Meishorim
6) The words "… MEISHORIM AHAVOOCHO", "… THE UPRIGHT LOVE THEE" (Song of Songs, 1:4) carry with them the following meaning: "MEISHORIM" implies the other letters of the alphabet which were left out of the twenty-two letters, and who are they? They are the final ם "Mem", ן "Noon", ץ "Zaddik", ף "Peh" and ך "Chaph"; "M.N.TZ.P.CH".
None of the other letters are called "MEISHORIM", UPRIGHT, except these five letters ךףץןם "M.N.TZ.P.CH..
These letters, designated by the nomenclature UPRIGHT, are doubled and united one with the other in the following order:
מ "Mem" with ם "Mem", נ "Noon" with ן "Noon",
צ "Zaddik" with ץ "Zaddik", פ "Peh" with ף "Peh" and
כ "Chaph" with ך "Chaph".
The twenty-two letters are contained in the word in ךב "Boch" (In Thee). The remainder of the Hebrew letters, known as "MEISHORIM", םירשימ are the "M.N.Z.P.CH., the final letters.
The last word of the verse under discussion is "AHEIVOOCHO", LOVE THEE; meaning they yearn to become included ("Boch") with Thee the twenty- two letters.
These Hebrew letters "MEISHORIM", the "M.N.Z.P.CH." are hidden letters, which explains why they are concealed in the upper world. However, when the first light was hidden, these letters "MEISHORIM" were also hidden. Adam the First knew about them.
After Adam sinned, the ךףץןם "M.N.Z.P.CH." became concealed from him as at the beginning.
7) Abraham our Father, by virtue of the spiritual light which was shining upon him, knew these letters later on, Isaac our Father inherited the knowledge of the "M.N.Z.P.CH.". This is implied in Genesis, thus: "VAYITEN AVROHOM ES KOL ASHER LEY L'YITZCHOK", "AND ABRAHAM GAVE ALL THAT HE HAD UNTO ISAAC" (25:5). Isaac our Father, in turn, transmitted them as a heritage unto Jacob, who transmitted this heritage unto his son Joseph.
As soon as Joseph departed from this world and the children of Israel went into exile, these letters "M.N.Z.P.CH." became concealed; that is to say: they were removed to the upper realms, as at the beginning. It was not until Israel stood at Mt. Sinai, when the Torah was transmitted to Israel, that the hidden meaning of the "M.N.Z.P.CH." was disclosed to them. It was then that Israel got to know about them completely, that is, they then knew them as names indelibly engraved. Not until Israel sinned, did they become stripped of the "M.N.Z.P.CH.", that is possessed of the most beneficial superb qualities. This is pointed out in Exodus, thus: "VAYISNATSLOO bney yisroel es edyom …" "and the children of israel stripped themselves of their ornaments …" (33:6).
Moses, our Teacher, Joshua and the Seventy Elders knew the wisdom of the "M.N.Z.P.CH.". This was what enabled Israel to enter the land.
8) As soon as the Holy Temple was erected and "Shir haShirim" The Song of Songs was revealed, these letters, "M.N.Z.P.CH." ךףץןם then became engraved in the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This numerical value twenty-two is a symbol of the Hebrew word ךב "Boch". All this is conveyed in the two words "MEISHORIM AHEIVOOCHO", that is, the letters "Meishorim" love thee, meaning that the "M.N.Z.P.CH.", which are connoted "Upright", yearn to become united "Boch", with thee, that is, with the twenty-two letters.
It is written: "… ATOH KONANTO MEISHORIM …" "… THOU DOST ESTABLISH EQUITY …" (Psalms: 99:4).
The following, from "The Songs of Songs", also relates to the excellence of the "M.N.Z.P.CH.": K'YEIN HOTOV HEILECH L'DEIDY L'MEISHORIM …" (7:9) "AND THE ROOF OF THY MOUTH LIKE THE BEST WINE FOR MY BELOVED THAT GOES DOWN SWEETLY".
9) The letters "M.N.Z.P.CH.": "MEISHORIM" (UPRIGHT), to which what has just been quoted relates to, are actually concealed Sephiroth in the upper world "Binah", Intelligence.
