Alef
א
The metaphor includes concepts of separation, reconciliation or/and the one who causes them.
The rabbis ask the question: Why does the scripture start with the second letter rather than the first letter; alef?
Having given the letters anthropomorphic qualities, they arrive at the conclusion that it was more humble than the other letters and was content to remain silent.
The meaning of the א is that God spoke and created the heavens and the earth. We can derive from its silence that God created the heavens and the earth in silence, meaning that there was no one there to hear him do it. From it's absence as the first letter of the Bible, we discern that there was no one there to see him do it.
Since there was not an audience for God's creative activities, it is simplistically clear that he created for his own purposes, pleasure and benefit not for the pleasure or benefit of another.
Building subroots
Samples of how subroots are formed by the combination of the metaphor of their constituent parts:
- א - God spoke and created the heavens and the earth, in silence
- אב - the 'father' revealed himself to man ב after he spoke and created the heavens and the earth.
- אד - 'mist': the testimony ד of God's creative act א (see Ge 2:6)
- אה - 'yearn': separated א from hearing ה
- גא - 'pride' The pursuit ג that separates א
- או - 'and, also': create א a distinction ו
