Chapter Forty-Five (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה)

The letter Peh (אוֹת פֵּ״א) contains within it the mystery of teshuvah (יֵשׁ בָּהּ סוֹד הַתְּשׁוּבָה), and just as a ba’al teshuvah must bend his head and feel shame (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּכְפּוֹף רֹאשׁוֹ וְיִתְבּוֹשֵׁשׁ), and extend his hands (וּפוֹשֵׁט יָדָיו), so too the point of the letter Peh, as soon as it emerged, sought to ascend above its place (כֵּן נְקֻדָּת הַפֵּ״א תֵּכֶף שֶׁיָּצְאָה רָצְתָה לַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה מִמְּקוֹמָהּ), but it could not, and descended and bent its head downward within itself like a Final Peh (וְלֹא יָכְלָה וְיָרְדָה וְכָפְפָה רֹאשָׁהּ לְמַטָּה בְּתוֹכָהּ כָּזֶה: ף). And afterward, from that very point that had sought to ascend (וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵאוֹתָהּ נְקֻדָּה שֶׁרָצְתָה לַעֲלוֹת), there issued also one line, and it tilted to the right above the head of the Peh (יָצָא גַּם קָו אֶחָד וְנָטָה לִימִין מֵעַל רֹאשׁ הַפֵּ״א). And when it widened to the full width of the boundary of the letter (וּכְשֶׁנִּתְרַחֲבָה עַד סוֹף רֹחַב גְּבוּל הָאוֹת), the light was increased within it (נִתְרַבֶּה הָאוֹר בָּהּ), and from it extended a line downward (וְנִתְפַּשֵׁט מִמֶּנָּה קָו לְמַטָּה), and it became elongated and went beyond its boundary (וְנִתְאָרֵךְ וְיָצָא מִגְּבוּלוֹ), then it bent back upward (חָזַר וְנִתְקַפֵּל לְמַעְלָה), and this is the lower roof beneath the Peh (וְהוּא הַגַּג הַתַּחְתּוֹן לְמַטָּה מִן הַפֵּ״א). And because in the formation of the Peh its beginning is from the Alef and the Yod beneath it (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁבַּעֲשִׂיַּת הַפֵּ״א תְּחִלָּתָהּ הִיא מִן הָאַל״ף וְיו״ד שֶׁתַּחְתֶּיהָ), therefore the Milui [Spelling] of Peh is Alef (לְכָךְ מִלּוּי שֶׁל פֵּ״א אַ).