All of these letters really constitute one fountain after another Engraved secrets of holy names within the upper thought. They are engraved in the order of masculine and feminine principles so that harmony, conformity and solidarity predominate between them; with the result that they dwell in togetherness.
The unity and harmony existing between the "M.N.Z.P.CH." is not found in the rest of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. To shed more light upon the material that is now being treated, it is in order to again point out that the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are actually the vessels of each "Partzuf", and that a "Partzuf" is a complete spiritual person consisting of head, body and feet, each part having ten Sephiroth. Together, there are thirty Sephiroth.
It is also known that, in general, there are but three vessels to each "Partzuf". They are the Sephiroth "Binah", א"ז "Z.A" and "Malchut". These three Sephiroth hold the three lights "Neshamah, Rooach and Nefesh". However, for the higher supernal two lights "Chayah" and "Yechidah", there are no vessels which could contain these lights.
This means that the head of the "Partzuf" is "Binah", the middle of the "Partzuf" א"ז "Z.A" and the end of the "Partzuf" תוכלמ "Malchut".
However, in particular, there are nine Sephiroth in "Binah", which is the head of the "Partzuf", and nine Sephiroth in "Z.A", the middle of the "Partzuf". "Malchut", the end, the terminating part of the "Partzuf" has nine Sephiroth.
This shows that the twenty-seven letters of the Hebrew alphabet are in consonance with the number of Sephiroth found in a "Partzuf": nine vessels in "Binah", nine receptacles to hold the light in "Z.A" and nine in "Malchut".
10) The nine vessels found in the Sephirah "Binah" are of the singular numerical value, that is, the letters begin from the first letter, the א "Aleph" down the line of the nine letters, that is, to the letter י "Yood". Next in line come the nine decimal letters, which are found in "Z.A". They are arranged from the י "Yood" to the letter ק "Koof".
The vessels that belong to the "Partzuf Malchut" are the letters that begin from the ק "Koof", the numerical value of which is one hundred, down to the last letter, the ת "Tav", the numerical value of which is four hundred, also including the final letters "M.N.Z.P.CH.". In other words, "Malchut" contains the following:
|
The Letter |
The Letter |
Numerical Value |
|
ק |
Koof |
100 |
|
ר |
Reish |
200 |
|
ש |
Shin |
300 |
|
ת |
Tav |
400 |
|
ך |
Final Choph |
500 |
|
ם |
Closed (Final) Mem |
600 |
|
ן |
Final Noon |
700 |
|
ף |
Final Pey |
800 |
|
ץ |
Final Zaddik |
900 |
|
|
11) The entire Hebrew alphabet is thus subdivided into three parts: the head, body and end of the "Partzuf". Hence, the letter that begins at the head of the "Partzuf" is the א "Aleph". The letters which begins at the body of the "Partzuf" is the י"Yood" whereas the letter which abides at the head of the end of the "Partzuf" is the ק "Koof".
Each numerical value that follows also falls into three divisions. Therefore, the next letters are:
|
The Letter |
The Letter |
Numerical Value |
|
ב |
Beth |
2 |
|
כ |
Chaph |
20 |
|
ר |
Reish |
200 |
In other words, each three letters is a combination of the beginning, middle and end of a "Partzuf", that is, the א "Aleph" abides in "Ketter" of the Sephirah "Binah", the י "Yood" dwells in "Ketter" of the "Partzuf" א"ז "Z.A" and the ק "Koof" dwells in "Ketter" of "Malchut".
The א "Aleph" the י "Yood" and the ק "Koof" are the three crowns of "Binah", א"ז "Z.A" and "Malchut". Again, "Ketter" of "Binah" is the א "Aleph", "Ketter" of "Z.A" is the י "Yood" and "Ketter" of "Malchut" is the ק "Koof".
12) The three Hebrew letters - the ב "Beth", the כ"Chaph" and the ר "Reish" constitute the three Sephiroth of "Chochmoh" of the singles, tens and hundreds.
