IDOLATRY-10/Y-H-V-H, the Beautiful Acronym of MERCY-1

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IDOLATRY-10/Y-H-V-H, the Beautiful Acronym of MERCY

Know your CREATOR, know yourself and know the difference

1: Could Adam win his trial?

To win ELKM final Judgment, Adam should be deemed not just ‘good’ like all previous creatures, but rather ‘Very Good.’ What exactly does this mean?

We have seen that to be good, all creatures had to

1 Make ELKM feel good about them

Abide by His Laws of Nature
Win ELKM’s trial
Support the next Day,

If they failed to be good anymore, they were eliminated with no mercy. This was the fate of the pre historical creatures. This is how ELKM advanced CREATION from Day to Day, constantly introducing higher and more complex creatures.

If so, be Very Good in ELKM’s eyes, Adam should

Make ELKM Feel Very Good about him
Abide by ELKM’s Natural and Moral Laws
Win ELKM’s harsh Judgment
Support the next Day of CREATION, the Seventh, the Eternal Sabbath.

Adam is born into a harder trial than his predecessors on Earth. But before we go into more details of the trial, the question was, the rabbis said, if Adam would ever win it? Equipped with a smart mind, strong Self Consciousness and a Free Will, also driven by powerful Sex Drive and the Drive for Power, would Adam be able to withstand the harsh scrutiny of ELKM and win?

The rabbis observed: no way. No man can withstand ELKM’s harsh scrutiny. No man can live without sin. If Judah, Moses and David sinned, who wouldn’t? .

It is not that Adam is inherently evil with no hope to win. It is rather ELKM’s harsh Judgment that makes it impossible for Adam to win. Who can stand the Absolute Truth?

The problem was that the stakes were high. If Adam has no chance to be Very Good in ELKM’s eyes, the entire world would be “consumed to nothingness”, kahlah, as ELKM had done to other numerous Universes! .

2: ELKM invited the Merciful YHVH

Recognizing the inevitable bad final verdict, ELKM in His kindness decided to give CREATION, including Adam, a chance to win the final Judgment.

For that, He would change the Heavenly Court, making it less harsh, and also change the way Adam would be built. Mercy.

To change the Heavenly Court, ELKM turned to another Attribute of the Infinite CREATOR, the Attribute of MERCY, her Name Y-H-V-H, mentioned later in the chapter, and invited Her to join Him in ruling the world.

The Text would never, never say that ELKM talked to YHVH. Saying this would leave the wrong impression that these are two separate deities. But the verse says that before making Adam ELKM changed His rule and talked in plural, saying

Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image.

He spoke in plural to represent the new Heavenly Court of YHVH and ELKM. This makes sense. since the advent of the Merciful Attribute YHVH in the Court would ameliorate and sweeten the final verdict. YHVH’s presence in the Court would also allow Adam to REPENT, ask FORGIVENESS and PLEDGE to start all over again; things unheard of under the previous Court of ELKM. If YHVH joins, Adam’s chances to win his trial would increase. .

A human judge should do the same. He should first find out the truth and nothing but the truth, and issue a truthful verdict. Only then exercise mercy. .

Let us never forget that both ELKM and YHVH are Attributes of One, Nameless CREATOR who is beyond our conception and above any description. He/She reveals Himself to us by one of His infinite number of Attributes, as needed. Thus at the Beginning, the CREATOR ‘set’ on the Throne of Absolute Judgment as ELKM. Before making Adam, however, the CREATOR revealed Himself ALSO as the Attribute of MERCY, Y-H-V-H.

Note that neither ELKM nor YHVH has any gender. We tend to refer to ELKM as a male, and to YHVH as a female. The reason is that ‘MERCY’, in Hebrew rachamim, is derived from rechem, womb. Who can feel Compassion and Mercy if not the mammal mother to her offspring?

Later we’ll learn that it was no incident that our mother Eve, after giving birth to Cain, was the first to appreciate YHVH in full.

3: Adam should also earn YHVH favor

YHVH would protect and defend Adam in the Heavenly Court and sweeten his verdict, if Adam deserves it.

Henceforth Adam should be Very Good not only in ELKM’s eyes, but rather in the Court’s eyes; in the eyes of YHVH and ELKM.

But to find face in YHVH eyes, Adam should emulate Her and perform Her features that She loves: be Merciful, Compassionate and Forgiving.

Yet ELKM, by definition, would not make an Adam filled with YHVH features. ELKM has never made a creature capable of Mercy, Compassion and Forgiveness. Even if ELKM would continue to create smart creatures, like a smart Crawling creature, a smart Serpent, this creature would never do what YHVH wants.

This is why ELKM turned to YHVH and said

Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image.

Only Adam, made by both YHVH and ELKM, would be able to perform YHVH’s work and become Her Favor. Such an Adam would win his final judgment.

A serpent, in contrast, even smart as Adam, would never feel any of YHVH’s features and would therefore never be able to be Very Good in Her eyes.

4 Walk my Groom towards your Bride

But there is a deeper, more fascinating metaphor for the relationship between the Heavenly Attributes as shown before making Adam.

The story goes like this: (remember:everything we say must be supported by the text!)

When ELKM tuned to the Attribute of Mercy, YHVH, a new “Look of Longing” appeared in His eyes, not unlike a the Longing of a Groom to Meet His Bride.

Speaking softly, like begging, He said:

“Would you come over and Dwell in My World?”

A hint for ELKM’s Longing is given in the verses. At the final judgment of End of the Sixth Day, it says :

“And the Heavens and the Earth were finished, khalah

And ELKM finished, khalah, on the Seventh Day, all the work that He had done

And He abstained on the Seventh Day from all the work that He had done..”.(Genesis 2: 1-2)

Earlier we discuss the bad outcome of that final judgment. If ELKM would not find the world Very Good, it says, He would finish, or terminate His entire work to khalah, nothingness. He would consume it with wrath as it has never lived. .

Now we’ve arrived at the positive outcome of that final trial. It also depends on the word ‘finish,‘ khalah, which can also be read: a Bride!

