Echad and Yachid

Echad and Yachid are two forms of expression regarding the fact that the Creator, blessed be He, exists alone.

Meaning of the Words[edit | edit source]

Echad (One)[edit | edit source]

In Chassidic Teachings[edit | edit source]

The word "echad" (one) indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, even after creating a complex creation full of different details, nevertheless remained unchanged, still maintaining His oneness, with no complexity, change, combination, or separation whatsoever, but always remaining simply one.

"You are One before You created the world and You are One after You created the world and You are He," and "I, Hashem, have not changed." There is no difference or change in His simple oneness even after the creation of the multitude of creations.

In the Rambam's Teachings[edit | edit source]

An additional meaning, not in relation to creation but to Him, blessed be He: "The Holy One, blessed be He, recognizes His truth, and knows it as it is. And He does not know with a knowledge that is outside of Him as we know, for we and our knowledge are not one. But the Creator - He and His knowledge and His life are one, from every side and every corner: for if He were alive with life and knew with knowledge, there would be many deities - He and His life and His knowledge; but this is not the case, rather He is one from every side and every corner and in every way of unity. Thus you can say: He is the Knower, and He is the Known, and He is Knowledge itself - all is one. And this concept - the mouth has no power to express it, nor the ear to hear it, nor the human heart to know it properly."

Yachid (Singular)[edit | edit source]

The word "yachid" indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, exists alone in the world and there cannot be any additional reality separate from Him, blessed be He.

In Shema[edit | edit source]

In the Shema, we want to express that the Holy One, blessed be He, is "Echad, Yachid uMeyuchad" (One, Singular and Unique), and there is no different reality that can interfere with this. If so, seemingly we should say "Hashem is Yachid," so why do we say "Hashem is Echad," which implies that there could be "two" (G-d forbid)?

But in truth, specifically "echad" indicates a greater unity than "yachid." Since "yachid" is a "technical" reality that He is currently singular, but when a separate reality is added (G-d forbid) - and in our context, creation - then this would affect His singularity.

But "echad" means that even though there appears to be a separate reality, nevertheless, His reality is still one and there is no change at all, and everything is merely a tzimtzum (contraction) to the eyes of those standing below. And He is not one of a count but one in essence.