Design and Sefirah

The kamatz is designed as a straight line, similar to a horizontal vav. It has a dot beneath it, similar to the yud. The kamatz represents Kesser,1 the crown, and is the first and the highest of the Sefiros.

Gematria

The gematria of the kamatz comprises six (the straight line) and ten (the dot) for a total of sixteen.

Meaning

The word kamatz means to “close and conceal.” In the Holy Temple, the Kohen would take the meal offerings and close his fingers around the flour (as it states in the Torah, “vekamatz”2), concealing it in his hand.

When one pronounces the sound of the kamatz, “aw,” one actually closes one’s lips.3 To form the sound of the patach, “ah,” one does the opposite. The patach, which means “to open,” is formed by opening the lips.

Kamatz is an acronym for “אור קדמון אור מצוחצח אור צח—The primordial, bright, and pure light.” This level of illumination is so overwhelming that one cannot fully appreciate or internalize it. Rather one can only have a glimpse—like looking into a mirror and seeing the form of an object but not the essence of the object.4 This primordial energy is “kamatz,” concealed from the average person.

As an interesting note, the word Mashiach begins with a kamatz beneath the letter mem. Mashiach will reveal the concealed levels of Torah and Creation.