1. "And Hashem spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron... and Hashem said to Moses" (Vayikra 16:1). Rabbi Yehuda comments: Since the verse says, "And Hashem spoke to Moses," what need is there to repeat "and Hashem said to Moses, Speak to your brother Aaron...?" The first statement should have sufficed. HE ANSWERS: We learn that it is written, "And Hashem (lit. 'He') called to Moses and (lit. 'Hashem') spoke to him" (Vayikra 1:1) and also, "And He said to Moses, Come up to Hashem" (Shemot 24:1). It has already been established that the discourse here, NAMELY "AND HE CALLED TO MOSES" OR "AND HE SAID TO MOSES" represents one level, NAMELY MALCHUT. Afterwards, the words, "AND HASHEM SPOKE TO HIM" OR "COME UP TO HASHEM" represent another level, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. Here too in our text, "And Hashem spoke to Moses" represents one level, NAMELY THE LEVEL OF JUDGMENT REFERRED TO AS 'SPEAKING,' and afterwards the verse, "And Hashem said to Moses, Speak to your brother Aaron" represents another level, NAMELY THE QUALITY OF MERCY REFERRED TO AS 'SAYING.' IN BOTH INSTANCES THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI IS MENTIONED, which reveals that they carry one equal scale and all are joined from one source. THIS MEANS THAT BOTH LEVELS, JUDGMENT AND MERCY, ARE OF ONE SCALE FROM ONE SOURCE, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN REFERRED TO AS YUD HEI VAV HEI.

157. Rabbi Elazar was sitting before Rabbi Shimon, his father. He said to him: We have learned that THE NAME Elohim always denotes Judgment. The name Yud Hei Vav Hei is sometimes pronounced Elohim, MEANING WHEN IT IS WITH THE VOWELS OF ELOHIM, such as "Adonai Yud Hei Vav Hei" (Beresheet 15:8), PRONOUNCED WITH THE PUNCTUATION OF ELOHIM. HE QUESTIONS: Why pronounce it "Elohim" when its letters, NAMELY YUD HEI VAV HEI, always denote Mercy?

158. He said to him that it is written in the scripture, "Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that Hashem He is Elohim" (Devarim 4:39). It is also written, "Hashem He is the Elohim" (I Melachim 18:39). He said to him: I know that where there is Judgment, there can be Mercy and sometimes where there is Mercy, there may be Judgment. THEREFORE, THE VERSE STATES "HASHEM HE IS THE ELOHIM." He continued: See that it is so, Yud Hei Vav Hei always stands for Mercy. But when the wicked convert Mercy to Judgment, the verse is written, "Yud Hei Vav Hei," but it is read "Elohim."

161. For this reason, they call BINAH mother, DENOTING Nukva and Gvurah, and Judgment comes forth from it. HENCE, it is referred to as Mercy on its own, ITS OWN QUALITY. However, from its aspect, the Judgments are aroused and THE NAME BINAH is written with Mercy, MEANING WITH THE LETTERS YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH INDICATES MERCY. Its vowels are of Judgment, MEANING THAT HER FOUR LETTERS OF YUD HEI VAV HEI ARE VOWELED AS IN THE NAME OF ELOHIM. THUS, the letters OF THE NAME ARE of Mercy, yet Judgments are drawn from its aspect, AS HINTED IN THE VOWELIZATION OF THE NAME as YeHeVoH. This is one grade.

162. The second grade: From the aspect of the first GRADE, WHICH IS BINAH, another grade named Gvurah, WHICH IS THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN, comes out and is stirred. It is pronounced Elohim, NOT MERELY IN ITS VOWELS, AS IN BINAH, BUT with its actual letters. Its origin is Zeir Anpin, MEANING CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHENCE STEMS GVURAH that is included in it, AS THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN IS INCLUDED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CHESED. Since it is included in CHESED, it is THEREFORE written, "Hashem He is the Elohim" as Yud Hei Vav Hei - DENOTING CHESED - is the Elohim - DENOTING GVURAH. And here, IT DOES NOT MERELY HAVE THE VOWELS OF ELOHIM, AS IN BINAH, BUT IT IS INCLUDED in the letters OF ELOHIM, and they become one, JOINED ONE WITH THE OTHER. This is the second grade.

