Yichud HaYeeruh - Part 3: Peirush HaYichud

Yichud HaYeeruh

The Unification of Awe

Segment 4 of 4 · The Full Commentary on the Yichud · Sections Alef through Tes-Vov

Segment 4 · PDF pages 325b–334 · The Final and Deepest Section · ~2,500 source words

In the Mantua manuscript, the title of this section reads: "This is the commentary of the abridgment upon the Yichud." In the Columbia manuscript, the treatise begins here — followed by what appears above as the "Commentary on the Zohar Passage."1

ביאור אות א׳ — Commentary on Step Alef Yichud step: "Begin to set your heart to contemplate the Sublimity of the Ayn Sof..."

Why Awe of Sublimity Is Hard — and What the Yichud Demands

Behold — the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu is exalted above all the affairs of the lower [worlds], and is perfect in ultimate perfection — having no need of His creatures whatsoever. And whoever does not recognize Him in this way — is described as one whom He conceals Himself within the Sefiros. For everyone recognizes reward and punishment — but this Sublimity [romimus] is something that human beings do not stand upon in their thought.

And therefore yir'as haromimus [Awe of Sublimity] is hard to attain — for the essential [element] is the shame [boshes]: to see oneself as unworthy to stand before Him even to open one's mouth. And therefore you must set your mind upon the Unique Master [Adon Yachid] — Who is above all, Who governs every law [chok], Who is perfect in every perfection, Who alone governs by His will with no need and no compulsion whatsoever. And set your mind that He stands over you — that He is found in every place — and be ashamed before Him, until a heaviness rests upon your head, so that you have no forehead to lift your face.

And this is the secret of what is said in the Tikkunim, Tikkun 69 (fol. 116b): "And upon the supernal Yud it was said: 'For I know My Name' etc. — fortunate is the one who lowers it in his thought to its place."

The Keter, the Machshava [Thought], and the Garment of Thought

And the essence of the matter is what is expounded elsewhere2 regarding the nine Heichalos [palaces/chambers] — that there is above all:

Alef [א] — whose secret is יו"י [= Yud-Vov-Yud = 26 = the Name יהו"ה]

Afterwards — the Machshavah [Divine Thought] from which the chambers [Heichalos] emerge

Afterwards — the Sefiros, which are vessels

And behold — the Machshavah [Divine Thought] is the Chai HaChaim [Life of Life]. And all this matter depends upon knowledge of [the meaning of] avodah [divine service]. For certainly the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu is perfect from the outset in every perfection — yet despite this, He placed the matter of service in the secret of the Sefiros. And this is the secret of: "creating through partnership" [borei b'shutfa], mentioned there in the Tikkunim.3

For within the Sefiros He does not act as the Omnipotent [Kol Yachol] — rather on the contrary, through many kinds of laws that are required: that certain lights must join to create a particular creation. And they themselves do not always join in this way — rather they join when needed.

And you shall see: this is the secret of Speech [dibbur] — that which emerges from the Supernal Mouth — as is expounded in its place. For it is after [the level of] Thought, and it is impossible to speak without a joining of letters. And the matter is: every word is a joining of many lights that combine to act. And for example, the word בּוֹרֵא [Creator] itself4 indicates the arrangement of those Sefiros in that manner: first Imma [Binah = ב] illuminates particularly in the separated [ones], since all extension comes from her — that is, Imma nesting in the Throne [Kursiya]. Then Ze'ir Anpin [= ו] is aroused below her, and Abba [= ר = Chochma] above — to complete the matter. For Ze'ir Anpin draws through its rolling-circuit in the secret of its twelve permutations [yud-beis tzirufim] — for everything must pass through that circuit before receiving all that it needs. And Chochma is what rolls matters through them, in the secret of: "All was made with wisdom" [Tehillim 104:24]. Then Keter [= א] must agree [with the whole].

