THE LETTERS OF THE HEBREW ALPHABET
The letters Aleph and Ayin do not have any particular sound, and only the accompanying punctuation mark determines their pronunciation.
The letters Bet, Chaf and Peh with a dot inside them are pronounced as “b,” “k,” and “p.” The absence of a dot changes their pronunciation to “v,” “ch” and “f.”
The letter Hey is not pronounced, but rather aspirated.
The shapes of the letters Mem, Nun, Tzadik, Peh, Chaf (pronounced MANTZEPACH) change when placed at the end of a word, as seen in the table of letters.
The shape, external form of letters: the protruding element of a letter indicates that the Light in this part of the letter is greater than in the other. The filling (Miluy) indicates the height of the degree. A punctuation mark (Nikud) indicates the origin of each part of the Partzuf: whether it came from the Upper Partzuf (and constitutes its part in the present one), from the lower Partzuf, or from itself.
The Kelim-Sefirot themselves are called “letters,” and their punctuation marks (Nekudot) indicate the Light that enters and exits them. The Light of Bina, ZA, and Malchut can enter the Kelim, but the Light of Keter or Hochma cannot. A dot above a letter (Holam) signifies the Lights Keter and Hochma, which never clothe the Kli, hence the location of the dot above the letter. (SOURCE)
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Letters are none other than desires, properties, and thoughts that, in man’s opinion, are suitable for the attainment of the spiritual, the Creator, of His Providence. Man skips from one thought to another: one moment he thinks that it is possible to attain the Upper Worlds with one property, next he believes he can enter the spiritual realms by mastering another property, then he begins to stubbornly observe all the Commandments and pray zealously, or disregards all the actions and plunges into contemplation and reading. Sometimes he craves only knowledge, and sometimes only faith, right down to fanaticism.
Just as there are two extremes in our world – knowledge and faith, in the spiritual world, as man now consciously ascends the spiritual ladder to the Creator, there is spiritual work in the attainment of knowledge and faith. Hence, Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag’s commentary on The Zohar is entitled The Sulam (The Ladder).
Each of the twenty-two Hebrew letters represents a certain property. At times it seems that the property of the letter Tav is suitable for the attainment of the spiritual; at times he believes that some other letter is more appropriate. This occurs because in the process of his spiritual ascent, man begins to increasingly understand the true Goal of creation and the Creator, which is exactly what is demanded of him.
Thus, he continues to sort through it all, until his search yields the truth: only with the help of the letter Bet, which stands at the beginning of the word Berachah (blessing) – contact with the Creator, – only with the help of this force can one achieve the goal.
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