163. The third grade is righteousness, DENOTING MALCHUT, which is the last Sfirah. This becomes the court of the King, OF ZEIR ANPIN. We have learned THAT THE NAME Adonai is thus spelled and thus pronounced. The Congregation of Yisrael, REFERRING TO MALCHUT, is called by this name. HOWEVER, THE NAME OF ZEIR ANPIN IS WRITTEN YUD HEI VAV HEI AND IS PRONOUNCED ADONAI. This name is completed in this place, MALCHUT. These are three levels called with names of Judgment, AS THE LEVEL OF BINAH IS CALLED YUD HEI VAV HEI WITH THE VOWELIZATION OF ELOHIM. THE LEVEL OF GVURAH IS PRONOUNCED ALSO WITH THE LETTERING OF ELOHIM AND THE LEVEL OF MALCHUT IS PRONOUNCED ADONAI. THESE ARE THE THREE NAMES OF JUDGMENT, AS WE DISCUSS HERE THE LEFT COLUMN, WHICH IS JUDGMENT, WHOSE SOURCE IS BINAH. THEREFORE, IT IS ONLY HINTED AT WITH THE VOWELIZATION OF ELOHIM, AND FROM THERE, IT IS DRAWN TO THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN. THERE IT IS ACTUAL YET INCLUDED IN THE RIGHT; HENCE, THE SECRET OF ELOHIM IS ALSO IN ITS LETTERING. FROM HERE IT MOVES TO MALCHUT, WHICH IS ENTIRELY BUILT FROM THE LEFT COLUMN AND IS THEREFORE PRONOUNCED ADONAI (ALEPH DALET NUN YUD), WHICH CONTAINS THE LETTERS OF JUDGMENT (DIN, DALET YUD NUN) EXPLICITLY. All join one with the other without separation as we have established.

166. After the beginning OF the REVELATION OF MOCHIN emerges from it, and that river WHICH IS YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH, becomes pregnant, WITH MALE AND FEMALE, in order to draw everything, the beginning is called "Asher Eheyeh." IT MEANS, I will draw, and give birth to all. "Eheyeh" means that now I include everything, the inclusion of every detail, MEANING EACH AND EVERY GRADE. "Asher Eheyeh" MEANS that Ima, WHICH IS BINAH, is impregnated and ready to give forth all the details and to reveal the exalted Name YUD HEI VAV HEI.

169. After everything had emerged and each one was established in its proper place, MEANING AFTER ZEIR ANPIN WAS BORN AND CAME BELOW TO ITS PLACE, He forsook everything, MEANING ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED NAMES, and said Yud Hei Vav Hei. This is a detail, MEANING THE SPECIFIC GRADE OF ZEIR ANPIN UNCONNECTED TO IMA. This is sustenance, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN THAT MOCHIN REFERRED TO AS SUSTENANCE. At that moment, Moses became aware of the secret of the Holy Name, the concealed and the revealed. He became attached as no other human LIKE HIM had. How fortunate is his lot. Rabbi Elazar approached and kissed his hands.

170. He said to him: Elazar, my son, be careful not to write the Holy Name improperly from now on. For of him who does not know to write the Holy Name properly and to tie the bond of Faith, the bond of one and one, OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "HASHEM SHALL BE ONE, AND HIS NAME ONE" (ZECHARYAH 14:9), so as to unify the Holy Name, it is written, "Because he has despised the word of Hashem, and has broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off" (Bemidbar 15:31). This is even if he causes a degradation of one level or one unity from just one letter among them.

174. We have learned that Rabbi Yehuda said, "El Elohim, Hashem, has spoken, and called the earth" (Tehilim 50:1). "EL, ELOHIM AND YUD HEI VAV HEI" REFER TO CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, WHICH ARE perfection of all, the perfection of the holy Patriarchs - NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. "Has spoken and called the earth:" SPOKEN MEANS POURING AND EARTH REFERS TO MALCHUT in order to be in the Congregation of Yisrael in perfection and in joy. From what place is He with her? He repeated, "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, Elohim has shown forth" (Ibid. 2), MEANING FROM YESOD OF MALCHUT KNOWN AS ZION.

