The Fourth Commandment

208. The fourth Mitzva isto know that HaVaYaH (the Creator) is Elokim (Lord), as it is written: KNOW THIS DAY AND LAY IT IN YOUR HEART THAT HaVaYaH–CREATOR IS ELOKIM – LORD. That is, the name Elokim is included in the name of the HaVaYaH, and there is no distinction between them.

HaVaYaH is ZA, and Elokim is Nukva de ZA. It is essential to unite ZA with Nukva by making their properties similar, so there is no distinction between them. Thus, the name Elokim of Nukva will be included in the name HaVaYaH of ZA,so that Nukva herself will become as HaVaYaH.

This union signifies the reception of Ohr Hochma(GAR) in ZON, for the union implied by the words HEAR, O ISRAEL is the reception of the Light of VAK from AVI in ZON. The unity in question here is the reception from AVI in ZON of the Light of GAR(Hochma). One can never receive an entire degree in one go: first VAK is received, and only then GAR.

209. Hence, it is written, “Let the stars in Heaven shine upon the earth.” This means that both names, HaVaYaH and ELOKIM, are as one. This way, Malchut (Elokim) should merge with the name HaVaYaH (ZA). The black Light (Malchut) with the white Light (ZA), as one, without distinction. The white cloud by day (ZA) with the pillar of fire by night (Malchut); the property of day (ZA) merged with the property of night ( Malchut), so they shine as one star.

Nukva is called “a small star.” Initially, there were two stars, ZA and Malchut, and both were the same size. But the moon (Malchut) complained that two stars cannot use one crown (source of Light). The Creator reply to Malchut was, “Go and diminish yourself” (Talmud, Hulin, 60:2).

As a result, the nine lower Sefirot of Malchut descended below the Parsa to the world of Beria, and only one Sefira, Keter de Malchut, remained in the world of Atzilut. The task of the righteous is to elevate the nine lower Sefirot of Malchut from the world of Beria to the level of ZA, to correct her distinction from ZA, i.e., to grow and make her equal to ZA once more,so she will make a Zivug with ZA face to face. Thus, they shall correct the detachment of Malchut from ZA that was born of the moon’s complaint.

The moon complained because it was unable to receive the Light directly from Ima, but only via ZA. Hence, the Creator gave it His advice: diminish yourself to a point (the Sefira Keter) and lower the nine Sefirot from Hochma to Malchut below the Parsa. Then, through the unity of “Hear, O Israel,” rebuild Malchut in VAK, in the lower unity of “Blessed be His great name for ever and ever,” for the power of judgment within it corrects the letter Dalet in the word Echad,turning the DRY LAND into the fruit-yielding EARTH.

Therefore, the now black point of Malchut that caused its fall became as important as Light, for it is precisely the strictness of judgment that builds the letter Dalet in the word Echad and makes it fruit-bearing. And if Malchut had not had this power of judgment, the letter Dalet in the word Echad (Tvuna) would have remained DRY LAND. Hence, when the Light spreads inside her, the power of judgment and restriction becomes more important than Light itself, for it becomes the cause, the source of the Light of VAK, Ohr Hassadim.

Thus, it is now possible to receive Ohr Hochma in VAK de Malchut, while elevating ZON to AVI. For now, just like ZA, Nukva can unite with AVI in her properties. This was the basis of her previous complaint, for the Light-restricting power within her turned into the cause of the Light’s diffusion. Hence, ZA and Malchut are considered a single whole: each of them constitutes the source of Light for the other, whereas previously, Malchut was completely dependent on ZA, and therefore felt humiliated.

As a result of the union between ZA and Nukva in AVI, ZA connects to Aba, and Nukva to Ima. ZA turns into white clouds in the daylight and Nukva turns into a pillar of fire in the Light of night, i.e., the properties of day and night merge into one property, as it is written: AND THERE WAS EVENING AND THERE WAS MORNING, ONE DAY. Together they illuminate the earth and those who inhabit Nukva in the worlds of BYA.

210. This is the sin of the primeval serpent that unites below but separates Above; hence, it caused what it caused to the world. What should be united Above, should be separated below. The black light, which is Malchut, should be united Above with ZA into a single whole and then separate it from the “evil side.”

The union and fulfillment of ZON with Ohr Hochma occurs only when they ascend to AVI, above Chazeh de AA, where ZA merges with Aba and Nukva merges with Ima. As a result, they unite, and ZA passes Ohr Hochma to Malchut. However, in the permanent place of ZON, below Chazeh de AA, they cannot form a union and allow Nukva to receive Ohr Hochma.

This is exactly what provoked Adam’s sin and allowed the Serpent to bring death into the world (cause the disappearance of Ohr Hochma from Malchut), by compelling Adam and Chava (Eve) to make a Zivug (union) in the permanent place of ZON, below Chazeh de AA. As a result, the Upper Zivug stopped in AVI, as ZA started passing Ohr Hochma from AVI down to Malchut.

Thus, all the parts (souls) of Malchut existing in the world stopped receiving Ohr Hochma from AVI.This is regarded as death, for as soon as the impure forces approach ZON to draw their Ohr Hochma, AVI immediately terminate their Zivug for the sake of ZON, to prevent the impure force from clinging to ZON. And as soon as Ohr Hochma departs from ZON, the impure force leaves them at once, for it approaches ZON with the sole purpose of feeding on Ohr Hochma.

