Vayakhel תרנ”ד 3
ומ”ש במדרש בענין שמות יקרא ובשם יקרא.
“And what the Midrash says regarding ‘He calls them by names’ and ‘by His Name He calls.’”
The Sefat Emet introduces two modes of divine calling: an individual name and a unifying Name, which correspond to two spiritual levels.
הוא ג”כ ב’ בחי’ הנ”ל.
“This too reflects the two aforementioned levels.”
These two modes mirror the dual structure of hidden and revealed divine reality.
דמי אלה הוא בחי’ סתים וגליא.
“For ‘Mi eleh’ represents the aspects of hidden and revealed.”
The question ‘Mi?’ (Who?) hints at the concealed root; ‘eleh’ (these) points to revelation.
דיש בכל מקום נקודה פנימיות.
“For in every place there is an inner point.”
Every created being contains a divine core.
ומתפשט בלבוש נגלה.
“And it spreads outward into a revealed garment.”
This core manifests in external form and function.
והנה למעלה הכל אחדות אחד.
“But above, all is a single unity.”
In the divine realm, no separation exists—everything is contained in oneness.
לכן כתיב בשם.
“Therefore it is written: ‘by His Name.’”
All beings share a single root in God’s Name.
שיש לכל הצבא מעלה שורש בשמו ית’.
“For every host above has its root in His Name.”
Each angelic force originates in divine unity.
וכשמתפרשין לעשות כל אחד שליחותו.
“And when they separate to perform their missions…”
The moment they engage in particular tasks, differentiation appears.
יש להם שמות בפרט.
“They then have individualized names.”
Particular roles require particular expressions.
וכמו כן בנ”י יש להם ב’ בחי’ הנ”ל.
“And likewise Israel has these two levels.”
The people of Israel also contain hidden unity and revealed multiplicity.
והם בחי’ נעשה ונשמע.
“These are the aspects of ‘na’aseh’ and ‘nishma.’”
‘Nishma’ reflects receiving unity from above; ‘na’aseh’ expresses differentiated action below.
נשמע הוא הארה שמקבלין מלמעלה והוא אחדות אחד כי שמע לשון אסיפה וקיבוץ.
“‘Nishma’ is the illumination received from above, a single unity, for ‘hearing’ implies gathering.”
Hearing unifies; it draws inward toward the concealed source.
ונעשה הוא בחי’ גליא.
“‘Na’aseh’ is the aspect of revelation.”
Action manifests differentiation in the world.
כל אחד מה שנשלח על דבר פרטי.
“Each person is sent to fulfill a particular mission.”
The revealed realm requires individualized roles.
ולכן כשנמנו הי’ צריכין כופר נפש ע”י שחטאנו בנעשה.
“Therefore, when Israel was counted, they required a ransom for the soul, for we sinned in the realm of ‘na’aseh.’”
Counting emphasizes individuality, where sin took place.
כי קודם החטא הי’ כל מעשיהם למטה דבוק בשורש הנסתר והאחדות.
“For before the sin, all their deeds below were attached to the hidden root of unity.”
Action was still rooted in oneness.
כי לכן על מנין שורה עין רע.
“Thus an evil eye rests upon counting.”
Numbering highlights separation, which invites negative forces.
כי הלא למטה יש מקום גם לכל הברואים.
“For below there is space for all creatures.”
The lower realm includes both holy and unholy domains.
והסט”א ג”כ תובעת חלקה.
“And the Other Side also demands its portion.”
Once multiplicity appears, impurity seeks entrance.
אבל למעלה בשורש האחדות סט”א ערקת.
“But above, in the root of unity, the Other Side flees.”
Impurity cannot exist in complete unity.
אבל בנ”י נבראו לתקן גם עולם הפירוד.
“But Israel was created to rectify even the world of separation.”
Our mission is to elevate multiplicity back into unity.
וכ’ אתם עדי נאום ה’.
“As it is written: ‘You are My witnesses,’ says the Lord.”
Israel’s role is to reveal God in the public, differentiated world.
פי’ שבנ”י הם נבראו לפרסם כבוד שמו יתברך בבחי’ גליא.
“Meaning Israel was created to publicize His glory in the revealed realm.”
Revelation is our task, not merely hidden unity.
ולכן המצוה ליתן מחצית השקל להעלות חלק התחתון בחלק העליון ששם אחדות אחד.
“Therefore the mitzvah of the half-shekel elevates the lower half into the upper realm of unity.”
The offering reconnects fragmented existence with divine oneness.
ולכן לא כתיב חצי שקל רק מחצית.
“Thus the Torah does not say ‘half a shekel’ but ‘a half,’”
This hints that each half seeks attachment to its counterpart.
לרמוז על הדביקות חלק בחלק.
“To hint at the joining of part to part.”
The lower attaches to the upper.
כמ”ש מונה מספר כו’.
“As it is written: ‘He counts their number…’”
God’s counting binds multiplicity to unity.
אעפ”כ לכולם בשם יקרא.
“Yet still, ‘by His Name He calls them.’”
Despite individuality, all remain rooted in a single Name.
להיות דבוק כל המספר בשם אחד.
“So that all the counted ones remain attached to one Name.”
Unity encompasses differentiation.
ומלאכת המשכן העדות הי’ ג”כ בבחי’ גליא ודבוק בשורש הנסתר.
“And the work of the Mishkan, the Testimony, was likewise in the revealed realm yet attached to the hidden root.”
The Mishkan unified visible craftsmanship with invisible divine essence.
כמ”ש יודע הי’ בצלאל לצרף אותיות שנבראו בהם שמים וארץ.
“As it is said: Bezalel knew how to combine the letters with which heaven and earth were created.”
Bezalel linked creation’s inner spiritual letters to physical construction.
לכן כתיב ראו קרא ה’ בשם.
“Therefore it is written: ‘See, the Lord has called by Name.’”
His calling expresses divine attachment.
קריאה הוא דביקות כמו וקרא זה אל זה.
“Calling signifies attachment, as in ‘each one called to the other.’”
To call is to bind in unity.
לכולם שמות יקרא הוא הדביקות שיש להם כשנשתלחו לעשות שליחותן.
“‘He calls them by names’ refers to the attachment they have when sent to fulfill their missions.”
This is unity within differentiation.
לכולם בשם יקרא הוא הדביקות כשמתעלין להיבטל ולהכלל בשמו יתברך.
“‘By His Name He calls them’ is the attachment when they ascend to nullify themselves in His Name.”
This is pure unity beyond roles and separation.
כמ”ש לעיל בחי’ נעשה ונשמע.
“As explained above: the aspects of ‘na’aseh’ and ‘nishma.’”
These two modes mirror the dual spiritual structure in all creation.
The passage teaches that reality has two dimensions: hidden unity and revealed multiplicity. Israel’s mission, symbolized by the half-shekel and the Mishkan, is to elevate the fragmented lower world into unity while expressing God’s glory through differentiated actions. ‘Names’ reflect roles in revelation, while the singular divine Name reflects ultimate unity.