184. Rabbi Chiya said: What is the reason that Jacob is MENTIONED first in the verse, AS IT READS, "THEN WILL I REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB" AND LATER ISAAC AND LATER ABRAHAM? HE ANSWERS: Jacob, TIFERET, is the principal of the fathers, AS TIFERET ABSORBS WITHIN IT CHESED AND GVURAH, ALSO KNOWN AS ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. He is the holy tree, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN THAT INCLUDES ALL SIX ENDS. As such, the Vav of the Holy Name YUD HEI VAV HEI holds to him, so we pronounce Jacob with a Vav. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Vav FULLY SPELLED with all its letters HAS THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF THIRTEEN, NAMELY the thirteen attributes OF MERCY, AS JACOB, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, inherits the inheritance of the thirteen springs of the Holy sealed spring KNOWN AS ARICH ANPIN. FROM HIS BEARD ARE DRAWN THIRTEEN CORRECTIONS TO ZEIR ANPIN CALLED JACOB AND FOR THIS REASON, JACOB IS SPELLED WITH VAV.

190. Rabbi Shimon taught, the Yud makes an opening with its engraving, and the letters SPREAD to the sides, MEANING EACH LETTER FROM THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI SPREADS IN THREE COLUMNS and joins up with the Yud. EACH OF THE COLUMNS IS TIED TO YUD, DENOTING CHOCHMAH AND THE RIGHT COLUMN. The Yud moves towards the Yud; THAT IS, CHOCHMAH, THE FIRST YUD OF THE NAME YUD ALEPH HEI DALET VAV NUN HEI YUD, MOVES TO MALCHUT, ITS LAST YUD. The Yud, MALCHUT, rises to the Yud, CHOCHMAH. LATER, the Yud OF CHOCHMAH moves to Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. BUT FIRST, THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH assembles inside the Hei, BINAH, which then directs Da'at, AS DA'AT IS PLACED BETWEEN CHOCHMAH AND BINAH. AND LATER, the Hei joins with the Vav.

191. HE SAYS: The upper Hei OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, NAMELY BINAH, maintains its gates, MEANING THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH, in its design and arrangement, MEANING ITS ORDERLY DESIGN. THEN, it grasps the glow of 1,570 covered parlors. ONE THOUSAND IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH AND THE RIGHT COLUMN, FIVE HUNDRED IS THE SECRET OF BINAH AND THE LEFT COLUMN AND SEVENTY IS THE SECRET OF DA'AT, THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Then the Hei, NAMELY BINAH, rises to be crowned fifty times for its fifty gates OF BINAH, which maintain whatever is maintaining. When BINAH is designed with her crowns - MEANING HER TWO CROWNS, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF HER DA'AT - the face of the King, ZEIR ANPIN, glows FROM HERE. The Vav spreads to 22 engravings, NAMELY THE NAME OF AYIN BET.

212. The seventy members of the heavenly Sandhedrin are alerted with these pains of birth that She cries, until Her voice reaches Yud Hei Vav Hei. Immediately, "the voice of Hashem makes the hinds to calve" (Tehilim 29:9). This refers to the ABOVE MENTIONED masters of the Mishnah THAT ARE THE SECRET MEANING OF "the virgins, her companions that follow her" (Tehilim 45:15). All of them will be trembling as the one who gives birth, literally with distress, as the time presses upon them with many bites of the Evil Inclination, which is the snake that bites at them with various TYPES OF distress.

277. "After the doings of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelt, shall you not do" (Vayikra 18:3). Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion saying, "That men may declare the name of Hashem in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem" (Tehilim 102:22). From there, we learned that the Holy Name is both concealed and revealed. THE CONCEALED IS YUD HEI VAV HEI AND THE REVEALED IS ADONAI. The Torah, which is the Holy Name on high OF ZEIR ANPIN, is concealed and revealed. Every verse in the Torah, every portion of Torah is concealed and revealed, MEANING THERE IS A LITERAL EXPLANATION AND ITS MYSTERY.