Indeed, who is a beloved bride if not the one who consumes your heart with desire to meet?

Thus two options given in one word:

khalah! Annihilation!

khalah! A Bride!

Before we dive into the rest of the story, let’s understand who is YHVH

4: Y-H-V-H in the Ten Commandments

We have started our quest to understand IDOLATRY by learning about ELKM. Now we’ve arrived at a new Holy Name: Y-H-V-H.
As you recall, IDOLATRY is introduced by the first two of Moses’ Ten Commandments, saying:

The first, positive Commandment
1. I Am (The Essence)
2. YHVH Your ELoKiM (The Attributes)
3. Who Took You Out of Egypt Land”( His Kingship
………………………………………………………………………………………..
The second, negative Commandment (idols’ list)
1. Thou shall not make for yourself other ELoKiM’s
2. Over My Face…….

The first, ‘positive’ Commandment tells us whom to worship
The Second, negative one tells us about the idols, whom we should worship not

We’ve begun by studying the First, ‘positive’ Commandment that orders on us to KNOW the specific Names by which the CREATOR presented Himself on Mt Sinai: YHVH and ELKM.
We have studied so far ELKM, from Genesis Chapter One.
Now we’re about to learn about Y-H-V-H also using the miraculous Genesis Chapter One.

Y-H-V-H

1: YHVH is an acronym

Y-H-V-H is an acronym, made from the following words:

ha Y a (he was)
H o V eh (he is)
y H yeh (he will be)

Some translate it as Eternal, which is inaccurate, since ELKM too is Eternal.
The acronym expresses the idea that the Attribute Y-H-V-H was before, is now, and will be active even when ELKM would cease His work!

How should YHVH be pronounced?

Note that Y-H-V-H, an acronym, should be pronounced as an acronym: letter by letter; the way you pronounce C-B-S, N-B-C or C-N-N. There are NO VOWELS separating the consonants Y-H-V-H.

Hence pronouncing it as JeHoVah, Yehowah or Yahwah would only betray a deep ignorance of the acronym’s meaning (you would not say CaNuNa for CNN, or NaBuCa for NBC.)
In Hebrew, YHVH is pronounced ONLY letter by letter: Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh. We tend however to replace it in reverence by the title introduced by Abraham: AaDoNai, My Master, My Owner. In daily speak we refer to it as “The Name,” (HaSheM.)

And yes, Y-H-V-H stands for MERCY, COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS, HOLINESS and LOVE.

She is a ‘warrior’ only against those whom she hates, who performs Her opposite: being cruel , un-compassionate and unforgiving.

2: A Heavenly Dialogue

YHVH, the Attribute of Mercy,Dwells or Rules Over the Sabbath. By this we refer to the next Day of CREATION, the so called Eternal Sabbath. In Her Domain She showers Unconditional Love, Joy and Holiness. Under Her Rule there is no death but also no birth. YHVH is more than another Attribute. MERCY is the root of everything.

Hearing ELKM’s invitation to join Him in ruling the world, YHVH entered our Sixth Day as-
A thin Ray of Light, or as
A Shy, Modest Dove, or as
A beautiful Cherub.

Entering our world from Her Domain, the Sabbath, She OBSERVED it not unlike a BRIDE entering her GROOM’S Home the first time, assessing its furniture and household. Would She FEEL good dwelling in it?

What did the Bride say?
The Attributes converse all the time. They are in a constant dialogue about everything. So when YHVH entered our world (we need to show it in the verse) She expressed Her ‘hesitations’ to rule over it (remember that we dea with a metaphor.) Tradition holds that assessing our world, YHVH raised the following hesitations :

She said: How can I share your World, ELKM, where I see no creature capable of comprehending me and performing my work?

Indeed, would the spider, the crocodile or the snake comprehend MERCY, COMPASSION and FORGIVENESS? Even if they develop an intelligent, scientific society, would they ever comprehend YHVH’s features? No way!

2: She said: How can I share your world, ELKM, where I see no Place to REST my Wings?

Indeed, in Her Domain, the Eternal Sabbath, YHVH needs no rest, for She neither creates nor judges nor does any work. She seeks to ‘rest’ only here, in ELKM’S World. She would rest here either in our heart, our Temple or our weekly Sabbath. And wherever YHVH rests, She would fill it with Her Joy, Love, and Holiness.

Who then rests on the Sabbath?
Note that in the Ten Commandments, Moses says: “Thou shall observe the Sabbath…for YHVH has rested in it” (Exodus 20: 11.) The verb ‘rest’ never appears in connection to ELKM. On the Sabbath He would ABSTAIN, but not ‘rest.’ It is only YHVH who seeks to rest on our Sabbath in this world.

3: Let Us Make an Adam

Having heard the BRIDE’S hesitations, the GROOM ELKM’s voice became even softer, saying::

“Let Us Make and Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

He meant:
Adam will be our child,
In his heart, you could dwell…. if he invites you there
In his Sabbath, you could rest…if he observes it
In his heart, we would Consummate our Love…if he unite us there
He will spread your light into my world….

He would qualify for your Mercy…..

ELKM would carve out a room for YHVH in our heart

Note that ELKM would NOT make Adam’s heart readily filled with MERCY, COMPASSION, FOGIGIVENSS and HOLINESS. as a natural reflex. .
ELKM, rather, would ‘carve out’ a room in Adam’s heart CAPABLE of accepting the Merciful YHVH; something He had never done with any other creature before, or in any Universe before.
It would be up to Adam to invite the Merciful YHVH to Dwell into (1) a Temple (2) his heart , so that She would fill his heart with Her joy and warmth and defend him in the Heavenly Court.

As YHVH says to Moses: “And they (Israel) shall build me a Dwelling Place (Tabernacle, Mishkhan) and I shall Dwell IN THEM,” (Exodus 25:8)). “ The rabbis noticed: YHVH does not say ‘Dwell Among Them’ but rather ‘Dwell In them,’ inside their heart…” (Midrash.)

