A Matrix of Meaning:daleth,heh,vav,zain,chet, tet

A Matrix of Meaning:
Portraits of the Hebrew Letters, in Pictures and Words
©1996 Stan Tenen

Level I – Archetype - last 6 letters


DALET – DIVISION
Dalet reflects Division. It Opens ALePh repeatedly and causes the continued action of GiMeL on BeT to make, and Disperse many from One. DaLeT is divided (– D) for (– L) itself (-T). DaLeT, like the Greek DeLTa, allows what happens at a Delta: The river DiLaTes & DiLuTes as it Divides down to, and Dispenses itself into the sea. It Pours out into an Open DeLTa as a Poor man (DaL means poor, alluding to the bent over shape of the DaLeT) Divides, DiLuTes and Dissipates his energies. This is why DaLeT designates an Open Door.

DaLeT Disperses its Dispensation into the connecting Hand of Heh. It is at the top "event horizon" of the APPLe.

HEH – CONNECTION

After the Diversity of DaLeT, Heh Interfaces between the parts of ALePh that DaLeT Dispersed by repetition of GiMeL’s Action and BeT’s Distinction. As the Interface (– E) Archetype (– A), Heh Frames the outer and the inner together. Heh inter-connects, mediates, heals, and re-Wholes. Heh refers to the thumb and the surrounding fingers of our Hand which Connects our conscious will to the physical world. Heh brings mind and matter, flame and vessel, wave and particle together; it is an abbreviation for HaShem, meaning "The Name" a stand-in phrase for God's Name. Heh is the Interface that provides a Framework for Connection. That is why Heh means Window and why, as a prefix, Heh means tHe. Heh encompasses the Earth-Plane (the outer, dispensed, part of the Heh) and the Primal Point (the inner, conscious, part of the Heh). It is the equatorial plane that window-frames and connects the center and the equator (just as with thumb and fingers) of the APPLe of Continuous Creation.


VAV – MULTIPLICATION

VaV, Multiplication, paired with DaLeT, Division, naturally denotes Rotation, Vibration, and Unfoldment. As rotation, VaV is the axis or the spine (or spin) around the axis. As Vibration, VaV is the FiFe or Flute (a source of Vibration-sound, and is modeled by the unit tetrahelical column with 33-tetrahedra paralleling the 33-vertebrae of the human spine). As Unfoldment, VaV is doing and doing and doing, each cycle following on the previous cycle. That is why VaV means Pin, Spine, and And. VaV is located between the Heh and the ZaYiN.

ZAYIN – PROJECTION

ZaYiN, Projection, paired with GiMeL, Action (within the limits of the "oases"), naturally denotes extended Action (beyond limits) like a sprout (– GRO, meaning "grow") that erupts or is thrown or ejected like a seed. That is why ZaYiN means Spear, Weapon or Arrow. ZaYiN is located opposite GiMeL as the World Mountain climbs back to the source at the center of Continuous Creation.

CHET – ENCOMPASSMENT

CHeT, Encompassment, paired with BeT, Distinction, naturally surrounds and covers distinctions. It is the "skin" of Life and an encompassing HuT/HaT. That is why cHeT represents a Fenced Field, the Perimeter of the Field, or its Surface. CHeT is the Perimeter of the Earth-Plane that Encompasses and surrounds the "seed" at the center of the idealized APPLe of Creation.

TET – COMPLETION

TeT, Completion, Wholeness and Bonding, paired with ALePh, Unity, naturally provides nourishment as the meat of the new fruit and the TeaT providing milk to the new child. TeT is the JeT at the Tip of the World Mountain. It is the sum ToTal of all the letters that came before. TeT Binds a mother to her child ("TEaT") and it re-Binds what Bet (distinction) first broke apart from Aleph’s Unity.
It is because TeT Binds and Bonds TIghT together, that, as a "constricter", TeT traditionally means Snake or Serpent. TeT is at the Top of the World Mountain, coincident with the new seed, but of the next generation.
In traditional Kabbalistic terms for the Sefirot, this is Malkut of the Archetypal level in Keter of the Spiritual level.