אוֹת ו'

ו VOV — Numerical Value: 6 | The letter of connection and extension | 40 source entries [Translator's Note] The letter Vov is the Hebrew letter of connection — the word vov itself means "hook" or "peg," and as a prefix it means "and." Grammatically it joins clauses; spiritually it connects upper and lower worlds. Many entries here reflect that connecting, extending quality. Cross-references consolidated throughout. Hebrew EntryEnglish Translation & ExplanationSource ו — name contains a ו Notarikon The letter Vov (ו) cannot be pronounced without a second Vov — for its name is spelled ואו (Vov-Alef-Vov), which contains another Vov within it. [Like Alef (which cannot be pronounced without Peh), the Vov contains its own name within itself — it is self-referential, a letter whose name requires its own sound to be spoken. The Vov is the letter of self-connection.] Likutay Mooharan 83 (appendix) ו × 3 Gematria The letter Vov three times (3 × 6 = 18) = the gematria of יח (yach — a living creature / the word chai = "life" in its shortened form, 18). [Three Vovs = 18 = chai (life). The Vov, the letter of connection, tripled, yields the number that is the quintessential symbol of Jewish life and blessing.] Likutay Mooharan II:83 ו — drawing of the voice Shape / Form The letter Vov embodies the aspect of hamshachas hakol (המשכת הקול) — "the extension / drawing-out of the voice." Its straight downward form visually represents the elongation of a sustained tone. Likutay Mooharan 77 ו — form of a staff Shape / Form The letter Vov has the shape of a staff (מקל) — the vertical line that reaches from above to below, connecting heaven and earth. Likutay Mooharan 1 ו — form of a patach Shape / Form The letter Vov has the shape of the vowel-mark patach (ניקוד פתח) — the horizontal line that "opens" (patach = opening) sound and speech. Likutay Mooharan 66:2 ו'אין ע'בירה מ'כבה ת'ורה Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "no sin extinguishes Torah" (ו׳אין ע׳בירה מ׳כבה ת׳ורה) [based on the Talmudic teaching, Sotah 21a] spell מעות (ma'os, "coins / money"). [The connection: giving tzedakah — money — is the antidote to the darkness of sin; it preserves the Torah's light.] Likutay Mooharan 204; Sichos HaRan 136 ואל'ה שמו'ת בנ'י ישרא'ל הבאי'ם Sofay Saveivos The final letters of "And these are the names of the children of Israel who came" (ואלה שמות בני ישראל הבאים) [Exodus 1:1 — the opening verse of the Book of Exodus] spell תהלים (Tehillim, "Psalms"). The descent into Egypt — the beginning of exile — already contains within its final letters the Book of Psalms: the ultimate book of redemption and prayer. [The final letters of the verse announcing exile spell the book of praises — teaching that even at the beginning of the deepest darkness, the light of Psalms is already encoded within.] Likutay Mooharan II:73 ו'אם ל'א תאבה האשה ל'לכת א'חריך Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "and if the woman does not wish to follow you" (ו׳אם ל׳א תאבה האשה ל׳לכת א׳חריך) [Deuteronomy 21:11] spell אלול (Elul). The soul's potential reluctance to return to G-d is encoded in the month designated for that very return. [Cross-reference from Section 5.] Likutay Mooharan II:87 ו'אם מ'פאת פ'ניו י'מרט ר'אשו Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "and if from the front of his head hair is lost" (ו׳אם מ׳פאת פ׳ניו י׳מרט ר׳אשו) [Leviticus 13:41 — laws of leprosy/baldness] spell פורים (Purim). The festival of Purim is encoded in a verse about baldness — the hidden becoming revealed, the concealed face of G-d. [Purim is the festival of hester panim — the hidden face of G-d. The verse about a bald/exposed forehead concealing Purim within its letters is a beautiful paradox: the exposed and the hidden are the same letters.] Chayay Mooharan §90 ו'דע מ'ה ש'תשיב ל'אפיקורס Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "know what to answer a