Completing the Name

The plagues upon the nation of Egypt were orchestrated with the help of [Moses'] staff. The letter yud of the name of G-d [Havayah, spelled yud-hei-vav-hei] on that staff expanded into Ten Plagues, whereas the letter hei engraved on that staff ensured that each plague would appear in five guises, as mentioned by Rabbi Akiva in the Haggada shel Pesach. [The numerical value of the letter yud is 10, while the numerical value of hei is 5]. When the Mashiach comes… the impact of the remaining two letters in G-d's Ineffable Name will also be felt…

We must remember that, though the redemption from Egypt was indeed a great redemption, it was not an ultimate redemption. Such a redemption will occur only in the future when the Mashiach comes, at which time the impact of the remaining two letters in G-d's Ineffable Name will also be felt [the vav and the final hei]. The fact that during the episode of the Exodus only the first two letters of G-d's Ineffable Name manifest themselves is alluded to in Exodus 17:16: "For the Hand is upon the Throne of G-d [Y-ah, spelled yud hei], G-d will be at war with Amalek", which alerts us to the fact that only the first two letters in G-d's Ineffable name carry on the war against Amalek.

Our sages have confirmed this when they point to the "shira chadasha" or "new song", written in the feminine gender, that the Jewish people sang in appreciation of G-d's salvation at that time. This song will be replaced by a "shir chadash", also "new song" but in the masculine gender, which will be composed and sung by the Jewish people in the future when the final redemption will occur. The time of the redemption is when all the letters in the Ineffable Name combine…

The redemption from Egypt was rooted in the "Olam HaNekavot," the "Female World". We read, however, in Jeremiah (31:21-22), where the prophet speaks about the ultimate redemption, "For G-d has created something new on earth; a woman courts a man!" [emphasizing that the male aspect is the main object of attention]. This is an allusion to the type of redemption that still awaits us. The time of the redemption is when all the letters in the Ineffable Name combine and form the dual-faced, male-female name, i.e. the concept that prevailed at the time the prototype of Adam - who was created male and female combined - was created. The prevalent name then was masculine, as is clear from the word "Adam" [in the masculine] as opposed to "Adama" [in the feminine]

[Translation and commentary by Eliyahu Munk]