Intonations, vowels, and letters

Synopsis

The relationship between the Hebrew letters, vowels and intonations are explained in terms of their spiritual significance. The Zohar tells us that the letters, vowels and intonations are not merely the building blocks of language. They are the building blocks of the entire cosmos. They are the sounds of creation, the forces by which stars and planets are constructed, and by which physical and metaphysical worlds are erected. Just as a human voice in song can shatter glass and evoke tears, the Hebrew alphabet affects both physical and spiritual realities. We can set these forces in motion by meditatively scanning the very letters that speak of the secrets of the letters themselves. By so doing, we can draw spiritual sustenance and Light into our daily lives.

Body Cantillation Daniel Hebrew Letters

14. כְּגַוְונָא דְּטַעֲמֵי דִּמְנַגְנֵי, וּבְנִגּוּנָא דִילְהוֹן אָזְלִין אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ אַתְוָון וְנִקּוּדֵי, וּמִתְנַעְנְעָן אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ כְּחַיָּילִין בָּתַר מַלְכֵיהוֹן. גּוּפָא אַתְוָון וְרוּחָא נְקוּדֵי, כָּלְהוֹ נְטָלוּ בְּמַטְלָנֵיהוֹן בָּתַר טַעֲמֵי וְקַיְימֵי בְּקִיּוֹמַיְיהוּ. כַּד נִגּוּנָא דְּטַעֲמֵי נָטֵיל, נָטְלֵי אַתְוָון וְנִקּוּדֵי אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ כַּד אִיהוּ פָּסִיק, אִינוּן לָא נָטְלִין וְקַיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ.

Cantillation Firmaments Flow Hebrew Letters Light Palanquin Pillar Poor Zeir Anpin

15. The words "And they who are wise shall shine" ALLUDE TO the letters and the vowels THAT SHINE, and "the brightness" ALLUDES TO the tune of the cantillation marks. "The firmament" ALLUDES TO the expansion of the tune, namely all those INTONATIONS that flow and expand along as the tune flows. "And they who turn many to righteousness" ALLUDES TO the music of the cantillation marks that bring the journeying to a pause and enable the meaning of the words to be heard clearly. The words "shall shine" ALLUDE TO the letters and the vowels that, along the journeys through concealed paths, shine as one. Everything expands from this. "And they who are wise (Heb. maskilim) shall shine like the brightness of the firmament" upon the pillars and sockets of that palanquin. "And they who are wise" are themselves the supernal pillars and sockets, who observe intelligently to bestow on that palanquin and its sockets all that is needed to sustain it. THE PILLARS ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET; THE SOCKETS ARE NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. This secret IS HIDDEN, as you say: "Blessed is he that considers (Heb. maskil) the poor" (Tehilim 41:2); MASKIL IS ZEIR ANPIN AND THE POOR IS HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE. AND HE RECEIVES THE BRIGHTNESS FOR THE SAKE OF THE POOR WHO NEEDS IT. THE SUPERNAL SIX EXTREMITIES OF ZEIR ANPIN shall shine, for if they do not shine or illuminate, they will not be able to study the palanquin and determine what is necessary FOR ITS RESTORATION. WERE IT NOT FOR THE NEED OF ESTABLISHING THAT PALANQUIN, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED ANY OF THAT LIGHT OF BRIGHTNESS.

15. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים יַזְהִירוּ, אַתְוָון וְנִקּוּדֵי. כְּזֹהַר, נִגּוּנָא דְּטַעֲמֵי, הָרָקִיעַ, אִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָא דְּנִגּוּנָא, כְּגוֹן אִינוּן דְּמִתְפַּשְׁטֵי בִּפְשִׁיטוּ, וְאָזְלוּ בְּנִגּוּנָא. וּמַצְדִיקֵי הָרַבִּים, אִינוּן פִּסּוּקֵי דְטַעֲמֵי, דְּפַסְקֵי בְּמַטְלָנֵיהוֹן, דִּבְג"כ אִשְׁתְּמַע מִלָּה. יַזְהִירוּ, אַתְוָון וְנִקּוּדֵי, וְנַהֲרִין כַּחֲדָא בְּמַטְלָנִין בְּרָזָא דִסְתִימוּ, בְּמַטְלָנוּתָא בְּאִינוּן שְׁבִילִין סְתִימִין. מֵהַאי אִתְפַּשַּׁט כֹּלָּא. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים יַזְהִירוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ, וֶאִינוּן קַיָּימִין וְסַמְכִין דְּהַהוּא אַפִּרְיוֹן. הַמַּשְׂכִּילִים, אִינוּן קַיָּימִין וְסָמְכִין עִלָאִין, דְּאִינוּן מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּסֻכְלְתָנוּ, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ הַהוּא אַפִּרְיוֹן וְסָמְכִין דִּילֵיהּ. סִתְרָא דָא, כּד"א אַשְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּיל אֶל דָּל. יַזְהִירוּ, דְּאִי לָא יַזְהִירוּ וְלָא נַהֲרִין, לָא יָכְלִין לְעַיְינָא וּלְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּהַהוּא אַפִּרְיוֹן בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ.

Colors Ezekiel Firmaments Head Light Likenesses Palanquin Pillar Torah Zeir Anpin

16. AND THEY SHINE "like the brightness of the firmament" that rests upon they who are wise, of whom it is written: "And over the heads of the living creature was the likeness of a firmament, like the color of the terrible ice..." (Yechezkel 1:22). This is the brightness OF THE FIRMAMENT, which shines upon THE ENTIRE ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED the Torah. The brightness shines upon the heads of that living creature THAT IS CALLED THE PALANQUIN. These wise heads, WHICH ARE THE PILLARS AND SOCKETS OF ZEIR ANPIN, who are wise shine constantly and look on that firmament to receive the light that emanates from there. This also is the light of ZEIR ANPIN IN ITS ENTIRETY, WHICH IS CALLED Torah. It shines forever and never stops.

16. כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ, הַהוּא דְּקַיְימָא עַל גַּבֵּי אִינוּן מַשְׂכִּילִים, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ וּדְמוּת עַל רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא. זֹהַר דְּהַהוּא, נָהֵיר לְאוֹרַיְיתָא. זֹהַר, דְּנָהֵיר לְאִינוּן רָאשֵׁי דְהַהִיא חַיָה, וְאִינוּן רָאשֵׁי אִינוּן מַשְׂכִּילִים דְּנָהֲרִין תָּדִיר, וּמִסְתַּכְּלָן לְהַהוּא רָקִיעַ לְהַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּנָפֵיק מִתַּמָּן. וְדָא אִיהוּ נְהִירוּ דְאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּנָהֵיר תָּדִּיר וְלָא פָּסֵיק.