heretic" (ו׳דע מ׳ה ש׳תשיב ל׳אפיקורס) [Mishnah, Avos 2:14] spell שלום (shalom, "peace"). The proper response to heresy is — peace: not confrontation, but the wholeness and completeness that leaves no room for doubt. Likutay Mooharan 62:2 וָהֵב Gematria Vahev (וָהֵב — the place-name in Numbers 21:14, associated with the giving of Torah; see Rashi) = gematria of אהבה (ahavah, "love"). [Cross-reference from Section 1.] Marginal gloss to Likutay Mooharan 56 ו'היה מ'עשה ה'צדקה ש'לום Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And the work of righteousness shall be peace" (ו׳היה מ׳עשה ה׳צדקה ש׳לום) [Isaiah 32:17] spell משהו (mashehu, "something / a tiny amount"). The work of charity that brings peace is sometimes just a tiny something — a small act that transforms everything. [Mashehu — "something," a halachic term for a minimal measure — teaches that even the smallest act of tzedakah creates peace. Compare also: chametz and matzah differ only by a mashehu (see Section 8, Ches).] Likutay Mooharan 57:8 ו'המשכילים י'זהירו כ'זוהר ה'רקיע Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And the wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament" (ו׳המשכילים י׳זהירו כ׳זוהר ה׳רקיע) [Daniel 12:3] spell the Divine Name יוה"ך (Yud-Vov-Heh-Chaf). [The verse about the radiance of the spiritually wise contains a Divine Name in its first letters — the wise shine because they carry the Name of G-d within them.] Chayay Mooharan §195 והנה קָמָה Notarikon "And behold, it arose" (והנה קָמָה) [Genesis 37:7 — Yosef's dream of the sheaves] — the word קמה (kamah = 145) embodies the aspect of the Divine Name קמ"ה [= 145]. [Kamah = Kuf-Mem-Heh = 100+40+5 = 145. Yosef's sheaf that arose carries within it a Divine Name of arising and elevation. The dream of redemption is numerically embedded in the divine.] Likutay Mooharan 234 ו'השלך ל'פני פ'רעה י'הי ל'תנין Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "Cast it before Pharaoh — let it become a serpent" (ו׳השלך ל׳פני פ׳רעה י׳הי ל׳תנין) [Exodus 7:9] spell ויפלל (vayipalel, "and he prayed"). [Cross-reference: Vayipalel → same verse, listed below.] Likutay Mooharan II:8; 3 ו'וי א'בדה נ'פש Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "Woe — the soul is lost!" (ו׳וי א׳בדה נ׳פש) spell אָוֶן (aven, "iniquity"). [Cross-reference from Section 1.] Likutay Mooharan 31:9 ו'יאמר י'י ס'לחתי כ'דבריך Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And Hashem said: I have forgiven, as you have spoken" (ו׳יאמר י׳י ס׳לחתי כ׳דבריך) [Numbers 14:20 — G-d's response to Moshe's intercession for Israel] spell כוסי (kosi, "my cup"). Divine forgiveness fills the cup to overflowing. Likutay Mooharan 177; Chayay Mooharan §117 ויבן / ו'תקעתיו י'תד ב'מקום נ'אמן Roshay Saveivos Vayiven (ויבן, "and he built") — its letters are the first letters of ו׳תקעתיו י׳תד ב׳מקום נ׳אמן: "I will drive him as a peg in a sure place" [Isaiah 22:23]. Building is the act of driving the divine peg into a faithful foundation. [Cross-reference: that verse → Vayiven, listed below.] Likutay Mooharan II:1; 2 ו'יעקב נ'סע ס'כותה ו'יבן Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And Yaakov journeyed to Sukkos and built" (ו׳יעקב נ׳סע ס׳כותה ו׳יבן) [Genesis 33:17] spell סיון (Sivan) — the Hebrew month of Sivan, the month of the giving of the Torah. [Noted in the source as observed by the commentator from Tcherin (Meimay HaNachal). Yaakov's journey to Sukkos — where he built — encodes the month of Torah-giving in its first letters. The builder and the month of building are one.] Likutay Mooharan 266, in Meimay HaNachal ויפל / ויפלל Roshay Saveivos Vayipol (ויפל, "and he fell") — first letters of פ׳ה ל׳הם ו׳לא י׳דברו: "a mouth they have but cannot speak" [Psalms 115:5 — said of idols]. Falling is the condition of the mouth that cannot speak holy words. Vayipalel (ויפלל, "and he prayed") — first letters of ו׳השלך ל׳פני פ׳רעה י׳הי ל׳תנין: "Cast it before Pharaoh — let it become a serpent" [Exodus 7:9]. Prayer is the act of casting the holy staff before the powers of the world and watching it become a serpent that swallows all opposition. [Vayipol (falling) and vayipalel (praying) share the same root פ-ל-ל. Falling and praying are spiritually linked — the fall precedes the prayer, and the prayer transforms the fall. The idols have mouths but cannot speak; prayer restores the holy mouth.] Likutay Mooharan 19:4; II:8; 3 ו'יצא י'צחק ל'שוח ב'שדה Roshay Saveivos (×2) The first letters of "And Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field" (ו׳יצא י׳צחק ל׳שוח ב׳שדה) [Genesis 24:63] yield two readings: (1) יבול (yevul, "produce / yield of the earth") — what grows from the earth of hisbodidus (secluded meditation); (2) יוֹבל (yovel, "Jubilee year") — the fiftieth year of total release and return. [The same verse yields both yevul (earthly produce) and yovel (Jubilee) — for Yitzchak's meditation in the field is the prototype of hisbodidus, the personal prayer-meditation that Rebbe Nachman placed at the center of his path. From that field of prayer grows both the immediate produce of the soul and the ultimate liberation of the Jubilee.] Likutay Mooharan II:11; II:1; 14 ו'ירא י'י כ'י ס'ר ל'ראות Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And Hashem saw that he turned to see" (ו׳ירא י׳י כ׳י ס׳ר ל׳ראות) [Exodus 3:4 — at the Burning Bush, the moment G-d called to Moshe] spell כסליו (Kislev) — the Hebrew month of Kislev, the month of Chanukah. [The moment of divine revelation at the Burning Bush — G-d seeing that Moshe "turned aside to see" — contains within its first letters the month of Chanukah, the festival of divine light. The one who turns to see the hidden light becomes the vessel of Chanukah.] Likutay Mooharan II:7; 11 וישכב Tziroof Vayishkav (וישכב, "and he lay down") — its letters contain יש כ"ב (yesh kaf-beis, "there are 22") — the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are present within the act of lying down / rest. [Sleep and rest contain within them the 22 letters of Torah — for during sleep the soul ascends and receives new Torah insights, which are then "downloaded" into the letters upon waking.] Likutay Mooharan II:79; Sichos HaRan 86 ו'ישם ל'ך ש'לום Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And He shall set peace for you" (ו׳ישם ל׳ך ש׳לום) [Numbers 6:26 — the Priestly Blessing] spell שלו (shalev, "tranquil / at peace"). The blessing of peace already contains its own fulfillment in its first letters. Chayay Mooharan §78; Likutay Mooharan 46 ו'כל ב'ניך ל'מודי י'י Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And all your children shall be taught of Hashem" (ו׳כל ב׳ניך ל׳מודי י׳י) [Isaiah 54:13] spell יוֹבל (yovel, "Jubilee"). When all children are taught the ways of G-d, that itself is the Jubilee — total liberation. Likutay Mooharan II:7; 10 ו'כתותי מ'פניו צ'ריו Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "I will crush his enemies before him" (ו׳כתותי מ׳פניו צ׳ריו) [Psalms 89:24] spell צום (tzom, "fast"). Fasting crushes the enemies of the soul. Likutay Mooharan 57:6 ו'מגיד ל'אדם מ'ה ש'יחו Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "He declares to man what is his conversation / meditation" (ו׳מגיד ל׳אדם מ׳ה ש׳יחו) [Amos 4:13] spell שלום (shalom, "peace"). G-d's declaration of what lies in man's innermost speech is itself peace. Likutay Mooharan 239 ו'נח מ'צא ח'ן ב'עיני י'י Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem" (ו׳נח מ׳צא ח׳ן ב׳עיני י׳י) [Genesis 6:8] spell מביחו (meviacho — a word whose meaning is developed in the source). [The source in Chayay Mooharan §463 explains the significance of this word in the context of Noach's finding grace. Noach, by finding divine favor, unlocked a particular spiritual channel.] Chayay Mooharan §463 ו'נשאר ג'ם ה'וא ל'אלקינו Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "and