Chapter Thirty-Six (פֶּרֶק שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה)

The letter Tet (אוֹת טֵית) is made from two twin points, male and female (נַעֲשֵׂית מִשְּׁתֵּי נְקוּדוֹת תְּאוֹמוֹת זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה). The female is the Nun of the Tet (הַנְּקֵבָה הִיא הַנוּ"ן שֶׁל הַטֵּית), and the Nun of the Tet is the male (וְהַנוּ"ן שֶׁל הַטֵּית הוּא הַזָּכָר), and they are face to face (וְהֵם פָּנִים בְּפָנִים). And the Nun, she who is the female was extended and bent (וְהִ-נֵּ שֶׁהִיא הַנְּקֵבָה הָיְתָה פְּשׁוּטָה וְנִכְפְּלָה), and became curved for two reasons (וְנַעֲשֵׂית עֲקוּמָה לִשְׁנֵי סִבּוֹת): one, so as not to stand outside her boundary (הָאֶחָד כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲמוֹד חוּץ מִגְּבוּלָהּ), and one, to attach to the male (וְאֶחָד כְּדֵי לְהִדָּבֵק בַּזָּכָר), which is the bent Nun (שֶׁהִיא הַ-ן הַכְּפוּפָה), and the male Nun extended downward and clung to her curvature (וְ-ן הַזָּכָר נִתְפַּשֵּׁט לְמַטָּה וְנִדְבַּק בְּכְפִיפוּתָהּ). And she also extended beneath her head a line in the mystery of a hand (וְהִיא גַּם כֵּן פָּשְׁטָה מִתַּחַת רֹאשָׁהּ הַקַּו בְּסוֹד יָד), in order to receive him (כְּדֵי לְקַבְּלוֹ), and it is the outstretched hand to receive those who return (וְהִיא הַיָּד הַפְּשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים). And she also indicates by herself how the penitent should conduct himself (וְגַם מוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ אֵיךְ יִתְנַהֵג הַבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה), that he should bend his head and stretch out his hands (שֶׁיְּכֹף רֹאשׁוֹ וִיפְשֹׁט יָדָיו). And know that these male and female are the mystery of this Tet (וְדַע שֶׁאֵלּוּ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה סוֹד הַ״ט הַזֶּה), it is the mystery of the Tribes (הוּא סוֹד הַשְּׁבָטִים), for each one went out with his twin (שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד עִם תְּאוֹמָתוֹ יָצָא). And therefore, there are no letters Chet or Tet among the names of the Tribes (וְלָזֶה אֵין בָּהֶם אוֹתִיּוֹת חֵ״טֵ). And if you ask: it is understandable regarding the Chet, which is feminine - that is acceptable (וְאִם תֹּאמַר: בִּשְׁלָמָא הַ״ת שֶׁהִיא נְקֵבָה נִיחָא), but the Tet, which is male and female and was compared to them - why was it not among them? (אֲבָל הַטֵּ״ שֶׁהִיא זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה וְנִמְשְׁלָה לָהֶם, לָמָּה לֹא הָיָה בָהֶם) Answer: Know that these two twins hinted at in the Chet (תְּשׁוּבָה: דַּע שֶׁאֵלּוּ ב׳ תְּאוֹמוֹת שֶׁרָמְזוּ בַּחֵ), caused the death of Hevel (גָּרְמוּ שֶׁנֶּהֶרַג הֶבֶל), and it became Chet with Tet, which is Chet-Tet (וְנַעֲשֵׂית חֵ עִם טֵ שֶׁהוּא חֵ״ט), because the Tet too alludes to Kayin, who went out with his twin (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁגַּם טֵ נִרְמַז לְקַיִן שֶׁיָּצְאָה עִמּוֹ תְּאוֹמָתוֹ), and even so he killed Hevel (וְאֲפִלּוּ הָכִי הָרַג אֶת הֶבֶל), and took the two twins, and from them was born Chet-Tet (וְלָקַח הַב׳ תְּאוֹמוֹת וְנוֹלַד מֵהֶם חֵ״ט), and therefore they are neither Chet nor Tet among the Tribes (וְלָכֵן אֵינָם לֹא חֵ וְלֹא טֵ בַּשְּׁבָטִים).