And this is the concept of the three keys not entrusted to an agent: the key of rain — for the drop [tipah] going from Yesod requires Keter to illuminate upon it. The key of birth — as the child emerges built from Nukva. The key of resurrection of the dead — for those are the sparks that return and ascend in the secret of mayin nukvin [feminine waters], refined through many refinements — and their matter is not completed except through the illumination of Keter. And likewise the literal resurrection of the dead — which is the building of the future world. And this is: everything that is a building requires at its conclusion that Keter agree — and the secret of: "and they brought the Tabernacle to Moshe" [Shemos 39:33] — for Moshe represents Keter at the head of all Israel.

And since every word of Speech indicates the joining of the letters — therefore it is impossible to invoke any word in relation to the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu — Who acts in Perfection, where there is no joining of forces, only the way of Omnipotence. And therefore, in the Sefiros — where action occurs through joining — avodah is applicable: to reveal those lights and establish them in the repair needed for action. But the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu Who acts in the way of Omnipotence — none of these things apply at all.

The Three Drops — and the Two Yuds in the Alef

And behold — the Supernal Thought emits three drops, which are the secret of the Yichud — to return all the affairs of the Sefiros to the Yichud. For in the end they all operate according to it, and all come to it to be completed by it — binding all the parts to each other, as: "and he placed his mouth upon his mouth" [Melachim II 4:34] etc. — and this is called the nearness of letters [krivus ha'osyos] in the secret of korban [offering]. But even this is not the way of Omnipotence — rather, the perfection of lights combining in a complete union to draw all the extension of the Sefiros.

And the three drops go to cleave every male with its female — and their general category is three women, as expounded in its place5 — in the secret of the feminine above: Kavod [honor], Knesses Yisrael [Assembly of Israel], and Kalas Moshe [the Bride of Moshe].6 Rachel in Atzilus alludes to all three. And the three mochin [brains] of Ze'ir Anpin send her three drops corresponding to these.

It is found then that this [the three drops] is made only to govern the matter of the operation of the Sefiros. But the Chai HaChaim stands to govern in the governance of Omnipotence — which requires none of these operations whatsoever. And there everything depends only upon Torah study.7 And this is the secret of: "This is the Torah — for the burnt offering, for the meal offering..." [Vayikra 7:37] — meaning: sacrifices are not needed [at this level]. For everything accomplished through the nearness of letters is accomplished through Torah at this root.

It is thus found: in the Sefiros one must repair the parts one by one. But for the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu — it is enough to lower Him to oversee, and automatically He does everything in Perfection. And understand this well.

And behold — the two Yudin [י] of the letter א [Alef] are both in Keter, as is expounded in its place.8 Nevertheless, the first is in the secret of the Supernal Yichud of the Ayn Sof from its own side; but the second goes with the Machshavah [Divine Thought] — for it emerged from the force of her striking, as expounded in its place. And this second does nothing except the secret of the three lights above — to complete the operation of the Sefiros. And if Adam had not sinned — the upper Yud would have illuminated: that which is the Yichud from its own side. And he would not have needed to do avodah [service] as now — rather it would be in a spiritual way, only through the secret of Torah. For he would have drawn the Supernal Yichud and matters would occur of themselves — and this is: "to work it and to guard it" [Bereishis 2:15] as said of him — for he was in the Garden of Eden where physical service was not applicable, rather like the souls [after death] whose entire service is nothing other than engagement with Torah — and even more restful, for he would have drawn everything from Perfection all at once.

And since he sinned — two corruptions occurred in one moment: first, the Chai HaChaim departed — for the power of the Pargod [Curtain] was darkened, and the upper Yud did not illuminate below with force — and in that [former] state of rest, he certainly could no longer strengthen. But additionally, he could not even [approach G-d] through the way of avodah, for he was not worthy of that. And this occurred because the garment upon the Machshavah — which is Binah [which is also a Machshavah, which is also a moach] — departed. And the truth: the end of Binah is the Mouth; but its beginning is moach — Thought, the garment of Thought — which is the garment that makes all matters of the Line [Kav] one thread, as expounded elsewhere.9 And in truth, upon this garment depend all the vessels — and this is the matter of the particular mochin in each configuration [Partzuf], which have already been explained10 as being the garments of the Equal Thread in all of them — the outer garments of the inner Thought. And upon them depends the entire essence of avodah in the matter of the Sefiros — for they are in the Thought — and through them descend the three drops that afterward go forth to Tzaddik.

