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Elokim

אלקים

The Name Elokim

The Name of contraction and concealment, the shield and sheath over Havayah, through which creation appears separate (yesh) and runs as nature (hateva, numerically Elokim). Relative to a higher revelation, Havayah counts as Elokim.

The word The same word appears in אלהים אחרים, “other gods,” meaning idolatry, which is not the divine Name. The texts write the Name אלקים (sometimes אלקים); “Elokim” in English follows that practice.

Where it’s explained

  1. Torah Ohr, Toldos 2, ¶4“A sun and a shield are Havayah Elokim”: Havayah brings into being from nothing, and Elokim is the shield and sheath that covers it, like sunlight through a screen. Because of it creatures are yesh and separate, and through the 120 combinations of Elokim the darkness grows in Asiyah; the soul descends to serve Elokim, turning that darkness to light. The delight above comes from such a creature’s bittul, which only this concealment makes possible.ששם אלקים הוא המגן ונרתק על שם הוי״ה המהוה מאין ליש
  2. Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶8Elokim is Malchus: the coming into being of what is separate is mainly from the Malchus of Atzilus, and Elokim conceals so that the creatures of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah exist as separate. This is the parsa between Atzilus and Beriah; Atzilus, all revelation, is Havayah.וזהו ענין שם אלקים המעלים להיות התהוות היש ונפרד שהן הנבראים דבי״ע מלאכים ונשמות
  3. Likkutei Torah, Reeh 3, ¶24Elokim equals hateva, “nature,” in number: from the concealing shield comes the world running its usual course, though in truth all is from Havayah renewing creation each day. One who serves beyond his nature and changes it is called oved Elokim, and removes the sheath.והנה אלקים גימטריא הטבע היינו כי שמש ומגן הוי״ה אלקים ששם אלקים הוא מגן ונרתק המסתיר על גילוי שם הוי׳
  4. Torah Ohr, Yisro 6, ¶4Only Elokim is named in the six days of creation: Elokim is the root of letters and vessels, Havayah of the light above them. Creation from nothing is through the letters of speech (“Let there be light”), so the flow from Havayah comes only through the shield of Elokim, the concealing letters.והוא בחי׳ שם אלקים שהוא שרש בחי׳ אותיות וכלים. ושם הוי״ה הוא שורש בחי׳ האור שלמעלה מבחי׳ כלים ואותיות
  5. Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5, ¶10Havayah is the sun and Elokim the shield, also the moon: Elokim is the lower unity, source of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, the attribute of night. In the Time to Come, with the revelation of the essence of the Or Ein Sof, Havayah will stand to that revelation as Elokim stands to Havayah now.ואזי יהיה שם הוי׳ לגבי הגילוי שמעצמות אור א״ס כמו עכשיו שם אלקים לגבי שם הוי׳

Stated differently

Which Sefirah the Name Elokim belongs to: Malchus or Gevurah

Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶8ואלקים הוא בחי׳ מל׳ שעיקר התהוות היש ודבר נפרד לגמרי היא ממלכות דאצילות

Elokim is Malchus, from which separate existence comes into being.

Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7, ¶26כי אלקים זהו בחי׳ מל׳ סופא דכל דרגין

As a receiver, a level is called Elokim, for Elokim is Malchus, the end of all levels; as a giver and head of what is emanated it is called Havayah.

Likkutei Torah, Tazria 6, ¶19וזה הוא בחי׳ גבורה ונק׳ שם אלקים

Each attribute of Atzilus has its own Name: Chesed is the Name Kel, and Gevurah is called the Name Elokim.

Torah Ohr, Yisro 3, ¶5ואור המתלבש בגבורה נק׳ אלקים

The seven Names are the lights of the seven middos: the Or Ein Sof clothed in the vessel of Chesed is called Kel, and the light clothed in Gevurah is called Elokim.

Discussed by

  • The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Devarim vol. 1, p. קנט

    Glossing the Zohar on ‘Elokim near to him’ in the plural, the Tzemach Tzedek identifies three levels called Elokim: Binah, Gevurah (Pachad Yitzchak), and Malchus, the shield of ‘shemesh u’magen’.

    אלא אלקים עילאה (פי׳ בינה) אלקים דפחד יצחק (פי׳ גבורה) אלקים בתראה (היינו מל׳ שעז״נ כי שמש ומגן הוי׳ אלקים

Whether Elokim names only what stands below Havayah, as its concealing shield, or also a level above it

Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶8דשם אלקים הוא מגן ונרתק לשם הוי׳ שמסתיר וזהו ענין הפרסא המפסקת בין אצי׳ לבריאה

Elokim is the shield and sheath that conceals Havayah, the parsa between Atzilus and Beriah. When the Or Ein Sof above Atzilus, His great Name, is revealed, Havayah itself will count as Elokim relative to it.

Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7, ¶26דבחי׳ שמו הגדול היינו שם אלקים כו׳ ושמו הגדול הוא בחי׳ א״ס ממש

The Malchus of Ein Sof, as receiver, is called Elokim: in Havayah pointed as Elokim, Havayah is the root of the emanated and the pointing of Elokim the lowest level of the Emanator. Following Sava deMishpatim, His great Name, the Or Ein Sof itself, is the Name Elokim.

Discussed by

  • The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga) 5732-5733, p. 412 (page unconfirmed)

    The Rebbe asks why the Giving of the Torah says Elokim, which is below Havayah, and answers that it means Elokim at its highest, above the tzimtzum, and also Elokim as it is below, numerically hateva.

    ששם אלקים הנזכר כאן הוא שם אלקים כמו שהוא בתכלית העילוי, ועד לבחי׳ אלקים שלמעלה מהצמצום

Further in Chassidus

  1. The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Bamidbar vol. 2, p. תרנא

    The Tzemach Tzedek defines Elokim as Malchus of Atzilus, the concealing shield of ‘shemesh u’magen’ from which separate beings of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah come, and adds that in the future Havayah itself will count as Elokim before a higher revelation.ואלקים הוא בחי׳ מל׳ שעיקר התהוות היש ודבר נפרד לגמרי הוא ממל׳ דאצי׳, וזהו ענין שם אלקים המעלים להיות התהוות היש ונפרד

  2. The Rebbe Rashab · Hemshech Yom Tov shel Rosh HaShanah 5666 (new edition), p. רצה (page unconfirmed)

    The Rebbe Rashab places Elokim within three successive tzimtzumim, the second being from Havayah of Atzilus to Elokim as the source of creatures, and the third the concealment by which they feel themselves a full yesh.והוא שם אלקים, שהוא המהווה הנבראים, וגם הוא בא בצמצום והסתר, שמתעלם ומסתתר מהנבראים

  3. The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga) 5739, p. רה

    Explaining ‘know that Havayah is Elokim’, the Rebbe stresses that Elokim, numerically hateva, is itself a holy Name and the root of the fixed laws of nature, through which one can also recognize the Creator, while Havayah is above nature.דגם שם אלקים הוא מ׳ שמות שאינם נמחקים. והוא שרש בחי׳ הטבע, כי גם מה שלא ישבותו (חוקי הטבע) הוא ענין אלקי

Short quotes, © their publishers; each page opened by a second AI reader.

Main sources

Torah Ohr, Toldos 2, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶8Likkutei Torah, Reeh 3, ¶24Torah Ohr, Yisro 6, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5, ¶10Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7, ¶26Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4, ¶23

Where it appears

In 700 paragraphs of 279 maamarim.

Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.

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