The Gemoro on 104a gives remozim for all the letters of the Alef Beis, including the doubled letters e.g. Nun Kofuf and Poshut. Noticeably absent is an explanation of the doubled Kaf, i.e. Kaf Kofuf and Poshut. (On a simple level, the Kaf was included as part of a drosho incorporating other letters, while the other doubled letters were not, so were "available" for darshening both forms, but this may not be sufficient).
I wondered if this could be a remez that a person's Kaf (palm) must sometimes be open (to give, maybe to receive) and sometimes be closed (maybe times not to give?, or not to receive - sonei Matonos Yichye, etc.). However, since the Gemoro doesn't say this, and it all appears sodos, maybe it is not for us to add to the sugya.
Just wondered if you saw anyone comment on this?
Kol Tuv, Meir Eliezer Bergman, Manchester UK
That is an excellent point, Meir, which very few Acharonim seem to have noticed and discussed!
I do not think that open and closed palms fit into the theme of the Drasha. (The theme seems to be focusing on learning Torah, which is composed of the 22 letters of the alphabet, and on the reward of those who learn it in the World to Come). Besides, if the Gemara meant to learn it that way, it should not have omitted it from the discussion. Thus the question remains, why did the Gemara leave out the Drasha from the two Kaf's?
(a) The RASHASH noticed the omission. He proposes that the words "Kosher Keser" are the two Kaf's. Even though the former is spelled with a Kof, not a Kaf, since both are palatial sounds (G'Y'Ch'K) they can be interchanged. (He seems to acknowledge that this is a rather forced explanation.)
(b) The TORAS CHAIM in the beginning of Perek Chelek has a remarkable exposition on this Agadah, in which he discusses the missing Kof at length. In brief, this is what he writes:
The Kaf refers to Hash-m's palms (Kaf Yad), of which there are two. The left palm represents His attribute of Din, strict law - Kaf Kafuf; the right palm represents His attribute of mercy - Kaf Pashut.
The Gemara relates the letter Kaf to 'Keser', crown, because the crowns of glory that will adorn the heads of Tzadikim in the World to Come (Berachos 17a) are analogous to the rays that emanated from Moshe's face after Hash-m placed His Kaf, palm, on Moshe in the cave (Shmos 33:23, Tanchuma Ki Sisa #37). In fact, the Midrash (Shmos Rabah end of #45) says openly that Hash-m showed Moshe in the cave the future reward of the Tzadikim in Olam ha'Ba. Thus, the brilliant crowns of the Tzadikim in Olam ha'Ba also emanate from the Kaf of Hash-m.
Not all crowns will be alike, though. Some Tzadikim will earn their crowns entirely on their own, with the attribute of Din. They have the Keser Kafuf, which will be especially brilliant. But others will earn them only through Hash-m's attribute of mercy, which allows Tzadikim to enjoy crowns set aside for those who didn't earn them entirely on their own (Shmos Rabah, ibid.). Theirs is a Keser Pashut.
The Gemara did not distinguish between the two types of Kaf/Keser because both are crowns, so both are referred to simply by the single word "Keser" mentioned in the Gemara.
Although this doesn't entirely answer why the Gemara makes no mention of the Kaf Pashut, it reveals an entirely new dimention in this veiled Agadah.
(c) I would suggest that the Gemara did not leave out the Kaf Pashut at all. It is right there in its place in the Aleph-Beis.
When the Gemara says that in the World to Come Hash-m will "Zan Oscha , Chan Oscha , Meitiv Lecha , v'Nosen Lecha Yerushah, v'Kosher Lecha Keser" - it would seem that the Gemara is adding words not alluded to in the Alef Beis. Zan, Chan, Tov, Yerushah, Keser - are alluded to by the letters Zayin, Ches, Tes, Yud, Kaf. But where did the "Oscha/Lecha" come from?
My suggestion is that the Kaf Pashut is used for the words Oscha/Lecha in the Drasha. In those words, the Kaf at the end is actually Pashut and it can be called the theme-letter of the word (since it means "you"). Thus, the Drasha of the letters is as follows: "Zayin, Ches, Tes, Yud, Kaf, Lamed" stand for "Zan, Chan, Tov, Yerushah, Keser - Lecha, l'Olam ha'Ba" - i.e., all of the above are for you in Olam ha'Ba.
If so, the Gemara indeed does discuss the Kaf Pashut. However, it does not use the words "Kaf Pashut" since the Drasha is from a word that actually includes that letter, rather than from the form of the letter (like the Drasha from Nun Pashut etc.).
[Alternatively, the second Kaf is for 'Kamosi', as the Gemara says by letters Kof/Reish - "Ani Kosher Lo Kesher Kamosi". The Gemara does not use the word 'Kamosi' here since it will get to it later in the Drasha of the Alef Beis.]
Best wishes,
Mordecai Kornfeld
Kollel Iyun Hadaf