Secrets of the Spice

In the first installment on parashat Ki Tisa, we read part of the Ari's discussion of the anointing oil. The Ari demonstrated how each of the ingredients of this oil - myrrh, cinnamon, aromatic cane, and cassia - all reflected the name Elo-him, which is manifest in the sefirot of bina, gevura, and malchut. We now continue the translation of this discussion.

Know as well that these three manifestations of the name Elo-him in bina, in gevura, and in malchut (as we said) are also manifestations of the three [spellings out of the] name Eh-yeh: one with yud, one with alef, and one with hei. The spelling out that uses yud is manifest in bina; that which uses alef is manifest in Zeir Anpin [which includes gevura]; and that which uses hei is manifest in malchut. The numerical value of the letters used to spell out these three [iterations of the name Eh-yeh], independent of the letter used to spell the actual name itself, is 392, which is also the numerical value of the word for "spices" [in Hebrew, "besamim"].

The three spellings-out of the name Eh-yeh are as follows:

The combined numerical values of these three is 161 + 143 + 151 = 455

The three names themselves, 3 x (1 + 5 + 10 + 5) = 3 x 21 = 63

455 minus 63 = 392, the numerical value of "spices", "besamim", spelled: beit-shin-mem-yud-mem (2 + 300 +40 +10 + 40 = 392).

We have explained previously that the name Havayah is spelled out in four principle ways, giving the numerical values of 72, 63, 45, and 52, and that these four spellings-out correspond respectively to the four partzufim: Abba, Imma, Zeir Anpin, and Nukva. What differentiates these four spellings-out is the letter used to spell out the two hei's and the vav. To arrive at a numerical value of 72, three yud's are used; to arrive at 63, two yuds and an alef are used; to arrive at 45, three alef's are used; to arrive at 52, just two hei's are used. [With thanks to Avraham Sutton for pointing out] that, according to this, it is clear why the three spellings-out Eh-yeh - with yud's, alef's, and hei's - correspond respectively to bina, Zeir Anpin, and malchut:

The [name of the] ingredient pure myrrh also alludes to [the connection between these spices and the name Elo-him]. The numerical value of the word for "myrrh" [in Hebrew, "mor", spelled mem-reish] is [240, which is] 2 x 120. This number [i.e. 120] is the number of permutations that exist for the name Elo-him.

The name Elo-him is composed of five letters. The number of possible permutations of a five-letter word is 5 = 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 120.

All these 120 permutations are manifest in the "back" of bina [of Atzilut].

The principle manifestation of the name Elo-him is in bina.

Corresponding to them, there are another 120 permutations manifest in [the back of] malchut [of Atzilut]; these descend into the lower worlds of Beriya, Yetzira, and Asiya, as we have explained elsewhere.

The fact that the name Elo-him is plural seems to indicate that it is a double-phenomenon; therefore the number of its permutations is doubled in a mirror-manifestation project downward out of Atzilut. As we know, the task of malchut is to descend out of Atzilut and become the consciousness of the lower worlds.

By means of this act [of compounding the anointing oil], all these 120 [lower] permutations of the name Elo-him would join [with the higher permutations] and be absorbed within them above, in bina, and would thus be "sweetened". Thus, they would all add up to 240 [the numerical value of "mor", "myrrh"].

"Sweetening" means raising the consciousness of a fallen entity to that of its origin. The anointing oil served to confer the consciousness of Atzilut to the entity it onto which it was poured.

The word used here for "pure" [in Hebrew, "dror"] alludes to this, as well:

The back of malchut [of Atzilut], which encompasses these [lower] 120 permutations of the name Elo-him, manifests [the posterior way of spelling out] the name Elo-him, as mentioned previously. This numerical value obtained by spelling out Elo-him in this way (alef, alef-lamed, alef-lamed-hei, alef-lamed-hei-yud, alef-lamed-hei-yud-mem) and adding the number 5 for the five letters of the name itself is 205.

1 + (1 + 30) + (1 + 30 + 5) + (1 + 30 + 5 + 10) + (1 + 30 + 5 + 10 + 40) = 200.

The additional five is added in order not to lose sight of the name itself, in its five original letters.

As we have mentioned previously, the "posterior" or "increasing" numerical value of a name of G‑d expresses the manifestation of that name as it gradually permeates a lower reality. The lower reality is not generally capable of experiencing the full revelation of consciousness embodied in the name itself, and therefore can only gradually accommodate this consciousness as it is introduced stepwise into its level. This describes precisely the way malchut manifests itself in the lower worlds. Above, in discussing the 120 primary permutations of the name Elo-him, we similarly identified them with "the back" of bina, there referring to how this name is manifest within Atzilut itself.

The same is true with regard to the back of bina; we thus have 2 x 205 [for these two names Elo-him, giving 410], the numerical value of the word for "pure" ["dror"].

"Dror" is spelled: dalet-reish-vav-reish, 4 + 200 + 6 + 200 = 410.

This exercise enables us as well to understand why Aaron was buried on the mountain known as Hor HaHar. (Num. 20:22-29)

The word for "mountain" in Hebrew is "har"; "Hor HaHar" literally means, "the mountain of the mountain." Rashi comments that it was thus called because it was shaped like a small mountain on top of a larger one.

As we said, the numerical value of the "posterior" of the name Elo-him together with 5 for its own letters is 205; this is the also the numerical value of the word "har". Now, there are two "mountains", one in bina and one malchut.

There are two manifestations of the "posterior" of the name Elo-him: one in bina and the other in malchut, as we have described.

One is "higher" than the other, and [the lower one] becomes absorbed within it.

The "higher mountain" is, of course, bina, and the lower one, malchut. The 120 permutations of malchut become "sweetened" by the 120 permuations of bina, as described.

This is all alluded to by "Hor HaHar", a mountain on top of another mountain. Aaron was buried there, and the letters of his name also include the letters which spell "har", in order to allude to this.

Aaron is spelled alef-hei-reish-nun. Interestingly, it was Aaron and his progeny, the priestly caste, who were anointed with the anointing oil. (See Ex. 30:30) In becoming priests, they manifested their complete submission to G‑d, this being the dynamic of the name Elo-him, as we explained previously.

[Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Sefer HaLikutim and Ta'amei HaMitzvot; subsequently published in "Apples From the Orchard."]

Reprinted with permission from Chabad of California. Copyright 2004 by Chabad of California, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, without permission, in writing, from Chabad of California, Inc.