14. “And he engraved within the lamp etc.” And he engraved within the holy, sealed lamp, which is the Malkhut that is incorporated within Bina, an engraving of one sealed picture, holy of holies, which is a deep structure that emerges from the thought, the mystical meaning of the first three**. It is called Mi, which is the beginning of the structure. It stands and does not stand; it is deep and sealed in the name** Elohim, and it is not yet called anything except Mi of Elohim, i.e., it lacks the letters alef-lamed-heh [eleh] of the name Elohim. He wished to be revealed and called by this name of Elohim, and Hhe enclothed Himself in a precious garment that illuminates, which is the light of giving. [He] created these [eleh] and the letters of eleh ascended into the name Elohim, as the letters combined with each other, i.e., the letters mem-yod [Mi] with the letters alef-lamed-heh [eleh], and the name Elohim was completed. As long as He did not create eleh, it did not ascend to the name Elohim. Those who sinned with the calf said about this secret: “This [eleh] is your god, O Israel” [Exodus 32:4].

The explanation: By means of the ascent of feminine waters from the lower realms, a new light was drawn forth from Ab and Sag of Adam Kadmon.¹ of Ab and Sag of Adam Kadmon are the Ḥokhma and Bina of Adam Kadmon. These partzufim are above the second constriction which begins only below, in the world of Nekudim (as explained in the previous section). Because lower levels "mimic" the levels above, the flow of light from these higher partzufim causes the lower levels to match them. Since the higher partzufim do not have a second constriction, the lower levels remove Malkhut (the dot) from Bina (the thought) to match the construction of those higher partzufim. This light from Ab and Sag of Adam Kadmon is [from] above the aforementioned second constriction which split each level into two. Therefore, when this light is drawn forth to the head of Arikh Anpin, it once again lowers the dot from the thought, which is the place of Bina, back to her place, to the place of Malkhut of the head, as it was before the second constriction. And the three sefirot: Bina, Ze’er Anpin, and Malkhut, which fell from the head, revert to the head, for the [fusion through collision] was performed in the place of the Malkhut, which is below them.², with its partition and process of fusion through collision, has now been restored to its original place below Bina, Ze'er Anpin and Malkhut of the head, these three lower partzufim are now above that process of fusion through collision, a marker indicating their return to the head. It is discerned that the name Elohim was revealed once again, since the three letters alef-lamed-heh [eleh] rejoined the mem-yod [Mi] in one level, and the name Elohim was completed in the level. And since Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of the vessels returned [to the level], the first three of lights also returned, as stated,³ within the level. and Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of lights were enclothed in the five letters of the name Elohim: The lights of Keter, Ḥokhma, and Bina, in alef-lamed-heh; and the lights of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba in yod-mem.

footnotes: ¹ The partzufim ² Since Malkhut ³ In the previous section. Once the lower vessels return to the level, the higher lights can now populate the vessels, leading to a full set of sefirot

Remember this well, that the fallen alef-lamed-heh are the vessels of Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba that are missing from the level. However, when the alef-lamed-heh combine in the name Elohim, they become lights of Keter, Ḥokhma, and Bina, on account of the inverse relationship between the vessels and the lights, as stated. This is the meaning of the statement: “And he engraved in the holy, sealed lamp,” that is, a partition and a place for a [fusion through collision] was engraved afresh in the Malkhut of the head of Arikh Anpin, which is called “the holy, sealed lamp.” It is “an engraving of one sealed picture, holy of holies,” as this new engraving draws forth one picture, i.e., a height of ten sefirot, which is holy of holies, the height of the first three, which is called “holy of holies.”⁴ are complete with their corresponding lights, forming a full height of ten sefirot. Because it “emerges from the thought” – since this dot that ascended to become a thought has once again emerged now from a thought and arrived at its true place, the place of the Malkhut of the head – the three vessels: Bina, Ze’er Anpin, and Nukba, which are eleh, have therefore now returned to the level of the head, and the name Elohim was completed there. The reason why he calls this height of the first three [sefirot] by the name of “sealed picture” will be explained below.

footnotes: ⁴ The result of this process is that the first three sefirot

This is why it says: “It is called Mi, the beginning of the structure.” In other words, even though alef-lamed-heh have already combined with mem-yod, and the name Elohim was formed, as stated, it is still called only Mi. It is “the beginning of the structure,” the start of the construction of the name Elohim, because the structure is not yet complete, as [the Zohar] proceeds to explain.