288. Rabbi Aba said: This portion is tied to esoteric wisdom of the Torah. It is all concealed yet revealed, MEANING THERE IS IN IT ESOTERIC AND LITERAL EXPLANATIONS. The entire Torah is similar this way, IN HIDDEN SUBLIME MEANINGS AND THE LITERAL EXPLANATIONS. There is not a matter of Torah in which the Holy subliminal Name is not impressed, which is both concealed and revealed. The concealed matters of Torah are bequeathed to the highly saintly ones and THE REVEALED MATTERS are revealed to the rest of the people. In relation to this, it is written, "That men may declare the name of Hashem in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem" (Tehilim 102:22). "In Zion" refers to the Temple, where it is permitted to pronounce the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, in the proper fashion. However, outside THE TEMPLE, only the appelation can be mentioned, NAMELY ADONAI, BUT NOT THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN. Everything is concealed and yet revealed, AS THE NAME, YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH ONE IS FORBIDDEN TO MENTION, IS CONCEALED, BUT THE NAME ADONAI WHICH WE MENTION IS REVEALED. ALL MATTERS ARE IN THIS WAY. We have learned that anyone who deducts one letter from the Torah or adds one letter is like one who is false to the supernal Holy Name of the King.

328. Rabbi Shimon clasped his hands and wept. He cried: Woe if I do speak and reveal the secret, woe if I do not and the friends lose THIS matter. Ah Hashem Elohim! Will You make a full end of the remnant of Yisrael?" (Yechezkel 11:13). What is meant by "Ah" and what is meant by "Will You make a full end?" HE ANSWERS: The secret of the matter is, that when the lower Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is expelled from the chamber of the King, the other upper Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, DENOTING BINAH, withholds the blessings for its sake. Then is written, "Ah (Aleph Hei Hei)...Will You make a full end," BECAUSE THE IMPAIRMENT REACHES BOTH HEIS OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, BINAH AND MALCHUT, because when THE LOWER HEI IS WITHHELD from receiving blessings, the other UPPER Hei withholds BLESSINGS from all, NOT SPREADING EVEN TO ZEIR ANPIN. What is the reason? It is because blessings are to be found only where there are Male and a Female, AND SINCE MALCHUT IS EXPELLED FROM ZEIR ANPIN, THERE ARE NO BLESSINGS IN ZEIR ANPIN BECAUSE OF HIS BEING WITHOUT THE FEMALE.

332. He said to him: When things depend upon repentance and people do not repent, the sublime Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, BEING BINAH, takes and attracts the Vav and the Yud to itself, as they are not repenting. It then BECOMES A COMBINATION OF HEI-VAV-YUD called Hoy, MEANING Hoy (lit. 'ah'), when the King, ZEIR ANPIN, departs higher and higher TO BINAH. People cry but no one pays attention. SOMETIMES, that supernal concealed NAME, EHEYEH, DENOTING KETER, raises the Vav, ZEIR ANPIN, and the Yud, BEING THE HEAD OF YESOD, to itself, because one's prayer is not accepted, AND IT BECOMES THE COMBINATION OY (ALEPH VAV YUD). Then it is called Oy, as the Aleph THAT IS EHEYEH brings up to it the Vav and the Yud. Then repentance is not available, so the Hei departs from these letters, as it is no longer dependent on repentance, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF BINAH CALLED HEI.

335. Then the Vav and Yud draw one towards the other. THE YUD, BEING THE HEAD OF YESOD, IS DRAWN TO THE VAV, ZEIR ANPIN, AND SEPARATES FROM MALCHUT. The upper Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, BEING BINAH, pours its sources to the Other Side, and no blessings abound, because no Male and Female are present, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, and they do not dwell together. Then "He shall mightily roar because of His habitation" (Yirmeyah 25:30), MALCHUT. Rabbi Shimon wept and Rabbi Elazar wept. Rabbi Elazar said: There is a lament placed in my heart on one side and a joy in my heart on the other, as I have heard words that I never heard until now. How blessed is my lot.

336. "The nakedness of your father's wife shall you not uncover" (Vayikra 18:8). HE QUESTIONS: Who is your father's wife? Rabbi Shimon said: We learned that all the words of the Torah are concealed yet revealed, just as the Holy Name is concealed yet revealed. IT IS WRITTEN YUD HEI VAV HEI AND READ ADONAI. The Torah, which is the Holy Name, is also concealed and revealed. Here IN THIS VERSE, all is openly manifest, MEANING ACCORDING TO THE LITERAL MEANING THE VERSE IS SPEAKING ABOUT THE WIFE OF THE FATHER. BUT THERE IS IN IT concealed knowledge, as we have established.

