The next Nekuda is the Shuruk. The Shuruk has the sound of "oo," like Shuruk aleph, "oo," Shuruk beis, "boo," Shuruk gimmel, "goo." The Shuruk is the Eved, is the servant of the Melupam, which is the Melech, the King.
The graphic design of the Shuruk is three dots, starting from the left, going down to the right. However, it is different than the Segol that has three dots like a triangle, one dot on the right, one dot on the left, and one dot in the center. Rather, the Shuruk has three dots at an angle, and this represents a cluster of grapes, but an unripe cluster of grapes, in contrast to the Segol, that is a ripe cluster of grapes.
What is the meaning of Shuruk? The word “Shuruk” is found in the Torah, in the Book of Genesis, in the portion of Vayechi, chapter 49, verse 11. And over there it says “VeLasirekah.” “VeLasirekah” means “and a single vine,” but a vine that has grapes that are yet undeveloped and unripe. And the concept of this vine, or this cluster, represents a person that continues to go down and down and down.
It's a slippery slope, one who distances himself from G-d, who goes further away from Hashem until he hits rock bottom. And when he hits rock bottom, he acknowledges that he truly has no power. He acknowledges his insignificance. He acknowledges that without G-d he is powerless. And now he begins to walk back up the ladder of life once again to reach the Melupam, to become one with G-d.
And this concept is also expressed in the Book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah also brings down this concept of the Shuruk. In Jeremiah II, chapter 2, verse 21, it says “Va’anochi netaticha soreik,” “and I will-” or “and I have planted you from a choice vine.” And it goes on to say, “kulah zera emes,” “entirely a faithful seed.” In other words, G-d compares the Jewish people to a seed in which he plants his choice vine.
And here too, we have the concept: On one hand, the person is going down and down. However, G-d says, even when you find yourself in your lowest place in the world, in the darkest, coldest place in life, you should know “Va’anochi netaticha,” I have planted you- the “I,” the essence of G-d is there.
I am together with you in your sorrow. I am together with you in your pain. I am together with you in your hardship. And the fact is, you should know you are zera emes- you are a seed of truth. “Emes” can mean “faithful” and also means “truth.”
What is truth, Emes? Something which is true is true in the beginning, the middle and the end. That's why the word “Emes” is Aleph, Mem, Tav. Aleph is the first letter of the Aleph Beis, and Mem is the middle, and Tav is the final letter of the Aleph Beis. Something which is true has to be true in the beginning, in the middle and the end.
And therefore G-d says that even when you find yourself in your darkest place, even when you find yourself down in Egypt, down in Mitzrayim- Mitzrayim means, etymologically, limits and constraints. And Mitzrayim was called “Ervas HaAretz,” the most naked and promiscuous of all lands.
So even when you find yourself in such a low place, you should know that you are Emes. You are a seed of truth. And therefore, ultimately you are going to come back, for “Anochi,” “I,” says G-d, “the essence of G-d, I am there with you and I will schlep you out of this darkness.”
This is the concept, on Pesach, that we say that G-d killed the firstborn of Egypt and He saved the firstborn of the Jewish people. The firstborn is an allusion to one's intellect - Chochmah.
Chochmah is the first of the ten attributes. G-d tells us that He killed the firstborn of Egypt, that up until now, our intellect was totally enclosed and embedded within the desires and the temptation of the nakedness of the land. And our intellect was limited to the finite reality of the world, of money, of power, of making a living.
However, I killed the firstborn of Egypt and I saved the firstborn of Israel. I took you out of your limitation and I brought you to a bigger place and a better place that you realize that your intellect should be used to connect with G-d, to become closer with G-d, and to put your emphasis and your entire effort into understanding the greatness of G-d and the greatness of the Torah.
And this is the concept of the Shuruk, that even though you fall to the lowest level, you have the level of “Hod.” For the attribute of Shuruk is Hod. Hod means “acknowledgment.” You acknowledge that there's a power greater than yourself. You don't understand it yet. That's the idea of Hod.
