177 —מאה ועשרים צירופי אלקים, אשרי מול הוי, ורפ"ח ניצוצין

B"H, Monday, 9 Teves, 5705.

Kavod haVavac"h iy"a nu"m etc. Mahoram"m Shu"b

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your questions in your letter: a) You asked for an explanation of what is written in several places about "one hundred and twenty permutations of the Name Elokim," how this is calculated and what is the meaning of these permutations. R. Menachem Mendel Margalit Shu"b, Eliak, Mass. The answer: The calculation of the permutations follows what is explained in Sefer Yetzirah (chapter 4 mishnah 12; in some editions mishnah 16): "Two stones build two houses... five stones build one hundred and twenty houses." The explanation of this mishnah: stones mean letters; houses mean words. Two stones build two houses—out of two letters you can make two words, each containing those two letters but in a different order. For example, with the two letters alef and beit—you get two words: av and ba. Similarly, with five letters (such as alef, lamed, hei, yud, mem), they can be combined in one hundred and twenty ways—each differing from the other by the order of the letters, as can be seen clearly. Of these are twenty-four permutations beginning with alef; twenty-four with lamed; twenty-four with hei; twenty-four with yud; and twenty-four with mem. However, the main permutation is Elokim.

Now, each letter among the twenty-two letters of Torah is a unique light (and the form of each letter indicates its particular light—see at the end of Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah by Rabbeinu HaZaken). And Scripture says: "Bereishit bara Elokim et hashamayim ve'et haaretz" (In the beginning Elokim created heaven and earth)—meaning that creation was through the Name Elokim (with Shem Havayah enclothed within it). The five letters in this name represent five levels from which it is composed. Therefore it is understood that when you change the permutation (order) of these letters in this Name, also changes the effect that comes through this Name. The general rule here (Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah ibid.) is that whichever letter comes first in a permutation dominates and is primary in its effect.

Elokim consists of: eleh-yam; mi. Eleh means revelation; yam or mi (who?) means concealment or covering (see Zohar I:2a etc., Likkutei Torah Devarim "Vehaya mispar Bnei Yisrael" p.62). Therefore among those permutations starting with alef, lamed or hei—the Divine light drawn through them appears more revealed. In contrast to those starting with yud or mem—where these letters dominate—the Divine light within them is more concealed. Therefore after descent and contraction etc., it is only from these latter forty-eight permutations (twenty-four starting with yud and twenty-four starting with mem) that kelipot and sitra achra derive their nurture. This explains what is stated in Chassidus (Hosafot to Torah Or end Parshat Yitro etc.) that kelipot draw from these forty-eight lower permutations of Shem Elokim—admat bnei Cham.

In Shaar HaKavanot (regarding Pesach derush 1) it also explains at length about these one hundred and twenty and forty-eight permutations of Shem Elokim. There it seems that specifically Egypt's kelipah draws from these forty-eight permutations—but this requires further study.

b) Regarding your question about what is written in Magen Avot (on Shuvah p.262): Ashrei is opposite to hoi—the source for this is Yalkut Shimoni at the beginning of Tehillim: "Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha said: 'Ashrei' appears twenty times in Tehillim corresponding to twenty 'hoi's' found in Yeshayahu." The simple explanation: Ashrei indicates happiness and delight while hoi indicates its opposite—pain and sorrow.

The explanation according to Chassidus appears* in Peirush HaMilot by tzt"z (printed as Derech Mitzvosecha vol II) on "Ashrei yoshvei veitecha": The word hoi indicates that shefa has departed from yesod (yud) to tiferet (vav), then to binah (hei); its opposite is ashrei ('ashrei-yud'), for asher refers to olam haba where binah shines into Zeir Anpin until it reaches yud which is yesod. What it says elsewhere (in Drushei Machtzit HaShekel etc.) that yesod is orphaned from binah applies only during exile.

(In Siddur Maharid on "Ashrei yoshvei", he explains that [the shefa] ascended to keter—which needs clarification since usually 'oy' not 'hoi' refers to this as stated in Pardes Shaar Arkei HaKinuyim under 'oy' and 'hoi', referenced also there.)

c) Regarding Rafach Nitzutzin—their level is explained in detail in Etz Chaim Shaar 18; their number comes from there chapter 2: The existence of Rafach Nitzutzin are four aspects seventy-two that descended from four Havayahs (Havayah d'Ayin-Beit ^[72], d'Sag ^[63], d'Mah ^[45], d'Ban ^[52])—all together make up Rafach Nitzutzin [288 sparks]. See also Pri Etz Chaim Shaar Kriat Shema ch.9 on this topic and Maamar Chazal Masechet HaNitzutzin.

Relevant here: see Torah Or Vayeshev on "Vehinei anachnu me'alemim..." p.62—that Rafach was when they were still in Atzilut but when they fell from Atzilut to Beriah then from Beriah to Yetzirah then from Yetzirah to Asiyah—they split further into thousands upon thousands; thus exile lasts so long because all must be refined—and when refinement finishes Mashiach will come speedily! In Tzemach's glosses—Mevo She'arim II ch.3 p.9—it explains differently somewhat; see also Maamar Sh'ar Olam HaTohu Rafan-Gimmel.

In Torah Or Bo s.v. BeEtzem Hayom: Rafach Nitzutzin fell at Shevirat HaKelim—from which during Egyptian exile Reish-Bet ^[202] sparks were refined; see also Drushei Vayeshev—in Torah Or & Toras Chaim—and Devarim Ish Al Diglo Parshat Bamidbar year 5700 for an explanation about Shevirat HaKelim according to Chassidus.

With blessings for immediate teshuvah leading immediately to redemption.

Summary

This letter explores deep mystical concepts such as how Divine Names permute into different spiritual effects, contrasts joy versus sorrow through scriptural terms Ashrei and Hoi, and details how refining spiritual sparks brings redemption closer—a core idea within Chassidus.