As I was reading a book on Jewish folkloric tales, I came across a story called The Aleph-Bet and immediately fell in love with it. It is short, cute and extremely imaginative.

I modified the original by including the Hebrew alphabet and words instead of their transliterations for visual effect. I think that even those who don’t know Hebrew will be able to follow the story and get its message.

The Aleph-Bet

When God was about to create the world, all twenty-two letters of the Aleph-Bet leapt off the flaming crown of God and crowded around the Heavenly Throne, pleading, “Create the world through me!”

First the (tav), the last letter of the aleph-bet, came forward. “I am the first letter of (Torah),” it said. “Create the world through me, for later on I will give Israel all its laws and stories.”

“No,” replied God, “for in future days you will serve as a sign – mayt ** – to be placed upon the foreheads of the dead.”

So the departed from the Heavenly Throne, its head bowed in shame.
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