צריך אתה לדעת כי השם הגדול שהוא יהו"ה יתברך הוא הנקרא שם המיוחד, כלומר סוד ייחוד כל י' ספירות כאחת. וכבר ביארנו כי שתי הספירות הראשונות כלולות באות יו"ד של שם המיוחד: קוצו של יו"ד סוד הכתר, ועיקר היו"ד, סוד החכמה. והספירה השלישית, מתאחדת בשתיהן, היא סוד הבינה הכלולה בסוד יקוק ראשונה של שם. נמצאו שתי אותיות של שם שתיהן כלולות בג' ספירות עליונות. ואות ואו"ו של שם היא כוללת שש ספירות: ג' מחצי אות וא"ו ולמעלה, ואלו הן גדול"ה גבור"ה תפאר"ת; וג' מחצי אות וא"ו ולמטה, ואלו הן נצ"ח הו"ד ויסו"ד; והספירה האחרונה של שם, שהיא עשירית, כלולה באות אחרונה של שם שהיא אות יקוק:
One should know that the Name which is YHVH, known as the unique/unified Name, means that it contains all the ten Sefirot as one. We have already explained how the first Spheres are contained in the letter 'yud' of the unique Name: For the crown on the letter 'yud' is the essence of KeTeR and the body of the letter 'yud' is the essence of CHoCHMaH. The third Sphere unites with the two of them which is the essence BINaH and that is included in the first 'hay' of the Name. One finds that the first two letters of the Name contain the three upper Spheres, and the next letter, the 'vav', contains six Spheres; three are contained in the upper half of the 'vav' and three in the lower half; GeDuLaH, GeVuRaH and TiFERet are above and NeTZaCH, HOD and YeSOD below; while the last Sphere which is the tenth is contained in the last letter of the Name, the letter 'hay'.
וחכ"א על י"ב עמודים עומדת שנאמר (דברים לב, ח) יצב גבולות עמים למספר בני ישראל וי"א ז' עמודים שנאמר (משלי ט, א) חצבה עמודיה שבעה ר"א בן שמוע אומר על עמוד אחד וצדיק שמו שנאמר (משלי י, כה) וצדיק יסוד עולם
And the Rabbis say: The earth stands on twelve pillars, as it is stated: “He set the borders of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel” (Deuteronomy 32:8). Just as the children of Israel, i.e., the sons of Jacob, are twelve in number, so does the world rest on twelve pillars. And some say: There are seven pillars, as it is stated: “She has hewn out her seven pillars” (Proverbs 9:1). Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua says: The earth rests on one pillar and a righteous person is its name, as it is stated: “But a righteous person is the foundation of the world” (Proverbs 10:25).
(א) (בראשית יח) וְאַבְרָהָם הָיֹה יִהְיֶה: יִהְיֶה בְּגִי' שְׁלשִׁים. יוֹמָא חַד נָפַק ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, וְחָזָא עָלְמָא דְּחָשֵׁיךְ וְאָפֵיל, וְאִסְתַּתֵּם נְהוֹרֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, תָּא וְנֶחֱזֵי מַה בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אֲזָלוּ, וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ חַד מַלְאָכָא, דְּדָמֵי לְטוּרָא רַבְרְבָא, וְאַפֵּיק תְּלָתִין שַׁלְהוֹבִין דְּנוּרָא מִפּוּמֵיהּ.
(ב) אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מָה אַתְּ בָּעֵי לְמֵיעְבַּד, אָמַר לֵיהּ בָּעֵינָא לְמִחְרְבֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא שְׁכִיחֵי תְּלָתִין זַכָּאִין בְּדָרָא. דְּהָכֵי גָּזַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל אַבְרָהָם, וְאַבְרָהָם הָיֹה יִהְיֶה, יִהְיֶה בְּגי' תְּלָתִין הֲווֹ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּמָטוּ מִינָךְ זִיל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאֵימָא לֵיהּ, בַּר יוֹחָאי שְׁכִיחַ בְּעָלְמָא.
(ג) אֲזַל הַהוּא מַלְאָכָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אָמַר לֵיהּ, מָארֵי עָלְמָא גְּלֵי קַמָּךְ מַה דַּאֲמַר לִי בַּר יוֹחָאי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, זִיל אַחְרְבֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא, וְלָא תַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ בְּבַר יוֹחָאי.
