Wherever letters are added, it causes a lessening

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda begins here by saying that 'ten' can be written with the Hei, which is the Shechinah, or without it: eser, asarah. She is not included in 'twelve' at all. Twelve, the higher number, Shtei asar, is spelled without the Ayin of the Evil Eye, we learn, and when that letter is added the number is reduced by one to eleven, Ashtei asar. Wherever letters are added, we are then told, it serves as subtraction. Even adding Yud to Amnon's name and referring to him as 'Aminon' decreases his honor.

Relevance

When the Evil Eye (envious stares and glances of ill-will) is permitted to shed its influence, it literally banishes the Light that is present. It has drastic effects upon people and situations. The Evil Eye is banished from the world through the forces summoned here. The desire to cast theEvil Eye is also eliminated from our being.

We learn that quite often when a person adds, he actually takes away, as per the well-known adage, Less is more. This truth is often seen in religion. A person becomes caught up in the religious aspect of faith, performing more and more rites and rituals in the name of holiness, but he grows to be more intolerant of others. This is the difference between a spiritual path and a religious one. Here we receive the wisdom and consciousness to seek out spiritual righteousness as opposed to self-righteousness born of religiosity. This dangerous holier-than-thou consciousness is purged from human consciousness, engendering tolerance and respect among all of God's children.

Curtain Hebrew Letters Seas Shechinah Tabernacle Ten Twelve

699. Come and see what is written of the Tabernacle, "Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains" (Shemot 26:1). THE NUMBER ten is because the perfection of the Tabernacle, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is by ten, AS MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE LAST ESSAY, so that everything will be proper. HE QUESTIONS, HE SAYS TEN (Heb. eser, fem.). What is the reason THAT IT SAYS ten (Heb. eser fem.) and not ten (Heb. asarah, masc.)? HE ANSWERS, For every place THAT IT IS WRITTEN ESER WITHOUT THE HEI refers to THE TEN SFIROT without the Shechinah, FOR THE SHECHINAH ENCIRCLES THEM FROM ABOVE because She is not counted WITH THE TEN. Similarly, "it stood upon twelve oxen (Heb. shnei asar)" (I Melachim 7:25). SINCE THE WORD TEN IS WRITTEN WITHOUT HEI, the Shechinah is not in the number TWELVE, since She stands over them from above as it is written, "And the sea was set above upon them" (Ibid.), MEANING THE SHECHINAH THAT IS CALLED 'SEA.' In those places that allude to what is missing above them, the Shechinah is extranumerary, not included in the count.

699. וְת"ח בַּמִשְׁכָּן מָה כְּתִיב, וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן תַּעֲשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעוֹת, עֶשֶׂר: בְּגִין דְּתִקּוּנָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, בַּעֲשָׂרָה אִיהוּ, לְמֶהֱוֵי כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. עֶשֶׂר, מ"ט עֶשֶׂר, וְלָא עֲשָׂרָה. אֶלָּא עֶשֶׂר, בְּכָל אֲתָר אִיהוּ בְּלָא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּלָאו אִיהִי בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא עוֹמֵד עַל שְׁנֵי עָשָׂר בָּקָר, שְׁכִינְתָּא לָאו אִיהִי בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, דְּהָא אִיהִי קַיְּימָא לְעֵילָּא, דִּכְתִּיב וְהַיָּם עֲלֵיהֶם מִלְמָעְלָה. וּבְאִלֵּין דּוּכְתֵּי דִּרְמִיזֵי לְרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָּא דְּחָסֵר מִנְּהוֹן, הָא שְׁכִינְתָּא יַתִּיר עַל הַהוּא חוּשְׁבָּנָא, דְּלָאו אִיהִי בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא.

Evil Eyes Hebrew Letters Other Side Samuel Twelve

700. The Other Side is given an addition to the number, and it decreases in number. For example, Ashtei ASAR (=eleven) is spelled with Ayin THAT IS ADDED TO THE NUMBER SHTEI ASAR (=TWELVE), THUS REDUCING THE NUMBER FROM TWELVE TO ELEVEN. THIS IS AN INDICATION OF WHAT IS LACKING FROM ABOVE, FOR THE ADDED AYIN IS THE SECRET OF THE EVIL EYE (HEB. AYIN), as we have already established. Wherever letters are added in this manner, it serves as subtraction. For example, "Has Aminon your brother" (II Shmuel 13:20). It would have been sufficient TO SAY Amnon AND THE REASON THE YUD WAS ADDED IS TO LESSEN HIS HONOR. However, a letter is deducted on the holy side and it is really an addition, MEANING THAT BY DEDUCTING THE AYIN FROM ASHTEI ESREH, THE NUMBER ELEVEN BECOMES TWELVE.

700. לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, יָהֲבֵי חוּשְׁבָּנָא יַתִּיר, וְאִיהִי בְּמִנְיָינָא בִּגְרִיעוּ, כְּגוֹן עַשְׁתֵּי, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּאַתְוָון אִתּוֹסְפָן, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, אִיהוּ לִגְּרִיעוּתָא. כְּגוֹן הַאֲמִינוֹן אָחִיךְ, דְּסַגְיָא אַמְנוֹן. וּבְסִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָׁא, גָּרַע אָת וְאִיהוּ תּוֹסֶפֶת.