“I don't really understand it, I can't internalize it, but I acknowledge that there's a higher reality than myself.” When a person comes to this realization, that's the first step to recovery, that's the first step to his path home, to his path to come back.
And this is also found in the Gematria. What is the Gematria of the Shuruk? The Gematria of the Shuruk is 30, for each dot, we explained, represents 10, similar to the letter Yud. So the Shuruk has three dots, alluding to the number 30.
What is the number 30? 30 has two concepts. On one hand we find that there are 30 blasts of the Shofar, “Shloshim kolos le’shofar.” On Rosh Hashana, we are obligated to blow the Shofar 30 blasts. We also find that kingship is acquired with 30 different levels or 30 different praises.
How do we understand these two concepts? As we said earlier, Shuruk represents a slippery slope. A person falls down. When he falls down, he acknowledges that he is helpless. He acknowledges that he has no power. He acknowledges that he's insignificant. And that brings him to Teshuvah, which is, the idea of blowing 30 Shofar blasts on Rosh Hashanah is to awaken a person to Teshuvah.
That's the main purpose of the Shofar: to awaken the soul of every Jew. And when a person is awakened with the 30 blasts of the Shofar, he now begins to walk up the ladder. He begins to walk up with the Shuruk, that is the Eved, the servant, to the Melupam. And then he becomes one with the King Himself, one with G-d Himself, which is the concept of Melupam, which is the level of intimacy with G-d.
They tell a story that after the Israeli army recaptured the Kotel; which is the holiest site in Jerusalem; the entire Temple Mount and the Kotel; the place where the Beis HaMikdash once stood and G-d willing, very soon we will see the rebuilding of the Third Holy Temple there. So when they received and they acquired this new place, all the soldiers went down to the Kotel and there were two friends from the same platoon. One was a Haredi, very religious, and the other was very secular, he was a Hiloni.
The Haredi goes over to the Wall and he puts his head to the Wall and begins to cry. And he's crying. He's so emotional, so happy to get back this holy place, the place where the Shechinah dwells. And then he looks and he sees the Hiloni friend who's a very secular person and doesn't really care about spirituality or Judaism.
He's also crying.
So the Haredi, the religious man, asks the Hiloni, “Why are you crying?” He says, “Look, I am a Haredi. I'm a religious person. I understand the value of this mountain. I understand the history behind this mountain. I understand that Adam was created from the earth on top of this mountain, and he brought a sacrifice on the mountain, and Noach brought a sacrifice on the mountain, and all the forefathers brought sacrifices on the mountain. And this was the place of the Holy Temple and the Mizbeach- the Altar. I understand the power, the holiness of spirituality behind it. So therefore, I'm crying. But you, you don't believe in all this stuff. Why are you crying?”
So the Hiloni says, “I'm crying because I'm not crying. I'm crying because I don't understand the value.” But really, he's crying because he has Hod. He has the acknowledgement that there's a power here greater than himself, though he doesn't understand it, though he cannot internalize it.
The pintele Yid, this G-dly spark that every Jew possesses. This spark of Emes that G-d says, “Anochi, I implanted this spark of Emes into every Jew.” That spark acknowledges the reality of G-d. And that's the level of the Shuruk, That even a person who's so far away is never lost. You can always return and come back home. That is the meaning of the Nekuda of the Shuruk.
____
There are more secrets and facets to the Hebrew Alphabet than just one video can cover.
As a carpenter employs tools to build a home, so G-d utilized the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, the alef-beis, to form heaven and earth. These letters are the metaphorical wood, stone and nails, corner posts and crossbeams of our earthly and spiritual existence. In "Letters of Light," Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin explores the essence of these holy letters, illustrating how they continue to be a source of creation, reflection, prayer and inspiration in our everyday lives. Each letter is examined in terms of its design, gematria (numerical value), and Hebrew meaning. Rabbi Raskin's insights are guided by the rich foundations of Chasidic philosophy, particularly by the illuminations of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe. The result is a unique and insightful exposition of how the twenty-two letters of the alef-beis can provide wisdom and guidance for every aspect of our lives.