However, after being in Ima and receiving Ohr Hochma, Malchut descends to her permanent place and passes this Light to the souls of the righteous, called the “inhabitants of Malchut.” She unites with them via equivalence of their properties, for in the absence of unity with ZA below, Malchut draws far from the evil side and the impure forces cannot receive from her.

211. Nevertheless, one should know that Elokim and HaVaYaH are one, without distinction. HaVaYaH is Elokim. If man knows that all is one and does not cause any separation, then even the opposite, impure forces disappear from the world, instead of descending below.

Although there is fear that a Zivug will occur in ZON in their place below, this is no cause to stop aspiring for a Zivug Above, in AVI. Moreover, one must attain that HaVaYaH is Elokim,which is achieved by uniting ZA with Nukva. And if man raises his MAN, thereby causing ZON to ascend to AVI and unite there, the impure forces are completely rejected by the Light, weaken and finally disappear from the world.

212. The secret behind the word Me’orot, which consists of the words Mavet (death) and Ohr (light), is that the impure forces follow knowledge, understanding, and thought. And this is Light, which is the opposite from death – Mavet, for the Light ( Ohr) is inside death – Mavet (spelled as Me’ot) in the word ME’ohrOT. This alludes to the fact that Light separates death, but when Light disappears, the letters unite and form the word “death.”

The impure forces follow reason (knowledge, understanding, and thought). Reason signifies “Light,” and the impure force is “death,” where Light connects the letters, while death separates them.

Here is the explanation of this: the power of restriction in Malchut is the source of the emergence of the impure forces. Because ZON united with AVI so as to receive the Light of VAK and GAR, the power of restriction in Malchut turned into Light by receiving the Light of VAK in the union below. Then, it ascended to AVI once more, and Malchut merged with ZA at the degree of AVI.

This union Above is designated by the word Me’orot = Ohr + Mavet. As a result of the Light of VAK and GAR descending to Nukva in the union with ZA at the level of AVI,the power of restriction in Malchut turns into Light, and all the impure forces that were created by this restriction disappear, for their root turns to Light. Consequently, the letters of the word Mavet of the impure forces disappear, and the words Me’ohrot Ohr appear instead.

213. Chava started with these letters, and brought evil into the world. As it is written, the woman SAW that it was good to bring the letters of the word Me’ohrot back. From there she took the letters Vav- Tav- Reish- Aleph, leaving only the letters Mem and Vav. And they took with them the letter Tav, thus forming the word Mem-Vav-Tav (Mavet – death). And they brought death into the world.

Thanks to the unity of the letters in the word Me’ohrot,designating the reception of Ohr Hochma in ZON, in the unity of ZON Above, the received Light separates the letters of Mavet in AVI, for it shines within them and forms a new combination of the letters Me’ohrot. And if ZON make a union below, at their permanent place, the Light disappears from the combination of letters Me’ohrot, and the word Mavet (death) remains.

“AND THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD” (Beresheet, 3:6). The Hebrew equivalent for the words “and saw” is Vetir’e = Vav- Tav- Reish- Aleph. These are the letters that depart from the word Me’ohrot (stars), leaving only Mem- Vav. They attach the letter Tav(Nukva of the impure forces) and form the word Mavet – the name for Klipot.

Chava drew these letters from the word Me’ohrot,meaning she followed the serpent’s advice to unite ZON at their place below. In doing so, she violated the holy union of the letters in the word Me’ohrot, for the union of ZON below immediately causes the separation of AVI and the word Me’ohrot into Ohr (Light) and Mavet (death).

The impure forces, called “death,” contain a male part, called “Sam,” and a female part, called “Lilit.” The letter Memis the male part of the word MaveT, called “Sam,” and the letter Tav is its female part, called “Lilit.” Thus, there was a Zivug between the male and female parts, the letters Mem, Tav and Yesod (Vav), forming the word MaVeT, as the name of the impure force.

This signifies the appearance of the serpent before Chava, and the transference of impurity from it to her. As she followed its advice, the letter Tav entered her, splitting the word Ohr (Light) and combining the letters into the word Vetir’e (AND SAW). Then, the male part of the impure force (Mem-Vav) appeared and made a Zivug with Tav, which was already present in Chava; thus, death (MaVeT) appeared in the world.

214. And look: saidRabbi Elazar: “My father, I have learned that after Chava had removed the letters VeTiR’E from the word Me’ohrot, the letters Mem and Vav did not remain. Only the letter Mem remained, for the letter Vav, which is the letter of life, turned into death. This occurred because it attached the letter Tav to itself, thus forming the word MaVeT.” He replied: “Blessed are you, my son!”

Rabbi Elazar answered that the letter Mem remained alone, without the letter Vav, for Vav designates Yesod, whereas Sam (the male part of the impure forces) lacks Yesod;hence, it is written that it is unable to procreate offspring, akin to a castrated man. The letter Vav designates Yesod, the place of a Zivug, the union of the male and female parts of ZON. The letter Vav always designates life, Yesod of the pure forces, whose Zivug bears fruit, for it is made on the screen that stands in Yesod.

Here, the pure letter Vav became impure and turned into Yesod of the impure force, MaVeT. After Vav received from Yesod of the pure forces, it unitedin a Zivug with Tav, and the word MaVeT was formed. This was precisely the sin of Adam, which defiled the pure Vav.