371. We have learned that the upper Hei, BINAH, became pregnant lovingly and fondly, for the Yud, CHOCHMAH, never parts from it (her). She conceived and delivered Vav, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF VAV IN THE HEI. Afterwards, it stands before her, MEANING THE VAV THAT IS AFTER THE YUD HEI IN THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, and she nurses it. This Vav when departing FROM BINAH, its pair MALCHUT comes out with it, Chesed rouses itself towards him, ZEIR ANPIN, separates them ONE FROM THE OTHER, and stems shoot forth from bottom to top. The branches spread, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, and grow. The lower Hei is formed. Its branches grow higher and higher until MALCHUT pairs with the supernal tree, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, and Vav then joins, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, with the Hei, DENOTING MALCHUT, AS SAID EARLIER. Who brought this about? "It is a disgraceful (Heb. 'chesed') deed." Chesed certainly joins them together.

385. The Hei OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, BEING BINAH, is included in the Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. It emerges from it, AS BINAH EMANATES FROM CHOCHMAH. Then CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, WHICH ARE YUD HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI crown the Patriarchs, MEANING CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB. The Hei is opened with its streams, MEANING WITH THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH IN IT, and crowns the head of the Vav, MEANING IT SUPPLIES THE FIRST THREE SFIROT TO ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, where the Patriarchs dwell. THIS MEANS THAT THE PATRIARCHS, CHESED, supernal GVURAH AND TIFERET, RISE AND BECOME HEAD - MEANING CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND DA'AT - THROUGH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH.

386. HE SAYS: Vav consists of six letters, MEANING IT IS MADE UP OF SIX LETTERS FROM ALEPH TO VAV THAT PRECEDE IT. The Yud includes them all, AS THE YUD CONTAINS ALL NINE LETTERS THAT PRECEDE IT, AMONG WHICH IS THE VAV AND THE SIX LETTERS INCLUDED THEREIN. THIS IS THE YUD THAT IS ABOVE THE VAV, AS MENTIONED. This Yud is engraved with marks, MEANING WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE NINE LETTERS THAT PRECEDE IT, and ascends TO THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, THAT INCLUDES ALL 22 LETTERS to be crowned with the twelve other letters FROM YUD TO TAV. THEN IT IS ALSO PART OF THE 22 LETTERS LIKE THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. THEN ten engraved sayings, MEANING TEN SFIROT, come out of it, and all of the paths of the supernal most precious way. Then the other Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, MALCHUT, contains them all, MEANING, IT RECEIVES FROM ALL LIGHTS AS MENTIONED, carved from the part of the concealed peg, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, to give birth below, MEANING TO BE WORTHY TO BEAR SOULS.

389. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar: Come and see that these 22 letters engraved in the Torah are all explained in the ten sayings, THE TEN SFIROT - KETER, CHOCHMAH, BINAH, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. Each and every saying of these ten, the Sfirot of the King, are engraved by certain letters, IN AS MUCH AS THE LETTERS ARE THE SECRET OF THE VESSELS OF THE SFIROT AND EACH SFIRAH HAS ITS OWN SPECIAL VESSELS. For this reason, the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, is enveloped with other letters, MEANING WITH ADONAI, AS THE VESSELS OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, ARE CLOTHED AND ENVELOPED WITH THE VESSELS OF MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF ADONAI. Each saying lends letters to the saying above it, as one is included in the other. Therefore, we pronounce the Holy Name YUD HEI VAV HEI with the other letters OF ADONAI, as they are covered AND DRESSED one with the other until they are connected together.

396. We have learned that Rabbi Yosi said: It is written, "I am Hashem" (Vayikra 18:30), MEANING I am Hashem, who will give good reward for the righteous in the World to Come. I am Hashem who will take revenge upon the wicked in the World to Come, MEANING upon those about whom it is written, "That have rebelled against Me" (Yeshayah 66:24). HE QUESTIONS: It is written, "I am Hashem," WHICH POINTS TO THE QUALITY OF MERCY and it is written, "I kill, and I make alive" (Devarim 32:39), WHICH POINTS TO THE QUALITY OF JUDGMENT. HE ANSWERS: Even though I have the quality of Mercy, the evildoers convert Me to the quality of Judgment. We have learned that Yud Hei Vav Hei Elohim is a full name. YUD HEI VAV HEI STANDS FOR MERCY AND ELOHIM FOR JUDGMENT, MEANING if they merit it, then it is Yud Hei Vav Hei. If they do not merit, it is Elohim. Rabbi Shimon said, The evildoers cause a defect above. What is the defect? It is, as we established, a real defect as explained EARLIER.