In Kabbala, the name Elokim is generally associated with the sefirot of gevura , the power which complements chesed, whose name E-l is composed of the first two letters of Elokim.

In the idiom of the sages, G‑d's name Elokim corresponds to His "property of strict judgment". This is the only name explicit in the Torah's initial account of Creation. The numerical value of Elokim is 86, which also equals "hateva", the Hebrew word for "nature". Elokim creates "nature" through the act of tzimtzum.

In particular, the name Elokim manifests itself at three points of the sefirotic configuration: At the level of bina, the four letter Tetragrammaton is punctuated with the vowels of Elokim and enunciated as "Elokim". Here G‑d is referred to as Elokim Chaim ("the living G‑d"), the ultimate source of all life-force which flows (as blood) through reality. At this level, even apparent contradictory opinions of our sages are understood as being "these and these are the words of the living G‑d". G‑d, in His strict judgment of Creation, corresponds to the manifestation of Elokim at the level of gevura. G‑d, as the inner essence of nature and its laws, is Elokim at the level of malchut. Elokim is understood to be the vessel of Havayah…

Elokim, 86 = 26 (Havayah) plus 60. 60 is the numerical value of "kli", the Hebrew word for "vessel". Thus Elokim is understood to be the vessel of Havayah. This is alluded to in the verse "For [as the] sun and [its] shield are Havayah [and] Elokim". (Psalms 84:12) Sun and shield are as light (source) and vessel. Likewise, 86 ("Elokim") plus 60 ("vessel") equals 146, the numerical value of "olam", the Hebrew word for "world". This indicates that just as Elokim is the vessel of Havayah (i.e. the level of Divinity whose ultimate intention is to serve to reveal Havayah to the world), so is the world itself the vessel of Elokim (i.e. the divinely created context in which nature itself is experienced as a manifestation of G‑d).

In Atbash, the name Elokim transforms to tav, kaf, tzadik, mem, yud, which equals 560. 560 is also the value of the word "echad", meaning "one", when transformed by Atbash (to tav, samech, kuf). This teaches us that G‑d's ultimate unity is manifest throughout creation by the power of His name Elokim, as is indicated by the quintessential proclamation of Jewish faith: "Here O' Israel, Havayah is our Elokim, Havayah is One." This means that by Havayah being "our Elokim", Havayah becomes manifest throughout creation as One.

The name Elokim possesses three miluim: 291, 295, 300, which together equal 886. Together with the four primary miluim of Havayah, which equal 232, we get 1118, the exact value of "Here O' Israel, Havayah is our Elokim, Havayah is One", the least common multiple of the two names Havayah and Elokim (1118 = 26 x 43; 1118 = 86 x 13)!

This is part 1 of a series, "The Names of G‑d: Eleven Holy Names of G‑d associated with the Sefirot," that appears on the Gal Einai website. Used here with permission.

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