אל"ף, Alef, the first letter of the Alphabet. Y. Snh. I, 18ᵃ bot.; a. fr. Y. Yeb. IV, 6ᵃ כל שהוא בה"י רבה באל"ף רבא (referring to harbah arbeh Gen. III, 16) the embryo that counts harbah with Hé, (the numerical value being 212—days), will grow; that which counts arbeh with Alef (i.e. 208 days, or less than seven months) will lie down (die); (cmp. הַרְבָּה for differ. versions).—B. Bath. 168ᵇ א׳ בית וכ׳ mere Alef Beth (arbitrary words). Gen. R. s. 1 הא׳ קרא תגר the Alef complained.—Y. Sabb. XVI, 15ᶜ top א׳ בי"ת אחד one of the alphabetical acrostics (chapters) of Lamentations.—Pl. אלפ"ין. Sabb. 103ᵇ. Ex. R. s. 38; a. e.—אָאִין. Y. Ber. II, 4ᵈ bot. they pronounce עיינין א׳ Ayins like Alefs.—[Sabb. 103ᵇ אלף אלף דאאזרך וכ׳ ed. (Ms. M. omits דאאזרך) they differ as to one who wrote on the Sabbath two such letters as Alef, Alef (of ăazzerkha Is. XLV, 5) being merely vowels; v. בגלטורי.]