The secret of the letters of the Holy Name

8. The first secret is Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS the first point, NAMELY CHOCHMAH, which stands upon nine pillars that support it. They are stationed to the four directions of the world: SOUTH, NORTH, EAST AND WEST, WHICH ARE THE THREE COLUMNS AND MALCHUT. Similarly, the end of thought, the last point, WHICH IS MALCHUT, stands to the four directions of the world, WHICH ARE SOUTH, NORTH, EAST AND WEST, THE THREE COLUMNS AND MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES THEM. THEY ARE ALL EQUAL, ONE TO THE OTHER, except THAT THE UPPER POINT, WHICH IS YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, is male, and THE LAST POINT, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is female.

9. This YUD, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, has no body. When it is clothed by them, it stands on nine pillars, WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA'AT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, according to the secret of the letter final Mem, without a circle. Even though the letter Samech is round and shaped like a circle, YUD IS THE SECRET OF SAMECH, AND FIRST HEI IS THE SECRET OF FINAL MEM. According to the secret of the letters that are engraved with dots, MEANING THOSE LETTERS THAT ALLUDE TO THE ASPECT OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED 'DOTS', IT IS CONSIDERED that the supernal lights are a quadrangle and those of below are circular.

10. This square has the amount of three points, three to each side. They amount to the number of eight points, which are nine POINTS. AND HE ELABORATES: And these exist by AND COME FROM the secret of the luminary quadrupled, NAMELY FINAL MEM with nine pillars for the letter Yud, WHICH IS one OF THEIR points - NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD are nine. Yet they are eight by means of the quadrupled letter final Mem, three to each side WHEN YOU DO NOT COUNT THE YUD ITSELF, MEANING BINAH, DA'AT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD.

11. HE EXPLAINS FURTHER SAYING: And this is the secret. The letter Yud is one point (dot) and even though it is one point, its shape has a head above, WHICH IS THE UPPER TIP OF THE YUD, a tip below, AND THE DOT ITSELF. THEREFORE, it amounts to three points like the Hebrew dot Segol, IN THE SECRET OF RIGHT, LEFT AND CENTRAL, WHICH IS THE INNER MEANING OF THE THREE COLUMNS. Therefore, the expansion to four sides, three on each side, equals nine TOGETHER WITH THE YUD, and eight WITHOUT THE YUD ITSELF, AS EXPLAINED.

12. These EIGHT POINTS are pillars that stem from the secret of the luminary to support the letter Yud, and they are considered its Chariot. They are not called by name, just by the secret of the nine vowels in the Torah, WHICH ARE KAMATZ, PATACH, TZEREI, THE FIRST THREE SFIROT. SEGOL, SHVA AND CHOLAM ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. CHIRIK, KUBUTZ, SHURUK THAT ARE ALSO CALLED CHIRIK, SHURUK, MELAFUM, ARE NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, BECAUSE THE SFIROT OF CHOCHMAH ARE CALLED 'DOTS.'

13. In the secret of the Book of Adam, these nine that are eight divided into permutations of letters of the Holy Name. This is in order to combine and unite them in all these manners, because when these eight, which are nine, travel - MEANING WHEN THEY SHINE BY MEANS OF THE THREE COLUMNS, ONE AFTER THE OTHER - they shine with the illumination of the letter final Mem quadrupled, and extract eight lights that appear like nine. They divide below to carry the Tabernacle.

14. They are the permutation of the Holy Name by means of 72 engraved letters that stem from the secret of the three colors - right, left and central - WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. And they all come from the secret of the three points, which are the dimension of the letter Yud, NAMELY ITS TOP, MIDDLE AND END, AS MENTIONED, and it ILLUMINATES to four directions. They are eight points BESIDES CHOCHMAH and nine points INCLUDING CHOCHMAH, AS MENTIONED, FOR EACH OF THE THREE POINTS OF THE TOP, MIDDLE AND END OF THE YUD INCLUDES THE THREE. THEY ARE NINE, WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA'AT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. And they are twelve supernal points, three to every side. From here, they descend as twelve to the six extremities. When these twelve are engraved on the six extremities OF ZEIR ANPIN, they are 72 Names, BECAUSE SIX TIMES TWELVE EQUALS 72, for they are the secret of the Holy Name of Ayin-Bet (72). They are the Holy Name THAT EMANATES FROM THE TWELVE POINTS OF YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI.