And behold — these [garments] departed and did not clothe the Thought — from which the Chai HaChaim had already departed. And this is the removal of service from it — for it was not worthy of it. Until he did teshuvah [repentance] and the moach returned and was garmented — and all service returned — and it began to come little by little. And at first seven commandments remained to him [to Noach and his descendants] — until Israel came and received the entire Torah. And this is the meaning of the verse "and I feared because I was naked" [Bereishis 3:10] etc. — for in what I have told you, you will understand that entire matter.11

And I will tell you what the consequence of all this is in terms of governance. For when the Cause of all Causes withdrew — things remained in the laws of nature — for the Sefiros do not act in the dimension of Omnipotence. Rather on the contrary: through particular causes that must be produced in order to bring forth their consequences — for example: [water], which is the Supernal Waters that descend — which themselves become forces within the earth, gathering dimensions and parts from the earth, making them grasses and trees, as Adam was made earth from the ground, in the secret of "He gathered his dust." And this shows the secret of the Supernal Lights that bring forth consequences — but they themselves are composite, needing to be revealed, connected, and joined as their matter requires.

And people who conduct themselves thus — cleaving to the ways of nature and trusting entirely in their own effort — to work to repair the causes so that the actions emerge from them — therefore do not elevate their thought to understand His Blessed Sublimity. And in truth they are far from Him, for they are not even worthy to be mentioned before Him. But at the hour that they lift their thought toward Him — on the contrary: this is called His being revealed to them, which at first was concealed within the matter of the Sefiros — and this is the matter of: "fortunate is the one who lowers it in his thought to its place."

ביאור אות ב׳ — Commentary on Step Beis Yichud step: "Then intend that just as you focus upon His Sublimity, so too does He draw you near to illuminate for you... intend through the secret of the Supernal Crown to remove the darkness..."

And therefore set your mind upon this Sublimity — and intend that He reveal Himself in His awesome Sublimity to you, as He stands over all creatures. And then intend to illuminate the darkness that Adam's sin darkened — and intend to illuminate the supernal יו"ד of the א [Alef] — and be ashamed before Him, not to lift your face at all — and close your eyes in awe — and intend to draw upon yourself His transcendent radiance. And strengthen within your soul the trembling and the shame.

And behold — the Sages said: "Whoever transgresses a sin and is ashamed of it — he does not move from that place until he is forgiven" [Berachos 12b]. And it said "he does not move from that place" — meaning from the place he cleaves to at the moment of his shame. For that elevated Root oversees him for good — and does not leave him until He repairs him completely. And therefore the essence is: that you truly direct your heart to His great Sublimity — intending that He stands over you — and remember your sins — and be ashamed before Him — and then begin to intend in the Yichud.

Cf. Mesillas Yeshorim, ch. 19: "One must contemplate His Blessed Sublimity — that He is exalted and lofty beyond all blessing and praise, beyond all kinds of perfection that our mind can imagine or understand... all the more so in proportion to the sins that one has sinned from one's youth. For given all these, it is impossible that the heart should not tremble... and one says: 'I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to You, O my G-d.'"— Mesillas Yeshorim, Chasidus ch. 19 [parallel teaching]

ביאור אות ג׳–ד׳ — Commentary on Steps Gimel–Dalet Yichud steps: "Then intend that the Shechinah be aroused... all worlds rise to Malchus of Ayn Sof... then intend through the Name Adonai which is in Malchus..."

And this is: the Holy Shechinah is already prepared for this — to have the Cause of all Causes lower His Yichud into Her. And therefore intend that She now operates with great sovereignty — and intend that this is the secret of the Malchus [Sovereignty] of the Ayn Sof, through which the worlds were created.

And the matter: the Sefiros are themselves the forces of the Will — given to be known through prophetic vision.12 And this is so: just as the body is built from many parts and limbs, so too the soul is built from many forces. And just as the eye that can see the body — sees its parts and limbs — so too the eye that could see the soul — would see its forces. Therefore when the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu — the Supreme Will — permits prophetic vision to attain some attainment of it — behold: His forces [the Sefiros] are seen — and certainly not the Essence of the Possessor of the Will, for there is no applicability to seeing It at all.

