הקדמה

208. “The fourth commandment, etc.”The fourth commandment is to know that the Lord, He is God, as it states: “Know this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord [Havaya], He is God [Elohim,” Deuteronomy 4:39]. That is, the name Elohim should be incorporated in the name Havaya, to know that they are one and there is no separation between them.

Explanation: Havaya is Ze’er Anpin, while Elohim is the Nukba of Ze’er Anpin. [The Zohar] is saying that the Ze’er Anpin and the Nukba must be united without any separation between them, i. e., the name Elohim, which is the Nukba, should be incorporated in the name Havaya, which is the Ze’er Anpin, and [then] the Nukba would also be of the aspect of Havaya, as explained here. This unification is the mystical meaning of the drawing forth of the [level of the] first three [sefirot] to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba. The unification of the reading of Shema, as explained in the third commandment, was for the drawing forth of six extremities from [Abba and Imma Ila’in] to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, while the unification that is clarified here is for the drawing forth of the first three [sefirot] from [Abba and Imma Ila’in] to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba. This is the general rule: The drawing forth of any level, whatever it is, cannot be achieved all at once. Rather, first one must draw the six extremities of that level, and afterwards [draw the aspect of] the first three [sefirot].