The vehicle for drawing down the essential Ein Sof-light in order to unite and synthesize the two letters yud and hei is Torah. On the verse,[154] "If he holds on to My strength, he will bring Me peace; he will cause Me peace," our Sages[155] commented: "Whoever studies Torah ('My strength') makes peace among the hosts of Above and peace among the hosts of below." "Peace among the hosts of Above" refers to [the interrelation between] the two letters yud and hei; the "hosts of below" refers to the [last two] letters [of the Name Havayah], vav and hei.

(The reason that yud and hei are called the hosts of Above and vav and hei the hosts of below is hinted at in the verse:[156] "The hidden things belong to Havayah our G-d, and the revealed things (,ukdbvu) belong to us and to our children." The letters vav and hei [of the Divine Name, which are also the opening letters of this word] refer to the things which are "revealed (,ukdb)[157] to us and to our children," but the yud and hei are "hidden things that belong to Havayah our G-d" - Chochmah and Binah. Accordingly, yud and hei are called the hosts of Above, which are "the hidden things belonging to Havayah our G-d," and the vav and hei, which are "revealed to us," are "the hosts of below.")

The Torah makes peace and unity between [the levels of G-dliness represented by] the letters yud and hei, and vav and hei. It might be said that this corresponds to the teaching,[158] "The Holy One, blessed be He, gazed into the Torah and created the world." This refers to the union and interaction of concealment and revelation, as in the saying: "As in the creation of the world, in the beginning there was darkness and then light" (as explained above) - and this unification takes place through Torah. G-d's "gazing into the Torah" refers to the "Supernal delight"[159] which is enclothed in Torah.

Torah is called "truth," as it is written,[160] "The Torah of truth was in his mouth." Similarly it is written,[161] "Acquire truth and do not sell it," which refers to Torah, for "Acquire truth" is meant in the sense of the verse,[162] "Acquire Chochmah, acquire Binah."

The attribute of truth mediates between Chessed ("kindness") and Gevurah ("strength and severity") to the point that it has no adversary. The attribute of Chessed has an adversary - the attribute of Gevurah. Likewise, Gevurah has an adversary in the attribute of Chessed. However, a viewpoint that is drawn from a proper blend of them both has no adversary. This is the attribute of truth. Genuine truth must encompass all opposites, bearing all of them. (In every matter "truth" is the central point; it is the quality that enables [any component] to join with its antithesis.)

Therefore truth endures, as it is written:[163] "The language (lit., 'lip') of truth shall be established forever." The letters of the word for truth (,nt) are alef, mem, tav - the first, middle, and last [letters of the alphabet],[164] implying that it endures to the end as it was in the beginning. It is written,[165] "The beginning of Your word is truth," and similarly, our Sages say,[166] "The seal of G-d is truth." This [seal of G-d] refers to Torah, as it is written,[167] "Seal the Torah among My disciples." Specifically this is [an allusion to] the Oral Torah, which is the final conclusion of Torah Law as it is to be carried out, revealing the Supernal Will in a manner that reflects the inner intention of the Written Torah. This is explained elsewhere.[168]

Accordingly, the world endures only because of truth. As the Mishnah states:[169] "The world endures by virtue of three things - justice, truth, [and peace]." This refers to the truth of Torah: only through Torah does the world endure, since it creates peace and unity among a multiplicity of opposites. There is a verse[170] that says: "The L-rd is close to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth." This refers to the truth of Torah. To "call upon Him in truth" is to call upon and to draw down the very Essence and Being of the Ein Sof-light, through the truth of Torah, which is the Chochmah of Torah. This is achieved when one studies Torah with pure motivation, for the sake of Torah itself. One then makes peace among the "hosts of Above."

Summary: The essential light that can unify yud and hei is drawn down through Torah, the truth which encompasses and unifies opposites.

   

Notes:

154. (Back to text) [Isaiah 27:5.]

155. (Back to text) [Sanhedrin 99b.]

156. (Back to text) [Devarim 29:28.]

157. (Back to text) See Zohar III, p. 123b; Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 10.

158. (Back to text) Zohar I, p. 134a; Zohar II, p. 161a; see also beginning of Bereishis Rabbah.

159. (Back to text) [This delight, and how it brings about unity, is discussed in the next chapter.]

160. (Back to text) [Malachi 2:6.]

161. (Back to text) [Mishlei 23:23.]

162. (Back to text) [Ibid. 4:5.]

163. (Back to text) [Ibid. 12:19.]

164. (Back to text) Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 1:1 Devarim Rabbah 1:10.

165. (Back to text) [Tehillim 119:160.]

166. (Back to text) [Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 1:1; Devarim Rabbah 1:10.]

167. (Back to text) [Isaiah 8:16.]

168. (Back to text) See Iggeres HaKodesh, ch. 29 [Tanya, p. 300]; see also Bamidbar Rabbah 14:4: "[the Oral Law] explains the Torah."

169. (Back to text) [Pirkei Avos 1:18.]

170. (Back to text) [Tehillim 145:18.]