Note 31 — I.

On another occasion we are informed that R. Eleazar, whilst sitting with his father R. Simeon, was anxious to know how the two names, Jehovah and Elohim, can be interchanged, seeing that the one denotes mercy and the other judgment. Before giving the discussion between the father and the son, it is necessary to remark that whenever the two divine names, Adonai (‏אדוני‎) and Jehovah (‏יהוה‎), immediately follow each other, Jehovah is pointed and read (‏יְהֹוִה‎) Elohim. The reason of this, as it is generally supposed, is to avoid the repetition of Adonai, Adonai, since the Tetragrammaton is otherwise always pointed and read (‏יְהֹוָה‎). The Kabbalah, however, as we shall see, discovers in it a recondite meaning,31 “R. Eleazar, when sitting before his father R. Simeon, said to him, we have been taught that whenever Elohim (‏אלהיﬦ‎) occurs, it denotes Justice. Now how can Elohim sometimes be put for Jehovah, as is the case in those passages wherein Adonai (‏אדוני‎) and Jehovah (‏יהוה‎) stand together (Comp. Gen. xv, 8 ; Ezek. ii, 4 , &c.), seeing that the latter denotes mercy in all the passages in which it occurs? To which he replied, Thus it is said in the Scripture, ‘Know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart, that Jehovah is Elohim’ ( Deut. iv, 19 ); and again it is written ‘Jehovah is Elohim.’ (Ibid., ver. 35 .) Whereupon he [i.e., the son] said, I know this forsooth, that justice is sometimes tempered with mercy and mercy with justice. Quoth he [i.e., the father], Come and see that it is so; Jehovah indeed does signify mercy whenever it occurs, but when through sin mercy is changed into justice, then it is written Jehovah (‏יהוה‎), but read Elohim (‏אלהיﬦ‎). Now come and see the mystery of the word [i.e., Jehovah]. There are three degrees, and each degree exists by itself [i.e., in the Deity], although the three together constitute one, they are closely united into one and are inseparable from each other.” (Sohar, iii, 65 a.)