CLICK HERE to pick up your own copy of "Letters of Light!"
You can also get a free chapter about the letter Gimmel by clicking on the image below:
The graphic design of the Shuruk is three dots, starting from the left, going down to the right. However, it is different than the Segol that has three dots like a triangle, one dot on the right, one dot on the left, and one dot in the center. Rather, the Shuruk has three dots at an angle, and this represents a cluster of grapes, but an unripe cluster of grapes, in contrast to the Segol, that is a ripe cluster of grapes.
What is the meaning of Shuruk? The word “Shuruk” is found in the Torah, in the Book of Genesis, in the portion of Vayechi, chapter 49, verse 11. And over there it says “VeLasirekah.” “VeLasirekah” means “and a single vine,” but a vine that has grapes that are yet undeveloped and unripe. And the concept of this vine, or this cluster, represents a person that continues to go down and down and down.
It's a slippery slope, one who distances himself from G-d, who goes further away from Hashem until he hits rock bottom. And when he hits rock bottom, he acknowledges that he truly has no power. He acknowledges his insignificance. He acknowledges that without G-d he is powerless. And now he begins to walk back up the ladder of life once again to reach the Melupam, to become one with G-d.
And this concept is also expressed in the Book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah also brings down this concept of the Shuruk. In Jeremiah II, chapter 2, verse 21, it says “Va’anochi netaticha soreik,” “and I will-” or “and I have planted you from a choice vine.” And it goes on to say, “kulah zera emes,” “entirely a faithful seed.” In other words, G-d compares the Jewish people to a seed in which he plants his choice vine.
And here too, we have the concept: On one hand, the person is going down and down. However, G-d says, even when you find yourself in your lowest place in the world, in the darkest, coldest place in life, you should know “Va’anochi netaticha,” I have planted you- the “I,” the essence of G-d is there.
I am together with you in your sorrow. I am together with you in your pain. I am together with you in your hardship. And the fact is, you should know you are zera emes- you are a seed of truth. “Emes” can mean “faithful” and also means “truth.”
What is truth, Emes? Something which is true is true in the beginning, the middle and the end. That's why the word “Emes” is Aleph, Mem, Tav. Aleph is the first letter of the Aleph Beis, and Mem is the middle, and Tav is the final letter of the Aleph Beis. Something which is true has to be true in the beginning, in the middle and the end.
And therefore G-d says that even when you find yourself in your darkest place, even when you find yourself down in Egypt, down in Mitzrayim- Mitzrayim means, etymologically, limits and constraints. And Mitzrayim was called “Ervas HaAretz,” the most naked and promiscuous of all lands.
So even when you find yourself in such a low place, you should know that you are Emes. You are a seed of truth. And therefore, ultimately you are going to come back, for “Anochi,” “I,” says G-d, “the essence of G-d, I am there with you and I will schlep you out of this darkness.”
This is the concept, on Pesach, that we say that G-d killed the firstborn of Egypt and He saved the firstborn of the Jewish people. The firstborn is an allusion to one's intellect - Chochmah.
Chochmah is the first of the ten attributes. G-d tells us that He killed the firstborn of Egypt, that up until now, our intellect was totally enclosed and embedded within the desires and the temptation of the nakedness of the land. And our intellect was limited to the finite reality of the world, of money, of power, of making a living.
However, I killed the firstborn of Egypt and I saved the firstborn of Israel. I took you out of your limitation and I brought you to a bigger place and a better place that you realize that your intellect should be used to connect with G-d, to become closer with G-d, and to put your emphasis and your entire effort into understanding the greatness of G-d and the greatness of the Torah.
And this is the concept of the Shuruk, that even though you fall to the lowest level, you have the level of “Hod.” For the attribute of Shuruk is Hod. Hod means “acknowledgment.” You acknowledge that there's a power greater than yourself. You don't understand it yet. That's the idea of Hod.
“I don't really understand it, I can't internalize it, but I acknowledge that there's a higher reality than myself.” When a person comes to this realization, that's the first step to recovery, that's the first step to his path home, to his path to come back.
