The 21st letter in the Aleph Beis is the letter Shin. The letter Shin sounds like “Sh.” And depending on the nekudah and the dot that we place under the Shin, it could be “sha,” or “sho,” or “shu,” et cetera, et cetera. The letter Shin has three lines. The three lines represent the concept of Kesser- the crown, the concept of Chabad- intellect, and the concept of Middos- emotions. The actual design of the Shin, the three lines, represent a crown, like a kesser or a tag on top of a letter. This concept can also be a subdivision of one of these three concepts.
In other words, the three lines of the Shin can represent the three lines of the Kesser. The kesser- crown- represents G-d's will and G-d's pleasure. And therefore, how does G-d bring down His will and pleasure into the world?
By the fact that the word Kesser equals 620. 620 alludes to the 613 Commandments and the seven laws of Noach. And therefore, when a person fulfills all of these laws, he fulfills G-d's will. And this brings about Divine pleasure. And similarly, by doing G-d's will, G-d brings pleasure and blessing to the world.
And the Kesser is divided up into three lines because the mitzvos are a combination of the right and the left, the right representing positive commandments, the left representing negative commandments. And then there are those mitzvos that come from the central line or the central column, which is from the column of mercy and tiferes.
Similarly, when it comes to wisdom, there are three levels of wisdom: to the right, to the left and to the center. The right would be Chochmah- intellect- which is a lightning bolt, an idea. The left would be Binah- understanding- to elaborate on that idea. And then the middle would be the concept of Daas, which is the activation and actualization of that idea.
And similarly with middos, emotions, you have the right and the left and the center. There are the emotions of the right, which are kindness and love; the emotions of the left, which are Gevurah- severity- criticism, awe and fear. And then the central column, which represents Tiferes, which is mercy and caring about others. So these are the three different lines of the letter Shin. It also alludes to the three Avos, the three Fathers, as we will soon discuss.
Now, in truth, there are four types of Shin. There is a three-pronged Shin and a four-pronged Shin. And then there is a Shin and a Sin. In other words, if you put the dot on the right side, it becomes Shin. If you put the dot on the left side, it becomes a Sin.
What's the difference?
So the Frierdiker Rebbe, when he was a child, wanted to ask his father, the Rebbe Rashab, “Why did G-d have to create two eyes? He only created one nose and one mouth, but why did he create two eyes?”
And the Rebbe Rashab said, “The right eye He created to look at another Jew, to look at another Jew with a right eye, to always see the good in another person. The left eye was created to look at sweets and candies.”
What does that mean?
So Chassidus explains that the right side is kindness, is expansiveness, and the left side is Gevurah, which is criticism and holding back- constraint.
And therefore we find that if you put the Shin in front of the word, you have the word “Sha’ar.” Sha’ar means a gate. A gate is something that is very big. There's an open gate. A car can go through the gate, a tank can go through the gate. The gate is very wide.
However, if you take the same three letters that spell that sha’ar, and now you switch the dot from the right side of the Shin to the left, you now have the Sin. It now spells out the word, “Se’ar.”
Se’ar are hairs, the hairs of one's head. The opening of the hair is very small, and while on one hand the hair is alive, on the other hand, you can cut the hair without any feeling, any pain. So the concept of the sa’ar, or se’ar is a Shin turned into a Sin. So the Shin is wide and expansive. The Sin represents constraints and limitations.
And that is why the Rebbe Rashab said that when you look at another Jew, a fellow Yid, a human being, you look with the right eye, you see the good in him, and you see what kind of potential that person has. You look at that person in an expansive way.
When you look at candies, things that you don't really need, you look with the left eye, in a small way. I don't need the candy. I'll have only one candy. It's not that important.
So that is the Shin and the Sin.
____
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:
In other words, the three lines of the Shin can represent the three lines of the Kesser. The kesser- crown- represents G-d's will and G-d's pleasure. And therefore, how does G-d bring down His will and pleasure into the world?
By the fact that the word Kesser equals 620. 620 alludes to the 613 Commandments and the seven laws of Noach. And therefore, when a person fulfills all of these laws, he fulfills G-d's will. And this brings about Divine pleasure. And similarly, by doing G-d's will, G-d brings pleasure and blessing to the world.
And the Kesser is divided up into three lines because the mitzvos are a combination of the right and the left, the right representing positive commandments, the left representing negative commandments. And then there are those mitzvos that come from the central line or the central column, which is from the column of mercy and tiferes.
Similarly, when it comes to wisdom, there are three levels of wisdom: to the right, to the left and to the center. The right would be Chochmah- intellect- which is a lightning bolt, an idea. The left would be Binah- understanding- to elaborate on that idea. And then the middle would be the concept of Daas, which is the activation and actualization of that idea.
And similarly with middos, emotions, you have the right and the left and the center. There are the emotions of the right, which are kindness and love; the emotions of the left, which are Gevurah- severity- criticism, awe and fear. And then the central column, which represents Tiferes, which is mercy and caring about others. So these are the three different lines of the letter Shin. It also alludes to the three Avos, the three Fathers, as we will soon discuss.
Now, in truth, there are four types of Shin. There is a three-pronged Shin and a four-pronged Shin. And then there is a Shin and a Sin. In other words, if you put the dot on the right side, it becomes Shin. If you put the dot on the left side, it becomes a Sin.
What's the difference?
So the Frierdiker Rebbe, when he was a child, wanted to ask his father, the Rebbe Rashab, “Why did G-d have to create two eyes? He only created one nose and one mouth, but why did he create two eyes?”
And the Rebbe Rashab said, “The right eye He created to look at another Jew, to look at another Jew with a right eye, to always see the good in another person. The left eye was created to look at sweets and candies.”
What does that mean?
So Chassidus explains that the right side is kindness, is expansiveness, and the left side is Gevurah, which is criticism and holding back- constraint.
And therefore we find that if you put the Shin in front of the word, you have the word “Sha’ar.” Sha’ar means a gate. A gate is something that is very big. There's an open gate. A car can go through the gate, a tank can go through the gate. The gate is very wide.
However, if you take the same three letters that spell that sha’ar, and now you switch the dot from the right side of the Shin to the left, you now have the Sin. It now spells out the word, “Se’ar.”
Se’ar are hairs, the hairs of one's head. The opening of the hair is very small, and while on one hand the hair is alive, on the other hand, you can cut the hair without any feeling, any pain. So the concept of the sa’ar, or se’ar is a Shin turned into a Sin. So the Shin is wide and expansive. The Sin represents constraints and limitations.
And that is why the Rebbe Rashab said that when you look at another Jew, a fellow Yid, a human being, you look with the right eye, you see the good in him, and you see what kind of potential that person has. You look at that person in an expansive way.
When you look at candies, things that you don't really need, you look with the left eye, in a small way. I don't need the candy. I'll have only one candy. It's not that important.
So that is the Shin and the Sin.
____
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:
