The Letter “Hey”

Tough you could barley hear its sound and its voice is soft, the Hebrew letter Hey is powerful. Hey represents expression. When it came time for Avrom and Saray to have children, to give birth to an expression of their souls, Hashem added a Hey to their names. To quote the Midrash: “Avram can’t give birth, Avraham can. Saray can’t give birth, Sarah can”.

A few generations later, of Yakov’s four wives only Rachel, the only matriarch without the letter Hey in her name, was barren. What did Rachel do? She told her husband “Here is my maidservant Bilhah, marry her, and I too will be built from her”. Bilhah had two “Hey’s” in her name, Rachel felt that she “will be built” from Bilhuh’s double Hey.

Rachel had a harder time expressing herself then her sister Leah, for Laeh represents taught while Rachel represents speech. Leah had the easier job of expressing her idea’s in her own mind, Rachel had to find the words reach others.

When Rachel finally overcame her spiritual challenge and gave birth, her child was a master of expression. Joseph alone was able to articulate and express holiness to the Egyptians. Only He could find the words to bring the “outsider” into the family.

Ateres - Vayechi