October 16, 2018 · 00:04:28
Tehilim Perek 119: Letter Vav Hello everybody, I’m Rabbi Shaya Sussman, covering the entire TANACH one perek at a time. In today’s NachDaily we’ll discuss perek 119, concentrating on the letter Vav. The letter Vav means connection, joining, and union. The first time that it is used as the first letter of a word, and not just as a prefix, is in the description of the different parts of the Mishkan. The passuk in Shemos 26:37 says, “Vaveyhem zahav, the hooks shall be gold.” These hooks were used at the top of the pillars of the Mishkan as a way to join together and connect its different parts. The Zohar in Pekudey says that the hooks were in the shape of a Vav. The letter Vav is straight with its head bent, which actually makes it look like a hook! This is why the Vav is always referred to as the “os hachibur, letter of connection.” As a prefix in the beginning of a word, the Vav means “and,” as in the passuk, “es hashamayim V’es ha’arets, the heavens and the earth.” All of the 22 letters of the Aleph-Beis use the letter Vav in some form except for the letter yud. For example, an aleph is a combination of a Vav and two yuds. A chuf is comprised of three Vavs. A mem is made up of a chuf and Vav, and so on. [It should be noted that the reason why the yud is the exception to the rule is because the Vav is really just an expansion of the light which emanates from the yud. We’ll explain that more when we get to the letter yud.] Vav is the only letter that doubles to spell itself: Va