Note that in Hebrew, the aspect of YHVH that Dwells in our heart (and in the Tabernacle under the Golden Cherubs) is The Shekhinah, The Dweller.

Adam would have to work hard to keep the Shehinah, the Bride, in his heart. YHVH, Shy and Modest, would tend to fly away from him the moment he rejects her.

How to be Very Good?

Now we can better understand how Adam can be Very Good in ELK’s eyes, by doing something that ELKM would NOT do: Be merciful, compassionate and forgiving, features that do NOT relate to ELKM, who follows only the Absolute Justice.

EELKM, the CREATOR of Nature. would not make Adam merciful and compassionate. These traits are not found in nature, bellow mammals. This is why ELKM turned to the Merciful YHVH, after the Midday Trial, and asked Her to come over and make Adam togethe

ELKM longed to see these features being performed in His World. Adam is the only product of Nature that CAN do YHVH work inside ELKM’s World. ,

ELKM longs so much to enter the Sabbath, that he made Adam capable of drawing the Sabbath into ELKM’s world.

ELKM Longs to see YHVH penetrating His World, then Dwelling in it. She would dwell in Adam’s Temples, Adam’s Sabbath and Adam’s Heart. She has no real room here beside Adam’s heart.

6: Increased liability

In many people’s mind, the advent of MERCY in the Heavenly Court implies that we are readily forgiven. How wrong!

Although in Her Domain, the Sabbath, YHVH showers unconditional Love, here in ELKM world She accommodates Herself to sit in the Heavenly Court. This implies that She too assesses us, but differently than ELKM.

ELKM would judge us by our abiding by His Laws,

YHVH would assess us by our behavior; whether or not we exhibits the features She likes.

Thus the advent of MERCY protects us,

but also enlarges our liability

since we need to ‘find face’ in Her eyes too, to win Her protection.

7: Consolidating the World with Oneness

Let’s continue the story.

Having heard the GROOM’S invitation to make Adam, the BRIDE YHVH agreed and the two Attributes ‘Flew’ over the entire CREATION and Consolidated it by their mutual Love and Oneness. .
They flew like two Cherubs in Love, holding Wing against Wing, the way Moses depicted them on the Holy Ark, having a face of a boy and a girl in Love.

Together they flew over the entire Six Days, “consolidating” them so that the “world would not falter.”

Henceforth the World would have a direction. It would travel in time towards the Next Day, the Sabbath.

The story is retold by the Levite Choir of the Holy Temple who chanted every day a Psalm song that describes the events of CREATION that had occurred on that Day. On every sixth day of the week (Friday) the Choir chanted the following Psalm:

“YHVH has reigned….
The World was CONSOLIDATED…
Henceforth it would not falter…”

On” this day,” the sixth, the “world was consolidated” by the presence of YHVH in it, so that “it would not falter.” .

8: Where and how does YHVH appears the first time in the verse?

At the End of the Sixth Day it says:

“And ELoKiM said let the Earth bring forth creatures, Cattle, creeping things,
And ELoKiM made the animals…cattle…and everything creeping
And ELoKiM saw that is was good,
And ELoKiM created Adam in His Image
And ELoKiM blessed them saying be fruitful and multiply
And ELoKim said let us make Adam in our form and our image
And ELoKiM said behold, I have given you all the grass
And ELoHiM saw everything that He had done and behold, it was Very Good,
And it was evening, and it was morning,
Y om, (Day)
H aShishi, (Sixth) (was over) (Genesis 1:31)

V aYechulu (and they ended)
H aShamyim (the Heaves)
And the Earth, VeHaaretz, and all their hosts,
And ELoHiM finished all the work he had done,
And ELoHiM finished on the Seventh Day His work which He had done,
And He abstained on the Seventh Day from all His work which He had done…” (Genesis 2: 1-2)

Here the Sixth Day, ruled by ELoKiM, is painted red
The Sabbath Day, ruled by YHVH, is painted blue

And as you see, the Acronym YHVH penetrates our Sixth Day from the Sabbath,
Half of the Acronym, the Y-H, dwells in our Sixth Day,
The other half, the V-H, still dwells in the Sabbath Day.
You can see how YHVH enters and assesses our Sixth Day. She sees Adam, and behind him the entire Six Days.

9: Adam is born to BECOME Very Good

Prior to making Adam, it says: “And ELKM said: Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

Since neither ELKM nor YHVH has any ‘form’ or ‘image,’ what does the verse say?

Tradition explains (Rashi) that the verse should be read as if ELKM had an “Image and Form” of an ideal Adam on His Mind, when He spoke these words.

He had a Plan: Adam would become this ideal creature that I would deem Very Good.

How would Adam become Very Good?

ELKM would carve out a room in Adam heart capable of perceiving YHVH, something that no other animal, even a smart one, would ever do.

This is shown in the text. After the consultation with YHVH, the next verse says:

“ELKM (then) created the Adam in His Image,
In the Image of ELKM He created him,” (Genesis 1: 7)

When planning Adam, ELKM had spoken in plural voice: “Let Us Make Adam made Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

But when making Adam, the verse says that ELKM alone made Adam in HIS Image. The verse repeats it twice, to emphasize the point.
Hence ELKM made Adam in His Image, to become the image of YHVH ELKM in Oneness. .

ELKM endowed Adam with all the talents needed to thrive and rule over his habitat, Earth; to be like ELKM. He endowed Adam with a precious Free Will, Self-Consciousness, a smart Mind and powerful Passions and Desires. Adam can emulate ELKM.

At the same time, ELKM prepared a room in Adam’s heart, capable of accepting and harboring the Merciful YHVH and Her values. This way Adam would grow, personally and in history, and be Very Good in ELKM’s eyes.

10: Planning history

Adam is the only creature made with the expectation to improve himself and become Very Good; by using the special talent: his mind. Adam would learn about ELKM and YHVH and learn to unite them in his heart, mind and actions.

“Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image.” This verse takes now a new meaning. ELKM says to Adam : “Let us, me and you, make an ideal Adam together. according to the Image and Form that I have on him.”

Adam would not grow alone without ELKM by his side and YHVH in his heart.