15. And the wish comes to support thought, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, with the supports of the letter Yud, MEANING THAT THE PURPOSE OF ALL THE PERMUTATIONS OF THE NAME OF AYIN-BET (72) IS TO REVEAL THE CHOCHMAH THAT IS IN THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, THAT IS CALLED 'THOUGHT'. Therefore, the letters come permutated IN THE NAME OF AYIN-BET (72), three letters to each permutation, in order to gain favor with the letter Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI THAT CONTAINS three points - TOP, MIDDLE, AND END, as we have said. Therefore the permutation comes up only from the essence and root of the secret of the supports of the letter Yud, according to the secret of the letter final Mem quadrupled, AS MENTIONED. FOR THEY ARE THE THREE POINTS: TOP, MIDDLE AND END, WHICH ARE THE ESSENCE AND ROOT OF ALL THE SUPPORTS THAT EVOLVE FROM IT, WHICH ARE nine points, eight points, twelve points, 72 points. Thus the entire secret of the Holy Name is based on the letter Yud. It all pertains to the same secret, MEANING THE SECRET OF DRAWING CHOCHMAH, and exists by means of the luminary - WHICH IS BINAH OF ARICH ANPIN, THE KETER OF THIS YUD, WHICH IS ABA AND IMA, as we have said - to support every letter OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI. And the supports, THE NINE, THE EIGHT, THE TWELVE AND THE 72, MENTIONED ABOVE, are a Chariot to every letter OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, as we have said.

16. The second secret is the letter Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI that stands upon five pillars that support it, that emerge from the secret of luminary, WHICH IS BINAH OF ARICH ANPIN after it was gathered in and ascended above the secret of the curtain.

17. This letter is called 'the Holy Sanctuary' for the point that we mentioned, NAMELY THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. For everything is based on the secret we spoke of, that of the letter final Mem quadrupled. Here, THE LETTER FINAL MEM is not imprinted, but rather the letter Hei, BECAUSE HERE STARTS THE REVELATION, and its Chariot is the five pillars we mentioned.

18. HE EXPLAINS WHAT THE FIVE SUPPORTS ARE, SAYING when the light of the luminary illuminates the letter Yud, it is lit up. For from that illumination the luminary projected, these nine pillars that we said were made - WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA'AT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, THAT SPREAD FROM THE TOP, MIDDLE, AND END OF YUD, AS MENTIONED. AND THEN, from the illumination that lit the letter Yud, the three points of the Yud spread, two points up, which are at the top OF YUD, NAMELY, THE UPPER TIP AND THE BODY OF THE YUD, and one point down, which is the LOWER tip of the Yud, like THE HEBREW DOT SEGOL, as we explained. When two points expanded IN THE SECRET OF CHIRIK and they became three, the one, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, became two, and became one sanctuary. After the sanctuary became the first point, the secret of the letter Hei became concealed and hidden, and stands on other five.

19. There are four concealed together with one point between them in the middle. They are five, which is Hei. Just as the lower Hei, NAMELY MALCHUT, stands on four, NAMELY, ON THREE COLUMNS AND MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES THEM, and is a point over four - MEANING THAT MALCHUT HERSELF, WHICH IS A POINT, standing in their midst - here it is also like that. And as for its standing on five OTHER supports, NAMELY ON THE HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, it is certainly so, because this supernal point, THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, is of two aspects, one on its own and one concealed. THEREFORE, THERE ARE TWO HEI'S.

20. In the Book of Secrets of Enoch, HE SAYS, Hei certainly stands on five supports that stem from the luminary, WHICH IS BINAH OF ARICH ANPIN. Then THIS HEI produces five other pillars, WHICH ARE THE FIRST HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. So this Hei is of the secret of ten, NAMELY ITS OWN FIVE SUPPORTS AND FIVE SUPPORTS OF THE HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH TOGETHER ARE IN PLACE OF THE YUD. When HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI separates FROM THE HEI, AND RETURNS TO ITS PLACE, this Hei stands on FIVE supports; THE FOUR SUPPORTS ARE THE THREE COLUMNS AND MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES THEM, AND THE FIFTH IS THE SECRET OF THE POINT IN THEIR CENTER. AND THE FOUR SUPPORTS ARE INCLUDED WITHIN EACH OTHER IN SUCH A WAY THAT THERE ARE THREE COLUMNS IN EACH OF THE FOUR SUPPORTS, WHICH ARE TWELVE. They are the thirteen Attributes of Mercy together with one level added to them, NAMELY, THE POINT IN THE CENTER OF THE FOUR SUPPORTS.