And do not ask: that the Essence of the soul is the forces — for it is true that He and His Name are One, He and His Will are One. Rather even the Will together with Him is not revealed at all — only what is revealed from Him is revealed. For His Infinity is not revealed at all — that is the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu concealed from everything. Rather the forces that act in measure — those are what are revealed of Him. And even these — not in the ultimate of their character. Rather on the contrary: what is revealed of them is nothing other than the least possible power imaginable — which is the matter of their closeness and relevance to the created beings.

And therefore contemplate the measured forces — which are the ten Sefiros themselves included in the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu. And understand that what is seen and revealed of them is only what is applicable to be revealed to the lower [created beings] that were created from them — and this is called their Malchus [Sovereignty]. And it is like the Nukva of Ze'ir Anpin that completes it to ten. And the truth: it is the totality of all its Sefiros in the secret of the completion of all. So too here: what can be seen is only the secret of the Sovereignty of these Sefiros — and it is certainly from the Essence of His Blessed Will — only it is what can be seen by the lower ones.

It is found: the character of the Essence is not seen for itself — only what is in the power of the Essence to be seen. And this too is one of the forces of the soul — from the Essence of that soul. But understand well: this is not the Essence standing from its own side. And therefore the force itself that is revealed — reveals only the dimension of revelation that it has within its power to reveal. And understand this well.

Therefore I said: the Essence of the Possessor of the Will is not revealed at all — only the revelation of the Will is revealed. And this cannot even be said of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu in His Infinity — where there is no applicability of any revelation at all. And as is said below concerning the Nukva of Atzilus: "and they derive pleasure from the radiance of the Shechinah" — so too we can call all the Sefiros the radiance [Ziv] of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu. And in every place, Ziv [radiance] is the Sovereignty of that level whose radiance it is. And the Tzaddikim derive pleasure only from the radiance of the Shechinah — behold: distance upon distance. But we speak of the Sefiros in general, for they are the Ziv.

And when the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu is revealed to reign — all the Sefiros and their affairs will return to being accounted only as the Malchus of the Ayn Sof, as the Ayn Sof reigns. And this is what you intend through the secret of the Shechinah — through the secret of the Awe that shall rest upon you — She shall reign greatly because of the Yichud revealed in Her, until all levels are elevated to be accounted within Her as nothing other than the Malchus of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu. And see: the Shechinah in Her [regular] place is only Her small dimension — meaning Malchus after Ze'ir Anpin. But when the Yichud is revealed in Her — She grows and elevates to Her source — until She returns all the worlds to this dimension: to be accounted as only the Malchus of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu — and then is the time of the great and complete Tikkun, as I will explain with God's help.

ביאור אות ה׳ — Commentary on Step Hey Yichud step: "Then intend to illuminate the secret of the Torah..."

When you have intended this — you must intend through the secret of the Torah, about which it is said: "the Awe of God is pure, enduring forever" [Tehillim 19:10] — and תּוֹרָה [Torah] has the same numerical value as יִרְאָת [Awe-of] — both equal 611.13

And then intend to illuminate all the dimensions of the Torah — which are the extension of all the luminaries toward the dimension of avodah, in the secret of the return of evil to good. And then the Sefiros are found to spread according to the dimensions of the souls — specifically according to the matter of their service. And then it is found that the luminaries have a connection [shaychus] with human beings. And this is as expounded in its place14 — for all that we attain in the Sefiros is what goes according to the matter of Torah — and this is what is revealed to human beings, therefore they are connected to it.

And intend to make תָּאִיר [illuminate] in the secret of Torah — meaning: intend to include everything in the secret of the Name Baruch Hu — that is, "My Name" [שְׁמִי] with י"ה, and "My Memory" [זִכְרִי] with ו"ה — as is expounded in the Tikkunim.15 And this is the secret of the Torah in the secret of 613. And intend: that you will illuminate the נ"ר [Nefesh-Ruach candle] — for there are two more [above the 611] that are in the secret of נ"ר — Nefesh and Ruach — and they are "I am" [אָנֹכִי] and "You shall have no other" [לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ] — which are a light [ner] for the entire Torah — and this is 611 plus 2 = behold: 613.

