190. What is the meaning of the verse: "And he believed in Hashem; and he counted it (her) to him for righteousness" (Beresheet 15:6)? Is the meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, counted it for Abraham for righteousness? Or Abraham to the Holy One, blessed be He? My mind was not quiet about it. He told him: That is the way we explained it yet it was not so. Come and see: It says "counted her." It is not written: 'counted it,' but rather "counted her," WITH A FEMININE SUFFIX, INDICATING that definitely Abraham considered it for the Holy One, blessed be He. Since we have learned that the verse: "And he brought him outside" (Ibid.) was explained that the Holy One, blessed be He, told him, 'Leave your astrology,' SINCE ABRAHAM WAS SEEING THROUGH HIS ASTROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS THAT HE WOULD NOT BEGET A CHILD. 'That is not the way to know my name. You see and I see. Abram will not beget BUT Abraham will beget. From here on, you will make an effort in a different way TO KNOW MY NAME,' since "so (Heb. coh) shall your seed be" (Ibid. 5). What is Coh? That is the tenth holy Sfirah of the King, to know his name. That is the Sfirah from which Judgments spring.

191. We have learned that "so (coh) shall your seed be" actually, THAT HIS CHILDREN WILL BE FROM THE ACTUAL MALCHUT AND IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE SFIRAH OF MALCHUT HE WOULD NOT HAVE CHILDREN. HEREBY, MALCHUT WAS TURNED INTO MERCY FOR HIM. At that moment, Abraham was happy to observe and to know his name and adhere to him, since he learned about Coh. Although Judgments got awakened from her, Abraham considered her to be a Sfirah, as if she was of Mercy although she was of Judgment - SINCE WITHOUT HER HE WOULD HAVE HAD NO CHILDREN. This is what is meant by: "He counted her" IN FEMININE FORM. What is meant by "he counted her?" It is that Sfirah, MALCHUT, HE COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS (HEB. TZ'DAKAH) which is Mercy, SINCE TZEDEK (ENG. 'RIGHTEOUSNESS,' (MASC.) IS JUDGMENT AND TZEDAKAH IS MERCY. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Coh is the last Sfirah, MALCHUT, and is called Tzedek - righteousness - and judgments flow out from her. Though Abraham knew that Judgments are inspired from her, from this Tzedek, he considered her as Tz'dakah, from which no Judgments emanate, because she was of Mercy.