21. These twelve pillars are in the six. Sometimes they are considered AS THE NAME OF Mem Bet (42), and sometimes Ayin Bet (72), but THIS IS when they go down - here, FROM THE 72, paths extend in all directions, namely 32 PATHS OF CHOCHMAH. WHEN YOU SUBTRACT 32 FROM 72, 40 remains, which together with the two ears to the right and left equal 42, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE NAME OF MEM BET. These are the 42 supernal large letters in the Torah.

22. There are large letters and small letters. Large letters are above IN BINAH, and small letters are below IN MALCHUT. Everything below, IN MALCHUT, is in the likeness of above, IN BINAH, because there are holy, supernal names IN BINAH that are drawn only by a willing of the spirit and heart, without any speech at all. And there are lower Holy Names IN MALCHUT that are drawn by speech, and with directing thought and will towards them.

23. There are other names below, which are of the Other Side, which is the Side of Impurity. These are drawn only by the willingness in an action below to raise to them that wish contained in the action below. For the Impure Side AWAKENS only through actions in this world, to be defiled through them, such as Bilaam and the people of the east countries and all those who are occupied with that Other Side, WHO AWAKENED IT BY PERFORMING ACTIONS BELOW TO AWAKEN IT.

24. Those THAT ARE OF THE OTHER SIDE are not based on any of the imprinted letters of the 22 letters of the Torah except for two, which are Chet and Kuf. FOR THE KLIPAH OF YESOD IS CALLED 'CHET', WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE CHILDREN OF CHET WHO NEGOTIATED WITH ABRAHAM ABOUT THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH, AND THE KLIPAH OF MALCHUT IS CALLED 'KUF'. They support THE OTHER SIDE with the support of THE THREE letters - Shin, Kuf, Resh (Heb. sheker, Eng. 'lie') - THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THEM, but CHET AND KUF frequent them even more. Therefore, in "A praise of David" (Tehilim 145), a Vav is written in THE MIDDLE OF EVERY SENTENCE of every letter AFTER THE CANTILLATION MARK ETNACHTA, FOR EACH SENTENCE BEGINS WITH A DIFFERENT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET, except for these two letters, CHET AND KUF. NAMELY, "HASHEM IS GRACIOUS (HEB. CHANUN), AND FULL OF COMPASSION; SLOW TO ANGER, AND OF ABUNDANT LOVE" (TEHILIM 145:8), which has no Vav, FOR IT IS NOT WRITTEN, 'AND SLOW TO ANGER AND OF ABUNDANT LOVE...' AND ALSO, "HASHEM IS NEAR (HEB. KAROV) TO ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM, TO ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM IN TRUTH" (IBID. 18), WHERE IT IS WRITTEN: 'AND TO ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM IN TRUTH.' The reason is that Vav (lit. 'and') is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, MEANING THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT UNITES RIGHT AND LEFT, AND THE OTHER SIDE HAS NO DESIRE FOR THE CENTRAL COLUMN. THEREFORE, SINCE THOSE LETTERS HAVE AN ATTACHMENT TO THE OTHER SIDE, THERE IS NO VAV (ENG. 'AND') IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SENTENCE IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE AN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OTHER SIDE.

25. HE RETURNS TO THE FIRST SUBJECT AND SAYS: Therefore, those 42 letters by which this world was created, together with this supernal Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI equal 92. THEY ARE THE FORTY REMAINING FROM ITS 72, WHICH, TOGETHER WITH THE TWO EARS, RIGHT AND LEFT, AS MENTIONED, ARE 42; EACH OF ITS FIVE SUPPORTS COMPRISED TEN, WHICH AMOUNT TO FIFTY. FIFTY PLUS 42 IS 92. They are ninety besides the two ears, right and left. This is the secret of: "And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, give birth?" (Beresheet 17:17) BECAUSE SARAH ALLUDES TO IMA, THE UPPER HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. But it amounts to 92, THAT IS, WITH THE TWO EARS. When the grade of Covenant is added to them, WHICH IS YESOD, which is the eighth firmament, and rests on the eighth day - MEANING THAT CIRCUMCISION IS AT THE EIGHTH DAY - 92 AND EIGHT OF YESOD EQUAL one hundred. They are certainly the hundred blessings that the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, needs to be daily adorned with. This is all by means of Hei.

