Amazing Aleph

From my archives....

The letter "Aleph" symbolizes Hashem. It is the first letter of the alphabet and Hashem is One and the root and beginning of everything. Chazal say that Aleph alludes to "Alupho Shel Olam" - The Chief Of The World. Aleph is also the letters of "Pele" - Wonder. G-d is truly wondrous.

The unity is expressed in the gematria of aleph - 1. Also, if you spell out aleph you get aleph, lamed, pheh. Aleph = 1, Lamed = 30, Pheh = 80, 1 plus 30 plus 80= 111!! More ones!

The Aleph is composed of one long line [a vav] and two short lines [yuds]. Vav = 6, Yud = 10, Yud = 10 = 26. What is the gematria of Hashem's special name Yud - Heh - Vav - Heh? 26! Even the form of the letter alludes to Hashem.

Hashem says in the pasuk "Ani rishon v'ani acharon" - I am first and I am last. This is expressed in the letter Aleph. The gematria of Aleph is one. "I am first". Now, there are 27 letters in the alphabet. 22 regular letters and five end letters [otiot sofiot]. The gematria of yud is 10, kuf - 100, reish - 200, shin - 300, tuf - 400, mem sofit - 500, nun sofit - 600, tzadi sofit - 700, pey sofit - 800, chuf sofit - 900. Now you come around to the beginning and start with Aleph which equals 1000. 1000 is the largest number with a proper name in The Holy Tongue [10,000 is called "revava" which just means a lot. A million is only a word in modern hebrew taken from english]. What is 1000 in Hebrew? ELEPH!!! "I am first and I am last" - The first number and the last number.

Ya'akov Avinu was a man of truth [Titeyn EMES Li'Yaakov]. That is why he never died [see Ta'anis 5]. Truth is the name of Hashem and one who is connected to truth never dies. Hashem is called Elokim Chaim - The living G-d. "Vi'atem Hadveikeem Bashem Elokeichem Chaim Kulchem Hayom" - You are living today because you are clinging to G-d. The gemara in Sanhedrin [97] tells about a place where everybody told the truth and NOBODY died. Truth is life.

A dead person is called a meis. How do we prevent death? Very simple! Put Hashem's Aleph into the equation. Add an aleph to meis and what do you get? Emes!!

PIL'EI PLA'OS!!