Kabbalah zu Schemot 34:6

And now we should clarify your understanding regarding one issue dependent on this. Know that the aspects/attributes/middot are dependent on the limbs. How so? The aspect of the eye is vision, the aspect of the ear is hearing, the aspect of the hand is touch, the aspect of the foot is walking. And behold, the aspects/middot are continued through the limbs, and regarding this our sages of blessed memory reminded us "towards Heaven is an expression of middot" [probably related to Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 3:8, I didn't find the source for this, N.T.] we have to understand regarding the matter of attributes as we understand regarding the matter of ear and hand and foot that we mentioned. And just as there is no quantification among us regarding the limbs, there is no quantification regarding the issue of middot. And since in this book we need to deal with the expression of middot, take care and guard your soul exceedingly from saying that Y"Y of Blessing has a middah that is differentiated and quantifiable, because this is not so. Just as there is no quantification, limit or comparison for the matter of the eye and ear, so too is the standing regarding the middot. And behold our rabbis of blessed memory called their holy names middot, as we learn in the first chapter of Rosh Hashanah: "Rav Yehuda said: A covenant was made with the thirteen attributes that they will not return empty-handed, as it is stated: “Behold, I make a covenant” (Exodus 34:10)." (Rosh Hashanah 17b) And the thirteen middot are Y"Y, Y"Y, E-l compassionate and gracious, slow to anger (Exodus 34:6). And the general rule - you have to believe that there is no comparison between the attributes of Y"Y of blessing and our attributes, even though there is the use of the sign of same word. And regarding this our sages of blessed memory said in several places: "Come and see how the attributes of the Holy One of Blessing are not like the attributes of flesh and blood" (Shabbat 127a, Berakhot 5a, Megillah 14a etc), and after we passed to your hands this key with this introduction, we have to enter the explanation of each and every name of the holy names written in the Torah and clarify your eyes in every place that you find one of these names written, and so that you will understand and become illumined regarding the source of living water that He flows from all His names, may He be blessed. And if you grasp this thing then you will be successful in your way and then you will become illumined.

And after this introduction, here I am going to explain. You should know that the name YHV"H, may the One be blessed, dresses itself and beautifies itself in holy names, and every holy name seizes itself [or. Hebrew is מתאחזין] in the truth of this Name, may it be blessed, and each name teaches a specific issue individually. How? When the Holy Name wants to have compassion on God's world and have pity on them, then God clothes Godself in the clothing of Compassion [Hesed] and Mercy [Hemlah] and then the High Name, which is YHV"V brings out the banner of compassion and mercy, and in that same banner is carved the name E"l, and the sign is "each on its banner by signs" (Bamidbar 2:2). And when the Blessed Name brings this banner out, then God does good and has compassion and bestows grace on human beings and is happy with them, and this is the secret of "May the glory of YHV"H be forever, YHV"H will be happy in His works" (Psalms 104:31), and the secret of "and he [Avraham] called the name YHV"H E-l Olam" (Genesis 21:33), and the secret of "E-l King that sits on the throne of Mercy", and the secret of "Y'Y Y'Y E-l Rahum veHanun (Shemot 34:6) and the secret of "because E-l Rahum Y'Y your God" (Deut. 4:31), and the sign is "because E-l, great, Y'Y and a great king over all E-lohim" (Psalms 95:3) - E-lohim, the aspect of judgment, that is to say that the aspect of Mercy is greater than the aspect of judgment. And from this you will understand "And E-lohim tested Avraham" (Genesis 22:1) - E-lohim, that is, the aspect of Judgment, gave the miracle/nes and the banner in the hands of Avraham, who is the secret of the aspect of E-l, who is the secret of the aspect of Hesed, and this is the expression "tested/nisah Avraham", from the expression "raise a banner/nes over the peoples" (Isaiah 62:10). And this is the secret of "God of Abraham, God of Isaac" (E-lohei Avraham, E-lohei Yitzchak) and we don't say "and God of Yitzchak", since the aspect of Judgment is conquered under the aspect of Compassion, since the banner of Yitzchak, which is the aspect of E-lohim is given over to the hand of Avraham, who is the secret of the aspect of E-l.

And this is the secret: "And E-lohim tested Avraham" (Gen. 22:1) that the name E-lohim gave its banner [nes] in the hand of Avraham whose aspect is E-l. And this is the secret of "and he took in his hand the fire and the knife" (Genesis 22:6): if Avraham had not taken in his hand the strengths of Yitzchak, which are the fire and the knife, the whole creation would not have been able to stand in front of 'the fear of Yitzchak'. And this is the secret of 'and abundant in mercy' (Exodus 34:6 and Numbers 14:18) of the aspect of Avraham, that diminished the aspect 'fear of Yitzchak' and took in his hand the fire and the knife. And this is why the aspect of Avraham is called Gedulah, because it is greater than Gevurah, and this is the secret that He said to Avraham "I will make your name great" (Genesis 12:2) and this is the secret of "because a great E-l is YHV"H and king over all E-lohim" (Psalms 95:3) - and therefore the banner of Yitzchak does not get out until the banner of Avraham has finished teaching all the merit. And this is the secret of "and Y"Y went, after He finished speaking with Avraham, and Avraham returned to his place" (Genesis 18:33) - and what is written after? "And it was, when E-lohim destroyed the two cities of the plain" (Genesis 19:29). Even though E-lohim destroyed, when He remembered Avraham, who is the secret of the aspect E-l, He saved Lot, and this is what is written: "And it was that, when E-lohim destroyed the cities of the Plain, E-lohim remembered Avraham and sent Lot away from the midst of the upheaval" - truly from the middle of the upheaval He saved him. And the reason [is] because Avraham took in his hand the fire and the knife, and therefore Avraham saved many times [other people] even though the end of the judgment was death, because this is the secret of "abundant in mercy", and this is the secret of "compassionate and gracious" of the aspects called as "Avraham". And after Avraham took with His permission the fire and the knife, which are the weapons of war of Yitzchak, who is the aspect of E-lohim, the banner of E-lohim does not come out to complete the punishment until Avraham has finished teaching/exposing the merit of the one being judged. And when he does not find merit, the aspect of Avraham joins [into the aspect of E-lohim/Yitzchak] and then E-lohim, which is the aspect of Yitzchak, completes the punishment and the judgment, as it says "and Avraham returned to his place," and after this "And it was that, when E-lohim destroyed the cities of the Plain". And you should know that, once Avraham took the fire and the knife, E-lohim cannot act of punish until Avraham agrees with the judgment. And this is the secret of "And Avraham took the fire and the knife and the two of them walked together". "And the two of them walked together", obviously, since the aspect of Yitzchak cannot walk without the permission of the aspect of Avraham, and its command and its agreement. And this is the secret of "God of Avraham, God of Yitzchak AND God of Ya'akov" (Exodus 3:9) and it is not written AND God of Yitzchak, as it is written "and God of Ya'akov", so that greatness is not divided to the aspect of Yitzchak, and so that the aspect of "Fear of Isaac" is always under "Kindness of Avraham." And this is the secret of "and the two of them walked together", that the aspect of Yitzchak does not have permission to walk unless the aspect of Avraham has exposed the merit, because otherwise the aspect of Yitzchak would destroy the world, and this is the secret of 'And E-lohim tested Avraham." And you should know that Avraham bound Yitzchak up so that the aspect of Yitzchak would be tied up by its hands and feet, and would be conquered, under the aspect of Avraham.