ELKM would give Adam the guidance how to be Very Good.

Adam would have to grab ELKM’s hand, the Torah, and progress with it to become Very Good. . .

11: Does science agree?

An interesting point: After the Sixth Day, Midday Trial that decimated the pre- historical giant creatures, the room was opened for MAMMALS to proliferate. Why Mammals?

Logic says that ELKM would continue creating creatures next to the last ones on the list. If He wished to introduce smart creatures to the world, He could have used the Crawling creatures mentioned last. They had already developed a sense for social life, could intercommunicate, and given enough time they could evolve into scientifically savvy creatures capable of making their own computers, smart phones and space sips.

ELKM could, for instance, promote a smart Serpent that would walk and talk like Man.

But instead, ELKM promoted mammals. Why?

According to Science, mammals are distinguished by the Compassion the mothers show to the offspring. It comes with the mother milk. . Alligators would eat their offspring, but mammals won’t.

You CAN say that after the Midday Trial, ELKM invited the Merciful YHVH to share the world and create Adam. They started a process. By promoting Mammals, the Heavenly Court made a room in Adam’s heart to accept Mercy. The natural, reflex Compassion of the mammals towards their offspring would evolve into the conscientious Mercy and Compassion in Adam.

Again,you can see how Moses helps us to understand the history of the Earth.

10: SOME POINTS TO THINK ABOUT

As our world is traveling towards the future, it can get lost in the “Super Space”. it can wobble with no direction. The presence of YHVH here, the Y-H, is likened to an anchor which steady its course towards the Sabbath. YHVH is likened to a lighthouse that shows our Universe the way to progress in history.
Take YHVH away from us, or if YHVH flies away, our world would be lost.
If YHVH is absent from our world, it would fall again into the ‘Hand’ of the harsh ELKM, who’d terminate it to khalah! As He had done to other Universes. Only if ELKM meets His BRIDE, the khalah, in our heart, the World would travel smoothly towards YHVH’s Domain, the Sabbath.
If ELKM has not met, here in His world, His BRIDE the khalah, He would be disappointed and deem CREATION unworthy of His work. He would then terminate it to nothingness, khalah.
Either He sees His khlah, Bride,
Or khalah, annihilation!
Where does YHVH dwell?
YHVH reigns ‘alone’ over the next Day, the Eternal Sabbath.
ELKM has reigned ‘awesomely alone’ over the Six Days, before creating Adam.

Now we live are under YHVH ELKM in Oneness.

The Nicknames In Kabala,
ELKM is also called “the power that fills the World,” like the heart fills the body . ELKM’s Name appears 32 or Lb times in Chapter One ( Lb is ‘a heart’ in Hebrew).
YHVH is also called “the power that surrounds all worlds” and all attributes. When the Attributes clash or debate, YHVH usually prevails.

7 Note that the Eternal Sabbath is not just another Floor over our Six Floor Universe.
It is, rather, the next phase of our ENTIRE Universe, into which it travels.

When the Eternal Sabbath comes, ELKM will ABSTAIN from doing anymore work, ABSTAIN from doing anymore Judgment, ABSTAIN from inflicting retributions or giving rewards. It is a Day that knows no SORROW and nor DEATH, but also no BIRTH. It is a Day full of endless LOVE, JOY and HOLINESS.
Our weekly Sabbath is only a taste of the true, Eternal Sabbath.
If you enter a Synagogue on Friday evening, you hear the congregation chanting the “Welcome of the Sabbath” service. They would chant:

Walk My Groom Towards the Bride, the face of the Sabbath we will welcome.”

It Is a moving, joyful service. The Bride is either (1) The Sabbath (2) Creation (3) YHVH who dwells in the Sabbath (Rabbi Dov Soloveichick Z”TL)

Had ELoKiM continued to rule the World awesomely alone, He would have terminated it with wrath.

Had YHVH ruled ELKM’s world awesomely alone, this would have also brought its destruction. For without fearing ELKM, who wouldn’t sin? Or if any sin is assured to be forgiven, who wouldn’t sin?

Our World is ruled by YHVH ELoKiM in Oneness

The Torah focuses not on the futuristic Sabbath, but rather on Her presence in our Sixth Day. Or better said: on the transition between our Sixth Day to the Sabbath.
YHVH ELoKiM’s Oneness is not only a philosophical or theological principle. We are COMMANDED to UNITE the Opposing Attributes into One, in our courts, our hearts and our lives. Oneness is a way of life, of combining Justice with Mercy.
In her Domain, the Eternal Sabbath, YHVH does not appear as Merciful and Compassionate. After all, in the Sabbath there is neither sin nor retribution, no suffering and no pains. It is only in our World, ELKM’s world, that Her Light assumes the value of MERCY, COMPASSION and FOGIVENSS, in contrast to ELKM and His ways.

Note also that in Her Domain, YHVH neither judges not forms a Heavenly Court. The Sabbath is a Day of unconditional loved without judgment.

It is only here in ELKM’s world that the Bride YHVH has ‘accommodated’ Herself to Her Groom ELKM. Siting here in the Heavenly Court , YHVH assesses too, using Her criteria, which are different than ELKM’s criteria.

14 The ‘part’ of YHVH that penetrates our World, the Y-H, is also called The Shekhinah, meaning “the Dweller.”
The Y-H may be pronounced Yah, like in Jeremiah, Isaiah. But the full Acronym Y-H-V-H is always pronounced as such, LETTER BY LETTER! The V-H is pronounced letter by letter.

YHVH is more than a BRIDE. Her presence in ELKM’s World is perceived as a BRIDE. But in truth, YHVH encompasses everything, even the Attribute ELKM. You can say that Judgment too is an aspect of Mercy, since it is a mercy to the world to see in it the wicked being punished. It is mercy to the world to see Pharaoh drawing. It is mercy to the world to see the Nazis being called to justice.
Moses told Israel:

“Hear O Israel, YHVH is our ELKM,
YHVH is One”

We live under line 1: YHVH ELKM, But we move to line 2: the Kingdom of YHVH.
Hear it! Think of it!