the remnant, even He, belongs to our G-d" [Obadiah 1:17] spell גולה (golah, "exile"). [Cross-reference from Section 3.] Likutay Mooharan II:76 ו'צבא ה'שמים ל'ך מ'שתחוים Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "and the host of heaven bows down to You" (ו׳צבא ה׳שמים ל׳ך מ׳שתחוים) [Nehemiah 9:6] spell מלוה (milveh, "a loan"). The entire host of heaven bows in a posture of "lending" — giving of itself to the lower world. Likutay Mooharan II:1; 13 ורב חסד × 5 Gematria The phrase "and abundant in lovingkindness" (ורב חסד) [Exodus 34:6] five times = gematria of אלף תיו ה׳ — the letters of אתה ("You") spelled out as Alef-Tav-Heh. [Cross-reference from Section 1.] Chayay Mooharan §136 ורבים מישנ'י אדמ'ת עפ'ר יקיצ'ו Sofay Saveivos The final letters of "And many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken" (ורבים מישני אדמת עפר יקיצו) [Daniel 12:2 — the great prophecy of resurrection] spell יתרו (Yisro — the name of Moshe's father-in-law, the convert who became a pillar of Israel). The resurrection of the dead contains within its final letters the name of the great convert. [Yisro's name hidden in the final letters of the resurrection verse teaches that converts have a special share in the World to Come — and that the ingathering of exiles and the resurrection are connected to the spiritual contribution of those who choose to join Israel.] Likutay Mooharan II:72 ורידין Multiple Veridin (ורידין, "veins") yields two connections: (1) Gematria Veridin = gematria of מנצפ"ך (Mem-Nun-Tzadi-Peh-Chaf — the five final forms of Hebrew letters, used in kabbalistic calculations); (2) Tziroof Veridin contains the letters of ריו דין (Reish-Yud-Vov Din = 216 = the gematria-form of the letter Alef, associated with din / judgment). [The veins of the body carry blood and are numerically connected to the five final letters and to the hidden judgment encoded in the form of the Alef (216). The body's vascular system is a map of divine judgment flowing through creation.] Likutay Mooharan 37:6 ורפא ירפא Gematria "He shall surely heal" (ורפא ירפא) [Exodus 21:19 — the Torah's authorization for physicians to heal] — together with the two words, their gematria equals פדיון נפש (pidyon nefesh, "redemption of the soul"). Healing of the body is the redemption of the soul. Likutay Mooharan II:3 ו'תורתך ל'א ש'כחתי Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "and Your Torah I have not forgotten" (ו׳תורתך ל׳א ש׳כחתי) [Psalms 119:109] spell שלו (shalev, "tranquil / at peace"). Not forgetting Torah is itself peace. Likutay Mooharan 46 ו'תען ל'הם מ'רים ש'ירו Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "And Miriam answered them: Sing!" (ו׳תען ל׳הם מ׳רים ש׳ירו) [Exodus 15:21 — Miriam's song at the Sea] spell שלום (shalom, "peace"). Miriam's call to song is encoded as peace — for song at the sea is the ultimate peace after ultimate redemption. Likutay Mooharan 27:6 ו'תקעתיו י'תד ב'מקום נ'אמן Roshay Saveivos The first letters of "I will drive him as a peg in a sure place" (ו׳תקעתיו י׳תד ב׳מקום נ׳אמן) [Isaiah 22:23] spell ויבן (vayiven, "and he built"). [Cross-reference from Vayiven above.] Likutay Mooharan II:1; 2 [Translator's Summary — Section 6, Vov — 40 source entries fully covered] The letter Vov, the letter of connection, yields an extraordinarily rich set of entries — the largest section yet after Alef. Standout teachings: the final letters of the opening verse of Exodus spelling Tehillim (exile contains the book of redemption within it); Purim encoded in a verse about baldness; the month of Sivan (Torah-giving) in Yaakov's journey to Sukkos; Chanukah in the verse of the Burning Bush; and the same verse about Yitzchak meditating in the field yielding both yevul (produce) and yovel (Jubilee). Three separate verses encode the word shalom (peace) — befitting the letter whose very function is to join and connect.