And this is also found in the Gematria. What is the Gematria of the Shuruk? The Gematria of the Shuruk is 30, for each dot, we explained, represents 10, similar to the letter Yud. So the Shuruk has three dots, alluding to the number 30.
What is the number 30? 30 has two concepts. On one hand we find that there are 30 blasts of the Shofar, “Shloshim kolos le’shofar.” On Rosh Hashana, we are obligated to blow the Shofar 30 blasts. We also find that kingship is acquired with 30 different levels or 30 different praises.
How do we understand these two concepts? As we said earlier, Shuruk represents a slippery slope. A person falls down. When he falls down, he acknowledges that he is helpless. He acknowledges that he has no power. He acknowledges that he's insignificant. And that brings him to Teshuvah, which is, the idea of blowing 30 Shofar blasts on Rosh Hashanah is to awaken a person to Teshuvah.
That's the main purpose of the Shofar: to awaken the soul of every Jew. And when a person is awakened with the 30 blasts of the Shofar, he now begins to walk up the ladder. He begins to walk up with the Shuruk, that is the Eved, the servant, to the Melupam. And then he becomes one with the King Himself, one with G-d Himself, which is the concept of Melupam, which is the level of intimacy with G-d.
They tell a story that after the Israeli army recaptured the Kotel; which is the holiest site in Jerusalem; the entire Temple Mount and the Kotel; the place where the Beis HaMikdash once stood and G-d willing, very soon we will see the rebuilding of the Third Holy Temple there. So when they received and they acquired this new place, all the soldiers went down to the Kotel and there were two friends from the same platoon. One was a Haredi, very religious, and the other was very secular, he was a Hiloni.
The Haredi goes over to the Wall and he puts his head to the Wall and begins to cry. And he's crying. He's so emotional, so happy to get back this holy place, the place where the Shechinah dwells. And then he looks and he sees the Hiloni friend who's a very secular person and doesn't really care about spirituality or Judaism.
He's also crying.
So the Haredi, the religious man, asks the Hiloni, “Why are you crying?” He says, “Look, I am a Haredi. I'm a religious person. I understand the value of this mountain. I understand the history behind this mountain. I understand that Adam was created from the earth on top of this mountain, and he brought a sacrifice on the mountain, and Noach brought a sacrifice on the mountain, and all the forefathers brought sacrifices on the mountain. And this was the place of the Holy Temple and the Mizbeach- the Altar. I understand the power, the holiness of spirituality behind it. So therefore, I'm crying. But you, you don't believe in all this stuff. Why are you crying?”
So the Hiloni says, “I'm crying because I'm not crying. I'm crying because I don't understand the value.” But really, he's crying because he has Hod. He has the acknowledgement that there's a power here greater than himself, though he doesn't understand it, though he cannot internalize it.
The pintele Yid, this G-dly spark that every Jew possesses. This spark of Emes that G-d says, “Anochi, I implanted this spark of Emes into every Jew.” That spark acknowledges the reality of G-d. And that's the level of the Shuruk, That even a person who's so far away is never lost. You can always return and come back home. That is the meaning of the Nekuda of the Shuruk.
____
There are more secrets and facets to the Hebrew Alphabet than just one video can cover.
As a carpenter employs tools to build a home, so G-d utilized the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, the alef-beis, to form heaven and earth. These letters are the metaphorical wood, stone and nails, corner posts and crossbeams of our earthly and spiritual existence. In "Letters of Light," Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin explores the essence of these holy letters, illustrating how they continue to be a source of creation, reflection, prayer and inspiration in our everyday lives. Each letter is examined in terms of its design, gematria (numerical value), and Hebrew meaning. Rabbi Raskin's insights are guided by the rich foundations of Chasidic philosophy, particularly by the illuminations of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe. The result is a unique and insightful exposition of how the twenty-two letters of the alef-beis can provide wisdom and guidance for every aspect of our lives.
CLICK HERE to pick up your own copy of "Letters of Light!"
You can also get a free chapter about the letter Gimmel by clicking on the image below:
