453. Rabbi Shimon began by quoting: "Hear, Yisrael, Hashem our Elohim, Hashem is one" (Devarim 6:4). IT IS WRITTEN WITH a large letter Ayin IN THE WORD SH'MA (ENG. 'HEAR'), and so is the letter Dalet IN THE WORD ECHAD (ENG. 'ONE'). And these form the word 'ed (Ayin Dalet), a witness, as it is written: "Hashem is witness against you" (I Shmuel 12:5). AND FROM THE WORD SH'MA (SHIN MEM AYIN), the letters Shin Mem remain, the Mem being open. What is the reason that the Mem is not final? (namely the form of the same letter used when it is the last letter of a word.) WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MEDIAL OPEN MEM AND A FINAL MEM? It is that the final Mem is the upper king, NAMELY BINAH, while the medial Mem alludes to the lower king, NAMELY MALCHUT. AND THE LETTERS SHIN MEM OF THE WORD SH'MA ALLUDE TO MALCHUT. And the other letters OF ECHAD (ENG. 'ONE' - ALEPH CHET DALET) that remain are Aleph Chet. "It is the glory of Elohim to conceal a thing" (Mishlei 25:2), it is written.

454. I have found in the book of Rav Hamnuna Saba: Whoever makes this unification every day, rejoicing is prepared for him on high, in the secret of the letters Shin Mem OF THE WORD SH'MA (ENG. 'HEAR') at this side, THE BEGINNING OF THE VERSE, and Aleph Chet OF THE WORD ECHAD at that side, THE END OF THE VERSE. And he joins the letters and starts BY JOINING TOGETHER in reverse, NAMELY THE ALEPH OF THE ALEPH CHET (FROM ECHAD) AT THE END OF THE VERSE IS PLACED BEFORE THE SHIN OF THE SHIN MEM (FROM SH'MA) AT THE BEGINNING OF THE VERSE; and he ends straightforwardly, NAMELY THE MEM OF THE SH'MA FIRST, AND THEN THE CHET OF ECHAD. The four letters so arranged, Aleph Shin Mem Chet, MAKE THE WORD ESMACH, as in the verse: "I will rejoice (Heb. esmach) in Hashem" (Tehilim 104:34). And this is so literally, for it is the holy unity, ALLUDED TO IN THE LETTERS AYIN DALET (HEB. ED, ENG. 'WITNESS') FOR THE LETTERS OF THE TWO WORDS SH'MA AND ECHAD, WHEN REARRANGED AS ABOVE, FORM THE TWO WORDS ESMACH (ENG. 'I WILL REJOICE') ED (ENG. 'WITNESS') and this is only right. And thus is it in the Book of Enoch, who similarly said that whoever makes this unification each day, rejoicing from above is made ready for him.

455. Furthermore, LET US REFLECT UPON THE WORD SH'MA, FOR IT INCLUDES THE TWO LETTERS Shin Mem, together with the large Ayin. These are the Ayin (= seventy) names that are in the secret of the holy patriarchs, NAMELY THE 72 NAMES IN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET THAT ARE CALLED 'PATRIARCHS,' OF WHICH THERE ARE SEVENTY MAIN NAMES IN THE SECRET OF THE SEVENTY MEMBERS OF THE SANHEDRIN AND TWO WITNESSES. And this is the secret of Sh'ma: shem (Eng. 'name') Ayin (= seventy), WHERE SHEM IS MALCHUT THAT IS COMPOSED OF THE SEVENTY NAMES. "Yisrael, Hashem our Elohim, Hashem," are the four compartments of the Tefilin, WHICH ARE THE FOUR MOCHIN: CHOCHMAH, BINAH, THE RIGHT OF DA'AT AND THE LEFT THAT IS IN DA'AT, to which Aleph Chet (Heb. ach, Eng. 'brother') OF THE WORD ECHAD is attached. This refers to the one who said: "Open to me, my sister, my love" (Shir Hashirim 5:2), NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN. And the Dalet OF ECHAD is the knot of the HEAD Tefilin, WHICH IS THE SHAPE OF DALET, for MALCHUT is attached to them. And the secret was given to the sages, but not to be revealed. Rabbi Shimon fell silent. He cried, then laughed and said: I shall tell THE SECRET, for certainly the HEAVENLY Will is abiding, for there will be no generation such as this one until King Messiah comes, in which permission will be granted to reveal it.