זוהר ויקרא — דף סה ע”ב

And the secret of the matter is thus. Ehyeh is the inclusion of all. For when the paths are sealed and not spread out, and are comprised in one place, then it is called Ehyeh, the inclusion of all, sealed and not revealed.

After a beginning went forth from Him, and that river proceeded to draw forth the all, then it is called Asher Ehyeh (That Which I Shall Be). That is to say, henceforth Ehyeh is ready to extend and bring forth the all. Ehyeh — that is, now I am the inclusion of all, the inclusion of every particular. Asher Ehyeh — for the Mother had conceived, and is destined to bring forth all the particulars and to reveal the Supreme Name. Afterward Moses wished to know the particular of the matter, until He specified and said Ehyeh (YHVH) — this is the particular. And here it is not written Asher Ehyeh. And I found in the book of Solomon the King: "Asher" — through the bond of the delight of dominion found in the supreme fellowship, as it is said (Genesis 30): "In my happiness (be'ochri), for the daughters will call me happy (ishruni)" — Ehyeh is destined to give birth. Come and see how it descends from grade to grade to make known the secret of the Holy Name to Moses. At first, Ehyeh, the inclusion of all, the hidden that was not revealed at all, as we have said. And the sign — (Proverbs 8): "And I was (va'ehyeh) by Him, as a nursling," etc., and it is written (Job 28): "No man knows its worth," etc. Afterward He brought forth (the secret of the supreme beginning, the start of all, and) that river, the Supreme Mother who had conceived and was destined to give birth. And He said Asher Ehyeh, destined to give birth and to set all in order. Afterward she began to give birth, and it is no longer written Asher, but only Ehyeh. That is, now she shall bring forth and all shall be set in order.

After all had gone forth and each one was set in order in its place, He left the all and said YHVH. This is the particular, and this is the fulfillment. And at that hour Moses knew the secret of the Holy Name, the hidden and the revealed, and cleaved to what no other of the children of the world had cleaved to. Happy is his portion. Rabbi Elazar came and kissed his hand.

He said to him: Elazar my son, from now on take care not to write the Holy Name except as is fitting. For whoever does not know how to write the Holy Name as is fitting, and to bind the bond of faith, the bond of one with one, in order to unify the Holy Name, of him it is written (Numbers 15): "Because he has despised the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off," etc. — even if he omitted but one grade or one bond of a single letter among them.

Come and see: Yod at first — the inclusion of all, hidden on every side, the paths not yet opened, the inclusion of male and female. The tip of the Yod above alludes to Nothingness (Ayin). Afterward the Yod brings forth that river which overflows and issues from it, to cause Heh to be conceived from it; of this it is written (Genesis 2): "And a river went out of Eden." It goes out, yet does not go out. Therefore it has no need to separate from it. Therefore it is written "my companion." And if you say: it is written "river," implying one, yet behold there are three here? It is indeed so. The Yod brings forth three, and in the three all is included. The Yod brings forth before it that river, and two sons whom the Mother nurses, having conceived of them, and she brings them forth afterward. Heh — likewise Heh, and they are sons under the father and the mother. After she had given birth, she brought forth a male son and set him before her, and it must be written Vav, and this one inherits the father's and mother's estate, and inherits two portions, and from him the daughter is sustained. And therefore afterward Vav and Heh must be written as one, just as the first Heh, Yod and Heh are as one, with no need to separate them. So too here, Vav and Heh as one, with no need to separate them. And behold we have explained the matter. And these words ascend to another place. Happy is the portion of the righteous who know the supreme secrets of the Holy King and are worthy to give thanks to Him. This is what is written (Psalms 140): "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence."

We have learned, said Rabbi Yehudah: (ibid. 50) "The Mighty One, God, has spoken, and called the earth." The perfection of all, the perfection of the holy Patriarchs. "Has spoken, and called the earth" — to be found with the Community of Israel in perfection and joy. And from what place is He found with her? He returned and said: "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined forth." We have learned: when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to create the world below, He made everything as it is above. He made Jerusalem the center of all the earth, and one place called Zion upon it, and from this place it is blessed. And in this place of Zion the world begins to be built, and from it it is built. This is what is written: "The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto its going down." And from what place? "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined forth." That is, from Zion, which is the perfection of the beauty of the world, God has shined forth. Come and see: Jerusalem was blessed only through Zion. And Zion is from above, and all is bound, one with another.