<Behold,> the letter peh appears six times in the Hebrew alphabet. That is, an alePh cannot be pronounced without a Peh, and it is also impossible to pronounce a kaPh, an end- kaPh, a Peh, an end- Peh, and a kuPh without a Peh. Thus the Hebrew alphabet contains six pehs .
When, God forbid, a man experiences an emission that renders him spiritually impure, <then> the aforementioned kelipah (evil force) leeches sustenance from the alphabet—i.e., from the pehs— equal to the value of its name. This turns the PÆh into APh (anger).
Therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: If a man and a woman are worthy, the Divine Presence resides in their midst. If they are unworthy—that is, if he is spiritually impure—a fire consumes him (Sotah 17a). Know and see, these peh -letters themselves (i.e., aleph, kaph, end- kaph, peh, end- peh, kuph) have the same numerical value as AiSh (fire), and they exact punishment from him.
[The meaning of yiKhPeH is] as in “KoPheH a utensil over it” (Pesachim 6a) {which connotes haPhiKhaH, (inverting)}. This is “yiKhPeH APh”—he subdues and inverts the APh, so that it becomes PÆh. [This is wondrous.]
מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה אַף (משלי כא).
“Matan B’Seiter (Charity Given in Secret) Subdues Anger.” (Proverbs 21:14)
דַּע, כִּי בְּהָאָלֶף־בֵּית יֵשׁ שִׁשָּׁה פֵּאִין. דְּהַיְנוּ: אָלֶף אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִקְרוֹת בְּלֹא פ'. גַּם כָּף ך"ף, פ', ף, וְקוּף, גַּם כֵּן אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִקְרֹא אוֹתָן בְּלֹא פ', נִמְצָא שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהָא"ב שִׁשָּׁה פֵּאִין.
<Behold,> the letter peh appears six times in the Hebrew alphabet. That is, an alePh cannot be pronounced without a Peh, and it is also impossible to pronounce a kaPh, an end- kaPh, a Peh, an end- Peh, and a kuPh without a Peh. Thus the Hebrew alphabet contains six pehs .
וְשִׁשָּׁה פְּעָמִים פ', גִּימַטְרִיָּא ת"פ, כְּמִנְיַן לִילִית.
The numerical value of six times the letter peh is four hundred and eighty, the same value as LYLYT (Lilith).
וְהִנֵּה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כְּשֶׁאֵרַע לָאָדָם מִקְרֶה בִּלְתִּי טָהוֹר, הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הַקְּלִפָּה הַנַּ"ל, כַּיָּדוּעַ. וְהִנֵּה הַקְּלִפָּה הַנַּ"ל יוֹנֶקֶת מִן הָאָלֶף־בֵּית כְּמִנְיַן שְׁמָהּ, הַיְנוּ מִן הַפֵּאִין הַנַּ"ל, וְנַעֲשֶׂה מִן פֵּא אַף.
When, God forbid, a man experiences an emission that renders him spiritually impure, <then> the aforementioned kelipah (evil force) leeches sustenance from the alphabet—i.e., from the pehs— equal to the value of its name. This turns the PÆh into APh (anger).
לְפִיכָךְ אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סוטה יז): אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה, זָכוּ – שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם, לֹא זָכוּ – הַיְנוּ שֶׁהוּא בִּלְתִּי טָהוֹר, אֵשׁ אוֹכַלְתּוֹ. כִּי דַּע וּרְאֵה, כִּי הָאוֹתִיּוֹת עַצְמָן שֶׁל הַפֵּאִין (הַיְנוּ א, כ, ך, פ, ף, ק, הַנַּ"ל), הֵם גִּימַטְרִיָּא "אֵשׁ", וְנוֹקְמִין בּוֹ.
Therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: If a man and a woman are worthy, the Divine Presence resides in their midst. If they are unworthy—that is, if he is spiritually impure—a fire consumes him (Sotah 17a). Know and see, these peh -letters themselves (i.e., aleph, kaph, end- kaph, peh, end- peh, kuph) have the same numerical value as AiSh (fire), and they exact punishment from him.
וּכְשֶׁנּוֹתֵן צְדָקָה בַּסֵּתֶר, פּוֹדֶה הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת מִן הַקְּלִפָּה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה מִן הָאַף פֵּא.
But when a person gives charity anonymously, he redeems the sparks of holiness from the kelipah. The APh reverts to a PÆh.
וְזֶהוּ: מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה אָף –
This is the meaning of: “Charity given in secret yikhpeh aph (subdues anger).”
מִלְּשׁוֹן כּוֹפֶה עָלָיו כְּלִי (שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן הֲפִיכָה). וְזֶה: יִכְפֶּה אָף, שֶׁכּוֹפֶה וְהוֹפֵךְ הָ"אַף", וְנַעֲשֶׂה פֵּא, [וְהוּא פִּלְאִי]:
[The meaning of yiKhPeH is] as in “KoPheH a utensil over it” (Pesachim 6a) {which connotes haPhiKhaH, (inverting)}. This is “yiKhPeH APh”—he subdues and inverts the APh, so that it becomes PÆh. [This is wondrous.]