ביאור אות ו׳ — Commentary on Step Vov Yichud step: "Then intend through the Name YHVH, and intend the Tishach [920] lights in Yesod... the two lights of Atik: Ehyeh Ehyeh..."

Then intend through the Name יהו"ה — and intend [regarding] the entire matter of the Tishach [920] — that is: the Chai [18] that is in Yesod, and the Chai HaChaim [Life of Life] descending through the two [Ehyeh Names] of Atik, as stated above16 — to make Awe through the secret of אהיה אשר אהיה את"י [Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Ati].

ביאור אות ז׳ — Commentary on Step Zayin Yichud step: "Then intend Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Adonai... Awe and Wisdom strike together... the Seal of the Extremities..."

And afterwards draw everything to the Name יהו"ה that is in Tif'eres — that is: include them in Chochma Stima'ah — and then the Awe and the Wisdom shall strike each other, and the Name יהו"ה shall emerge through the secret of Da'ah [clear intimate knowledge] — and there it is in readiness and potential. Afterwards this shall be in actuality in the Tif'eres of Ze'ir Anpin — and Awe shall make the vowel-points upon the Name — and then it shall be called Yiras Hashem etc.

ביאור אות ח׳ — Commentary on Step Ches Yichud step: "Then intend regarding the word 'to fear' in the verse — the vowel-points produce 611 lights... Anochi and Lo Yihyeh Lecha..."

And then intend to include there all the Torah through the secret of the Name Baruch Hu — that is: אָנֹכִי and לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ in the secret of י"ה and in the secret of ו"ה. And intend that these two [commandments] are [the templates of] positive commandments [mitzvos asei] and negative commandments [mitzvos lo ta'aseh]. And אָנֹכִי is י"ה and לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ is ו"ה. And afterwards they interchange: י"ה goes to complete the negative commandments, and ו"ה goes to complete the positive commandments — and 611 remain in the vowel-points. And all this is in the secret of Nefesh and Ruach — and the 611 are the Body [Guf].

And intend that there the souls of Israel are rooted in the secret of 613 — except that two rise up and become נ"ר [the Nefesh-Ruach candle] — and they are the Two Anointed Ones [Terin Mashichain], and their secret is Avraham and Yitzchak. And intend regarding the א"י of אדנ"י [the first two letters of Adonai] that are repaired through them — for their roshei teivos [acronym] is: Avraham Yitzchak. And now you have drawn for yourself a gateway-house [beis kenisah] to enter the Supernal Lights — for all the luminaries are included in this matter. And then the Shechinah becomes for you a gateway-house — giving you a connection [shaychus] to enter above.

ביאור אות ט׳–י׳ — Commentary on Steps Tes–Yud Yichud steps: "Intend that the 613 make 613 complete image-roots in Nukva... divide them in the secret of Shina'an... the word 'es' in the verse..."

Then intend that these 613 make 613 complete root-images [diyukna'os] in Nukva — within which the lower souls are included. And intend to divide these images across the four letters of the Name יהו"ה Baruch Hu that made them — and first intend that these images are in the secret of אד"ם [Adam] — that is, יו"ד ה"א וא"ו ה"א [the full spelling of the Name YHVH with alef = numerical value 45 = מ"ה] — and then they are all Adam. And this is the Adam who stands upon the Throne, whom they called "the King of all of them" — for this Name is in Ze'ir Anpin, in the secret of the root of the souls of Israel.

And your mnemonic: "What does the Lord your G-d ask of you — only to fear" [Devarim 10:12].

And then the 613 divide across the four letters — making four images in the secret of Shina'an [= numerically 501 = the word אֵת] — which are a chariot [merkavah] to that מ"ה we mentioned. And intend now in the secret of Yaakov — in whose secret these 613 are made — all of which are the secret of Adam. And first intend that Yaakov makes these 613 images — and intend: Yaakov from without, Moshe from within — and then they become Adam. But the essence is in the secret of Yaakov — and therefore they extend to the four images above. And about these it was said: "with Lavan I sojourned — and the 613 commandments I kept" [Rashi, Bereishis 32:5, citing Midrash] — for he [Yaakov] repaired these 613 commandments.

