Hashem said to Moshe, “I appeared to the Patriarchs through the name Sha-dai but to you I appear through the name Havayeh.”
Once Rabbi Shimon was sitting together with his son Rabbi Eluzer and Rabbi Abba. Rabbi Eluzer asked, “Why does the Torah emphasize, ‘I appeared to the Patriarchs through the name Sha-dai ? Didn’t Hashem also communicate with the Patriarchs using the name Havayeh?”
Rabbi Shimon said, “My son, it is a very deep secret. There are colors that are not perceived and colors that are seen. Moshe was the only person able to see the hidden colors. That is what is meant by the phrase, ‘My name Havayeh was not known to them’.”
Rabbi Shimon explained, “There are four supernal colors. The three hidden ones are known as 1- the shining light, 2-the brilliant light and 3-the light that shines as the bright clarity of the heavens. These three lights were revealed to Moshe as if through an illuminated glass when Hashem appeared to him through the name Havaye. The fourth light is a light that is seen as though through a dark glass. The Patriarchs were able to view the three hidden colors through the “dark glass” while all the other prophets could only see the dark glass itself without perceiving the colors through it.
Upon hearing the explanation, Rabbi Abba broke into tears, crying, “Woe [Vay], when Rabbi Shimon passes away the world will be orphaned!”
Then Rabbi Abba related a story about King David which included a teaching derived from Rabbi Shimon’s Torah. David HaMelech greeted Hashem. “Shalom to You, Shalom to Your house, and Shalom to all that is Yours.”
Rabbi Abba concluded by saying, “Just like Hashem is greeted with ‘shalom,’ a person greets a tzadik with ‘shalom,’ and how much more so, Rabbi Shimon who represents shalom above and below—complete shalom.”
The Rebbe’s father, Reb Levik explains this entire episode. The three “colors” are the higher emotive attributes in the world of Atzilus. They are supernal kindness [chesed], strictness [gevurah], and beauty [tiferes] which appear to Moses through the illuminated glass of the name, Havayeh. The Patriarchs viewed the three supernal attributes through the dark glass, the sefira of Malchus. The later prophets only apprehended the level of the dark glass, Malchus, without perceiving the three lights within it.
“Shalom to you” parallels the prophecy of Moshe [who saw the G-dly attributes through the illuminated glass].
“Shalom to Your house” indicates the vision granted to the Patriarchs, and “Shalom to all that is Yours” indicates all subsequent prophesies.
Rabbi Shimon embodies the attribute of Daas [knowledge], which has two levels. ‘Shalom above’ refers to the higher Daas. ‘Shalom below’ refers to the lower Daas.