He thus says: “It stands and does not stand.” That is, on the one hand, the structure is already standing fully complete, since the place of the [fusion through collision] returned to its place at the mouth of the head,” and Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba returned to the level, and similarly the first three of lights [returned], and the name Elohim was completed. However, on the other hand, the structure of the name is still not standing, because “it is deep and sealed in the name.” In other words, the lights of the name Elohim are still deep and sealed, and do not illuminate in eleh, which are Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba that ascended to the place of the head. The reason is that due to their ascent to the head of Arikh Anpin, where only Ḥokhma illuminates, there is only light of Ḥokhma at this level. And since [Ze'er Anpin and Nukba] are the lower seven [sefirot], and [sefirot of the] lower seven that ascended are unable to receive the [light of] Ḥokhma without being enclothed within the [light of giving], and there is no [light of giving] there, therefore [these lower seven] cannot receive the [light of] Ḥokhma either.⁵ requires the light of Ḥokhma to be enclothed in the light of giving. Without this, the light of Ḥokhma does not shine into the lower seven sefirot. Consequently, it is regarded that the name is “deep and sealed” and does not yet spread in the three letters alef-lamed-heh. For this reason, the structure of this level is still considered “not standing,” and alef-lamed-heh are as yet not revealed in it. This is why he says that beforehand “it is called only Mi,” since the letters alef-lamed-heh are still hidden in the name Elohim, and there is only mem-yod [Mi] there.

footnotes: ⁵ The level of Ze'er Anpin

[The Zohar] continues: “He wished to be revealed and called by name,” since the name was already complete, because alef-lamed-heh already ascended to the head, and despite this they [still] do not illuminate at all. [The Zohar] thus says: “He wished to be revealed and called by this name of Elohim, and Hhe enclothed Himself in a precious garment that illuminates.” This means that since the whole sealing of the name, that it cannot illuminate in eleh, is due to the lack of clothing of [the light of giving], as the lower seven [sefirot] cannot receive the [light of] Ḥokhma without [the light of giving], as stated, therefore there was a reversion and performing of the [fusion through collision] of immaturity, like when [the lower seven] were in the body of Arikh Anpin . This drew forth the height of [the light of giving], and the height of [the light of] Ḥokhma was enclothed in the light of giving that was drawn forth. That [light of giving] became “a precious garment that illuminates” for that level, such that through this enclothing [of the light of Ḥokhma] in the [light of giving], it can illuminate the light of Ḥokhma into the lower seven, which are eleh.

[The Zohar] therefore states: “Hhe enclothed Himself in a precious garment that illuminates, and created these [eleh], and eleh ascended in the name.” That is, by means of that precious garment, the height of [the light of giving] that was received from the [fusion through collision] of the body below the chest,⁶ which is called Beria,⁷. “He created these [bara eleh],” i.e., He bestows that light to eleh, through which “eleh ascended in the name.” Since the [lower seven] have a precious garment from [the light of giving], they can also receive [the light of] Ḥokhma through [the garment]. Then alef-lamed-heh were revealed in the name Elohim, since now the Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba are illuminating in [the name] in their full, complete state, and it can be discerned that the name of Elohim is now complete and revealed. Thus [the Zohar] states: “The letters combined with each other,” i.e., the letters mem-yod with the letters alef-lamed-heh, “and the name Elohim was completed,” since now alef-lamed-heh receive the height of Ḥokhma because they have obtained the clothing of [the light of giving], and all five letters of Elohim illuminate in their fullness. This is the meaning of the statement: “As long as He did not create eleh, it did not ascend to the name Elohim,” since before the mem-yod gave them the light of giving to wear, the alef-lamed-heh could not receive anything from the mem-yod, and only the mem-yod illuminated in Elohim, as stated. [The Zohar] then says: “And those who sinned with the calf… “This [eleh] is your god, O Israel.” For they damaged that precious garment that illuminates, and therefore the mem-yod separated from the alef-lamed-heh, and accordingly they said: “This [eleh] is your god,” and the shefa went out to other gods.

footnotes: ⁶ The fusion through collision of immaturity, mentioned in the previous paragraph. ⁷ As explained previously, the level of a structure that lies below the diaphragm (the chest) corresponds to the world of Beria