26. This Hei is shaped like two Nun's, which is the secret meaning of one hundred, MEANING THAT THE TWO HEI'S, EACH OF WHICH HAS TEN SUPPORTS, EACH COMPRISED OF TEN, AMOUNT TO ONE HUNDRED. ONE HEI IS five supports and Chariots that emerge from the luminary. THE SECOND HEI IS the other five supports that emerge from it, FROM THE FIRST HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. AND THE TEN SUPPORTS OF THE TWO HEI'S ARE THE TWO NUN'S. Therefore, their shapes are like two final Nun's with a dot in the middle. Therefore, there is always a Vav between them, thus: Nun Vav Nun, because here is where ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS VAV is crowned, MEANING IT RECEIVES THE MOCHIN OF THE THREE FIRST SFIROT. Even though there are other secrets to the Hei, they are among the secrets of the Book of Enoch, and it is certainly so.

27. When it is fixed only with fifty, it is in one dot that is based on the secret of the Nun, thus: Nun Vav Nun - MEANING IT IS SO HEARD ON PRONUNCIATION. FOR THE VAV IS a dot between them which dominates them, and it all pertains to one secret, AS MENTIONED. Blessed are they who know the ways of Torah, to go in the way of Truth. Blessed are they in this world and blessed are they in the World to Come.

28. The third secret is the letter Vav OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. This letter is the secret of the form of man, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN, FOR WITHIN HIM IS YUD HEI VAV HEI FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPHS, WHICH AMOUNTS TO THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF ADAM (MAN), NAMELY 45, as we have learned. We have established that this letter, WHICH IS VAV THAT ALLUDES TO ITS THREE EXTREMITIES, stands on twelve Chariots, THE TWELVE OF WHICH SHINE ON EVERY EXTREMITY IN THE VAV, AND TWELVE TIMES SIX EQUALS 72. When divided BY THREE, there are 24 Chariots, BECAUSE THREE TIMES 24 EQUALS 72. In this letter is included the expansion of the form of man, corresponding to the arms, WHICH ARE CHESED AND GVURAH, the legs, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD, and the torso, WHICH IS TIFERET AND YESOD. There are 24 limbs in the arms, 24 in the legs, AND 24 in the torso, as we have already learned, but they are all concealed in the torso, WHICH IS TIFERET, and the body stands in all THREE 24's. All 72 Chariots are included in the body and, because they are all included in it, the Vav expands once, MEANING ONE LINE THAT INCLUDES THEM ALL.

29. AND HE EXPLAINS: a body includes 24 Chariots. They are the head OF THE VAV with six CHARIOTS and the body OF THE VAV with eighteen CHARIOTS, AND SIX AND EIGHTEEN EQUALS 24. Even though in all there are twelve Chariots at each end OF THE SIX EXTREMITIES, AND SIX TIMES TWELVE IS 72 AND NOT 24, ASSUREDLY the body is in them all, but FROM THE ASPECT OF 24, MEANING WHEN WE CONSIDER THE BODY AS ONLY A THIRD OF 72, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, they are DEFINED AS six in the head, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, THAT ARE IN THE HEAD. They are limbs by which to carry the head - NAMELY, THE THREE FIRST SFIROT THAT ARE CALLED 'HEAD', AND 18 ARE the 18 vertebrae OF THE SPINAL CORD, upon which the head stands and by which the body is supported.

30. All ABOVE-MENTIONED 24 CHARIOTS expand in one in the head and body OF THE VAV. The sixty SFIROT are all included IN THE VAV, which is the secret of six SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, EACH INCLUDING TEN. Therefore, the measure of the letter Vav, the head OF THE VAV is actually six points, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD AND the body is eighteen. Similarly, all the secrets are explained as included in the torso, because the arms and legs, THAT ARE CHESED, GVURAH, NETZACH AND HOD, are hidden. Therefore, everything is included in the letter Vav and its form.

31. When the letter appears to perfection, NAMELY THE VAV, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, AS MENTIONED, all the Evil Sides are blocked and depart from the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and do not cover it. Because THE CENTRAL COLUMN cleaves through all the lintels in the firmament and illuminates on it, ON MALCHUT, the Inciter is unable to cause any harm. When it departs, NAMELY THE VAV THAT IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, the Inciter rises, incites and accuses and seduces, and can denounce all the people of the world because he is an old and foolish king, as we have already established.

