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Yichud

יחוד

Union (yichud) · also: זיווג, יחוד קודשא בריך הוא ושכינתיה

The joining of two levels, chiefly Abba and Imma or Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, for light to flow from giver to receiver; beyond a constant union, it is drawn by self-sacrifice, prayer, Torah and mitzvos.

The word יחוד also means G‑d’s oneness, as in giving one’s soul “על יחודו,” and the unity of things that might seem apart (the middos, the worlds). As a term it names a union of two levels or Names: יחוד או״א, יחוד זו״נ, יחוד הוי׳ ואלקים, יחוד קוב״ה ושכינתיה. The higher and lower unity (יחודא עילאה, יחודא תתאה) have their own entries.

Where it’s explained

  1. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶19Union above is at root the flow and revelation of light from giver to receiver. The Zohar still speaks of it as the union of male and female rather than as teacher and student, because in such a union the receiver also contributes: above, the mayin nukvin raised by refining the sparks. The union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, called the union of Kudsha Brich Hu and His Shechinah, draws sovev kol almin into memale kol almin.עיקר ענין פי׳ הזיווג והיחוד אינו אלא שפע וגילוי האור מן המשפיע למקבל
  2. Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2, ¶1Two unions: “the accounts of the Mishkan” is the union of vav-hei of the Name Havayah, Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, brought about by Torah and mitzvos; “the Mishkan of the Testimony” is the union of yud-hei, Abba and Imma, drawn by bittul, giving over one’s soul in the first verse of the Shema.הנה פקודי המשכן הוא יחוד ו״ה דשם הוי׳ דהיינו יחוד זו״נ
  3. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17, ¶11The union of Abba and Imma gives birth to the mochin of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, and needs power from above, from Keser. Since it draws new light from the Emanator, it comes only through self-sacrifice, which rises to Him; the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva comes through Torah and mitzvos.כי יחוד או״א הוא המשכת אור חדש ממקורא דכולא מהמאציל ב״ה אשר אין ערוך אליו כלל
  4. Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4, ¶4Citing Etz Chaim: there are two unions of Chochmah and Binah, one constant, which keeps the worlds alive and never stops, and one for the birth of the mochin, the souls, which is not constant and is renewed on Rosh Hashanah. The union of Chochmah and Binah is the drawing from ayin to yesh.והנה פי׳ יחוד חו״ב הוא ענין ההמשכה מאין ליש כי החכמה מאין תמצא ובינה נק׳ יש
  5. Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 16, ¶6The union of the Name Havayah with the Name Elokim, the union of Kudsha Brich Hu and His Shechinah, is the drawing of Havayah into Elokim, so that what the Name Elokim hides and makes a yesh is nullified to Him.שיחוד זה היינו בחי׳ המשכה שנמשך שם הוי״ה ומשתלב בשם אלקים להיות בטול היש

Stated differently

Whether the mitzvos bring about the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, or a third union beneath it

Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17, ¶11ויחוד זו״נ הוא ע״י תורה ומצות

The union of Abba and Imma comes through self-sacrifice; the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva through Torah and mitzvos together.

Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 8, ¶2ויחוד זו״נ (היינו יחוד הוי״ה אלקים) הוא ע״י התורה ויחוד הג׳ (הוי׳ אדני) בחי׳ המצות

There are three unions: Havayah with Ehe-yeh (Abba and Imma) through self-sacrifice in the Shema; Z’eir Anpin and Nukva (Havayah with Elokim) through Torah; and a third, Havayah with Ado-nai, the mitzvos, when all the lights come as a seal.

What brings about the (inner) union of Abba and Imma

Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17, ¶11ולכן יחוד או״א הוא נעשה דוקא על ידי מסירת נפש

The union of Abba and Imma, which draws new light from the Emanator, comes only through self-sacrifice, as in the first verse of the Shema; the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva comes through Torah and mitzvos.

Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19, ¶3זיווג פנימי דאו״א כו׳ וזה אינו תדיר רק ע״י עליות מ״נ דזו״נ וזה נעשה על ידי תפלתנו ומצותינו

Citing Pri Etz Chaim: the inner union of Abba and Imma is not constant; it comes only through the rising of the mayin nukvin of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, which is done by our prayer and our mitzvos. The outer union, for the bare life of the worlds, never stops and comes of itself.

Torah Ohr, Yisro 8, ¶17משא״כ לחדש הנשמות שהוא זיווג פנימי הוא ע״י נשמות הצדיקים דוקא

The outer union of Abba and Imma is constant and sustains the worlds; the inner union, which renews the souls, comes specifically through the souls of the tzaddikim, the Avos who are the chariot.

Main sources

Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1, ¶40Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17, ¶11Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶19Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Acharei 3, ¶1Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 16, ¶6Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 8, ¶2

Where it appears

In 461 paragraphs of 181 maamarim.

Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.

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