Yod
 
The Hermit Yod
Teth to the Tree Kaph

Yod (י)

Yod, the twentieth path, connects Chesed and Tiphareth. It is the character "Y", "I", or "J".

Yod is one of the twelve simple letters, which represent astrological signs. The simple letters are secondary directions, the edges of the box, connecting its faces. Its attributions are:

SignVirgo
Directionnorth below
Number י‎ = 10
Nameיוד
MeaningHand[1] (the creative force; sperm)
Permutationההוי
HouseHealth
Tarot trumpThe Hermit
ColorGreenish-yellowish
Yetsiratic Attribution[2] Intelligence of Will (consciousness of will, Sekhel HaRatzon, שכל הרצון), because it is the means of preparation of all and each created being, and by this intelligence the existence of the Primordial Wisdom becomes known.

The Ari teaches that י connects Tiphareth to Netzach. The Gra teaches that it connects Tiphareth to Geburah.

Yod is the source of the Alef-Bet. There is a saying: G-d gave man the Yod; the rest he had to invent for himself.

As the first letter of the Tetragrammaton, Yod represent Ain (Negativity), the ineffable Source from which the Light springs. It is the place where what is willed must be, the active, generative, principle whose Will is to bestow and which cannot be apprehended unless it is contained, limited, by Ain Soph. It is the Infinite, that which cannot be comprehended except through apprehending that which it is Not. It is the ultimate void, the Platonic ideal of Zero.[3] Modern quantum gravitational theory has shown us this Yod, this Ain: it is the space between two energy states of the electron, a distance that must be bridged but which cannot be apprehended by any experiment of our devising.

YHV About the Tetragrammaton: I personally find it interesting to contemplate the arrangment of the letters of the Tetragrammaton on the Tree. It is of course entirely an accident (or is it?) based on the ordering of the Hebrew alphabet and the pattern used to lay the letters on the paths, but they form a triangle between Chesed, Tiphareth, and Chokmah: Chesed -> Tiphareth (Yod), Chokmah -> Tiphareth (Heh), Chokmah -> Chesed (Vau). Mercy, Wisdom, Beauty. Thus, along with the ascending and descending triads that we are normally taught to find in the Tree, there is this fourth triad whose existence we only discover here, in this chance arrangement of the paths and the letters.

That is true only in Hermetic Qabalah. The Ari and the Gra teach different arrangements of the letters for their Kabbalah. For them, ה and ו radiate from Kether, which thus associates with י, and the Divine Name thus illuminates the Supernal Triad.

[1]יד, Yad, means hand.
[2]From the 32 Paths of Wisdom, often printed as an appendix to Sepher Yetzirah. However, see this article for additional (and contradictory) information on these Paths.
[3]Which thing, we might note, the Greeks feared so much that they refused to postulate it.
[1]יד, Yad, means hand.
[2]From the 32 Paths of Wisdom, often printed as an appendix to Sepher Yetzirah. However, see this article for additional (and contradictory) information on these Paths.
[3]Which thing, we might note, the Greeks feared so much that they refused to postulate it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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An Interactive QabalahThe Mother lettersSix of Swords A Brief Introduction to QabalahThe Veil of ParokethFive of Swords Kether, the CrownPermutations of the NameFour of Swords Chokmah, WisdomThe Three PillarsThree of Swords Binah, UnderstandingThe ProfaneTwo of Swords Daath, KnowledgeReflectionAce of Disks Chesed, MercyRuachKnight of Disks Geburah, StrengthSefer Yetzirah, the Book of FormationQueen of Disks Tiphareth, BeautySeverityPrince of Disks Netzach, VictoryThe simple lettersPrincess of Disks Hod, SplendorWhat is a Soul?Ten of Disks Yesod, FoundationThe SoulsNine of Disks Malkuth, KingdomThe Supernal TriadEight of Disks AlefThe FoolSeven of Disks BetThe MagusSix of Disks GimelThe PriestessFive of Disks DalethThe EmpressFour of Disks HehThe EmperorThree of Disks VauThe HierophantTwo of Disks ZainThe LoversAdjustment ChethThe ChariotAeon TethAdjustmentArt YodThe HermitThe Chariot KaphFortuneDeath LamedLustDevil MemThe Hanged ManThe Emperor NunDeathThe Empress SamekhArtThe Fool AyinThe DevilFortune PehThe TowerThe Hanged Man TzaddiThe StarThe Hermit QophThe MoonThe Hierophant ReshThe SunThe Lovers ShinThe AeonLust TauThe UniverseThe Magus The Qabalistic WorldsAce of WandsThe Moon Atziluth, ArchetypesKnight of WandsThe Priestess Briah, the CreativeQueen of WandsThe Star Yetzirah, the FormativePrince of WandsThe Sun Assiah, the ActivePrincess of WandsThe Tower The court cardsTen of WandsThe Universe The AcesNine of WandsHebrew alphabet transliterations The KnightsEight of WandsThe Triads The QueensSeven of WandsThe Qabalistic Veils The PrincesSix of WandsThe Name of Names, YHVH The PrincessesFive of WandsAlef The TensFour of WandsAyin The NinesThree of WandsBet The EightsTwo of WandsCheth The SevensAce of CupsDaleth The SixesKnight of CupsThe double letters The FivesQueen of CupsGimel The FoursPrince of CupsHeh The ThreesPrincess of CupsKaph The TwosTen of CupsLamed The 32 Paths of WisdomNine of CupsMem The AbyssEight of CupsThe mother letters Adam Kadmon, the Body of GodSeven of CupsNun AlchemySix of CupsPeh The Alef-Bet in Space and TimeFive of CupsQoph The Ari TreeFour of CupsResh The Astral TriadThree of CupsSamekh The double lettersTwo of CupsShin The Ethical TriadAce of SwordsThe simple letters the Flash of LightKnight of SwordsTau The Gra TreeQueen of SwordsTeth The 72 Hidden Names of GodPrince of SwordsThe Tree of Life The Tree of LifePrincess of SwordsTzaddi The Hebrew alef-bet letter classesTen of SwordsVau MercyNine of SwordsYod MildnessEight of SwordsZain The Presence of the Most HighSeven of Swords