The six combinations of Yud Hei Vav

Synopsis

When the living creatures and elements (fire, water, air and dust) are completed, they are called holy. We read about the six permutations of Yud Hei Vav and the tree, Tiferet, that connects them all, and the final Hei that completes each of them as a peace offering. The significance of the number eighteen is explained, and how the addition of Hei changes life (chai) to animal (chayah). The Faithful Shepherd also brings the ark of Noah into the discussion, and talks about six grades, six directions, and six Sfirot, concluding with the fact that the letters arranged properly, Yud Hei Vav Hei, rise and expand, incorporating the Sfirot and having Cholam as a crown on all the letters.

Living Creatures Pillar Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

281. At that time, these living creatures and elements are peace offerings. They are called sacrifices, for none is defiled among them. Moreover, the peace offerings (Heb. shlamim) are last Hei OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, NAMELY MALCHUT. It is the completion of the central pillar, ZEIR ANPIN, with all the Yud Hei Vav Hei's included within ZEIR ANPIN in its six extremities, the six Sfirot CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. ZEIR ANPIN HIMSELF IS THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH COMPRISES SIX PERMUTATIONS, AS WAS SAID BEFORE, AND THE LAST HEI COMPLETES EACH PERMUTATION.

281. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, אִינּוּן שְׁלָמִים חֵיוָון וִיסוֹדִין, וְאִתְקְרִיאוּ קֳדָשִׁים, דְּלֵית טְמֵאִים בֵּינַיְיהוּ. וְעוֹד, שְׁלָמִים דָּא ה' בַּתְרָאָה, דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלִימוּ דְּעַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, בְּכָל הֲוָיוֹת דִּכְלִילָן בֵּיהּ, לְכָל שִׁית סִטְרִין דִּילֵיהּ, דְּאִינּוּן שִׁית סְפִירָאָן.

Directions Hebrew Letters Peace Peace-offering Pillar Tetragrammaton Tree Worlds Yetzirah Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

282. The secret of this, AS WAS SAID IN THE BOOK OF FORMATION (HEB. SEFER YETZIRAH), is that He sealed the top and turned upwards to Yud Hei Vav on the right side, which is Chesed, THE FIRST PERMUTATION. Then, He turned to Hei Vav Yud on the left side, Gvurah, THE SECOND PERMUTATION; to Vav Hei Yud on the central pillar, TIFERET, THE THIRD PERMUTATION; to Yud Vav Hei in Netzach, THE FOURTH PERMUTATION; to Hei Yud Vav in Hod, THE FIFTH PERMUTATION; to Vav Yud Hei in Yesod, THE SIXTH PERMUTATION. The tree which connects them all is Tiferet, AS TIFERET COMPRISES ALL OF THE SIX DIRECTIONS. It is a fruit-bearing tree. Whenever the tree falls, there will be Yud Hei Vav, AN ALLUSION THAT TIFERET IS CALLED BY THE THREE LETTERS YUD HEI VAV ALONE, AND THE LAST HEI, MALCHUT, IS CONNECTED TO IT. THEREFORE, ITS SIX DIRECTIONS ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THE SIX PERMUTATIONS OF YUD HEI VAV. Similarly, in every Yud Hei Vav Hei OF THE SIX DIRECTIONS, there is Hei as last letter, a peace offering (Heb. shlamim) TO YUD HEI VAV HEI, AS THE LAST HEI COMPLETES (HEB. MASHLEMET) YUD HEI VAV HEI. And all the Yud Hei Vav Hei's OF THE SIX DIRECTIONS are attached to it thus, Yud Hei Vav together with Hei turns into Yud Hei Vav Hei; Hei Vav Yud together with Hei is Hei Vav Yud Hei; Vav Hei Yud with Hei is Vav Hei Yud Hei. So it is with the other Yud Hei Vav Hei's.

282. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, חָתַם רוּם וּפָנָה לְמַעְלָה, בְּיה"ו, לִימִינָא דְּחֶסֶד. בְּהו"י, לִשְׂמָאלָא דִּגְבוּרָה וה"י, בְּעַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. יו"ה בְּנֶצַח. בְּהוֹד הי"ו. בַּיְסוֹד וְי"ה. אִילָנָא דְּאָחִיד לוֹן כֻּלְּהוּ, תִּפְאֶרֶת. עֵץ עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי. וּבְגִין דָּא מְקוֹם שֶׁיִּפּוֹל הָעֵץ, שָׁם יה"ו. וְאוּף הָכִי בְּכָל הֲוָיָה, ה' בַּתְרָאָה שְׁלָמִים לָהּ. וּלְכָל הֲוָויִין, דַּאֲחִידָן בָּהּ. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, יְה"וּ עִם ה,' יְהֹוָה. הו"י עִם ה,' הֲוָיָה. וה"י עִם ה,' וְהָיָ"ה וְאוּף הָכִי שְׁאָר הֲוָויִין.

