Joseph Yosef

by Hebrewletters SL

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Price

$500

Dimensions

7.000 x 5.000 inches

Title

Joseph Yosef

Artist

Hebrewletters SL

Medium

Painting - Watercolor On Watercolor Paper

Description

JOSEPH is an Anglicized version of the Hebrew YOSEF, meaning HE WILL INCREASE, ADD (Kolatch, Alfred J. 1984. The Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names Middle Village: Jonathan David. 126).
JOSEPH is from the Hebrew root YASAF, Yud Samech Pey which means ADD, INCREASE, AUGMENT, DO AGAIN, REPEAT, CONTINUE, SUPPLEMENT (Alcalay, R. The Complete Hebrew English Dictionary. Jerusalem: Massada. 939).

Hebrew Bible name - Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob . When Rachel gave birth to Joseph after waiting many years she named him and said ‘May the Lord add to me another son’ (Genesis 30:22-24).
Joseph was a brother of Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naftali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin and daughter Dinah; father of Ephraim Manasseh; grandfather of Amihud and Pedahzur and great-grandfather of Elishama and Gamaliel (Numbers 1:10); Genesis 35:23-26; Genesis 25:26-34).


Talmud - Joseph b. Chiya [Hiyya] was a student of R. Judah b. Ezekiel, a colleague of Rabba b. Nachmani. His disciples were Raba and Abaye, R. Adda b. Matena and others (Eiruvin 54a; Berachot 38a; Pesachim 13a, 28a). 13a, 28a).
R. Abin the Levite said: Whoever tries to force his [good] fortune will be dogged by [ill] fortune, and whoever forgoes his [good] fortune will postpone his [ill] fortune. This we can illustrate from the case of Rabbah and R. Joseph. For R. Joseph was Sinai’[ because he possessed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the traditions]. ]and Rabbah was ‘an uprooter of mountains. The time came when they were required [to be head of the Academy]. They [the collegiates] sent there [to Palestine] to ask, As between Sinai and an uprooter of mountains, which should have the preference? They sent answer: Sinai, because all require the owner of wheat.9 Nevertheless, R. Joseph would not accept the post, because the astrologers had told him that he would be head for only two years. Rabbah thereupon remained head for twenty-two years, and R. Joseph after him for two years and a half.During all the time that Rabbah was head, R. Joseph did not so much as summon a cupper to come to his house. (Berachot 64a).
R. Joseph said: If one sees a goat in a dream, he will have a blessed year; if several goats, several blessed years, as it says: And there will be goat's milk enough for thy food (Proverbs > 27:27; Berachot 57a

R. Joseph fell ill and forgot his learning; but Abaye restored it to him. Hence it is frequently stated that R. Joseph said, ‘I have not heard this law,’ and Abaye reminded him, ‘You yourself did teach it to us and did deduce it from this particular Baraitha.’Nedarim 41a).
When Raba was about to take leave of R. Joseph he would go backwards, so that his feet were bruised and the threshold of the house of R. Joseph was stained with blood. [R. Joseph being blind would not have noticed this reverent conduct of his pupil. On learning it he pronounced a prayerful hope, which was fulfilled. For Raba did become head of the Academies of both Sura and Pumbeditha]. Yoma 53a - 53b).
R. Joseph recited: Read not ‘mikdashi’ but ‘mekuddashay’ [my sanctified ones]: [in Ezekiel 9:6], this refers to the people who fulfilled the Torah from aleph to tav (Shabbat 55a).


The Hebrew Letters featured in this painting are Yud Vav Samech Pey sofit. Taken together, and reading from right to left, they spell JOSEPH.

Each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet has a special meaning and a story to tell. Here a few brief ones about the letters on this painting.





YUD is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, has a numerical value of 10, means HAND, makes a sound like the Y in Year and is a simple point. It is the smallest letter in the alphabet and yet is frequently associated with the very large concept of EMANATION, the highest level in the Four World paradigm of Kabbalah.

3 mothers - Aleph Mem Shin,
7 doubles - Beit Gimel Dalet Caf Pey Resh Tav
and 12 elementals - Hey Vav Zayin Chet Zayin Tet Zayin Yud Zayin Lamed Nun Samech Ayin Tsade Kuf.
Shin is one of the mothers.


Menachot 29b teaches that the WORLDTO COME was created by use of the letter Yud

Yud has the important job of being the first letter of the Tetragrammaton - Yud Hey Vav Hey. Zohar states that, in this context, the Yud represents the head of all creatures (Zohar. 1984 Tr. Harry Sperling et al. New York: Soncino. 3:130).

[The writing of the letters] must be ‘kethibah tammah’ [perfect writing]; thus one must not write the… Vav as a Yud or the Yud as a Vav Shabbat 103b).

[Zayyin Chet Tet Yud 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).


In the Sephrotic tree the Yud symbolizes WISDOM - the stage of concealment which precedes its development into a state of expansion in UNDERSTANDING. It is then contained and represented in the letter Hey (Zalman, Shneur. 1981. "Igeret Hateshuvah." Likkutei Amarim - Tanya. Brooklyn: Kihot. 359).

Menachot 29b teaches that the WORLD TO COME was created by use of the letter Yud.


Generally speaking, the Yud is associated with some form of spirituality. In the four world paradigm the Yud corresponds with the level of Atzilut - Emanation; the first Hey with Beriyah, Creation, the Vav with Yetzirah - Formation and the second Hey with the world of Asiyah, Action.

