Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Kotzo shel yud
קוצו של יו״ד
The tip of the yud (kotzo shel yud)
The upward-facing tip on the yud of Havayah: an allusion to what is beyond grasp; Keser, above Chochmah, which joins yud to hei; in the soul, the hidden love beyond reason and knowledge.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 5, ¶3The tip on the yud faces upward, showing that it reaches up to the Or Ein Sof, beyond comprehension. In the soul it is the natural love of every Jew, not to be separated from G‑d’s unity, a love without reason or knowledge that rises like a flame of itself but is hidden and must be aroused.
כי הקוץ שעל היו״ד פונה למעלה ורומז שהוא נמשך למעלה לא״ס ב״ה שהוא למעלה מגדר ההשגה
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6, ¶2The tip of the yud alludes to Keser, which in the soul is the hidden love in the heart of every Jew, even one of little understanding, because it is taken from Malchus of Ein Sof. It is only a hint, since no thought grasps Him, only the will of the heart.
ולכן קוצו של יו״ד הוא בחי׳ רמז בלבד שרומז לא״ס בלבד ברמז בעלמא בלי שום תפיסא
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 6, ¶6Yud and hei, Chochmah and Binah, are opposites (contraction and expansion, ayin and yesh); a drawing from the Or Ein Sof above both joins them, and this is alluded to in the tip of the yud. Citing the Pardes, the yud has three tips and the hei is drawn from the lower one; Mikdash Melech, in the name of R. Chaim Vital, says the lower tip is Daas. Torah study draws this down and so “makes peace” above.
שזה שיתפשט ויומשך היו״ד בה״א נמשך ע״י קוצו של יו״ד שהוא למעלה מעלה מעצם בחי׳ היו״ד והוא הוא המחבר היו״ד עם הה״א
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 8, ¶9When writing a yud one first makes its upper tip and only then the body of the yud, because the body of the yud, Chochmah and Atzilus, is drawn from the tip, which is Keser.
ולכן כשכותבין היו״ד עושין תחלה קוצו העליון ואח״כ גוף היו״ד
- Likkutei Torah, Reeh 7, ¶11Above, the higher Chochmah is the level of chayah and the tip of the yud is yechidah, far above being clothed in vessels: the encompassing lights, sovev kol almin. When a person arouses the yechidah in his soul through teshuvah, above the encompassing lights come to be revealed inwardly.
וקוצו של יו״ד בחי׳ יחידה שלמעלה מעלה מהתלבשות בכלים אלא הוא בחי׳ מקיפים סוכ״ע
Stated differently
Which level the tip of the yud is: Adam Kadmon, the “Will of all wills”; Atik; or the Keser of Atzilus, the will clothed in Chochmah, below that
והיינו כי משום שמהקוץ של היו״ד שהוא כתר דהיינו א״ק רעוא דכל רעויןThe tip of the yud is Keser, that is, Adam Kadmon, which is called the “Will of all wills” (ra’ava dechol ra’avin); from it is drawn the body of the yud, Chochmah and Atzilus.
הוא ע״י גילוי בחי׳ עליונה יותר היא בחי׳ עתיק בחי׳ קוצו של יו״ד שעי״ז מתפשט היו״ד בה״אThe tip of the yud is the level of Atik; through its revelation the yud (Chochmah) spreads into the hei (Binah).
וזהו כתר דאצי׳ קוצו של יו״ד. אך להיות רצון לרצון זה הוא מבחי׳ רעוא דכל רעוין והוא בחי׳ עתיקThe tip of the yud is the Keser of Atzilus, within the Name Havayah of Atzilus; the will for this will comes from the “Will of all wills,” which is Atik, the Havayah before Atzilus that an arousal from below does not reach.
וזהו ענין היו״ד דשם הוי׳ שהוא בחי׳ חכמה שבו מלובש הרצון עליון שהוא קוצו של יו״דThe tip of the yud is the supernal will clothed in Chochmah, drawn down through Torah and mitzvos; distinct from it is the supernal will far above hishtalshelus, not clothed in Chochmah at all, called the “Will of all wills,” revealed in baalei teshuvah.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 5, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Matos 6, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Masei 8, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Masei 8, ¶9Likkutei Torah, Reeh 7, ¶11Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 1, ¶9
Where it appears
In 22 paragraphs of 18 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 7 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 3 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 5 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6 ¶2 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶33
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 6 ¶6 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 8 ¶5 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 6 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 3 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 4 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 1 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 5 ¶27
Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.