Beyth: YAHWEH's Dwelling Place Below

The letter Beyth, from the word "house," refers to YAHWEH's house: "My house will be called a House of Prayer for all peoples." The Midrash states that the Divine motivation for creation was that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, desired a dwelling place in lower reality. The fulfillment of this desire begins with the creation of man, a Divine soul enclothed in a physical body, and proceeds with the multiplication of man, to "conquer" the whole world and make it the kingdom of YAHWEH.

The Torah precedes the detailed description of the Tabernacle and its vessels with the statement of its ultimate purpose: "They shall build me a Temple and I will dwell in them." Not "in it," the Sages explain, but "in them"--in each and every Jew. "Dwelling in them" is, in essence, the revelation of Divinity in the people of Israel, ever present but often "shadowed," as in the time of exile and destruction of the Temple. The innate sanctity of the people of Israel, the "sanctuary of YAHWEH," when revealed and linked to that of the land of Israel, causes the Holy Land to expand and eventually encompass all the earth (lower reality): "the land of Israel will in the future spread out to all the lands of the earth."

Beyth is numerically equal to the word "ta'awah," which means "desire" or "passion." In general, "ta'awah" connotes a negative human property. However, in several places "ta'awah" denotes the positive passion of the Tsadik, the righteous man. One passage in Proverbs states: "He will fulfill the passion of the Tsadik," and a second says: "the passions of Tsadikim are only good." The "ta'awah" of YAHWEH, the "Tsadik of the world," is altogether above reason and logic. At this level one cannot ask "why." "About passion, there can be no question." As YAHWEH is the essence of good so His passion is "only good."

"With whom did the Holy One, Blessed be He, take counsel whether or not to create the world? With the souls of the tsadikim." The "souls of the tsadikim" refers to all Jewish souls, as is said: "All your people are tsadikim." YAHWEH's connotation as the "Tsadik of the world" refers to the absolute origin and unity of the Hebrew soul in His very Essence. When the soul descends to be enclothed in the finite consciousness and experience of a seemingly mundane body, its task is to become the tsadik below in true emulation of its Source, the "Tsadik Above." This is accomplished through the refinement and purification of passion, ta'awah, to become "only good."

The "Tsadik Above" dwells in the House built for Him by the tsadik below. Here, the deepest passion of YAHWEH reaches fulfillment. The large Beyth, the first letter of the Torah and the beginning of Creation, expresses this ultimate purpose, as is said: "The final deed arose first in thought." In the first word of the Torah, Bereshit, the three "servant" letters--the prefix Beyth" and the two suffix letters, Yad and Tav - spell bayth, "house" (equivalent to the full spelling of the letter Beyth). The root of "bereshit," Reysh, means "head." Thus the most "natural" permutation of bereshit reads: Reysh Bayth, "the head of the house." One permutation of the letters rosh isosher, "happiness." When the tsadik draws YAHWEH, the "Head," into His House, it becomes a house of true and eternal happiness.

The drawing down of the "Head" to dwell in His "House" below, in true happiness, is the secret of berakah, "blessing," which begins with the letter Beyth. The Sages teach that the "Big Beyth" begins the Creation, and the Torah as a whole, with the power of blessing. YAHWEH blesses His creation, which He creates with the attribute of lovingkindness, the attribute of Abraham, as I will explain in the letter Hey. Abraham, the first Hebrew soul, is subsequently entrusted with the Divine power of blessing, the "Big Beyth" of Creation, as is said: "And you shall be [the one who bestows] blessing." Afterwards, at the time of his circumcision, he was given the "Small Hey" of Creation, the power to draw down and manifest the Divine blessing of happiness in the smallest detail of reality.

The Priestly Blessing is composed of three verses. The number of words progress in the order 3, 5, 7, with equal differences of two, Beyth. The number of letters progress in the order: 15, 20, 25, with equal differences of five, Hey. Words represent full, or large consciousness, whereas letters represent particular, or small consciousness. The power to bless "fullness" is the power of the Beyth, as is said: "And full with the blessing of YAHWEH." The power to draw down the blessing to the smallest detail of reality is that of Hey.

This service of Abraham, and all Hebrews after him, leads to the fulfillment of the ultimate intention of Creation, the realization of Yisrael's power of blessing, that the domain of the King (the "Head of the House") extend to encompass all reality and, thereby, bestow true happiness to all.

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FORM

Three connected Waw's with an opening on the left, the "northern side."

Worlds:

• "Evil begins from the north."
• Man's ability to choose between good and evil.
• The animal soul's three positive character traits and the evil inclination. The open north side symbolizes the attribute of courage.

Souls:

• The open north side symbolizes the "fear of heaven."
• "All is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven."
• The Mashiach will close the open side--The integration of free will and Omniscience.
• Speaking Torah--revealing the innate spark of Mashiach.

Divinity:

• Closed Sides--Divine revelation--"You"--in mind, heart, and action.
• Open Side--Divine concealment--"He"--in the hidden heart--the darkness above the light.

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NAME

House

Worlds:

• A physical house.
• One's metaphysical "house"--his relationship to reality.
• The whole of Creation is a "house" in relationship to YAHWEH.
• Superconscious pleasure--"A man without a house is not a man."

Souls:

• The feminine aspect of the soul represented by the house.
• "A man's house is his wife."
• The soul as a house for YAHWEH--the daughter of the priest.
• The power of pregnancy

Divinity:

• YAHWEH's desire to make for Himself a dwelling place in lower reality.
• The House of Immanence and the House of Transcendence.

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NUMBER

Two

Worlds:

• The beginning of manifest plurality.
• The dualistic nature of Creation.
• Hierarchic complexity.

Souls:

• The soul is described as "the second to the King."
• Joseph: the Prism effect--the revelation of mind.
• Mordechai: the Time effect--the revelation of heart.

Divinity:

• Divine power of Self to contain two opposites.
• Concealment of Divine essence and revelation of His light.
• Concealment and revelation of light to lower and higher states of consciousness.
• The Torah begins with a large Beyth.
• The Name Hawayah and the Name Elokim.
• "The two companions that never separate."