ביאור אות י"א — Commentary on Step Yud-Alef [This step is the one withheld from publication by the editors — its commentary is provided here]

Then intend to place your soul there within one of these images according to its root — and intend that now the soul begins to be aroused to rest upon the נ"ר [Nefesh-Ruach] we mentioned above. But this is not yet the completion, as will yet be said with God's help. And now intend to give settlement [yishuv] to your soul within the lights of the Shechinah — through the secret of the Yeshivos [receptacle-seats]. And intend now to bring down the Chaim [Life-force] through the secret of the Chai HaChaim — and the Tishach [920] are drawn downward through the secret of the Yeshivos — and this is the secret of: "Return in Awe of God" [Tikkunei Zohar, beginning of Tikkun 3].

ביאור אות י"ב — Commentary on Step Yud-Beis Yichud step: "Afterwards intend to make the houses of knowledge... the Chai HaChaim illuminates upon the Nefesh-Ruach... intend that the Name Moshe governs..."

Then intend that the houses be made from the dimension of Awe — in the secret of rosh beis [head of the house]. And then intend that the Chai HaChaim illuminates in settlement and clarity within the house — and matters are revealed to their core [al buryom]. And then intend that the soul shall reign and rest upon the נ"ר — and this is the Chai HaChaim — and it illuminates within the house — and all the embroideries [rikumim] shall blaze — and the knowledge-states shall be revealed as they ought, as above.

And then intend that מ"ה [= 45, the Name of Ze'ir Anpin] shall reign — which is the Adam who sits upon the Throne — and it is in the secret of Moshe. For they said: "Awe, in relation to Moshe, is a minor thing" [Berachos 33b] — for he is the one who governs here in the secret of: "in all My house he is faithful" [Bamidbar 12:7] — and he is the one who draws this light upon the נ"ר as is fitting.

ביאור אות י"ג — Commentary on Step Yud-Gimel Yichud step: "Include your Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah... intend two things: honor and awe... י"ה in honor, ו"ה in awe..."

And here include the נר"ן [Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah] — and intend great humility. And intend here two things: honor [kavod] and awe [moroh] — that is: intend that your deeds shall ascend to the repair of all levels because of the Light of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu that shall illuminate within you. And then He shall give you the power to perform a complete service — to make a complete repair. And then intend to repair all the letters of the Name Baruch Hu: י"ה in the secret of honor — that is: "honor your father and your mother" [Shemos 20:12] — and ו"ה in the secret of awe.

ביאור אות י"ד — Commentary on Step Yud-Dalet Yichud step: "Join them all together — make of everything one Alef — the Supernal Yichud — bind head, end, and middle — 'I am the first'..."

And join them together — and make of everything one א [Alef], one unity — in the secret of the Supernal Yichud. And this is יו"י [= Yud-Vov-Yud] which equals 26 [= the Name יהו"ה]. And then intend: יאהלוההי"ם [the interleaved Name of YHVH and Elokim] — the secret of the Completeness of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu — which completes all the affairs of the Sefiros. And when you intend through the secret of the א, or you intend the Supernal Yichud through the secret of יאהדונה"י [the interleaving of YHVH with Adonai] — namely: include head and end and middle through the secret of יו"י, in the secret of "I am the first" etc. [Yeshayahu 44:6]. And afterwards come from this to the middle dimension — through the secret of Name and Appellation [shem u'kinuy] — as mentioned in the Maamar HaRe'utin.17 Whatever reaches revelation at that moment.

ביאור אות ט"ו — Commentary on Step Tes-Vov (Final Step) Yichud step: "Combine the entire Torah through Ayt-Bash... draw Awe upon your face always... the vowel-points of this Name equal 46..."

And then intend יאהלוההי"ם — and this is in the secret of what I have already explained to you18 — how it is impossible for the entire matter of the Yichud to be revealed in a single moment. Rather each time, what is revealed, is revealed according to what is appropriate to that moment. And also intend in the א [Alef]: in its first יו"ד — and the יאהלוההי"ם is in the second יו"ד — the one that completes the affairs of the Sefiros, as said to you.