Moses placed the two Golden Cherubs over the Holy Ark, to designate the two Attributes YHVH and ELKM, like a BRIDE AND A GROOM looking at each other in Heavenly Love The Shekhinah of YHVH spoke to the Prophet of Israel from the Space Under the Wings.

We’ve been following Moses Commandments:

1.I AM

2.YHVH your ELKM

Who took you out of Egypt”

We’ve learned about YHVH and ELKM in line 2. The time has arrived to move on and study YHVH ELKM’S KINGSHIP in line

END OF TORAH CLASS IDOLATRY10

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

At the end of the Sixth Day, the end of times, Moses says, ELKM will examine the entire CREATION and judge whether or not it has become Very Good in His eyes.

If ELKM finds CREATION Very Good, He would FINISH, end His Work, and allow the world to enter the next Day, the Sabbath. ELKM would then ABSTAIN from creating any more creatures, ABSTAIN from Judging anymore and ABSTAIN from ruling the world (Abstain in Hebrew is Shabat. Note that ELKM never rests. He Abstains. It is another Attribute of the CREATOR that ‘rests.’)

On the other hand, If ELKM finds CREATION not Very Good, or just good, He would FINISH, terminate it with wrath to nothingness, khalah!
The Threat is real, since ELKM had terminated numerous other Universes before ours (Rashi) we have seen how He terminated many creatures in this world when He moved from Day to Day. the difference is that this time, at the end of the Sixth Day, He would terminate the entire Building, the whole world!

Since Adam is the only creature added before the final judgment, the trial is actually our trial. It is Adam’s task to make CREATION seem Very Good in the CREATOR’S eyes. ELKM would say: my entire work is worthy because of Adam.

But how would Adam, a mere flesh and blood, achieve such an enormous task?
Could Adam withstand ELKM’s harsh scrutiny, and win?

The rabbis said: No way. Adam would certainly fail.
It is not that Adam is an evil creature with no hope. It is rather the harsh scrutiny of ELKM using Absolute Justice that makes it impossible for Adam to win. Adam, equipped with a strong Free Will, Self-Consciousness and Bad Drives, would have no chance to excel and be Very Good in ELKM’s eyes. Who could?

The stakes are high. If Adam fails, the entire world has failed. Would ELKM give Adam a better chance to win?

2: ELKM invited the Merciful YHVH

Recognizing the inevitable bad outcome of Adam’s final Judgment, ELKM in His kindness decided to change His Court, and change the way Adam would be built.

Adam would not be built as a mere extension of the creatures before him. Any such an extension could be ‘good’ at best. Adam would be different. But how? we’ll soon see.

To change His Court, ELKM turned to another Attribute of the CREATOR, the Attribute of MERCY, her Name Y-H-V-H, and asked Her to join Him in making Adam, saying:

“Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

“Let us..” ELKM spoke in a different tone. During the Six Day He acted like a tyrant, giving orders, asking no one’s opinion. Now, before making Adam He spoke softy, as if CONSULTING or even BEGGING someone(s) to join Him in making Adam. Unlike before, ELKM was listening.

Earlier we said that ELKM consulted anyone mentioned in Chapter One. Thus, He consulted the past Six Days and made Adam’s body accordingly. Adam is the summary of everything before him. ELKM also consulted His Own Wisdom by which He Had Created the Six Days, and made Adam accordingly. Adam is a Homo Sapience.

But all these consultations with the past would make Adam only good, never Very Good. Because nothing in the Six Days would elevate Adam to be deemed Very Good in ELKM’s eyes.

So to give Adam a better chance to win his trial, ELKM turned ‘forwards’ and Consulted YHVH who appears later in the Chapter, closer to the Sabbath (as you can see bellow.) He consulted or invited or asked Her (all these options are true) to ‘come over’ from the Sabbath and join Him in forming a new Heavenly Court to rule the world together.

And with the advent of the Merciful YHVH in the new Heavenly Court, Adam would have a better chance to withstand his scrutiny. Had Adam been born under ELKM Alone, Adam could have never win and survive.

Henceforth, YHVH’s presence in the Heavenly Court would ameliorate or sweeten the final verdict. YHVH presence would allow Adam to REPENT, ask FORGIVENESS and PLEDGE to start all over again; things unheard of under the previous Court of ELKM.

human judge should do the same. First find out the truth and nothing but the truth, and issue a truthful verdict. Only then exercise mercy. .

Note that ELKM and YHVH are Attributes of the One, Nameless, Infinite CREATOR who is beyond our conception and above any description. He/She reveals Himself to us by one of His infinite number of Attributes as needed, at the appropriate times. At CREATION, He set on the Throne of Absolute Judgment as ELKM. But before making Adam, He revealed Himself to the world ALSO as the Attribute of MERCY, YHVH.

Note that neither ELKM nor YHVH carries any gender. We tend to refer to ELKM as a male, to distinguish Him from YHVH whom we refer as a female. The reason is that the word MERCY, in Hebrew rachamim, is derived from rechem, womb. It is the mother of a newborn baby who can feel mercy and compassion in full. Later we’ll learn that it was no incident that Eve, after giving birth to Cain, was the first to appreciate YHVH in full.

3: Y-H-V-H in the Ten Commandments

The first, positive Commandment
1. I Am (The Essence)
2. YHVH Your ELoKiM (The Attributes)
3. Who Took You Out of Egypt Land”( His Kingship
………………………………………………………………………………………..
The second, negative Commandment (idols’ list)
1. Thou shall not make for yourself other ELoKiM’s
2. Over My Face…….

The first, ‘positive’ Commandment tells us whom to worship
The Second, negative one tells us about the idols, whom we should worship not

We’ve begun by studying the First, ‘positive’ Commandment that orders us to KNOW the specific CREATOR’S Names YHVH and ELKM.
We have studied ELKM from Genesis Chapter One.
Now we’re about to study Y-H-V-H also from Genesis Chapter One.

As you see, the miraculous Chapter One leads us from ELKM to YHVH.

