Kabbalah Library

190. It is written, “And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Does this mean that the Creator regarded it as righteousness for Abraham, or Abraham to the Creator? It is written, “considered,” in female form [in Hebrew], meaning that certainly, Abraham considered it for the Creator.

It is written, “And He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you can.’” The Creator told him, “Come out from the wisdom of the stars of yours, for Abraham was seeing in the wisdom of the stars that he would not bear [children]. “This is not the way to know My name. You see and I see. Abram does not bear, but Abraham does bear.” From here on, try the other way so as to know My name, for it is written, “Thus shall your descendants be.” “Thus” [Kaf-Hey in Hebrew, 25] is the tenth Sefira of the holiness of the king to know His name, a Sefira from which the judgments awaken.

191. “Thus shall your descendants be,” that his descendants will be from the actual Malchut. And were it not for the Sefira Malchut, he would have no descendants. By this, Malchut had been turned for him into mercy. At that time, Abraham was delighted to look and to know His name and adhere to Him, since he was told about the “Thus.” And although judgments awaken from her, Abraham considered that Sefira, that although she is judgment, it is as though she is mercy, for were it not for her, he would have no children, as it is written, “considered,” in female form, considered the Sefira Malchut, regarded her as righteousness, that she is mercy, for justice is judgment and righteousness is mercy.

Kaf-Hey is the final Sefira, Malchut, and she is called “justice” and judgments awaken from her. Although Abraham knew that judgments awaken from this judgment, he regarded her as righteousness, from whom judgments do not awaken, since she is mercy.