(ד) כַד אָתָא, חַזְיֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְמַלְאָכָא, אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי לָא תֵיזֵל, גָּזַרְנָא עֲלָךְ דְּלֹא תֵיעוֹל לִשְׁמַיָיא, וְתֶהֱוֵי בַּאֲתַר דַּעֲזָא וַעֲזָאֵל. וְכַד תֵיעוֹל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֵימָא לֵיהּ, וְאִי לֵית תְּלָתִין זַכָּאִין בְּעָלְמָא, לֶיהֱווֹן עֶשְׂרִים. דְּהָכֵי כְּתִיב לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה בַּעֲבוּר הָעֶשְׂרִים. וְאִי לֵית עֶשְׂרִים, לֶהֱווֹ עֲשָׂרָה, וְאַחַר כַּךְ כְּתִיב, לֹא אַשְׁחִית בַּעֲבוּר הָעֲשָׂרָה. אִי לֵית עֲשָׂרָה לֶהֱווֹן תְּרֵין, דְּאִינוּן אֲנָא וּבְרִי. דְּהָכֵי כְּתִיב, (דברים יט) עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר, וְאֵין דָּבָר אֶלָא עוֹלָם, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים לג) בִּדְבַר יקוק שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ וכו'. וְאִי לֵית תְּרֵין, הָא אִית חַד, וַאֲנָא הוּא. דִּכְתִיב (משלי י) וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם. בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא נְפַק קָלָא מִן שְׁמַיָא וַאֲמַר, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּזַר לְמַעְלָה, וְאַתְּ מְבַטֵל לְתַתָּא, בְּוַדַּאי עֲלָךְ כְּתִיב (תהלים קמה) רְצוֹן יְרֵאָיו יַעֲשֶׂה.
“Abraham will surely be” (Gen. 18:18); YiHYeH (= will be) has a numerical equivalent of thirty. One day Rabbi Simeon went out and saw that the world was completely dark, that its light was hidden. Said Rabbi Eleazar to him: Come, let us see what it is that the Lord desires. They went and found an angel in the form of a great mountain with thirty lashes of fire issuing from its mouth. “What are you planning to do?” Rabbi Simeon asked the angel. “I seek to destroy the world, for there are not thirty zaddiqim in this generation. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said concerning Abraham: “He will surely be,” meaning that Abraham was equivalent to thirty. Said Rabbi Simeon: “I beg of you, go before the Holy One and tell Him that I, the son of Yohai, am to be found in the world.” The angel went to God and said: “Master of the World, surely that which ben Yohai has said is known to You.” God answered: “Go and destroy the world. Pay no heed to ben Yohai.” When the angel returned to earth, ben Yohai saw him and said: “If you do not leave, I decree that you will not be able to return to heaven, but will be in the place of ‘Aza and ‘Aza’el [the fallen angels]. When you again come before God, say to Him: ‘If there are not thirty righteous ones in the world, let it be twenty, as is written: “I shall not do it for the sake of the twenty” (Gen. 18:31). And if not twenty, then ten, for it says further: “I shall not destroy for the sake of the ten” (Gen. 18:32), and if there are not ten, let it be two— my son and I— as Scripture says: “The matter (davar) will be upheld according to two witnesses” (Deut. 19:15). Now davar refers to the world, as scripture says: “By the word (davar) of God the heavens were made” (Ps. 33:6). If there are not two, there is one, and I am he, as it is written: “Zaddiq [in the singular] is the foundation of the world.” In that hour a voice went forth from heaven saying: “Blessed is your lot, Rabbi Simeon, for God issues a decree above and you nullify it below! Surely of you it was written: ‘He does the will of them that fear Him’” (Ps. 145:19).
(ט) רָזָא דְּשַׁבָּת, אִיהִי שַׁבָּת, דְּאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּרָזָא (א) דְּאֶחָ''ד, לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ רָזָא דְּאֶחָד. צְלוֹתָא דְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא, דְּהָא אִתְאַחֲדַת כּוּרְסְיָיא יַקִּירָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָ''ד, וְאִתְתַּקָּנַת לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה.
(ב) כַּד עַיֵיל שַׁבְּתָא, אִיהִי אִתְיַחֲדַת וְאִתְפַּרְשַׁת מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְכָל דִּינִין מִתְעַבְּרִין מִינָהּ, וְאִיהִי אִשְׁתְּאָרַת בְּיִחוּדָא דִּנְהִירוּ קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְעַטְּרַת בְּכַמָּה עִטְרִין לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכָל שׁוּלְטָנִי רוּגְזִין וּמָארֵי דְּדִינָא כֻּלְּהוּ עַרְקִין, (נ''א ואתעברו מינה) וְלֵית שׁוּלְטָנוּ אַחֲרָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין. וְאַנְפָּהָא נְהִירִין בִּנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה, וְאִתְעַטְּרַת לְתַתָּא בְּעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּרִן בְּנִשְׁמָתִין חַדְתִּין. כְּדֵין שֵׁירוּתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא, לְבָרְכָא לָהּ בְּחֶדְוָה, בִּנְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין, וְלוֹמַר בָּרְכוּ אֶת יקוק' הַמְבוֹרָךְ. אֶת יקוק' דַּיְיקָא, בְּגִין לְמִפְתַּח לְגַבָּהּ בִּבְרָכָה.