When meditating with the YUD, the YUD presents itself right in front of me. It then enters into me right away filling me with a most peaceful feeling. I like to sit with this feeling as long as I can. When I think of the YUD I thing of sitting still.





VAV is the 6th letter, has a numerical value of 6, is constructed of a single vertical line, means HOOK and makes a sound like the V in Victory. When used as a vowel, Vav can sound like a long `o’ or a long `u.’ Translated it means AND. It is the GREAT CONNECTOR. Vav appears in the Four Letter name of God - Yud Hey Vav Hey.
“VAV is the sound if beiing joined. And VAV is a the sound of and. One and another” (Kushner, Lawrence. 1990. The Book of Letters: Sefer Otiyot.Woodstock: Jewish Lights Publishing. 35).

The 6 Sephirot represented by the Vav are - Chesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod (Kaplan, Aryeh. 1979. Tr. The Bahir. York Beach: Samuel Weiser. 146-172).

What does the letter VAV resemble? It is alluded to in the verse “He spreads out light like a garment” (Psalms 104:5). For VAV is nothing other than six directions [ east, west, north south, up and down]? (Kaplan, Aryeh. 1979. Tr. The Bahir. York Beach: Samuel Weiser. 30).

The first word in Torah is Bereshit which t means IN A BEGINNING. If you divide Bereshit into bara and sheet it means HE CREATED SIX [sheet is 6 in Aramaic] Six what? The 6 days in which creation was completed? (Zohar . 1984 Tr. Harry Sperling et al. New York: Soncino. 1:3b. 13).

When used as a vowel, Vav can sound like a long `o’ or a long `u.’ Translated it means AND. It is the GREAT CONNECTOR. Vav appears in the Four Letter name of God - Yud Hey Vav Hey
“VAV is the sound if beiing joined. And VAV is a the sound of and. One and another” (Kushner, Lawrence. 1990. The Book of Letters: Sefer Otiyot.Woodstock: Jewish Lights Publishing. 35).

In meditation, the Vav is a place where you can leave your body in order to descend to a deeper place.



SAMECH is the 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, has a numerical value of 60, makes a sound like the S in Sun, is shaped like a circle and means SUPPORT, TO TRUST, TO RELY ON.

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 Zayin Tet Zayin Yud Zayin Lamed Nun Samech Ayin Tsade Kuf.
Samech is one of the elementals.

God made the Samech king over sleep
God formed Sagittarius in the Universe
Kislev in the year
And Kivah in the Soul
(Kushner, Lawrence. 1990. The Book of Letters: Sefer Otiyot. Woodstock: Jewish Lights Publishing. 217).

Tradition tells us that the engraving of the letters of the 10 commandments went all the way through the tablets – from the front side to the back side. Therefore the Samech, since it is completely closed, should have fallen out. Because it did not, R. Hisda said that it stood there be means of a miracle (Shabbat 104a).

‘U-kethabtam:’ It must be ‘kethibah tammah’ [perfect writing]; thus one must not write the Mem as a Samech or the Samech as a Mem, closed [letters] open or open letters closed (Shabbat 103b).

[In the alphabet the letter Samech is followed by the Ayin]. Samech Ayin [means] support [Semach] the poor [aniyim] (Shabbat 104a).

Meditating with the Samech has been an interesting experience for me. I had the notion that the Samech would roll around and generally have a good time. I had been repeatedly surprised to find that the Samech, for me, is very calm. My Samech definitely does not roll around, at least not yet. But it does lie down and I am able to sit in it as though it were an inner tube and float on the ocean. It also becomes a swing and we sway back and forth. Let me know of your experience with the Samech.






PEY is the 17th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, has a numerical value of 80, makes a sound either like the P in Peace or the F in Food, means MOUTH and is constructed of a Caf with a Yud situated at the top and rotated inward.

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 Zayin Tet Zayin Yud Zayin Lamed Nun Samech Ayin Tsade Kuf.
Pey is one of the doubles.

God made the Pey King over Dominance.
And he formed with them
Mercury in the Universe
Thursday in the Year
And the left ear in the Soul (Kushner, Lawrence. 1990. The Book of Letters: Sefer Otiyot. Woodstock: Jewish Lights Publishing. 176).

If one looks carefully at the Pey one can see that there is a Beit inside, which makes up the empty space within it. The Beit is the first letter of the word Bereshit, IN A BEGINNING, which is the first word of Torah. God opened up God’s MOUTH and out came the Beit, BEGINNING, CREATION.

Pey 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 (Shabbat 4a).

I [PEY] signify redemption and deliverance (Zohar 1984. Tr. Harry Sperling et al. New York: Soncino. 1:2b).

The bent Pey and the straight Pey [intimate] an open mouth Pey, a closed mouth. The medial (bent) Pey is almost closed (Shabbat 104a). “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

[The writing of the letters] must be ‘kethibah tammah’ [perfect writing]; thus one must not write the… Tet as a Pey or the Pey as a Tet Shabbat 103b).

Meditating in the Beit, which is inside the Pey, is like being in the vortex of creation. “God opened up God’s MOUTH [Pey] and out came the Beit,” BEGINNING, CREATION. I feel in meditation that I am in the primordial mix. It is a feeling of being one with everything and one with a nothingness at the same time. Ain Sof. There is power here.

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August 20th, 2018

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