the animal’s soul, because the animal’s soul rests while the human soul has no rest.

92 When man dies, his soul is brought before the heavenly court, and there all the deeds are set out, and the judges tell all he did on each day, at each hour and place. Even the private conversation between husband and wife is recorded. If he lost his children when he was alive, they ask him, “Why did you lose your children?” If he was blinded, or became deaf in life, they ask him to account for it, as the Lord’s ways are level and only sinners stumble on them. They ask him why he stumbled into sin. If he can give a reasonable answer, they accept it. If not, he is whipped with a whip of fire and he turns into ashes. The ashes are scattered to all four corners of the world, then they are collected by four angels, an angel to each corner, and they put the ashes in the grave, to be there until judgment day.

93 S, or Samech, means the supporter, and it represents the Lord, who supports those who fall, as it is written, “The Lord supports those who fallPsalms 145:14.” He supports the heavens as well as the globes of the planets below them. Samech means also the Torah, which rests on the prophets, the books of the scribes, and the oral law, as it is written, “The well which was dug by the princes, by the nobles of the nationsNumbers 21:18.” Well means the Torah, as it says, “The well of living waterSong of Songs 4:15.” And the law is always compared to water, as it says, “Whoever is thirsty, go to the waterIsaiah 55:1.”

94 Why are the words of the Torah compared to water? Because as water leaves the highest places and comes down, so the Torah favors only the humble. “Dug by princes.” These are Moses and the seventy elders who explained the laws in seventy languages. “The nobles of the nation.” These are the scribes, such as David, Solomon, Ezra, who have explained the law to Israel.

95 E, or Ain, means the eye of the law, which is the eye of all eyes and the wisdom of all wisdom, as it is written, “The law of the Lord enlightens the eyesPsalms 19:8.” Wisdom is only the wisdom of the law, as it is written, “You must keep my laws, as they are your wisdom and understandingDeuteronomy 4:6.”

96 P, or Pe, means mouth, and mouth means Moses, as it is written, “I am slow of speech and have a stuttering tongueExodus 4:10.” Moses said to the Lord, “I know You are the only God, and You have created the world only for Your own honor, and created people only to honor You, and You have created every part of the body for a purpose to serve You. The head is to bow before You, the eyes to see Your glory, the ears to hear Your honor, the nose to smell, the teeth to grind the food, the airways to breathe in and out. The veins serve as blood vessels, the skin for complexion, hands to fight and to work, feet to walk, tongue to talk. Now give me the power to speak.” The Lord replied, “Who made Adam’s mouth and tongue? Of course I did it.”

97 Z, or Zadic, means the righteous One of the world, God Himself, as He does right to every creature in the universe. If God had not given people mouths and tongues the world could not exist for a moment. When Moses refused to accept the mission because of being a stutterer the creatures of the world began to tremble, saying, “Look at Moses, who will one day speak with the Shekinah one hundred and seventy-five times face to face and will explain every letter and law in seventy languages, yet he says, ‘I am a stutterer.’ What should we say?” Because Moses declared himself incapable because of his mouth, the Lord raised him up, as it is written, “and I was standing between you and the LordDeuteronomy 5:5,” a position which even Metatron cannot have. Because of his plea, “I have difficulty speaking,” the Lord speaks of him, “Moses, I speak with him face to faceNumbers 12:8.” God has appointed Moses as a treasurer over all creation, as it is said, “Moses, my servant, the faithful in my householdNumbers 12:7.”

98 When Moses reached the department of the future and saw the groups of sages, of the Sanhedrin, of the Rabbis, explaining the law in forty-nine ways, and then he saw Rabbi Akiva’s school, who explains three hundred and sixty-five reasons for the laws, he said, “I do not want to be the messenger of the Lord.” But the Lord knew the reason for his refusal, so He sent Sagnasel, the Prince of Wisdom, to Moses, and he brought him into the schools where the laws are taught.

