הקדמה

48. “When the letters awakened to complete etc.”[Rabbi Yosei] elaborates: When the letters, alef-bet-resh [evar] and heh, and the letters alef-lamed-heh [eleh] and yod, awakened to be completed on this side and the other side, then the letter final mem emerged. One took the final mem to this side, i.e., to the side of the letters alef-lamed-heh-yod, and the other one took the final mem to that side, to the side of the letters alef-bet-resh-heh, and the holy name was completed and the combination formed Elohim [alef- lamed-heh-yod-final mem], and the name Abraham [alef-bet-resh-heh-final mem] was also completed. This is the meaning of the earlier statement: “When one is completed, the other is completed.” Some say that the Holy One, blessed be He, took the letters mem-yod [Mi] and inserted them in the letters alef-lamed-heh [eleh], and the combination formed Elohim, and the Holy One, blessed be He, took the letters mem-heh [Ma] and inserted them in the letters alef-bet-resh [evar], and the combination formed Abraham. The word Mi alludes to the fifty gates of Bina [Understanding], and the word Mi contains the letter yod, which is the first letter of the holy name. The word Ma alludes to the number of the holy name, since Havaya, when it is “filled” and has the letters alef [i.e., each of its letters is spelled out, with each heh ending with an alef, and the vav has an alef in the middle], has the numerical value of 45 [ma].1Mem has the numerical value of 40, and heh is equal to 5. And the word Ma contains the second letter of the holy name Havaya, which is the letter heh. This is as it is stated: “Happy is the people that is in such a state; [happy is the people] whose God is Havaya” (Psalms 144:15), and it is stated: “He hangs the earth over nothing [beli ma]” (Job 26:7), which alludes to the numerical value of Havaya, when it is “filled” and has the letters alef, i.e., 45. Two worlds then exist; the World-to-Come with yod, and this world with heh (that is, He created the World-to-Come with Mi, and this world with Ma, and this alludes to above and below). Then He made offspring, and the name emerged complete, which was not the case previously. This is the meaning of the verse: “These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created [behibare’am]” (Genesis 2:4), which has the letters of BeAbraham [bet-alef-bet-resh-heh-final mem, meaning "with Abraham"]. All the offspring were hanging in an imperfect state until the name of Abraham was created. When this name of Abraham was completed, the holy name was completed. This is the meaning of the verse: “On the day that Havaya, God, made earth and heaven” (Genesis 2:4). [The phrase] “on the day He made” means on the day they were completed, through the name Abraham, and at this stage the name Havaya appears, as this name of Havaya had not previously been mentioned in the Torah.

Explanation: These two heights, the light of Ḥokhma in eleh, and the light of giving in Ma, were awakened to complete each other, that is, to be enclothed in one another. Once the Ḥokhma is enclothed in the light of giving, “he then brought out the letter final mem,” i.e., the Malkhut that receives from these two levels together.

[Rabbi Yosei] continues: “One was taken to this side, and one to that side; the holy name was completed and formed Elohim, and the name Abraham was also completed.” The meaning is as was explained before, “He engraved the letter yod for this eleh,” and therefore there are now four letters – alef-lamed-heh-yod – and likewise “He engraved the letter heh for this evar,” such that there are now four letters there – alef-bet-resh-heh. The result is as follows: First, the letters completed one another, i.e., the two levels, [the light of] Ḥokhma and the light of giving, were enclothed in one another, and this brought out the final mem, which is the Malkhut that receives from them all, as stated. Subsequently, one [name] took that final mem to its side, and the other one took the final mem to its side. “One took the final mem to its side,” as the letters alef-lamed-heh-yod took the final mem, [and] the holy name was completed and the combination formed Elohim. Similarly, the letters alef-bet-resh-heh took the final mem and the name Abraham was also completed.

“Some say that the Holy One, blessed be He, took the letters mem-yod [Mi].” From here until the words “alludes to above and below,” in parenthesis, is not part of the Zohar.

“When this name of Abraham was completed, the holy name was completed...” since these [two names] are two heights, [one] of [the light of] Ḥokhma and [one of] the light of giving which need each other, as stated. Therefore, the holy name was not completed before the name of Abraham was completed.