Kabbalah Library

1) “Judges and officers shall you appoint.” In this Mitzva [commandment], He commands to appoint judges and officers, as it is written, “But God is the Judge, He puts down one, and lifts up another.” This is because the count of Mem (40) is Yod [Yod–Vav–Dalet] whose sum is 20. Afterwards, “But God is the judge.” He puts down one—Hey–Hey de [of] HaVaYaH—and lifts up another—Vav–Vav de HaVaYaH.

The sentence is in three lines that serve as one. The right line leans toward Hesed, and judges the world with Hesed [mercy/grace]. The left line leans toward Dinim [judgments] and judges the world in Din [judgment]. The middle line decides between them and sustains the illumination of both of them. However, it lowers the illumination of the left so it will shine only from below upwards. At that time, there are no Dinim in it, and he lifts the illumination of the right so it will shine from above downwards, which is the light of GAR.

It is written, “But God is the Judge.” Ki [but] is Mem (40), since the word Ki is 40 in Gematria, since the sum of Yod [Yod–Vav–Dalet] is 20, since the letter Yod of the word Ki in its fullness, meaning Yod, is twenty in Gematria. And with the Chaf of the word Ki, it is forty in Gematria. Mem indicates the right line, Hesed. After the right line—implied in the word Ki—judges, God judges, meaning the left line.

The right line, Ki, judges the world in Hesed, and the left line, Elokim, judges the world in Din. Following them comes the middle line, which is called “This,” as it is written, “He puts down one” [“one” is written as “this” in Hebrew], Hey–Hey. The middle line, which is called “this,” puts down the Hey–Hey, the left, and the Malchut, puts it down so the left in her will shine only from below upwards, only in VAK. “And [He] lifts up another,” Vav–Vav, meaning he lifts the right line, which illuminates ZA in Hassadim so it will shine from above downwards in lights of GAR.