A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L • M N • O • P • Q • R • S • T • U • V • W • X • Y • Z Hebrew: Aleph • Beit • Geemel • Dalet • Hay • Vahv • Zaiyin • Chait • Tait Yoad • Kaf • Lahmed • Mame • Nune • Sahmek • Aiyin • Pay Tzahday • Qoaf • Raysh • S(h)een • Tahv Qoaf Spelling: qoaf vahv pay Qoaf’s shape is said to be formed of a raysh (on the right) with its left bent inward, joined with a zaiyin (on the left). This would make qoaf the only letter that includes a letter following it in the aleph-beit’s order. An older, more orthadox interpretation is a kof joined to a zaiyin. Qoaf exhibits the unique feature of being the only non-sophit character whose stroke penetrates below the baseline. This indicates a concept akin to existence in all possible dimensions. The spelling of qoaf means ‘circuit’ and can also mean ‘monkey or ape’. This letter is commonly understood to signify ‘the back of the head”, and thus a dimension which is unseen, or hidden from view. When seen as zaiyin joined to raysh qoaf is understood as representing ‘holiness’ (qedushah) as the raysh character implies transcendent perfection, drawn down into all worlds and beings by the zaiyin to which it is attached. If we break the qoaf into its components, and view these as words we get raz (right to left) and zar (left to right) — which mean mystery and foreign or strange, respectively. This implies that the truth of God’s nature and being is at once mysterious and extremely foreign to our common understandings, conceptions, and stories. So foreign that a direct encounter with it is alien, and is experienced as something entirely outside our common models, ideas, and expectations. This is reinforced by the ‘back of the head’ connotation — it comes before our ideas, mind and thinking. Interestingly, this mysterious, alien quality is ever-present all around us, and it is neither distant nor difficult to understand — except that our common perspectives (our angles of approach) are almost ‘designed’ to avoid encountering it at every opportunity. We fear this dimension of novelty, and this fear is overwhelming enough to have guided us to discard it in every possible dimension of our lives, history, experience, perception, and thought. The physical nature of zaiyin, coupled to the divine creativity of raysh gives us a hint: the living signature of the unityBeing and his profound and ever-more complete holiness is everywhere within and around us, calling us to awaken and see with new eyes that will not discard our true nature and source. In the more orthadox perspective of zaiyin being joined to kaf, qoaf signifies the Creation (the cloud of holy process or presence, and the ‘palm’ of God) as it penetrates all worlds, inspiring an ever-growing accordance with perfection, and the dimension in which the living accomplishment of this ‘process’ is manifest. Truly it is already accomplished, existing outside of time — but from our perspective it ‘appears’ as a process. Qoaf commonly appears in such a way as to indicate separation or division — part of a small group of letters which each imply a unique aspect of this quality. In this sense it can be understood in various ways, such as the ‘connected yet separate’ aspects of the dimensions of archetype, manifestation, and perfection. Additionally, it is associated with the state of death, when a hidden spark or ‘vapor’ hovers over the deceased being, drawn upward toward its source and immanent transformation. The shape of qoaf can be seen as indicative of an expansion of circumstance — a soul or spark rising up into ‘a cloud’ above the corpse.   o:O:o     o:O:o Family: Supernal: Combining and unifying the archetypal and the existential. The last four (or nine if one includes sophit letters) letters. The accomplishment of Creation outside time and space, and the perfection of the existential dimension. Archetypal: Aleph Existential: Yoad Supernal: Qoaf Position: The nineteenth letter. The twelfth of the ‘twelve elementals’ or simples Common associations: Primary Significations: The back of the head. Secondary Significations: The completion of a circuit. A monkey or ape. Incarnate life. Indirect presence. Body: Spleen Power: Activity: Laughter Sign: Pisces Archetype/Tribe: Naphtali Element: Path on the Tree of Life: Traditional: Binah / Chesed Hermetic: Netzach / Malkuth A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L • M N • O • P • Q • R • S • T • U • V • W • X • Y • Z Hebrew: Aleph • Beit • Geemel • Dalet • Hay • Vahv • Zaiyin • Chait • Tait Yoad • Kaf • Lahmed • Mame • Nune • Sahmek • Aiyin • Pay Tzahday • Qoaf • Raysh • S(h)een • Tahv