Y-H-V-H

1: YHVH is an acronym

What is the meaning of YHVH?

Y-H-V-H is an acronym, made from the following words:

ha Y a (he was)
H o V eh (he is)
y H yeh (he will be)

How should YHVH be pronounced?

Note that Y-H-V-H, an acronym, should be pronounced as an acronym: letter by letter; the way you pronounce C-B-S, N-B-C or C-N-N. There are NO VOWELS separating the consonants Y-H-V-H.

Hence pronouncing it as JeHoVah, Yehowah or Yahwah would only betray a deep ignorance of the acronym’s meaning (you would not say CaNuNa for CNN, or NaBuCa for NBC.)
Remember: In Hebrew, YHVH is pronounced letter by letter: Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh. We tend however to replace it in reverence by simply saying “The Name” (HaSheM.)

My Lord

Later, Abraham would REPLACE YHVH by calling her “My Master (Lord,)” in Hebrew AaDoNai. By this he expressed total submission to the Heavenly Court, whichever the verdict would be.

And yes, Y-H-V-H stands for MERCY, COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS, HOLINESS and LOVE.

2: What would make Adam Very Good?

But the mere Advent of YHVH in the Court would not necessarily make Adam seen Very Good in ELKM’s eyes. .

To be Very Good in ELK’s eyes, Adam would have to do something that ELKM would NOT do. what could this be?

Being a smart creature, inventing I phones and computers and space ships would not elevate Adam to that level, ELKM can do a better job than Man when it comes to science.

What then could Adam do that ELKM would not?

Only one thing: Be merciful, Compassionate and Forgiving, features that are NOT related to ELKM who follows the Absolute Justice.

This is why ELKM turned to the Merciful YHVH and asked He to make Adam together. This way Adam would be able to emulate YHVH and do what even ELKM would not do. This way Adam would excel beyond any creature made before him, since no other creature knows Mercy. This would be the only way Adan could become Very Good in ELKM eyes.

The story goes like this:

3: An Heavenly Invitation

As the Midday Trial of the Sixth Day was over and the huge pre-historic creatures were gone,

ELKM turned to the Attribute of MERCY, YHVH, who Dwells in the ‘next Day,’ the Eternal Sabbath, and asked Her:

Would you come over and join me in ruling my world?

His tone was very soft. Moreover, a new ‘look’ of Longing appeared in ELKM’s eyes, not unlike the longing of a Groom to meet his beloved Bride.

Who is His Bride? Moses says: She is the Sabbath, or YHVH who Dwells in the Sabbath.

The hint for this lies in the verse which says, at the end of the Sixth Day

“And the Heavens and the Earth and all their hosts were FINISHED (Va-ye-khulu)
And ELKM FINISHED (‘Khilah’) all His Work that He had done…”

We have already discussed the Hebrew word for “finished”, Va-Ye-khu-lu, which is derived from khalah, to consume. We read it as a bad verdict: consume to nothingness with rage. If Adam would fail to be Very Good in ELKM’s eyes, ELKM would FINISH or annihilate him and the entire world with him to khalah, nothingness.

But khalah can mean the opposite: A Bride!
Indeed, what is a bride, if not someone whom your heart is CONSUMED with LONGING to meet?

Hence, at the End of the Sixth Day, our Day,
ELKM will conduct a comprehensive, universal trial.
If ELKM ‘the Groom’ has met, here in his world, His Bride the khalah, He would feel ‘Very Good’ and allow the entire CREATION including Adam to enter the next Day , the Eternal Sabbath.
But If ELKM has not met here in his world, the Bride khlah, He would FINISH His world with wrath, to nothingness, kahlah!

You see how the same word kahlah offers two opposite outcomes for the End of Times Trial.

4: A Heavenly Dialogue

Answering ELKM’s invitation, YHVH entered our World-
As a thin Ray of Light,
Or as Shy, Modest Dove, or
Or as a beautiful Cherub.
She then OBSERVED our world, ELKM’s world, not unlike a Bride entering her Groom’s Home for the first time, assessing its furniture and household. Would She LIKE it? Would She FEEL comfortable Dwelling there?

What did the Bride say?
No one was there to record their ensuing Heavenly Dialogue. Tradition holds that assessing our world, YHVH raised the following questions:

She said: How can I share your World, ELKM, where I see no creature capable of comprehending me and performing my work?

Indeed, can the spider, the crocodile or the snake comprehend MERCY, COMPASSION and FORGIVENESS? Even if they develop an intelligent, scientific society, could they ever comprehend YHVH’s features? No way!

2: She said: How can I share your world, ELKM, where I see no Place to REST my Wings?

Who then rests on the Sabbath?
Note that in the Ten Commandments, Moses says: “Thou shall observe the Sabbath…for YHVH has rested in it” (Exodus 20: 11.) The verb ‘rest’ never appears in connection to ELKM. On the Sabbath He would ABSTAIN, but not ‘rest.’ It is only YHVH who seeks to rest on our Sabbath in this world.

5: Let Us Make an Adam

Having heard the BRIDE’S hesitations, ELKM’s voice became even softer, as if He was begging, saying :

“Let Us Make and Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

We’ve therefore exhausted all the possible moods of the verse: ELKM consulted, asked, begged.

And He meant:
Adam will be our child,
In his heart, you could dwell…. if he invites you there
In his Sabbath, you could rest…if he observes it
In his heart, we would Consummate our Love…if he unite us in his heart
He will shine your light into my world….

He would qualify for your Mercy…..

Note again that ELKM would NOT fill Adam’s heart with MERCY, COMPASSION, FOGIGIVENSS and HOLINESS. as a natural reflex. .
ELKM, rather, would ‘carve out’ a room in Adam’s heart CAPABLE of accepting the Merciful YHVH; something He had never done with any other creature before, or in any Universe before.
It would be up to Adam to invite the Merciful YHVH to Dwell into (1) a Temple (2) his heart , so that She would fill his heart with Her joy and warmth and defend him in the Heavenly Court.