The Sephirah "Chochmoh", which is in "Binah", has the letter ב "Beth"; "Chochmoh" of א"ז "Z.A" has the letter כ "Chaph" and in "Chochmoh" of "Malchut" abides the letter ר "Reish".
13) The three Hebrew letters - the ג "Gimel", the ל "Lamed" and the ש "Shin" constitute the three Sephiroth "Binah" of the "Partzuf", that is, the singles, tens, and hundreds, meaning that the Sephirah "Binah" of "Binah" has the letter ג"Gimel" within herself; "Binah" of א"ז "Z.A" contains the ל "Lamed"; whereas "Binah" of "Malchut" is where the letter ש "Shin" abides.
14) The letters ד "Daleth", מ "Mem" and ת "Tav" abide in the Sephirah "Chessed" of "Binah" (the singles, tens and hundreds).
The ד "Daleth", the numerical value of which is four, abides in the Sephirah "Chessed" of "Binah"; the letter מ "Mem", whose numerical value is forty, dwells in the Sephirah "Chessed" of א"ז "Z.A" whereas the letter ת "Tav", the numerical value of which is four hundred, belongs to the Sephirah "Chessed" of "Malchut".
15) The letters ה "Hey", נ "Noon" and ך "Chaph", also singles, decimals and hundreds belong to the Sephiroth "G'Vooroh" of "Binah", א"ז "Z.A" and "Malchut". The ה "Hey", the numerical value ot which is five, belongs to the Sephirah "G'Vooroh" of "Binah"; The נ "Noon", whose numerical value is fifty, dwells in the Sephirah "G'Vooroh" of א"ז "Z.A" whereas the Final "Choph", the numerical value of which is five hundred, dwells in the Sephirah "G'Vooroh" of "Malchut".
The three Hebrew letters ו "Vav", ס "Samach" and ם "Mem" are the three Sephiroth "Tifereth" of "Binah", א"ז "Z.A" and "Malchut", numerical value: singles, tens and hundreds.
16) The ו "Vay", numerical value: six, abides in the Sephirah "Tefereth" of "Binah"; the ס "Samach", numerical value: sixty, abides in the Sephirah "Tifereph" of א"ז "Z.A"; whereas the "Closed Mem" ם, numerical value: six hundred, abides in the Sephirah "Tifereth" of "Malchut".
17) The letters ז "Zayin", ע "Ayin" and Final ן "Noon", also subdivided into singles, decimals and hundreds, represent "Netzach" (Triumph) of the three Sephiroth which abide in "Binah", א"ז "Z.A" and "Malchut". The ז "Zayin", numerical value: seven, abides in the Sephirah "Netzach" of "Binah"; whereas the letter ע "Ayin", numerical value: seventy, abides in the Sephirah "Netzach" of א"ז "Z.A" whereas the letter, the Final ן "Noon", numerical value: seven hundred, dwells in the Sephirah "Netzach" of "Malchut".
18) The three Hebrew letters ח "Chess", פ "Pey" and the Final ף "Pey" are housed in the Sephirah "Hod" (Glory). The letter ח "Chess", numerical value: eight, abides in the Sephirah "Hod" of "Binah"; the letter פ "Pey" belongs to tho Sephirah "Hod" of א"ז "Z.A" whereas the Final ף "Pey" abides in the Sephirah "Hod" of "Malchut".
19) The three letters ט "Tess", צ "Zaddik" and the Final ץ "Zaddik" are the three different "Sephiroth" which abide in the three Sephiroth of "Yesod" (Foundation) of "Binah", א"ז "Z.A" and "Malchut". The letter ט "Tess", numerical value: nine, abides in the Sephirah "Yesod" (Foundation) of "Binah", the letter צ "Zaddik", numerical value: ninety, abides in the Sephirah "Yesod" of א"ז "Z.A" whereas the Final ץ "Zaddik", numerical value: nine hundred, abides in the Sephirah "Yesod" of "Malchut".
This explains that the twenty-seven letters are subdivided thus:
Nine letters abide in the head.
Nine letters in the middle.
Nine letters at the end of the "Partzuf".