Aleph
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Aleph, the letter א, is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and of the Semitic abjads in general.
Quotes
[edit]- Aleph and Tav being the first and the last letters of the alphabet, the expression "from Aleph to Tav" signifies "from beginning to end". Hence, "the observers of the Law from Aleph to Tav" are those that keep the Law in its entirety.
- Kaufmann Kohler: "Aleph", Jewish Encyclopedia
- And when he desired to create the world, all the letters came in turn and each said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the Universe, may it be Your will that the world be created through me. … When aleph saw that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to create the world through bet, she stood to one side and was silent, until the Holy One, blessed be He, called her and said to her: aleph, why are you silent; why do you not speak as your companions? Aleph answered and said before Him: Lord of the Universe, My companions amount to much, but I am of little value. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: No wonder that you are the first and the sovereign, since I am One and you are one. Since you have been humble, I will glorify you by making you a thousand (elef).
- Otzar Midrashim, Midrash on the Ten Commandments, 1:4, Sefaria Community Translation
- The only letter that had refrained from urging its claims was the modest Alef, and God rewarded it later for its humility by giving it the first place in the Decalogue.
- Louis Ginzberg: The Legends of the Jews (PDF). Translated by Henrietta Szold. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