32. The Vav OF YUD HEI VAV HEI is the light that illuminates the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Even though many lights are included IN THE VAV, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, the light that illuminates the moon is just one expansion that fills it. He, ZEIR ANPIN, is the secret of the Aleph, WHICH IS SHAPED AS A VAV IN BETWEEN TWO YUD'S TO ITS RIGHT AND LEFT, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT RECONCILES AND UNITES THE RIGHT AND LEFT. AND HE IS imprinted with all those secrets THAT ARE IN THE ALEPH. When he illuminates the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, he shines on it with the secret of the Vav, THE SHAPE OF WHICH IS ONE LINE, WHICH IS THE EXPANSION OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN ALONE.

33. In the Book of Adam, regarding the shape of the letters HE SAYS THAT THE SHAPE OF THE Vav is one point on top, WHICH ALLUDES TO THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, and five points below, WHICH ARE THE FIRST HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, THE SECRET OF FIVE POINTS, WHICH ARE FIVE SUPPORTS. Also the measure OF THE VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, is such, NAMELY, IT INCLUDES IN IT YUD-HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE SON OF YUD-HEI. Every point OF THE SIX POINTS THAT ARE IN IT is based on the secret of ten, for there is no point that is not completed to ten, for every point has nine supports and Chariots, WHICH ARE ITS TOP, MIDDLE, AND END, EACH COMPRISING THREE COLUMNS. THEY ARE THE THREE POINTS OF SEGOL. With the point itself it completes ten, for the point on the right has nine supports and Chariots and, with itself, it is ten. And so it is with the point on the left and so on all sides. Therefore, all the points comprise ten each, it and its Chariots. They are part of the expansion of the letter Vav. Therefore, everything has the shape of the letter Vav, NAMELY, IT HAS THE FORM OF ONE POINT ABOVE AND FIVE POINTS.

34. When the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, entered the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, an expansion emerges from this Vav, which is the secret of the Covenant, NAMELY YESOD, which is in the likeness of Gimel. Its purpose is to come into the Nukva, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and when all this is included in this expansion of the letter Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, then it is ready to mate with the Nukva. This is the secret of the scripture: "And take you to you Aaron your brother" (Shemot 28:1), who came to include the RIGHT arm, WHICH IS CHESED THAT IS CALLED 'AARON', with the torso, WHICH IS MOSES. "And his sons with him" (Ibid.), refers to his Chariots and supports. The left arm is included IN MOSES, WHO IS A CHARIOT TO ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS VAV, as it is written: "Take the Levites" (Bemidbar 3:45), THE LEVITES BEING THE LEFT ARM, WHICH IS GVURAH. So the Vav THAT IS MOSES includes everything in one expansion so as to be one.

35. Therefore, there is unity in this VAV - in the right, left and center - FOR THE CENTER IS MOSES AND THE RIGHT IS AARON AND THE LEFT ARE THE LEVITES, and it is all one. Therefore, a single expansion is formed, which is called 'one' and there is only one expansion IN THE VAV, NAMELY, ONE LINE. This is THE SECRET MEANING OF one.

36. The last Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS MALCHUT, becomes a body in the central point. The Vav OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, enters it so the Vav is located between two points, one above, WHICH IS IMA, and one below, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Then the Upper World, WHICH IS BINAH, unites with the Lower World, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and they become one, as we have established. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba came and kissed the hands OF RABBI SHIMON. Rabbi Aba wept and said: Woe to the world when the sun will set, THAT IS, RABBI SHIMON, and the world will become dark.

37. Rabbi Elazar said: How do we know that the legs below, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD, that pertain to the secret of the letter Vav, WHICH IS TIFERET, are included in the letter Vav? He said to him: It is written: "Remember the Torah of Moses my servant" (Malachi 3:22). It is not written, 'my prophet' to show that everything is included in the Vav, WHICH IS TIFERET, AND PROPHETS, THE SECRET OF NETZACH AND HOD, ARE INCLUDED IN MOSES, WHO IS TIFERET. THEREFORE, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO WRITE 'MOSES MY PROPHET'. The letter VAV is considered 'one'; it is but one and one expansion, as explained.