A recurrent theme in Kabbalah is that we have to deal with the world of multiplicity while understanding that there is really nothing but God. In the very first verse of this chapter we read that God created His universe with three books, with text (Sepher), with number (Sephar), and with communication (Sippur). The fact that the three Hebrew words all have the same root reminds us that there is ultimately only One and not three. Furthermore, we saw that the numerical value of this root (Samech-Peh-Resh) is 340 which is the same as the numerical value of the Name (Shin-Mem). In Kabbalah, the Name refers to the creation, and when all imperfection is removed, then God and his Name will be One.
"But in the days to come God will sweep away all evil growths from the world, as it is written, "He hath swallowed up death for ever" (Is. XXV, 8), and everything shall be restored to its rightful place, as it is written, "On that day the Lord shall be one and His Name one" (Zech. XIV, 9). -Zohar I, 29a"
The numerical equivalences above also tell us that the creation is made through the apparent manifestation of opposites and interaction between them. In this verse, we read that creation proceeds through three mother letters, Aleph-Mem-Shin. Thus, this verse is connected to the first where it is said that the universe was created through text, story, and communication. The letters Shin-Mem spell the Name, and the silent letter Aleph represents the breath that allows the transition from Shin to Mem when we say the Hebrew word "Shem". The root letters Samech-Peh-Resh that appear in Verse 1 to describe text, story, and communication have the same numerical value as Shin-Mem, and since the Aleph is silent and represents the air that connects the pronunciation of the letters, we have not added its value to the other two mother letters. Thus, the three mother letters in this verse recapitulate the lesson in Verse 1.
The Great Name is the most sacred four-letter name for God (Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey) which was pronounced by the High Priest only once a year on the Day of Atonement during the days of the Temple. This Name also represents the ten sefirot in the Tree of Life. The tip of the Yud represents Keter, the crown, the King, the divine will, and the rest of the Yud represents Chokmah, the higher right brain of wisdom. The first Hey represents Binah, the supernal mother, the left hemisphere of the brain where form and structure are added to inspiration. The Vav has a numerical value of six and represents the next six sefirot which also correspond to man and his basic mental functions. And finally, the second Hey represents Malchut, the kingdom, the physical world. It is also known both as the lower mother and as the Daughter, the Shechinah, God in exile from God. The letter Vav is furthermore used as the conjunctive "and" in Hebrew, and thus, the above also implies that man is the connecting link between God and the physical world
.The Great Name tells the story of creation in a manner that is in harmony with modern science. The first two letters of the Name (Yud-Hey) spell "Yah", one of the sacred names for God. These two letters by themselves represent perfect Oneness, no separation between spirit and matter, heaven and earth, the King and the Daughter. A state of perfect symmetry exists. Since the letter Vav means "and", it also implies union. Thus, Yud-Hey-Vav can be read as "King and Daughter united". However, once the concept of union is introduced, the possibility of separation is implied. Hence, in the final form of the Name (Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey) we read the story "King and Daughter united, but now the Daughter is separated." This leads to what many see as a primary goal of Judaism, tikkun olam and tikkun nefesh, repairing the world and repairing the soul. When balance is restored and the world is made whole, then once again "the Lord will be One and His Name will be One." The creation of our universe through the breaking of symmetry and the shattering of space and time is referred to in modern cosmology as the "Big Bang".
For the world to continue to exist without being overwhelmed by God, seals must be set in order to buffer us from more powerful energies. Psychologically, we understand that our minds must filter information so that we will not be overwhelmed. The seals in the directions perform essentially the same function. The six directions are sealed with the letters of God's holy name. Six different permutations may be made with the letters Yud, Vav, and Hey, and this helps to remind us that while God is in every direction, we also experience each direction a little differently. "Up" is the direction that seems the most spiritual to us since the infinity of space reminds us of God's infinite nature. This direction is sealed with Yud-Hey-Vav, King/Daughter united. The next most spiritual direction is "down", the earth which represents the garment that life wears. The seal for this direction is Yud-Vav-Hey, King united with Daughter. The Yud at the beginning indicates the deep spiritual nature of this direction, but the placement of the Vav so that it separates the Yud and the Hey indicates that the level of holy perfection is not quite the same as that above. The next two directions are East and West which both begin with Hey, the daughter, the Shechinah. These directions are also very spiritual, but the emphasis is now on unity within multiplicity rather than absolute unity. We are now on the level of holiness in exile from itself. The East is the direction of light (Uriel), and its seal is Hey-Yud-Vav. The West is the direction of healing (Raphael), and its seal is Hey-Vav-Yud. As before, the presence of the Vav between the Hey and the Yud in the West indicates that we have descended to a slightly lower level. The seals for the final two directions begin with the letter Vav which means "and" in Hebrew. With this letter coming first the emphasis is now on relationship. In the South, the Vav is followed by the Yud (Vav-Yud-Hey), and this additional bit of holiness imbues this direction with mercy (Michael). In the final direction the seal is Vav-Hey-Yud. Here, mundane relationships prevail, and the holy spark (the Yud) is suppressed more than it is in any other direction. Consequently, the North is the direction of severity (Gabriel).
