TUESDAY PRAYER: NETZACH-MAIN READING OF THE WEEK – THE ZOHAR BOOK
READING: SUNSET MONDAY
Main Reading for PRAYER OF MANY, today with ENGLISH ZOHAR READING, page 166 – 168.
ARVUT OF : Robin Anderson
THE LETTER YOD
- The letter Yod entered and said: “Maker of the world! It would be good
to create the world by me, for Your Holy name begins with me.” The Creator
replied: “It is sufficient that you are inscribed in My Name, in Me, and all of
your aspirations are to Me, and you should not be uprooted from it all.”
Since Yod is the first letter of the Creator’s name HaVaYaH (Yod-Hey-Vav-
Hey), the beginning of the Creator’s revelation to creatures, the first degree
of the Upper Light, the letter Yod argued for the world to be created with
its properties, for the world would then be absolutely guaranteed complete
correction. However, the Creator objects to it. As was already stated, the letters’
questions and the Creator’s answers signify the Creator playing with each letter,
where the letters’ questions are their MAN, and the Creator’s answers are MAD
in the form of the Upper Light.
So, by telling Yod, “It is sufficient,” the Creator thus explained the creation of
restriction—that the Light is only allowed to descend to its level, but no further.
And this restriction is fixed in the Creator’s name Shadday (Shin-Dalet-Yod). After
Yod began to spread with the great Light, the Creator stopped it, forbidding it
to spread to the letter Tav, but only to Shin (as was said above, in item 25). He
said to it: “Enough, and do not spread further. Otherwise you will not be able
to remain forever in My Name HaVaYaH.”
As the sages said: “My Name is not pronounced as it is written. For it is
written HaVaYaH, but pronounced Adonay” (Talmud, Pesahim, 50). Indeed,
the name HaVaYaH is not subject to change, as it is written: “For I, the Lord
(HaVaYaH), do not change” (Malachi, 3:6). For corruption and its correction
emerge in the days of the world’s existence, meaning that constant changes are
coming. Therefore, until the end of correction, the Creator is called Adonay, for
this name is subject to change, and not HaVaYaH, which can never be altered.
Yet, in the future, after the end of correction, HaVaYaH will be pronounced
as it is written. Therefore, the Creator said, “If I see some fault or evil in you,
by this you will be removed from My Name, for My Name, HaVaYaH, may not
contain anything flawed or corrected—neither corruption nor correction. And
this is why the world cannot be created by your properties.” There are three
degrees in the letter Yod of the name HaVaYaH: in the Sefira Hochma of ZA, in
Hochma of AVI, and in Hochma of Arich Anpin, called “concealed wisdom.”
HaVaYaH begins with a dot, which then turns into Yod. Subsequently, Yod
(Ohr Hochma) spreads to the sides and downward and turns into the letter Dalet,
which consists of a horizontal roof-like line that indicates the property of Bina-
Ima (mercy, Hassadim, width). When Ohr Hassadim stops spreading in width,
Ohr Hochma begins to spread downward in the form of a vertical line. This is the
leg of the letter Dalet, the property of Hochma-Aba.
The common property of AVI is designated by the letter Dalet. AVI beget
ZA, designated by the letter Vav inside the Dalet, and eventually forms the shape
of the letter Hey. Thus, the request of ZA (Vav) to receive from AVI compels
them to unite their properties of Hochma (vertical line) and Hassadim (horizontal
line), with the help of the letter Yod. Consequently, AVI receive the Light from
Yod and pass it on to ZA.
The screen with the desires of Malchut is called “a point,” since the collision
between the screen and the coming Light yields Returning Light. And since the
received Light always consists of ten Lights, the screen is called “ten points.”
Yod designates the spreading of Nekudot inside Partzuf Keter, from the Light
of Hochma downwards, while Vav signifies the spreading of Nekudot inside Partzuf
Hochma. However, there is no sign in HaVaYaH that indicates the diffusion of
Light in Keter.
Entrance or exit of the letter Yod in a word signifies either presence or
absence of the Light of Hochma. There are four kinds of correction: - The First Ibur—conception of the small state of ZON. This is an
absolutely passive spiritual state, where the letter Yod enters the
word Ohr (Light) and transforms it into Avir (air), becoming the
VAK of the Partzuf. - The letter Yod exits the word Avir, which converts it back to Ohr: the
Light of Hochma enters VAK of Partzuf; - The Second Ibur—conception of the Gadlut state of ZON: AHP of
Bina ascend from ZON to Bina, and GE de ZON ascend with them,
for they were together in the Katnut state, defined as conception of
GE de ZON; - The diffusion of the Light of Hochma.