This idea is similar to the idea of “returning the ה' to the י'.”
וְזֶהוּ עִּנְי ן "ש ְּמ ע יִּש ְר א ל" (דְּ ב רִּ ים ו, ד) :שם – יִּרְטַמיִּּגא ב ''ַׁן וְ ר פ ''ַׁח – יוּחְז ר וְיוּכְל ל לְש רְ ש וֹ – ע ' רַבּ תִּ י, ז' תַּחְתּוֹנוֹת דְּ אִּימּ א , וְיוּכְל ל בְּ 'יִּש ְר א ל סַבּ א' כוּ' .
[The Alter Rebbe will now give a mystical explanation of the verse "שמע ישראל" based on the previous explanation]: And this is also the inner meaning of "שמע ישראל"- (literally translated “Hear Yisroel.” The word שמע can be divided into two parts: שם and ע ). The word "שם " has the same numerical equivalent (340) as the combined value of the two words ב"ן and רפ"ח (340), (which is a reference to the refinement and elevation of the 288-רפ"ח sparks of holiness that are in this world, which are elevated through the yearning to connect to Hashem which is expressed through our soul in prayer. This is the idea of Hashem’s name which equals 52-ב"ן ), that (these two aspects whose names equal 340-שם) should return and become included in their source which is represented by the Great Letter ע ' (the third letter of שמע ), (the value of ע ' is 70, which is 10 times 7, referring to) the 7 emotional attributes of Hashem (Z’eir Anpin) the way they are included in Bina (of Atizlus, which is represented by the number 10), and through that, these two aspects will also become included in ישראל סבא – (literally- “Yisroel the Elder,” meaning the higher level of Yisroel, a reference to Chochma of Atzilus).
This mystical (somewhat complicated) explanation of the verse "שמע ישראל" is further bringing out the idea that a person’s yearning to be included in the truth of Hashem, and what that yearning accomplishes (which is represented in the word שם), must be elevated in two stages:
- First, it must be revealed and expressed through his contemplation of Hashem’s greatness until this yearning is properly expressed. (This contemplation is represented by the great letter ע ').
- Secondly, it must be elevated to a selfless dedication to Hashem which is expressed in his Chochma (which is represented by the word ישראל).
(ע ץ יִּיַחם ש ַעַ ר הַכְּל לִּים פֶּרֶ ק י. ש ַעַ ר לב פֶּרֶ ק א).
