Introduction to Sulam Commentary

14. With this in mind, you will understand how the Zohar will sometimes state that with the ascent of Malkhut to Bina the five letters of the name Elohim (alef-lamed-heh-yod-mem) were divided in such a manner that the two letters mem and yod remained in the level, while the three letters alef, lamed, and heh left and were negated from the level (as explained in the Introduction to the Zohar, p. 20, in the Sulam , s.v. “tziyer”).22The “ascent of Malkhut to Bina“ refers to the second constriction mentioned previously, in which Malkhut ascends from the end of a given level up to the level of Bina, connecting with Bina and creating a new endpoint in the level. On other occasions, the Zohar will say the converse, that with the ascent of Malkhut to Bina the five letters of the name Elohim were divided in such a manner that the two letters alef and lamed remained in the level, while the three letters heh, mem, and yod were negated and descended from the level (as explained in the Zohar, Bereshit 1:59).

The idea that the Zohar is conveying is that the five letters of Elohim represent the mystical meaning of the five vessels, Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, and the five lights, nefesh, ruaḥ, neshama, ḥaya, and yeḥida. With the ascent of Malkhut to Bina, from the perspective of the vessels Keter and Ḥokhma remained in the level, which correspond to the two letters alef and lamed, while the three letters heh, yod, and mem descended from the level. Conversely, from the perspective of the lights, the two final letters, mem and yod, which allude to the two lowest lights, nefesh and ruaḥ, are the ones that remained in the level, whereas the three initial letters, alef, lamed, and heh, which allude to yeḥida, ḥaya, and neshama, are the ones that left and were negated from the level.

Accordingly, in the Zohar’s introduction, the Zohar is speaking of the five lights, nefesh, ruaḥ, neshama, ḥaya, and yeḥida, which are hinted at by the five letters of Elohim. It therefore states that mem and yod remained and alef, lamed, and heh left the level. On the other hand, in Bereshit, volume 1, the Zohar is discussing the five vessels, Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, which are also alluded to by the five letters of Elohim. Consequently, it states the converse, that alef and lamed remained in the level, while the three letters heh, yod, and mem left the level. These observations must be kept in mind, and one must consider on each occasion whether the reference is to the lights or the vessels, and this will resolve many apparent contradictions.