99 There Moses heard the Rabbis saying “That law, as well as this law, was handed down by Moses from Sinai.” When Moses heard this, he calmed down, and with satisfaction accepted the mission as a redeemer.

100 K, or Kof, means Moses who surrounded Pharaoh with all words of wisdom in seventy languages. When Moses and Aaron appeared before the king they found there seventy writers writing the correspondence in seventy languages.

101 As soon as they saw the two messengers’ faces shining like the sun, and each word they uttered was fire, and seeing the stick engraved with the pronounced name, they began to tremble, throwing away their pens and letters, bowing in fear before Moses and Aaron.

102 Then the king asked them, “Who has sent you to me?” They replied, “The God of the Hebrews.” He asked again, “What is His name, what is His strength, how many countries has He conquered, how many soldiers are in His army?” They answered him, “His strength fills the universe, Heaven is His throne, His word is fire and shakes up mountains, His law is fire, His arrows are of fire. He is the creator of all and the peacemaker between fire and water. With His word He created the world, by utterance formed the mountains, and by wisdom He creates the child in the womb of his mother. He clothes the skies with clouds, and lets rain fall on the earth to maintain the life of all.” The king said to them, “I do not need Him, because I created myself,” as it is written “The Nile is mine, and I created myselfEzekiel 29:3. You say,” the king continued, “that He makes rain and dew, my Nile waters my land to produce the sweetest fruit. But wait. I will bring the old records containing the letters of ancient kings. Perhaps I will find among them some letters of your God, because as far as I know, He has never sent me any writings or greetings.” He opened his museum and called on the seventy writers to read in seventy languages at the same time. Not finding His name, he said to Moses and Aaron, “I know neither of Him nor of His might.” He then sent word to all the wise men in Egypt to inquire, and they said, “Yes, we heard about the name of their God. We heard that He is the son of wise men, the son of ancient kings.” At that time the Lord said, “Fools, you call yourselves ‘wise ones’ and me the son of wise men, the son of kings,” as it is written, “The princes of Zoan are fools. The wise counselors of Pharaoh have foolish advice, how could you say to Pharaoh that I am the son of wise men, the son of kingsIsaiah 19:11?”

103 R, or Reish, is the Almighty, who is the head of the world and its end. R is the word of the Lord by which He has created the seven heavens. R means head, which means Israel, whom the Lord has made the head of the nations.

104 Sh, or Shein, means teeth. Those are the teeth of the wicked, which will be broken three times—one time here in this life, second in the life to come, third in the Messianic time. As the Shein has three heads, so the Almighty will break the teeth of the wicked three times.

105 The teeth of the wicked will grow out of their mouths 22 cubits long at the time of the Messiah. People will wonder at this, and they will be told it is because they ate up the wealth of the pious in life.

106 The Shein has three branches, symbolizing the three worlds in which people live: this life, the life to come, and the life of the Messianic era. The Shein symbolizes the three sanctifications of this world—the sanctification of the Lord, the sanctification of the Sabbath, and the sanctification of Israel.

107 T, or Taw, means longing. People long for everything in this life. Man is born naked, without clothing, without shoes, without knowledge, without understanding, without thought, without speech, without tongue, without law, without strength, without power, without riches, without a wife and children, without walking or deeds. Yet as soon as he goes out from his mother’s womb he longs only for speech, and when he gets it, he longs to walk, and when he gets it he desires knowledge, and his desire extends gradually to all things he sees. But when he leaves this life, he goes out empty, as it is written, “The days of David approached their end1 Kings 2:1.” The day of the king is not written, only of David, as there is no kingdom on the day of death.

108 Rabbi Aha used to say, “The end of the best is to be killed, the end of man to die, and all are ready for death. Happy is the person who worked in the law, did their Creator’s will, grew up with a good name, and left the world with a good name. About such a person it is written, ‘A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death is better than the day of birthEcclesiastes 7:1.’”