The Name Elokim

The name Elokim is one of the seven names of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, that cannot be erased. Its general meaning is strength and constriction, but it contains several specific aspects.

Sun and Shield is Hashem Elokim

The simple meaning of the verse is that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, provides abundance to His creations like the sun, and also guards and protects them like a shelter made for shade. But the inner meaning of the verse is that the name Elokim is not a shield from the sun but is part of the sun itself. That is, creation is not from the name Havaya alone but in partnership with the name Elokim: the essential creation of beings is through the name Havaya, but their "form" (both physical form and spiritual qualities) is from the name Elokim.

To explain briefly, from the perspective of the name Havaya, created beings are completely nullified in their source, united and unified with Him – to the point that they don't qualify as independent existence at all (similar to the sunlight as it is contained in its source within the sun's body before it emerges to illuminate the world's space). From this perspective, there is of course no concealment or hiding, and there is no place for Torah and mitzvos (since Torah and mitzvos are meant to draw down G-dliness into the world. And what reason is there to draw down G-dliness in a place that is already G-dliness?).

The fact that created beings feel themselves as having existence is from the perspective of the name Elokim that "draws forms" in the name Havaya (like colored glass through which white light passes – the glass doesn't change the essence of the light, but changes its "effect," as it was white before and now it's green).

Thus, Havaya is Elokim – the attribute of gevurah and the name Elokim are not opposite and separate from the attribute of chesed and the name Havaya, but they are truly one thing (see expansion on this topic in the entry on gevurah within chesed).

In Gematria "HaTeva" (Nature)

The name Elokim also indicates Hashem's guidance in nature. "Elokim" in gematria equals "HaTeva" (nature). This is in contrast to the name Havaya which indicates Hashem's guidance as it is above nature.

120 Permutations of the Name Elokim

Generally

Any group of five letters can be arranged in one hundred and twenty ways. Since the name Elokim represents the attribute of gevurah and constriction, these permutations indicate one hundred and twenty levels of constriction, concealment, and hiding of light and holiness, so that the infinite light of the Ein Sof will not be revealed as it is – so the worlds will not be nullified in existence, and the world will appear as an independent entity and separate thing.

Specifically

These 120 permutations are called "sweetened gevuros," meaning gevuros whose inner essence is chesed. Their "action" is gevurah but their intent is chesed (like a father cleaning his child while the infant cries bitterly, or the lashing of a sinner (by the court) to cleanse him of sins). Specifically, these 120 permutations are divided into two: their inner essence (the first 72 permutations) is chesed, and their external aspect (the last 48 permutations) is gevuros.

Note that this is what is explained in Tanya regarding "Havaya is Elokim." That the name Elokim is not separate from the name Havaya, but they are truly one thing. And not only in their source but also as they are powers that appear as two opposites "chesed and gevurah" – fire and water: creation is through both of them together, as creation through only one of them is impossible and is not creation at all.

Its Place in Sefiros

In Gevurah

The name Elokim in gevurah is the concept of "gevurah within chesed," and see its meaning in the previous paragraph.

In Malchus

The five letters of the name Elokim are the "five gevuros of mantzepach" that divide the breath of the heart into the 22 letters of speech. That is, just as physically the simple voice (coming from the breath of the heart) is divided into syllables and letters through the five outlets of the mouth, so too spiritually: the creation of the world is done through the sefirah of malchus which is the divine "power of speech." The source of speech is "the breath of the supreme heart," the power that divides it into letters is the "five gevuros of mantzepach," and speech itself is the ten utterances with which the world was created.

In Binah

The name Elokim in binah is the source of the name Elokim in malchus. That is, just as the five gevuros of mantzepach in malchus divide the breath of the heart into the letters of speech, so too these five gevuros themselves in binah divide intellectual understanding into the letters of thought.

In Atik

In Atik, the name Elokim and the name Havaya are truly one thing. The concept is that "there is no left in this Atik," meaning that gevurah in Atik is not opposite from chesed in it, but they are truly one thing. This can be understood through an analogy: the power of giving in the hand is only possible because the end of the hand is divided into five fingers. In order to grasp a coin and give it to a poor person, it's impossible without dividing the hand into fingers – meaning, specifically through constriction and division into details is giving made possible.

These five gevuros (mantzepach) as they are in the inner dimension of Keser (Atik) are also called "botzina d'kardonisa," and they are what fell from the source not through the measuring line in an orderly fashion but through striking. Like the analogy of a person who suddenly receives wisdom completely beyond his level. The analogy for this is the sparks that fly in all directions from hot iron when the blacksmith strikes it with a hammer, or the sparks that emerge from concealment to revelation when striking a rock with a hammer – in this there is the aspect of "the power that divides" (the striking hand) and "the power that is divided" (the sparks that came out from concealment to revelation).

The analogue: in order to combine letters into words (for the purpose of creating the world), the five letters of mantzepach are both the dividing power (that "brings out" the letters from concealment, taking one letter from the throat and a second letter from the tongue, etc.) and also makes and combines them into words and sentences.

Its Sweetening

The name Elokim is sweetened through the name Achdatam, where the middle letters of the name Elokim (lamed-hei-yud) are replaced with the letters that come before them (kaf-daled-tes).

This name has the gematria of seventy-four.

Sanctity of the Name

The author of the Shulchan Aruch wrote, "It is forbidden to erase even one letter of the seven names that cannot be erased, and not from the letters that are appended after them, such as the final kaf of 'Elokecha' and the kaf-mem of 'Elokeichem.' These are the seven names: the name of Havaya, and the name of Adnus, and El, Eloah, Elokim, Shadai, Tzvaot. Some also include 'Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh'." Therefore, it is forbidden to write these names in any place where there is concern that over time they might be thrown away or erased (such as letters, newspapers, etc.).

The Chabad Rebbes were very meticulous about this prohibition (which stems from honoring Hashem), and avoided writing words that have a connection to Hashem's names even in places without holiness. For example, instead of the word "yihiyeh" (will be), they wrote "yihi'" [without the final letter]; instead of Elokim they wrote "Elo'" and so on. The tradition says that for this reason the Rebbe did not write "B'SD" (which is an acronym for a divine appellation, since "Shamayim" is one of Hashem's appellations) in letters but rather "B"H" (which here is only a "hint to a hint" – because in the words "Baruch Hashem" the word "Hashem" is not an appellation itself, but only hints to an appellation).