Note that in Hebrew, the aspect of YHVH that Dwells in our heart (and in the Tabernacle under the Golden Cherubs) is The Shekhinah, which is The Dweller.

Adam would have to work hard in order to keep the Shehinah, the Bride, in his heart. Being Shy and Modest, She would tend to fly away from him, if She has found his heart unacceptable for Her!

Increasing our liability
On one hand, the advent of the Merciful YHVH in the Heavenly Court increases our chance to win our trial. YHVH is our Defender in the Court.

But on the other hand, Her Presence in the Court increases our liability, since we need to ‘find face’ in Her eyes too, to win Her protection.

Note also that in Her Domain, the Eternal Sabbath, YHVH does not judge. It is only here in ELKM world that She has accommodated herself and assesses us too. .

6: Consolidating the World with Oneness

YHVH agreed, and the two Attributes ‘Flew’ over CREATION and Consolidated it by their mutual Love and Oneness. .
Like two Cherubs in Love, holding Wing against Wing, the way Moses depicted them on the Holy Ark, they flew over the entire Six Days, ‘establishing’ them so that they would not falter. Henceforth the World would have a direction: travel in time towards the Next Day, the Sabbath.

Indeed, the two Golden Cherubs on the Holy Ark had faces of a boy and a girl looking at each other with Heavenly Love.

The story is retold by the Levite Choir of the Holy Temple who chanted every day a Psalm song that describes the events of CREATION that had occurred on that Day.
Thus, on every sixth day of the week (Friday) the Choir chanted the following Psalm:

“YHVH has reigned….
The World was CONSOLIDATED…
Henceforth it would not falter…”

On this day, the sixth, the world was consolidated by the presence of YHVH in it. Henceforth it would not falter. It implies that prior to Her advent the world would have falter.

7: Where does YHVH appears the first time in the verses?

At the End of the Sixth Day it says:

“And ELoKiM said let the Earth bring forth creatures, Cattle, creeping things,
And ELoKiM made the animals…cattle…and everything creeping
And ELoKiM saw that is was good,
And ELoKiM created Adam in His Image
And ELoKiM blessed them saying be fruitful and multiply
And ELoKim said let us make Adam in our form and our image
And ELoKiM said behold, I have given you all the grass
And ELoHiM saw everything that He had done and behold, it was Very Good,
And it was evening, and it was morning,
Y om, (Day)
H aShishi, (Sixth) (was over) (Genesis 1:31)

Here the Sixth Day, ruled by ELoKiM, is painted red
The Sabbath Day, ruled by YHVH, is painted blue

And as you see, the Acronym YHVH penetrates our Sixth Day from the Sabbath,
Half of the Acronym, the Y-H, dwells in our Sixth Day,
The other half, the V-H, still dwells in the Sabbath Day.
You can see in the Text how YHVH enters and assesses our Sixth Day. She sees Adam, and behind him the entire Six Days.

The world is traveling in time to the future. But it can get lost in the Super Space, or wobble. YHVH’s presence here, the Y-H, is like an anchor, that set up the steady course towards the Sabbath. YHVH is like a lighthouse that shows our Universe the way to progress in history.

Take YHVH away from us, from our heart, and the world would be lost.

If YHVH is not here, our Universe would be left again in the ‘Hand’ of ELKM who would terminate it to khalah! As He had done to other Universes. But if ELKM meets His BRIDE, the khalah, in our heart, the World would travel smoothly towards YHVH’s Domain, the Sabbath.

If ELKM has not met, here in His world, His BRIDE the khalah, He would not feel ‘very good’ and be disappointed. He would then deem CREATION unworthy and terminate it to nothingness, khalah.
Either He sees His khlah, Bride,
Or khalah, annihilation!

Where does YHVH dwell?
YHVH reigns ‘alone’ over the next Day, the Eternal Sabbath.
ELKM has reigned ‘awesomely alone’ over the Six Days, before creating Adam.

Now we are under YHVH ELKM in Oneness.

The Nicknames In Kabala,
ELKM is also called “the power that fills the World,” like the heart fills the body . It comes from the fact that ELKM’s Name appears 32 or Lb times in Chapter One; where Lb is ‘a heart’ in Hebrew.
YHVH is also called “the power that surrounds all worlds” and all attributes. When the Attributes clash or debate, YHVH usually prevails.

Note that the Eternal Sabbath is not just another Floor over our Six Floor Universe.
It is, rather, the next phase of our ENTIRE Universe, into which it travels.

When the Eternal Sabbath comes, ELKM will ABSTAIN from doing anymore work, ABSTAIN from doing anymore Judgment, ABSTAIN from inflicting retributions or giving rewards. It is a Day that knows no SORROW and nor DEATH, but also no BIRTH. It is a Day full of endless LOVE, JOY and HOLINESS.
Our weekly Sabbath is only a taste of the true, Eternal Sabbath.

The Attribute’s gender
Neither YHVH nor ELKM has any gender. We tend to refer to YHVH in female terms, since MERCY, in Hebrew racham, comes from the word rachem, a womb. Indeed, it was Eve who perceived YHVH in full force after giving birth to Cain. Eve saw YHVH out of her own womb.
If so, we tend to refer to ELKM in masculine terms, in order to separate the Attributes.
Note that in Kabalistic literature, YHVH is sometimes described in masculine terms, and ELKM in feminine ones. ELKM in that context is perceived as the Female ‘Master of the House’, who provides and nourishes the world.

If you enter a Synagogue on Friday evening, you hear the congregation chanting the “Welcome of the Sabbath” service. They would chant:

Walk My Groom Towards the Bride, the face of the Sabbath we will welcome.”

It Is a moving, joyful service. The Bride is either (1) The Sabbath (2) Creation (3) YHVH who dwells in the Sabbath (Rabbi Dov Soloveichick Z”TL)

The Ideal, Very Good Adam

Now we can comprehend better how can Adam become Very Good in ELKM’s eyes.

If Adam invites the MERCIFUL YHVH into his heart, and do Her work, Adam would find face in YHVH eyes and qualify for Her defense.

