Design
The seventeenth letter of the alef-beis is the pei, which is related to the Passover holiday (whose name begins with a pei) in several ways.
In Exodus,1 Pharaoh, whose name begins with a pei, said, “Let us enslave the Jews lest they multiply.” The word for “lest” in Hebrew is ip, pen: spelled pei-nun. Countering Pharaoh’s declaration, G-d “knocked out his tooth” by eliminating the ‘tooth’ of the pei in Pharaoh’s “pen.” It becomes a kaf. The word was no longer pen (“lest”) but if, ken: kaf-nun, meaning “surely.” Surely the Jews will multiply.2

Gematria = Numerical Equivalent
The gematria of pei is eighty. Ethics of Our Fathers states3 “At age 80, one reaches a special strength.” This explains the midrash: “Eighty thousand men named “Aaron” escorted Aaron to his final resting place.”4 When G-d asked Moses to speak to Pharaoh, Moses demurred because of his speech impediment. G-d responded, “Is there not your brother, Aaron the Levite? He can speak well.” Aaron’s verbal skills served him well as a marriage counselor. When a couple struggled in their marriage, Aaron was the peacemaker with soothing words. When the reunited couple gave birth to its next child, they would say, “Let’s name our child after Aaron the High Priest.” He reunited so many couples that thousands of children were named Aaron. Thus the number eighty (thousand) signifies the talented strength of the pei, the mouth.
Moses was 80 when he led the Jews out of Egypt and when he received the Torah.

Meaning
The letter pei actually means “mouth”—peh. A mouth is used to speak, to communicate well with another person.

Speech is powerful; with praise we can raise and elevate a person, while gossip can destroy a person’s reputation.

It is a tradition (from the Baal Shem Tov) to recite the psalm in the Book of Tehilim corresponding to our age.5 A person who is 80, for example, says Psalm 81, which states: “I am G-d Who lifted you out of Egypt. Widen your mouth, and I will fill it.”

As discussed earlier, the word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, means narrow restraints or borders. Every day, G-d not only releases us from the shackles of Egypt (“takes out”), but gives us the opportunity to break through an even higher and more subtle level of limitation (“lifts him”), beyond our personal limits. This is alluded to by the expression “widening our mouth.”6

The letter beis has three sides. Its missing fourth side signifies that the world is incomplete. The Jew, however, has the ability and responsibility to complete G-d’s creation beyond what he believes possible to make the world whole. With the use of our mouth to learn Torah, pray, and communicate positively with others, we complete the world, fulfilling our purpose by transforming nature to make the world a better place.

That mission is signified by the number 81. Not only does G-d physically raise us from the narrows, He spurs us to move higher. Even at 80, the upper limit of our strength, G-d allows us to break that barrier and move one level higher.

Everyone has the ability to communicate and inspire others. Do not shy away from that responsibility claiming, “I have an impediment.” Moses had an impediment, yet he revealed the ability to lead our nation for forty years. We all have impediments in one area or another. Yet those external weaknesses should not stymie our desire to communicate inspiration to others.

G-d told Moses, “Anochi eheyeh im picha7—I will be your mouthpiece.” The word anochi has the gematria of 81: alef=1, nun=50, kaf=20, yud=10. If a person is humble and relies on G-d, his power of speech will transcend its natural limits and be a source of strength for others.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explained the name Passover “Pesach” in Hebrew broken in two words peh-sach, “the mouth (peh) talks (sach).” On Pesach, the mouth describes G-d’s wonders. Pesach represents the antithesis of Pharaoh, who signifies peh-ra, a “bad mouth.” Pharaoh denied G-d’s providence in nature. Our mouths should not slander or denigrate others, but speak of their virtues.9

Footnotes:
1 1:10
2 See Rashi, Exodus 1:12, quoting the Midrash. Also see the commentary Kli Yakar on Exodus 1:8
3 5:22.
4 Kallah Rabasi, Ch. 3
5 When a person reaches his 80th birthday, for example, he has begun his 81st year of life. Hence, the psalm in the Book of Psalms is the person’s age plus one.
6 Ibid., p. 76
7 Exodus 4:12
8 Kedushas Levi, Derush LePesach, p. 61c; see also Siddur HaAriZal on Pesach.
9 Regarding the final Pei, one can say that the straight or final pei represents extending one’s speech; going beyond one’s domain to reach out to social arenas that are “beneath the base line,” that are antithetical to G-dliness and spirituality, so that the message should reach and inspire them as well. See Maharsha on Shabbos 104a for a different interpretation of the final pei.

Excerpted from the book “Letters of Light” by Rabbi Ari Raskin.