And all this intend through the Names as is fitting — in the secret of the verse "to fear the Name":

to fear — intend Awe in the secret of לְקוּק [the vowelization of Yeeruh upon the Name]

es [אֵת] — in the secret of Shina'an — corresponding to the numerical value of אֵת [= 401 = 400+1]

the Name — in the secret of Moshe

the Glorious — intend Honor — יוו"י [Yovoy]

the Awesome — intend Awe — רי"ו [= 216 = 3 × ע"ב]

And also intend א — רי"ו [216]

the Lord your G-d — יאהלוההי"ם

And with the second אֵת — intend Ayt-Bash [the letter-substitution cipher: alef↔tav, beis↔shin, etc.] — and intend to make a comprehensive permutation of the entire Torah — in this way of beginning and end combined together. And it shall illuminate upon your soul — and give you a great illumination. And this is the secret of Ayt-Bash — as the Sages expounded [Shabbos 104b]: "If you are ashamed — dwell and examine." And intend: "the Lord your G-d you shall fear" [Devarim 10:20].

And intend that through this Name the Awe shall illuminate upon your face always. And therefore intend this as an extension toward what is the [appropriate] time as above — in the secret of יאהלוההי"ם — and that is: "the Lord your G-d you shall fear."

And intend regarding אֵת — that its vowel-points add up to 46 [מ"ו] — like the vowelization of Awe [nikud yeeruh]. And concerning this secret of the vowelization it is written: "What does the Lord your G-d ask of you" — and [the Sages] said: do not read מַה [what = 45] but מֵאָה [one hundred]. And this equals one hundred — for מ"ם and וא"ו [= the spelled-out form of מ"ו] = 93 — plus 2 inclusive-counters = 95 — plus the 5 letters [of מֵאָה] = 100.

The Final Gematria — מ"ו becomes מֵאָה (100) מ"ו = 46 (the nikud of Awe) = the vowel-points of אֵת Spelled out: מ"ם(40+40=80) + וא"ו(6+1+6=13) = 93 + 2 inclusive = 95 + 5 letters of מֵאָה = 100 The Yichud completes in the number 100 — alluding to the 100 blessings one must say daily, and to the complete union of all the forces of Creation.

עד כאן — Until here.

Translator's Summary — Segment 4: Peirush HaYichud — The Full Commentary

Bi'ur Alef is the theological foundation of the entire work — the longest and most dense section. The Ramchal explains why the Yichud begins with contemplation of the Ayn Sof's Sublimity: because the primary obstacle to true Awe is precisely that human beings recognize reward and punishment but fail to grasp the Romimus — the Sublimity of the Ayn Sof above all the Sefiros. He then delivers a breathtaking teaching: there are two Yudin in the letter Alef (א). The upper Yud = the Supernal Yichud of the Ayn Sof from its own side — pure, unconditional, requiring no service. The lower Yud = the force of the Divine Thought that manages the Sefiros. Adam's sin was not merely moral — it darkened the upper Yud, and simultaneously withdrew the garment from the Divine Thought (= Binah's inner dimension = the Equal Thread = the Kav). Both removals happened simultaneously. The result: human beings now live under the lower Yud, requiring Torah and service to restore what was lost. The Yichud meditation is the path of restoration.

Bi'ur Beis connects the opening shame and trembling of step ב to the Talmudic principle (Berachos 12b) — that the place where one cleaves in shame is precisely the place from which the Elevated Root will not release him until he is repaired. Shame before the Ayn Sof is not merely a moral act — it is a kabbalistic anchor.

Bi'ur Gimel-Dalet provides the profound epistemology of the Sefiros: they are the forces of the Divine Will as they appear to prophetic vision — not the Essence, not even the full Will, but the least possible power that can be perceived. The Tzaddikim experience only the radiance of the Shechinah — not the Shechinah itself. Distance upon distance. Yet when the Yichud is revealed — the Shechinah rises to Her source and all worlds are accounted as nothing other than the Malchus of the Ayn Sof. This is the Great Tikkun.