Animals Ark Chayah Directions Hebrew Letters Noah Offering Righteous Seven Zeir Anpin

283. THE SIX PERMUTATIONS OF YUD HEI VAV consist of eighteen letters of the six directions CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, included in the Righteous, the life (Heb. chai = 18) of the worlds, WHO IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. Together with Hei, MALCHUT, it becomes Chayah (lit. 'animal'). The mystery of this is Hei, such as the ark of Noah, MALCHUT, in which every kind was gathered two and two, and seven and seven of the animals for offering. Two and two are four, seven and seven are fourteen, AND TOGETHER they are eighteen (Heb. chai). The ark itself is Hei, BEING MALCHUT; thus, the WORD Chayah is completed.

283. וְאִינּוּן ח"י אַתְוָון דְּשִׁית סִטְרִין, דִּכְלִילָן בְּצַדִּיק חַי עָלְמִין, וְעִם ה' אִתְעָבֵיד חֲיָּ"ה. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה אִיהִי ה,' כְּגוֹן תֵּיבַת נֹחַ, דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ בָּהּ מִכָּל מִין וּמִין, דְּאִינּוּן שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה לְקָרְבְּנָא. שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם אַרְבָּעָה. שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה אַרְבָּעָה עֲשַׂר. הָא י"ח. וְתֵּיבָה ה,' בָּהּ אִשְׁתְּלִים חַיָּה.

Aba and Ima Angels Directions Dreams Earth Grades Heaven Jacob Ladder Peace Righteous Shechinah Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

284. The Righteous, YESOD, is comprised of six grades, NAMELY SIX DIRECTIONS, for which reason it has been decreed that the bettering of a bad dream is performed with three times peace, THREE VERSES IN WHICH PEACE IS MENTIONED, and three ransoms, THREE VERSES IN WHICH RANSOM IS MENTIONED. FOR YESOD is Vav, and they TOGETHER amount to six CORRESPONDING TO THE SIX GRADES OF YESOD, AS THE BETTERING OF A BAD DREAM IS DONE THROUGH YESOD. It is the ladder in Jacob's dream, which comprises six Sfirot. It is "set up on the earth" (Beresheet 28:12), NAMELY the lower Shechinah, MALCHUT CALLED EARTH, the last Hei. "And the top" (Ibid.) is Yud, of which the Righteous, YESOD, is seventh. It "reached to heaven" (Ibid.), to supernal Ima. This is the supernal Hei, NAMELY BINAH OF BINAH of the side of the dream, WHICH IS OF THE ASPECT OF THE LEFT. Hei rules over Yud which is the top of the ladder, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF Hei Yud of Elohim. Hence, "the angels of Elohim ascending and descending on it" (Beresheet 28:12), not the angels of Yud Hei Vav Hei.

284. וְצַדִּיק אִיהוּ כָּלִיל ו' דַּרְגִּין. ובג"ד תַּקִּינוּ לְמִפְתַּר בֵּיהּ חֶלְמָא בְּג' שְׁלוֹמוֹת, בְּג' פִּדְיוֹנוֹת, דְּאִיהוּ ו,' בְּחוּשְׁבָן ו.' וְאִיהוּ סֻלָּם דְּחֶלְמָא דְּיַעֲקֹב, כָּלִיל ו' סְפִירָאן. מוּצָּב אַרְצָה, שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה, וְדָא ה' תַּתָּאָה. וְרֹאשׁוֹ, דָּא י,' בֵּיהּ אִיהוּ צַדִּיק שְׁבִיעִי. מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה, דָּא אִימָּא עִלָּאָה, וְדָא ה' עִלָּאָה, דְּמִסִּטְרָא דְּחֶלְמָא, ה' שַׁלְטָא עַל י,' דְּאִיהוּ רֵישָׁא דְּסוּלְמָא, ה"י מִן אֱלֹקִים. וּבְגִין דָּא, וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עוֹלִים וְגוֹ,' וְלָא מַלְאֲכֵי יְדֹוָ"ד.

Crowns Dots Hebrew Letters Keter Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

285. אַתְוָון כְּסִדְרָן, עוֹלִים בְּחֹלֶם, דְּאִיהוּ כֶּתֶר עַל ד' אַתְוָון, דְּאִתְפְּשָׁטוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, מֵחָכְמָה עַד מַלְכוּת קַדִּישָׁא. בְּגִין דְּחָכְמָה אִיהִי י,' בִּינָה ה,' שִׁית סְפִירָאן ו,' מַלְכוּת ה' בַּתְרָאָה. חֹלֶם כֶּתֶר עַל כָּל אַתְוָון. (ע"כ רעיא מהימנא)