This is the secret of Shabbat. This is Shabbos, that unites with the secret of One, so that He should dwell upon Her through the secret of One. The prayer of Shabbat eve is the Holy Throne of Glory united with the secret of One so that the supernal Holy King, shall dwell upon Her.
When the Shabbat enters, She unites and separates from the Other Side. All the judgments pass away from Her, and She remains united with the holy light and becomes adorned with many crowns before the Holy King. All the dominions of anger and the instigators of judgment flee, and there is no other dominion in all the worlds. And Her face shines with the supernal light and becomes adorned with the holy nation below, for they all become adorned from Her with new souls. Then the prayer begins of blessing Her with joy, with shining face and saying, 'Bless the blessed G‑d;' the particle 'Et' before G‑d is definite , in order to open our address with a blessing.
https://darshan.bandcamp.com/track/raza for a beautiful musical version
(א) וּבְיוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים, בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַייָ בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם, מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם, כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ: (במדבר כ״ח:כ״ו)
(ב) א כִּי יֵשׁ בְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּחִינַת מַלְכוּת, וְכָל אֶחָד לְפִי בְּחִינָתוֹ, כֵּן יֵשׁ לוֹ בְּחִינוֹת מַלְכוּת. יֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא שׂוֹרֵר בְּבֵיתוֹ, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא מוֹשֵׁל בְּיוֹתֵר, וְכֵן יֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא מוֹשֵׁל עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם – כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי בְּחִינַת הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ. בִּבְחִינוֹת: שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת וְשָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרוֹת (שמות י״ח:כ״א).
(1) “U’veyom HaBikurim (On the Day of the First Fruits), when you bring an offering of new grain to God as part of your Shavuot festival, you shall observe a holy occasion: you shall not do any mundane work.” (Numbers 28:26)
(2) In every Jew there is an aspect of malkhut; each person, commensurate with his aspect, possesses an aspect of malkhut. There is one who rules in his home, and one whose rule is broader, and there is also one whose rule is over the entire world—each one commensurate with his aspect of malkhut, corresponding to “officers of thousands, and officers of hundreds, officers of fifties, and officers of tens” (Exodus 18:25).
Emmanuel Levinas Totality and Infinity: an Essay on Exteriority pg. 51
To approach the Other in conversation is to welcome his expression, in which at each instant he overflows the idea a thought would carry away from it. It is therefore to receive from the Other beyond the capacity of the I, which means exactly: to have the idea of infinity.... Finally, infinity, overflowing the idea of infinity, puts the spontaneous freedom within us into question. It commands and judges it and brings it to its truth. The analysis of the idea of Infinity, to which we gain access only starting from an I, will be terminated with the surpassing of the subjective.
"Noah was a righteous man." This is assuredly so, for his righteousness corresponds to (Yesod) above. That is why it is written: "the righteous are the foundation (Heb. יְסוֹד) of the world" (Mishlei 10:25), and the earth is established upon him. He is the pillar that upholds the world. And what is (Yesod)? It is the Righteous. Thus, Noah is the righteous below, among the souls. And hence it is written: "Noah was a righteous man" to teach us that the world is maintained by him. And the secret of all this is revealed in the words, "And Noah walked with Elohim" (Gen. 6:9), which means to teach us that he never separated himself from Him. And he merited being called a righteous man on earth, as did the supernal Yesod, the foundation of the world. He is the covenant of peace and the peace of the world. Thus, he is called "man of the earth". And that is why the verse is written: "Noah found favor in the eyes of Hashem"
Role-playing Yesod -
1) Break into groups of 3.
2) Randomly choose who will be A (Tiferet), B (Yesod), or C (Malchut)
3) C mutes their computer and A speaks for 90 seconds telling B about something or someone that they truly love.
4) C unmutes. B tells C about A's love.
5) Switch roles and repeat steps 3-4.
Reflection for the group
How did it feel to share your love? How did it feel to transmit someone else's love? How did it feel to hear someone else transmit your love? How did it feel to receive someone else's love second hand?