We can make a broad categorization of people according to whether their personal direction in life begins with Yud, Hey, or Vav. Some people have a very direct experience of God's unity. Through prayer or meditation, they easily draw near to this Oneness. These people correspond to "Up" or "Down", and their personal direction begins with Yud. Other people are more removed from this unity, but do easily experience it through their interactions with others. By interfacing with family, friends, or even art, science, and nature they may be deeply aware of the Oneness. They experience unity within diversity, and their personal direction begins with Hey. The third type of person has the least awareness of God's unity within their lives, and they are ruled by personal needs and wants and non-spiritual relationships with others. Their direction focuses more on mundane relationships with the world, and it begins with Vav. If they tend toward kindness and generosity to others, then they face the South, and if they are dominated more by selfishness and satisfying personal desires, then they face the North and are severe both to themselves and to others.
The mother letters Aleph-Mem-Shin are also set within the Great Name Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey. In Kabbalah, Aleph corresponds to air, Mem to water, and Shin to fire. Water and fire represent the opposites of mercy and justice, and air is the element that mediates between them. A recurrent theme of the Sefer Yetzirah is that 1) Oneness gives birth to three, 2) the split into three is ultimately an illusion, 3) all manifestation is the born of the three, 4) the "three" consists of two opposites and a mediating principle, and 5) this pattern repeats itself at all levels. Many other philosophies talk about four elements (fire, air, water, and earth), but in Kabbalah we have only three because earth is seen as being created by the other three. For example, water corresponds to the right hemisphere of the brain, fire to the left hemisphere, and air to the coordination and communication between the two, and the interaction of these three create the world that we perceive. Also in Kabbalah in the Tree of Life, spiritual fire is above, earthly water is below, and the spirit of man (air) is able to connect the two in perception. Since the sefirot of the Tree of Life also represent the Great Name, we have these mother letters set within this Name. The spiritual fire of Shin corresponds to Yud (heaven) above, the water of Mem corresponds to Hey (earth) below, and the breath of Aleph corresponds to Vav, the link between heaven and earth.
If we stack the letters Yud, Hey, Vav, Hey on top of one another,
, the image looks like a man with a head, two arms, a torso, and two legs. This is to remind us that we are also the Name of God. The Name is the creation, and we are created in the image of God. Thus, all that is God is in some sense also contained within us as a reflection. As God created the universe, so are we able to be creators to a lesser extent within our personal universe.
In the Zohar (Zohar I, p. 12a-12b) the teaching is given that the six words of the Shema express the oneness of the six directions within God (Shema Israel, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad/Hear O'Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One), and a connection is also made in the Zohar between the meaning of the Shema and Genesis 1:9, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place." The words of the Shema are traditionally followed by six more which express the concept of unity within diversity (Baruch Shem, Kevod Malchuto, LeOlam Vaed/Blessed is the Name of the glory of His Kingdom for ever and ever). In a nutshell, the first part expresses the oneness of God and that all is ultimately one. This is called the upper unity. The final six words express how oneness may be perceived within the world of multiplicity. This is called the lower unity. Through prayer and meditation we can unify all perceptions and draw near to God. The next step, however, is to carry this awareness of unity into our daily lives so that we see the oneness of God underlying all diversity. By doing so, we fulfill the verse "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths -Proverbs 3:6." Notice also the close proximity of Shem (Name) to Malchuto (His Kingdom) in the second part. This reinforces what is found elsewhere regarding the equivalence between the creation and God's Name.