Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter Equal in the Aleph

Jewish mystical tradition, particularly the Kabbalah, is all about unveiling those secrets. And one of the most fascinating places to look is in the SAFE1, a collection of commentaries on the Zohar itself.

Today, we're diving into Tikkunei Zohar 117, a short but potent passage. It asks a profound question: in what way are Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter – fundamental aspects of the divine – truly equal?

The answer, according to this text, lies in the Aleph (א). Now, the Aleph isn't just the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In Kabbalah, it represents the Keter, the highest Sefirah, the crown – the ultimate source of divine emanation. The text tells us that the moon once said, “It is impossible for two kings to use one crown" (BT Ḥullin 60b). Why? Because the Keter, the divine crown, is singular, unified. It is the source from which all else flows.

And that's why, on Shabbat (the Sabbath), Festivals, and New Moons (Rosh Chodesh), we say in the Musaf (additional) service, “A crown (keter) they shall give You, Y”Y ELQYNU, the angels amassed above…” It’s a recognition of God’s sovereignty, a humble offering of praise. The text here connects this ritual act directly to the concept of Keter, the divine crown. We are, in essence, acknowledging the oneness of God, the ultimate source of all things (Liturgical: from the ‘Additional Service’ – King/melekh and kingdom/malkhut (Sovereignty)).

But the passage doesn't stop there. It throws in an unexpected twist: "She is the precept of ‘the slaughter of animals, which is kasher/fit when performed by strangers/zarim [Var. women]’”. (BT Berakhot 31b and Zevaḥim 32a) What does this have to do with the divine and the letter Aleph?

Here, the text gets a little…metaphorical. It goes on to say that some people are compared to animals. Harsh. But the idea is that those who don’t strive in Torah, who aren't actively seeking connection with the divine, need to be offered as "sacrificial-offerings" through prayers. In other words, our prayers can elevate even those who seem furthest from spiritual awareness, offering them up to the blessed Holy One.

It’s a powerful, albeit somewhat unsettling, image. This isn't about literal sacrifice, of course. It's about the transformative power of prayer and the potential for redemption that exists within everyone.

So, what does it all mean? Perhaps the Tikkunei Zohar is telling us that true equality, represented by the Aleph and the Keter, lies in the potential for connection to the divine that exists within all things. Whether we're talking about the archetypal Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter, or the seemingly mundane act of offering prayers, the spark of the divine resides within, waiting to be ignited. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the most profound secret of all.

And in what are Father, Mother, Son and Daughter equal? In א❖Aleph, which is Higher Keter, about which the moon said:cxvBT Ḥullin 60b ‘It is impossible for two kings to use one crown’.

And because of that we say, on Sabbath and Festivals and New Moons: ‘A crown∞keter they shall give You, Y”Y ELQYNU, the angels amassed above...’cxviLiturgical: from the ‘Additional Service’ – King∞melekh and kingdom∞malkhut.

And furthermore: She is the precept of ‘the slaughter of animals, which is kasher∞fit when performed by strangers∞zarim [Var. women]’,cxviiSee BT Berakhot 31b and Zevaḥim 32a for there are people who are compared to animals, for of those who do not strive in Torah, one needs to make of them ‘sacrificial-offerings’, of prayers, that they be offered to the blessed Holy One.