The Right Line of the Vav of HaVaYaH

55. The beginning on the right side of ZA, called Vav of HaVaYaH, Hesed of ZA, that first light stands on one Merkava, which is three-three, and not four. Although a Merkava is only with four, three lines and the Malchut that receives them, still, everything here is in three-three, like the letters Yod-Hey-Vav, which are three, walking in the holy name.

This is so because the bottom Hey and the first Hey are one shape of a letter. You find that the four letters HaVaYaH are only three letters Yod-Hey-Vav. Because of it, everything goes in three-three.

56. The bottom Hey of HaVaYaH is the fourth in the four letters of the name. For this reason, her Merkava is in four. Although she is in four, she is in three-three, and everything goes on the straight path, to raise one like the other, to be one.

The Merkava is three lines and the Malchut that receives them. When they are incorporated in each other, each of them should have been incorporated with these four, and there should have been sixteen phases. However, even after they have been incorporated with each other, in each of these four there are only three phases, and they are twelve.

This is so because the main part of the Merkava is three lines, but Malchut does not operate at all, but receives the three lines into her. For this reason, in each one, there are only three lines, and in Malchut, too, there are three lines that she receives, and they are only twelve phases, twelve combinations of HaVaYaH.

57. The Merkava to the south, right, is in three lines that emerge from the candle, Bina. How do three lines on the right of ZA come out from Bina? When the wind blows in twelve winds [Ruchot: pl. of Ruach], which is ZA, in which there are twelve phases, it ascends to Bina, in whom the right and left emit a scent, illumination of Hochma, and do not emit a scent, since the right and left in her are disputed. The Ruach is incorporated in three colors.

In other words, when the Ruach ascends to Bina, it unites the right and left in Bina and three colors emerge in her—right, left, and middle—which are HBD. The Ruach shines in the light of the right in Bina, and is sucked into the light of the left in Bina. That is, the Ruach corrects the light of the left so it shines only from below upward. This is regarded as the receiver of the illumination sucking it from the left when it is in the place of the left, but cannot draw the illumination from above downward. However, in the light of the right, it shines as it always does.

At that time, three lines come out: The left blazes in fire, the right blazes in water, the middle blazes in wind, and the three lines in Bina have been completed. At that time, the Ruach is separated from Bina and comes to its place, and it, too, becomes three lines. Since the Ruach, ZA, elicited three lines by which HBD have been established in Bina, it, too, is rewarded with these three lines, since all the light that the lower one causes to shine in the upper one, the lower one is also rewarded with it.

58. When the Ruach that decided in the two lines in Bina is separated from Bina, it comes to its place and becomes three colors. Because it caused three colors in Bina, it, too, obtained three lines. These three lines are not fire; they are not water; and they are not wind. That is, they are not the actual three lines right, left, and middle that emerged in Bina, but only their illumination was extended to ZA.

However, when that Ruach was separated from Bina to its place, each of the two lines right and left in the middle line shone and blazed and gave strengthening to the place that is on it, which is Bina. Afterwards, the illumination of Ruach itself became the middle line, which it supports under them, unites them and corrects them, as it did in Bina.

The three lines of ZA are not actual three lines; he rather earned them by giving strengthening to Bina, since all the light that the lower one causes to the upper one, the lower one is also rewarded with it. For this reason, he earned two lines right and left from Bina, and its own phase is three lines.

59. One color blazed and fire grew strong in it, the judgments of the left that was incorporated with the right, the left line incorporated in the three lines in the right. One color blazed and water grew strong in it, Hesed, meaning it was incorporated in the right, the three lines, incorporated in the three lines on the right. Another color blazed and Ruach grew strong in it, Rachamim, incorporated in the right, the middle line in the three lines on the right. These three colors are one Merkava on the right side, the letter Hey, Bina, since the Merkava is extended from Bina.

60. These are the appellations that there are in the Creator in the names by which He is called. Hence, the name of the Creator is called by several names, and they are all incorporated in each of the upper sides—right, left, and middle—which are names that are not erased.

The three general lines in the Vav, ZA, are called by names that are unerasable. However, those three individual lines incorporated in each line are called by appellations and are not among the ten unerasable names.

61. The right side is called El [God]. Its Merkava, the three individual lines that are incorporated in the right line is called “great.” When the Merkava is detailed, they are three lines, three lines, and their names are called “great” to the right line, “immune” to the left line, and “holy” to the middle line. These three appellations are a Merkava to the overall right, Hesed of ZA, who is called El, the highest of the ten unerasable names.

62. Three colors, the three individual lines, the Merkava to the right side, blaze and shine, and each color is detailed into the two others to each side. This is so because these three individual lines are also incorporated with each other, and three lines emerge in each of them, adding two lines to each one until they add up to the number three times three, which are nine. The general right line, Hesed of ZA, which rides over them, completes them to ten.

All these are also called high and small Sefirot. The three general lines of ZA are called “the upper Sefirot,” and the nine individual lines in each line are called “small Sefirot,” and they are all the qualities of the Creator.

63. The appellations of the nine individual lines incorporated in the general right line. Two lines emerge from the color in which water grew strong, from the individual right line, called “great”: the left and the middle. The middle line is called “merciful,” and the left line is called “gracious.” These are from that same color that grew strong in water, from the individual right line.

Two lines emerge from the color in which fire grew strong, the individual left line, called “immune”: the right one and the middle one. The middle line is called “long-faced” [patient], and the right line is called “and great in mercy.” These are from that same color in which fire grew strong, from the individual left line.

Two lines, right and left, emerge from the color in which the wind grew strong, the individual middle line, called “holy.” The right one is called Hassid, and the left one is called “forgiving.” In the book of Enoch, we find that right is called “good,” and left is called “upright,” as it is written, “The Lord is good and upright.” HaVaYaH, the middle line, is called “good and upright.”

64. From these nine lines, lights expand to Malchut, and they are all Merkavot to one another. All nine appellations are outside the name El, who is the general right line of ZA. However, they do not adhere to the general three lines, which are HGT of ZA of above. All of them are incorporated in the general right side, which is the name El, and all of them are one to the right side, and it is all the letter Vav, ZA.