In many Ashkenazi communities, the day after Yom Kippur is nicknamed Gott’s Nomen, Yiddish for “G-d’s Name.” Chassidic sources associate the four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot with the four letters of the Tetragrammaton. Each day embodies one letter—yud, heh, vav, heh—so the period literally spells the Divine Name. Hence, the very first of these days is called “G-d’s Name.”
We step out of Yom Kippur forgiven and cleansed, connected to our yechidah—the essence of the Jewish soul. In the four days leading up to Sukkot, we write the Divine Name into time, one letter per day, until we are welcomed inside the sukkah.
The connection between the four-letter Name (Y-H-V-H) and time is understood to derive from the Hebrew verb היה (H-Y-H), “to be.” This links the Name to the three tenses of existence:
- He was: הָיָה (hayah).
- He is: הוֶה / הווה (hoveh), “the one who is,” the present.
- He will be: יִהְיֶה (yihyeh).
The theological reading is that the Tetragrammaton encapsulates all three. G-d is not bound by time—He is the One who was, is, and will be, all at once—He transcends time. This expresses G-d’s eternal, unchanging nature; some English translations render this name as “the Eternal.”
Sefer Yetzirah speaks of three dimensions: olam (world/space), shanah (year/time), and nefesh (soul). On Yom Kippur, we rectify our nefesh. During the four days that follow, we rectify shanah by inscribing one letter of the Tetragrammaton into each day. Finally, on Sukkot, we enter the sacred space of the sukkah to rectify olam.
If Yom Kippur refined the soul, today begins the work of sanctifying time and engraving that clarity into our deeds. Start small, like a yud—a single point—and let each simple act trace the next letter: a first plank for the sukkah, a first dollar to charity, a first kindness done with intention. By the end of these four days, our time will not only speak of G-d’s Name; it will spell it.
ZOHAR Sullam Commentary ON YOMKIPPUR:- “On the tenth day of this seventh month” and 4 Days between Yomkippur and Sukkot!!!
The old sage explains why the Yom Kippur is on the tenth day. We learn of the seventy years that apply to everyone. We learn that on Yom Kippur one must not reveal his sins to another, because the accusers may use it against him, and besides, it is shameless to reveal one’s sins – it is a desecration of God’s Holy Name. The seventh month is God’s, but He gave it to Yisrael as a revelation. This entire month is from the Upper World, Binah; therefore it is covered because the Upper World is in concealment. On the fifteenth day of the month, it is revealed, since everything becomes revealed with the fullness of the moon. From this day the Sefirot descend to the secret of the Lower World, Malchut. The old sage and Rabbi Shimon discuss the question of who passed Judgment on the world on Rosh Hashanah, and why Malchut judges only those who are twenty years of age or older.
116. It is written: “On the tenth day (Heb. be’asor) of this seventh month” (Bemidbar 29:7), and: “Also on the tenth day of this month” (Vayikra 23:27). HE ASKS WHY IT IS WRITTEN “be’asor” (lit. ‘on day ten’) when it should say ‘tenth’. Why “ten?” HE ANSWERS: It is because now, on this day, all the high grades come upon each other, MEANING THAT THE TEN SFIROT THAT HAVE THREE FIRST SFIROT ARE DRAWN FROM IMA to rest upon the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, to shine on it. And they all pertain to the secret of ten so they add up to a hundred, BECAUSE TEN TIMES TEN EQUALS A HUNDRED. When it is based on the secret of a hundred, MEANING THAT IT HAS FIRST THREE SFIROT, then it is all one, FOR MALCHUT IS ONE WITH IMA. And BOTH are called ‘the Day of Atonement’. Therefore, it is written, “on day ten (Heb. asor)”, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD ‘SOURCE’, as written, “Remember” (Shemot 20:8) and “Keep” (Devarim 5:12). THIS IS BECAUSE ‘TENTH’ (HEB. ASIRI) MEANS AN ALLUSION TO MALCHUT ONLY, WHICH IS THE TENTH SFIRAH, BUT “TEN”, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM ‘SOURCE’, INDICATES ALL TEN SFIROT TOGETHER. For they all come FROM IMA in order to multiply by ten EVERY SFIRAH and shine by means of ten – NAMELY, ALSO INCLUDING THE THREE FIRST SFIROT.
117. The old sage turned towards Rabbi Shimon and said to him: I know that you have a question about this passage, “On the tenth day of this month”. Rabbi Shimon said to him: Certainly, “on day ten,” WHAT YOU SAID, THAT IT POINTS TO TEN is fitting. But if it is so, why does it add up to a hundred? From the passage, it seems that it all adds up only to seventy, for it is written: “On day ten of this seventh month…” And when you multiply seven by ten, it equals seventy. He said to him: For this did I turn to you, because I know you are a wise man.
118. Come and behold: there are two secrets here. The first is that the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is called ‘the seventh month’ and therefore the seventh month is called ‘ten’, AS IT SAYS, “ON DAY TEN OF THIS SEVENTH MONTH.” This is because they shine on it tenfold, MEANING TEN SFIROT, AND TEN TIMES TEN equals a hundred. THERE IS another SECRET HERE, because what you said, THAT “TEN” INDICATES MULTIPLYING SEVEN BY TEN, assuredly amounts to seventy on that day, * IN SUCH A MANNER, that it is both in the level of seventy and in the level of a hundred . IT IS in the level of a hundred in order to make it whole WITH THE THREE FIRST SFIROT and shine on it; AND IT IS in the level of seventy because on this day MALCHUT receives all Yisrael in order to judge them. *They are all in the soul rather than in the body, because on this day the soul is afflicted but not the body, as is written: “And you shall afflict your souls” (Vayikra 23:27), and, “for whatever person (lit. ‘soul’) shall not be afflicted” (Ibid. 29). For that day takes all the souls, and they are under its authority. Had it not been of the secret of seventy, it would not have authority over the souls, because souls are maintained by means of seventy, as it is written: “The days of our years are seventy” (Tehilim 90:10).