Bi'ur Hey reveals the stunning gematria: Torah (תורה = 611) = the construct-Awe (יראת = 611). Torah and Awe are one. The 611 + 2 (the first two commandments heard directly from G-d) = 613 total. Steps ה–ח thus bring all 613 commandments into the Yichud through the structure of שְׁמִי/זִכְרִי (My Name/My Memory = יה/וה).

Bi'ur Ches explains the interchange: Anochi (אנכי = יה) and Lo Yihyeh Lecha (לא יהיה לך = וה) then swap — יה completes the negative commandments, וה completes the positive ones — leaving 611 in the vowel-points. The two Anointed Ones (תרין משיחין = Avraham and Yitzchak) rise above as the נ"ר (Nefesh-Ruach candle). Their acronym = the first two letters of Adonai (א"י = Avraham Yitzchak).

Bi'ur Tes-Yud connects the 613 diyukna'os (root-images) to the structure of Adam/Yaakov/Moshe — Yaakov from without (the general structure), Moshe from within (the animating light). The four images of Shina'an = the four letters of the Name = the four camps of Israel.

Bi'ur Yud-Alef through Yud-Gimel: The soul is inserted into its root-image (step יא); the Yeshivos are established and the Chai HaChaim illuminates (step יב); the Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah are included in Kavod and Moroh — honor and awe — corresponding to יה and וה (step יג).

Bi'ur Yud-Dalet through Tes-Vov: The supreme unification — everything drawn into the Alef (= יו"י = 26 = YHVH), then into יאהלוההי"ם (the interleaving of YHVH and Elokim = the complete union of Mercy and Judgment). The verse "to fear the Name the Glorious and Awesome" is decoded letter by letter — each word yielding its specific kabbalistic intentionality. The final gematria: the vowel-points of Awe = מ"ו = 46, which expands (when spelled out) to exactly 100 — the number of daily blessings, and the numerical signature of complete Divine unity in the world. עד כאן — Until here.

2 Adir BaMarom, p. 433.

3 Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 69, fol. 116b–117a.

4 As expounded in the Tikkunei Zohar there (fol. 117): ב = Imma (Binah); ו = Ze'ir Anpin; ר = Abba (Chochma); א = Keter.

5 See Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 69, fol. 109b; and "Sod Dimus Adam HaKelali" (Ginzei Ramchal, p. 263).

6 Knesses Yisrael = the totality of the separated ones that are bound in Malchus. Kalas Moshe = the extension from the Shechinah. See Ginzei Ramchal ibid.

7 Chai HaChaim depends only upon Torah study. See Derech Hashem, Part IV, ch. 2:2.

8 Adir BaMarom, p. 435.

9 Adir BaMarom, p. 440.

10 See Kelach [138] Pesachei Chochma, Pesach 29, Part 4.

11 See Adir BaMarom, p. 410. The "primordial light" mentioned there is the drop that goes to unify the entire Tree [of Sefiros] above, in the secret of Kavod.

12 See Kelach [138] Pesachei Chochma, Pesach 6, Part 1.

13 The value of תורה = ת(400)+ו(6)+ר(200)+ה(5) = 611. The value of ירא"ת = י(10)+ר(200)+א(1)+ת(400) = 611. This classic equivalence is the Ramchal's basis for the statement in the Tikkunim: "Awe is the treasury of Wisdom."

14 Adir BaMarom, p. 111; and Sefer Chen Gnizin, p. 265 (printed at the end of Tikkunim Chadashim).

15 The Tikkunim on the verse [Shemos 3:15]: "This is My Name לְעֹלָם — My Memory לְדֹר וָדֹר." Shem = שמי = י"ה; Zecher = זכרי = ו"ה.

16 As stated above — in the Commentary on the Zohar Passage — First Commandment (Segment 2).

17 The Maamar HaRe'utin — this bracketed reference is in the manuscript itself. This treatise is parallel (with variations) to the Peirush Arimat Yadai in Adir BaMarom — and was printed in Ginzei Ramchal, p. 246.

18 Adir BaMarom, p. 443.

— עַד כָּאן · UNTIL HERE · THE YICHUD HAYEERUH TRANSLATION IS COMPLETE — The Introduction will be written as a separate document once the full work has been reviewed.