Toldot – The Supernal Unions and the Light of Chanukah

There are three Supernal Unions between the Cosmic Woman (Nukva) and the Cosmic Man (Zeir Anpin). The lower one is the union of the six directions of the body, higher than that is the union of the Intellect, and the highest is the union of the Crown, or Will.

The explanation of it is that the Cosmic Woman starts out young and grows. At first, she reaches only the six directions of the body, and that is a relatively light union, which we help achieve in the Amidah prayer said quietly, in whisper. This is the union of the letters of the names of God Havaya (יהוה) and Adonai (אדני). Together their gematria is 26 + 65 = 91.

When she grows up more and comes in contact with the intellect, or the brain of the Cosmic Man, she herself gets the name of Elohim. This is the union of the names of God Elohim (אלהים) and Havaya (יהוה). We help achieve it in the repetition of the Amidah prayer by the one who leads it. Their gematria is 86 + 26 = 112.

Finally, when she grows to the full height of the Cosmic Man, she comes in contact with his Crown, or his Will, and this is the union of the names Havaya (יהוה) and Ehyeh (אהיה) - I will be. Together they constitute 26 + 21 = 47.

The gematria of the three unions together is 250 (91 + 112 + 47. This 250 can also be written as נר, or the letters nun-resh, which means light, or candle, and this is the light of Chanukah. Now there is a rule that Shabbat candles are lighted before the Chanukah candles. As we have seen, on Chanukah the Cosmic Woman grows to her full height through the light of Chanukah. However, on Shabbat she achieves this by herself, being "in the bosom of her husband," and that is why it is better to light the Shabbat candles before the Chanukah ones.

How late can one light the Chanukah candle? While “the foot has not disappeared from the street' – that is, while there are still people passing by who can see the candles. The gematria of the word foot, “regel” (רגל) is 200 + 3 + 30 = 233. This is the same as the two names of God, one of 72, the expansion of yud-hey-vav-hey with letters yud (יוד הי ויו הי), and another of 161, the expansion of Ehyeh (אהיה) with yud (אלפ הי יוד הי), and 233 = 72 + 161. Once the Cosmic Woman reaches that highest union, hinted to by the phrase "until the foot disappears," this means that the lower unions are already in place, and all external influences are subdued.

Art: Godfried Schalcken - A Lady holding a Candle