Before the world existed, there were letters. According to the Sefer Yetzirah—the ancient Book of Formation—God created the universe not through force or matter, but through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each letter is a divine utterance, a channel of creative energy, a building block of reality itself. The letters are not mere symbols on parchment; they are living spiritual forces, cosmic tools through which the infinite became finite, the formless took form, and nothingness became everything.

In Kabbalistic tradition, the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph-Bet) is called "Otiyot Yesod"—the foundational letters. They preceded creation, existing in the mind of God as pure potential. When God spoke the words "Let there be light," it was not English or any earthly language—it was Hebrew, the holy tongue, the lashon hakodesh. Each letter carries numerical value, symbolic meaning, and mystical power. To study the alphabet is to peer into the blueprint of existence itself.

The Creation Story: Letters Before Light

The Sefer Yetzirah describes how God used the twenty-two letters—combined, weighed, and transposed—to form all of creation. Before the first day, the letters appeared before God, each pleading to be the instrument through which the world would be created. This mystical narrative reveals the hierarchy and spiritual power of each letter.

The Three Classifications of Letters

The Sefer Yetzirah divides the 22 letters into three sacred groups, each corresponding to fundamental aspects of creation: the three mother letters, seven double letters, and twelve simple letters.

Three Mother Letters (Imot) — The Elements

These three letters—Aleph (א), Mem (מ), and Shin (ש)—represent the primordial elements from which all matter derives: air, water, and fire. They are called "mothers" because all other letters descend from their combinations.

Seven Double Letters — Contrasts of Existence

These seven letters—Bet (ב), Gimel (ג), Dalet (ד), Kaf (כ), Peh (פ), Resh (ר), Tav (ת)—each have two pronunciations (hard and soft), representing the dualities of creation: life/death, wisdom/folly, wealth/poverty, grace/ugliness, dominance/subjugation, peace/war, fertility/desolation.

Twelve Simple Letters — Cosmic Architecture

The remaining twelve letters correspond to the twelve signs of the zodiac, the twelve months, and the twelve essential human activities. They represent the structural framework of time and space.

The Sacred Name: YHVH (יהוה)

The most sacred word in Hebrew is the Tetragrammaton—the four-letter name of God: יהוה (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh). This name is so holy that it is never spoken aloud, referred to only as "HaShem" (The Name) or "Adonai" (Lord).

Letters as Living Spiritual Forces

In Kabbalistic thought, the Hebrew letters are not static symbols—they are dynamic channels of divine energy. Each letter has:

Practical Application: Meditating on Letters

Kabbalists practice "letter meditation" (Hitbonenut) to connect with the spiritual energy of each letter. By visualizing, chanting, and contemplating individual letters, practitioners believe they can access different levels of consciousness and divine wisdom.