The Hebrew letter featured in this work is the Caf

Variant spellings - KAF – CHOF – CAPH - KAPH.

CAF is the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of 20. When the Caf has a dot in it, Caf makes a sound like the K in Kitchen. Without the dot it makes a sound similar to that made by the letter Chet. Caf means PALM OF THE HAND, SPOON, CONTAINER. When functioning as a prefix CAF can mean AS, LIKE, WHEN, AT, ABOUT or ACCORDING TO. Caf stands for bent objects.

Biblical source Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms [caf] of my hands; thy walls are continually before me (Isaiah 49:16).

The Caf is one of 5 letters [ Caf Mem Nun Pey Tsade] that have 2 forms - the regular [bent] form used in the beginning and middle of a word and the FINAL FORM - SOFIT - used as the last letter of a word.

[The writing of the letters] must be kethibah tammah [perfect writing]; thus one must not write the… Beit as a Caf, or the Caf as a Beit (Shabbat 103b).

Gimmel Daleth, show kindness to the Poor [Gemol Dallim]. Why is the foot of the Gimmel stretched toward the Daleth? Because it is fitting for10 the benevolent to run after [seek out] the poor. And why is the roof11 of the Daleth stretched out toward the Gimmel ? Because he [the poor] must make himself available to him.12 And why is the face of the Daleth turned away from the Gimmel ? Because he must give him [help] in secret,13 lest he be ashamed of him. (Shabbat 104a ).

Zayyin Heth Teth Yod Kaf Lamed : [this sequence teaches,] and if thou doest thus, the Holy One, blessed be He, will sustain [Zan] thee, be gracious [Hen] unto thee, show goodness [Metiv] to thee, give thee a heritage [Yerushah], and bind a crown [ Keter ] on thee in the world to come (Shabbat 104a ).

O Lord of the universe, may it please Thee to begin through me the creation of the world, seeing that I [ Caf] am Thine own Kavod (honor) (Zohar. 1984. Tr. Harry Sperling et al. New York: Soncino. 1:6a).

Sefer Yetzirah. The Book of Creation. divides the Hebrew Letters into 3 categories: 3 mothers – Aleph Mem Shin , 7 doubles – Beit Gimel Dalet Caf Pey Resh Tav and 12 elementals – Hey Vav Zayin Chet Tet Yud Lamed Nun Samech Ayin Tsade Kuf.

According to Sefer Yetzirah, York Beach: Samuel Weiser. 5, 95, 159, 162, 174, 175)., God created the world by means of these letters. Caf is one of the Doubles. “Seven Doubles: BGD KPHRT, Their foundation is Wisdom, Wealth, Seed, Life, Dominance, Peace and Grace.” “Seven Doubles…their foundation is [that] He engraved them, He cared them, He permuted them, He weighed the, He transform them, and with them He formed seven planets in the Universe, Seven days in the Year, Seven gates in the Soul, male and female: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and the mouth.” And God “made the letter Caf king over LIFE.” (Kaplan, Aryeh. 1990. Tr. Sefer Yetzirah. The Book of Creation. York Beach: Samuel Weiser. 5, 95, 159, 162, 174, 175).

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This work is accompanied by the kabbalistic explanation printed above.

The original 5x7 watercolor painting of this image is available.

mat color:: magenta, amethyst

stock number:: ca4