29 Nov Toldot-26:29; Alef and Ayin “Now you are blessed by God”

Gal Einai; Rav Y.  Ginsburgh,  R. M. Genuth

Toldot-26:29; Alef and Ayin
“Now you are blessed by God”

There are many Hebrew roots that are identical apart from the first letter, an alef (א), being replaced by an ayin (ע). According to Kabbalah, the relationship between the alef and the ayin is that the ayin is like a garment for the alef. In other words, an ayin envelopes an alef inside. This can especially be seen with regard to the pronunciation of words that stem from these roots and with regard to the numerical values of related words.

Regarding pronunciation, both the alef and the ayin are guttural letters, but the ayin is more guttural than the alef. The ayin can be said to be coarse and the alef delicate.

Regarding numerical values, the value of the ayin is 70 and the value of the alef is 1. Thus, whenever we find the number 70 in the Torah, there will be a very prominent 1 concealed inside. There are many such examples:

First, let us note the relationship between the 70 archetypal nations of the world that surround the 1 nation of Israel. Likewise, as the 70 archetypal languages that internally are linked to the 1 holy tongue, Hebrew.

Another example is the makeup of the Sanhedrin: 70 sages and in their midst, the 1 sage who is known as the “wondrous one of the Sanhedrin.”[13] When Jacob and his progeny went down to Egypt, there were 70 of his descendants and Jacob himself. We are probably all familiar with the Torah’s 70 faces that seek to explain the one Torah.

Turning to the pronunciation, we find that there are many pairs of words with a difference only in the first letters. The first such pair is “light” (אוֹר) and “skin” (עוֹר). Regarding the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s eating from the Tree of Knowledge, God banishing them from the Garden of Eden, and clothing them in special skin garments, it is said that the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Meir, who was also a scribe, wrote the verse, “skin garments and clothed them” (כֻּתֳּנוֹת אוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם) as “light garments and clothed them” (כֻּתֳּנוֹת אוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם). In other words, Rabbi Meir was suggesting that even though after the sin God clothed them in garments made of animal skin, before the sin, they were clothed in light.

The garments of light with which Adam and Eve were dressed before the sin are known as the “light of chashmal” (אוֹר הַחַשְׁמַל), where chashmal (חַשְׁמַל) itself is equal to “garment” (מַלְבּוּשׁ). After the sin, they were dressed, in the “skin of the snake” (מָשְׁכָא דְּחִוְיָא).

Another example of the ayin and alef is in the words “nothingness” (אַיִן) and “eye” (עַיִן). The physical eye can grasp only physical reality. But when the eye is rectified it can “see” how God creates reality out of nothingness. The sages tell us that the wise man is able to see that which is being born. The wise man whose eyes are the eyes in the mind, is able to see how all of reality is being recreated—coming out of nothingness—at every moment anew.

A final example of the relationship between alef and ayin can be found at the very end of our reading. Avimelech, the Philistine king of Gerar, together with his ministers, say to Isaac, “Now you are blessed by God.”[14] The word “now” (עַתָּה) and the word “you” (אַתָּה) are identical apart from their first letter. “Now” begins with an ayin and “you” begins with an alef.

“Now” is of course a reference to the present moment. Present within the present moment of time is “You” referring to Omni-present God—the Almighty who is present in every single moment. So once again, the “now” with an ayin—the present—conceals within it the presence of God.