Before a teacher desires to transmit a concept or wisdom to his student, the light of his intellect and wisdom shines within him as it truly is. [For his own understanding] it does not have to be contracted at all.

In like manner, before G-d's Will to create arose, the very concept of tzimtzum was irrelevant, and the essential Ein Sof-light shone as it truly is. Therefore all levels of tzimtzum and expansion (called concealment and revelation) for the purpose of transmission, are actually equal, relative to the true essential Ein Sof-light. In relation to Him it cannot be said that concealment (tzimtzum) precedes revelation, or that from revelation comes concealment - for the two are truly equal. In relation to Him even the power of concealment and tzimtzum may be called revelation, and revelation may be called concealment. "Before[152] Him darkness is like light," i.e., they are equal, and "the darkness does not darken" - for the darkness which is tzimtzum and concealment is not called darkness and concealment relative to the light of the Atzmus of the Ein Sof. Similarly the revelation that follows concealment and tzimtzum, which is called light, cannot [from the perspective of G-d's essence] be termed light; as it is said,[153] "The pure light...is dark, relative to the Cause of all causes."

Hence, it is specifically from the Atzmus of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light, which is beyond concealment and revelation, that the synthesis and joining of the two levels derives, so that from concealment comes revelation and from revelation - concealment. For in His presence, "darkness is like light"; they are literally equal.

This, then, is the idea behind the unification and synthesis of the letters yud and hei. The concealment of the point of the yud becomes revealed in the letter hei, and from the revelation of the letter hei comes concealment. This is the unity of havein beChochmah and chacham beBinah, and so too the incorporation of [the Sefiros of] Chochmah and Binah within one another, as explained above. This is brought about because in the Name Havayah there shines the essential Ein Sof-light which is above hishtalshelus and far, far higher than the categories of concealment and revelation. Hence it [is this light that] creates oneness and synthesis within the Name Havayah, [unifying] its elements of concealment and revelation - Chochmah and Binah.

Summary: In the essential Being (Atzmus) of the Ein Sof-light, concealment and revelation are equal. Hence it is from there that their synthesis comes about. The yud and the hei are united by the diffusion of the essential Ein Sof-light.

   

Notes:

152. (Back to text) [Cf. Tehillim 139:12.]

153. (Back to text) Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 70, p. 134a.