How Letters Create Worlds: Secrets of Divine Creation in the Teaching of Tanya
Letters create worlds. This profound statement lies at the heart of Kabbalistic wisdom. Did you know that our entire world was created from just 22 letters? More precisely, from 22 flows of Divine energy that in the Kabbalistic tradition are represented by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. If this idea seems strange to you, let’s explore this fascinating concept together.
How Letters Create Worlds Through Divine Energy Channels
Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is not just a symbol. Instead, it functions as a conductor of a special flow of life force, a unique energy that cannot flow through other letters. Picture 22 differently colored rays of light, each carrying its own frequency of vibration and its own special life force.
When these ray-letters combine into words (specifically in the Jewish tradition—into the words of Divine utterances during the creation of the world), something amazing happens. The letters don’t simply add up arithmetically—rather, a new quality emerges that exceeds the sum of its parts.
In each word, beyond the individual energies of each letter, a unifying force appears that contains all the particular energies and surpasses them. This force binds the letters together, creating life in every creation.
How Letters Create Worlds of Countless Creations from Just 22 Elements
The universe is full of innumerable creations—how could they all emerge from just 22 basic elements? The answer is simple and ingenious: through changes in combinations, permutations, and substitutions of letters.
Take a simple example: the Hebrew word “even” (stone) is composed of three letters. But those same letters in a different order will create an entirely different creation. Why? Because:
- The first letter in a combination always dominates
- The remaining letters are subordinate to it, included in its light
- When the order changes, the dominant letter changes, and thus—the essence of the creation changes
This system offers incredible flexibility. Moreover, besides rearrangements, we also find letter substitutions and transformations that create beings of a lower level, similar to how moonlight on earth simply reflects sunlight.
When Letters Create Worlds: The Seven Heavens Example
How does this work in practice? Let’s examine the example of the seven heavens that originated from the Divine utterance “Let there be a firmament…” All the heavens together receive life from this utterance as a whole. Additionally, each separate creation in these heavens exists thanks to a specific combination of letters from this utterance.
Each of the seven heavens has its own special purpose:
- Shechakim — the heaven where manna is ground for the righteous
- Zvul — where the heavenly Jerusalem, the Temple, and the altar are located
- Machon — the storehouse of snow and hail
And these are just three of the seven heavens! Each being in these heavens—from majestic angelic choirs to the smallest particles—lives thanks to a unique combination of letters from the Divine utterance.
From Highest to Lowest: The Ladder of Creation
Creation occurs in stages, descending from the highest to the lowest. First, direct combinations of letters create the highest creations. Subsequently, substitutions and rearrangements of letters begin, which form creations of a lower order.
This process can be compared to the reflection of light:
- The letters of the utterances—direct light from Divine attributes
- Letter substitutions—reflection of this light (like moonlight)
- Substitutions of substitutions—reflection of a reflection (like moonlight reflected in water)
Thus, descending lower and lower, the energy of creation reaches the lowest worlds, demonstrating how letters create worlds at every level, including completely inanimate objects, like stones and earth. And even their names in the holy language—”even” (stone) and “afar” (earth)—are substitutions of substitutions or permutations of permutations of those same 22 basic letters.
The Form of Letters as a Map of Divine Energy
Interestingly, even the external form of each Hebrew letter serves a purpose by design. Each letter displays a unique shape that reflects the pattern of the life energy it carries. Furthermore, the letter’s shape reveals exactly how the light, life force, and energy flowing from the Almighty’s attributes manifest and distribute themselves.
It’s as if the shape of each letter were a diagram showing the path of flow of a certain type of energy from the higher worlds into ours.
Unity in Multiplicity
All of the above leads us to an amazing conclusion: despite the seemingly infinite variety of creations in our world, a profound unity lies at the foundation of everything. Everything originates from the same 22 basic elements-letters, from a single source.
Diversity arises not from a multiplicity of origins, but rather from endless variations of combinations and transformations of these basic elements. Similarly to how only 7 notes create an infinite variety of musical compositions, 22 letters generate everything that exists.
This concept helps us see the hidden unity in all the diversity of our world and feel the presence of a single creative principle behind the visible diversity of forms. It’s a profound reminder of how letters create worlds of meaning and existence from the most fundamental spiritual building blocks.
This article is based on the twelfth chapter of the book “Tanya – Part 2 – Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah” by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, one of the greatest Hasidic thinkers.
Afterword: The text of this article has not been approved by any sage, Torah scholar, or rabbi and is merely a simplified adaptation of the sacred text for general understanding. For comprehension of true wisdom and a deeper understanding of the original text, you should refer to the sources.
This and all other article texts of the Mega-Charity.Org resource express only the personal opinions of the authors who compiled them. They are intended only for general and superficial understanding of the real sources of wisdom. References to which are provided.
