Mending The Letters
45) Rabbi Shymone said to Elijah the Prophet: "IF IT PLEASES, MY LORD, I SHALL ASK OF THEE THE FOLLOWING: IT IS WRITTEN: "… THOU DOST ESTABLISH EQUITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE UPRIGHT"; and, if the UPRIGHT ONES are the letters י "Yood" and the ה "Hey", which are the Sephiroth "Chochmoh" and "Binah", who then is able to emend them? It is only "ATTIKO d'CHOL ATTIKIN": THE ANCIENT OF ALL ANCIENTS, which is "Ketter"; that is to say: It is the "Madreigo", the dimension of light which is even above "Chochmoh" and "Binah"; and because of the immensity of the light abiding in "Ketter", this Sephirah is totally unknown. How, therefore, can "Ketter" be connoted by the word "ATOH" (Thou), which is expressed in the present tense, that is, as though "Ketter" could be scrutinized. The following quotation from the Holy Scriptures - "THOU HAST ESTABLISHED THE UPRIGHT" - would then seem incorrect.
Elijah the Prophet rejoined: The expression "the Upright Ones" is related only to the letters that abide in the Sephirah "Binah", which are the letters י "Yood" and ה "Hey".
46) From the foregoing, it was learned that the letters that dwell in "Binah" have no concrete reality until they arrive at the place of the "Partzuf Z.A"; and, it is then that they acquire concreteness. This is what the verse: "ATOH KONANTO MEISHORIM, "THOU HAST ESTABLISHED THE UPRIGHT" means to convey.
"Z.A", who is called "ATOH" (THOU); אתה he is the one who corrects or emends the letters of "Binah", that are called "MEISHORIM".
In other words, Elijah settled the difficulty for Rabbi Shymone by explaining to him that the "MEISHORIM" letters are related to the letters which belong to the Sephirah "Binah": the letter י "Yood", מישרים and the ה "Hey".
47) As treated above, the letters related to "Binah" do not gain concreteness until they reach the place of "Z.A". It is then that the letters assume actuality.
This is what is brought in the verse: "ATOH KONANTO MEISHORIM", "THOU HAST ESTABLISHED THE UPRIGHT …" It is "Z.A", who is above "Malchut", that is called "ATOH" (Thou). He is the one who emends the letters that stem from "Binah", which are called "UPRIGHT"; מישרים and because of that, as the Zohar reveals, "Malchut" is desirous of uniting with these letters, that is, with the letter י "Yood" and with the ה "Hey", for they are UPRIGHT; so that all will turn into a complete four lettered Holy Name, which is to say that after the י "Yood" and the ה "Hey", that stem from "Binah", entered "Z.A", they were corrected by "Z.A" who himself is the ו "Vav" whereas "Malchut" is the last ה "Hey"; all in all making up the completion of the four lettered Holy Name "HAVAYA".
48) However, before the distinct properties of "Malchut" are corrected, that is the "Seven Maidens" which accompany "Malchut", she is unable to unite with these letters, that is, the י "Yood" and the letter ה "Hey"; in order that all distinctions would become a complete name, which explains why it is that, when "Malchut" is adorned with her beautiful emendations, she is saying: "… MOSHCHEINE ACHARECHO NOROOTSO …" ("… DRAW ME, WE WILL RUN AFTER THEE …") Song of Songs, 1:4. That is to say: "Malchut" and all those who escort her. It is also said: "… THE KING HATH BROUGHT ME INTO HIS CHAMBERS. WE WILL BE GLAD AND REJOICE IN THEE …" Song of Songs, 1:4. "WE WILL BE GLAD" refers to "Malchut" and her adjunct the company that marches along with her; that is to say: the "Seven Maidens" from the worlds below her.
To be specific, before her distinct parts have become corrected, she is unable to unite with ז"א "Z.A". When "Malchut" becomes emended with her beautiful emendations in order to unite with "Z.A" in one solid union; for, as aforementioned, when "Malchut" rises to "Z.A", it is then that the complete name, "HAVAYA ELOKIM" becomes revealed. In view of the fact that it is prohibited to utter the letter ה "Hey" in the holy name, the letter ק "Koof" takes the place of the letter ה "Hey".
49) However, a query may be posed: When "Malchut" ascends to unite with "Z.A", inasmuch as it is then that they are both demonstrated as the complete name "HAVAYA" and no more, where, then, is the appearance of the holy name "ELOKIM"?
The rejoinder is that when the name is complete, it is then that they become all inclusive above and below.
ABOVE it is the holy name "HAVAYA", who is "Z.A";
BELOW it is the holy name "ELOKIM", which relates to "Malchut".
It is then that she becomes totally completed.