If Adam UNITES YHVH with ELKM in his heart, mind and actions, Adam would make the Groom feel Very Good about him, and the entire CREATION. ELKM would then allow CREATION to see the next Day.

YHVH’s presence in Adam heart would fill is heart with JOY, WARMTH, MERCY, COMPASSION, and HOLINESS.

8: Adam is born to BECOME Very Good

You see this in the verse.
Prior to making Adam, ELKM said: “And ELKM said: Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

Since neither ELKM nor YHVH has any ‘form’ or ‘image,’ what does the verse say?

Tradition explains (Rashi) that the verse should be read as if ELKM had an “Image and Form” of an ideal Adam on His Mind, when He spoke these words.
This ‘ideal Adam’ would bring YHVH into his heart, unit Her with ELKM thereby becoming a Very Good Adam.

Adam was not readily made an ideal creature.
Adam was made to become that “Form and Image” of him, which ELKM had on His mind.
Adam was made to embark on a personal and historical journey, to GRADUALLY learn about YHVH, learn to appreciate Her, learn how to invite her into his heart, learn about ELKM, unite them in his heart, mind and actions and become Very Good in ELKM’s eyes.
This journey would take years, the entire human history.

Therefore the next verse says:

“ELKM (then) created the Adam in His Image,
In the Image of ELKM He created him,” (Genesis 1: 7)

Although ELKM had said in plural voice: “Let Us Make Adam made Adam in Our Form and Our Image,” the next verse says otherwise, that ELKM made Adam in HIS Image. The verse repeats it twice, to emphasize the point.
Hence ELKM did make Adam in His Image, to become the image of YHVH ELKM in Oneness. .

ELKM endowed Adam with all the talents needed to thrive and rule over his habitat, Earth; to be like ELKM.

Thus He endowed Adam with a precious Free Will, strong Self-Consciousness, a smart Mind and powerful Passions and Desires. Adam can emulate ELKM.

At the same time, ELKM prepared a room in Adam’s heart, capable of accepting and harboring the Merciful YHVH and Her values. This way Adam would grow, personally and in history, and be Very Good in ELKM’s eyes.

Planning history

Adam is the only creature made with the expectation to improve himself and become Very Good; by using the special talent: his mind. Adam would learn about ELKM and YHVH and unite them in his heart, mind and actions.

Adam is the only creature to grow consciously by his heart and mind. No reflex operating anymore. .

9: Does science agree?

An interesting point: After the Sixth Day midday trial that decimated the pre-historic giant creatures, the room was opened for MAMMALS to proliferate.

Science says that what separates the mammals from previous creatures is the Compassion that the mothers develop towards their cubs. Alligators often eat their offspring when hungry, but mammals would not. Of course, the mammals’ compassion is still a reflex, designed to protect the species, a gift of ELKM. Yet this gift serves as a nucleus upon which Man can develop a ‘real’ Mercy and Compassion’ based on conscious will using his brain.

You can say that after the midday trial, ELKM turned to YHVH saying “Let Us make an Adam in our Form and our Image.” They agreed and began making Adam by allowing the mammals to proliferate. The motherly compassion of the mammals would carve out a room in Adam’s heart capable of perceiving and accepting the Merciful YHVH.

Again,how amazing it is that Moses’ words CAN match what science says.

10: SOME POINTS TO THINK ABOUT

(1) Had ELoKiM continued to rule the World awesomely alone, He would have terminated it with wrath.

(2) Had YHVH ruled ELKM’s world awesomely alone, this would have also brought its destruction. For without fearing ELKM, who wouldn’t sin? Or if any sin is assured to be forgiven, who wouldn’t sin?

(3) Our World is ruled by YHVH ELoKiM in Oneness

(4) The Torah focuses not on the futuristic Sabbath, but rather on Her presence in our Sixth Day. Or better said: on the transition between our Sixth Day to the Sabbath.

(5) YHVH ELoKiM’s Oneness is not only a philosophical or theological principle. We are COMMANDED to UNITE the Opposing Attributes into One, in our courts, our hearts and our lives. Oneness is a way of life, of combining Justice with Mercy.

(6) In her Domain, the Eternal Sabbath, YHVH does not appear as Merciful and Compassionate. After all, in the Sabbath there is neither sin nor retribution, no suffering and no pains. It is only in our World, ELKM’s world, that Her Light assumes the value of MERCY, COMPASSION and FOGIVENSS, in contrast to ELKM and His ways.

Note also that in Her Domain, YHVH neither judges not forms a Heavenly Court. The Sabbath is a Day of unconditional loved without judgment.

(7) The ‘part’ of YHVH that penetrates our World, the Y-H, is also called The Shekhinah, meaning “the Dweller.”
The Y-H may be pronounced Yah, like in Jeremiah, Isaiah. But the full Acronym Y-H-V-H is always pronounced as such, LETTER BY LETTER! The V-H is pronounced letter by letter.

(8) YHVH is more than a BRIDE. Her presence in ELKM’s World is perceived as a BRIDE. But in truth, YHVH encompasses everything, even the Attribute ELKM. You can say that Judgment too is an aspect of Mercy, since it is a mercy to the world to see in it the wicked being punished. It is mercy to the world to see Pharaoh drawing. It is mercy to the world to see the Nazis being called to justice.

(9) Moses told Israel:

“Hear O Israel, YHVH is our ELKM,
YHVH is One”

We live under line 1: YHVH ELKM, But we move to line 2: the Kingdom of YHVH.
Hear it! Think of it!

(10) Moses placed the two Golden Cherubs over the Holy Ark, to designate the two Attributes YHVH and ELKM, like a BRIDE AND A GROOM looking at each other in Heavenly Love The Shekhinah of YHVH spoke to the Prophet of Israel from the Space Under the Wings.

We’ve been following Moses Commandments:

1.I AM

2.YHVH your ELKM

Who took you out of Egypt”

We’ve learned about YHVH and ELKM in line 2. The time has arrived to move on and study YHVH ELKM’S KINGSHIP in line 3.

END OF TORAH CLASS IDOLATRY10

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