119. You may argue that the souls of the children have not completed seventy years, AND SAY that MALCHUT has no power over them. HE ANSWERS: Certainly, She has power over them, but not completely, as over one who merited for many days the commandments of the Torah. Even so, the seventy years apply to everyone, BOTH CHILDREN AND OLD PEOPLE. Of this we learned of ‘Both the one who increases and the one who decreases’. What is ‘one’? It is the unification of seventy years, of he who increases, NAMELY THE OLD, and he who decreases, NAMELY THE CHILD.
120. Therefore, on Yom Kippur, MALCHUT passes through all these seventy, and this level is completed with all THE SFIROT, FOR EACH SFIRAH OF THE SEVEN SFIROT ACQUIRED THE ASPECT OF FIRST THREE SFIROT AND THEY BECOME TEN SFIROT. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO INCLUSIVE THREE FIRST SFIROT AND THEREFORE THEY ARE SEVENTY. All the souls ascend before Him and He judges them with Judgment. The Holy One, blessed be He, has mercy on the children of Yisrael on that day. Whoever has not removed the filth from his soul to cleanse it, when his prayer ascends on that day it sinks into that place that is called ‘mud’ and ‘clay’, WHICH ARE SAMAEL AND LILIT, and the depths of the sea. HIS PRAYER does not ascend to adorn the head of the King.
121. On this day, a person should not reveal his sins before another, because there are many ACCUSERS who take this word, which he has revealed and bring it up and testify against that word. As THE VERSE SAYS, “From her that lies in your bosom, guard the doors of your mouth” (Michah 7:5), surely these ACCUSERS go AFTER HIM and study HOW to accuse him and testify against him. BUT IN ADDITION TO THIS, he is shameless towards everyone, WHO IS NOT ABASHED TO REVEAL HIS SINS, which is a desecration of the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, it is written: “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin” (Kohelet 5:5).
122. He opened the discussion, saying: “This month shall be to you the beginning of months…” (Shemot 12:2). HE ASKS: Do not all the holidays and months belong to the Holy One, blessed be He? WHY DOES IT SAY, “THIS MONTH SHALL BE TO YOU”? HE ANSWERS: “This month shall be to you,” MEANS it is Mine, but I gave it over to you. “To you,” MEANS that it is revealed, MEANING THAT THE LIGHTS ARE REVEALED IN IT FOR YISRAEL, but the seventh month is Mine. Therefore, it is covered and not revealed, AS IS WRITTEN: “AT THE FULL MOON (LIT. ‘COVERED’) OF OUR FEAST DAY” (TEHILIM 81:4). Your month is according to the sequence OF THE ALPHABET, in the order of Aviv (lit. ‘Spring’), BECAUSE NISAN IS CALLED ‘THE MONTH OF AVIV (ALEPH BET YUD BET)’. This is Aleph-Bet-Gimel, because Yud-Bet OF AVIV IS THE secret of Gimel, BECAUSE THE REDUCED NUMERICAL VALUE OF YUD IS ONE. THUS THE LETTERS OF AVIV (ALEPH BET YUD BET) NUMERICALLY EQUAL ALEPH BET GIMEL. But the seventh month is Mine; therefore ITS NAME STARTS with the last letters OF THE ALPHABET, NAMELY TISHREI (TAV-SHIN- RESH-YUD). What is the reason? You are IN FORWARD SEQUENCE ALEPH BET GIMEL, WHICH IS from below up, NAMELY, THE LETTERS INCREASE IN NUMERICAL VALUE, FIRST ALEPH (=ONE) THEN BET (=TWO), ETC. But I am IN BACKWARD ORDER TAV-SHIN-RESH-YUD, WHICH IS from above down, BECAUSE THE LETTERS DECREASE IN VALUE, FIRST TAV (=400), SHIN (=300), AND THEN RESH (=200).
123. This SEVENTH MONTH is Mine. At the beginning of the month, I am covered. On the tenth of the month, I am COVERED because I am so during the first five days OF THE MONTH, during the other five days, and during the third set of five days. At the beginning of the month, I am so, because it is of the five first days. During the tenth day of the month, I am so, because it is part of the other five days. During the fifteenth day of the month, I am so, because it is part of the third five days.
124. HE ASKS: What is the reason it is so COVERED, THAT IS, UNTIL THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH? HE ANSWERS: Because this entire month is from the Upper World, MEANING FROM BINAH, and the Upper World is under the secret of five at any time. Therefore, this month is covered rather than revealed, because the Upper World is in concealment and all its aspects are covered. This month is for the Holy One, blessed be He, alone AND IS NOT TO YOU. Upon the fifteenth day OF THE MONTH, it is revealed. Everything reaches the renewal of the moon. THEREFORE, the moon is full and shines from supernal Ima, WHICH IS BINAH, and is ready to illuminate downwards from the lights above. Therefore, THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH is called BY THE NAME first, as is written: “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day” (Vayikra 23:40). Until now, MEANING UNTIL THE FIFTEENTH DAY, all THE SEFIROT were based on the secret of the Upper WORLD, WHICH IS BINAH. From THE FIFTEENTH DAY, the Sefirot descend to the secret of the Lower WORLD, WHICH IS MALCHUT.
There are 4 days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot. The Ari says during these days the energy of Chesed comes into the universe. As the ZOHAR Above is telling us they are connected to the 10 days of Tishrei
These Day 11 is Keter of Chesed. which is Yod of YHVH.
Day 12. This is Binah of Chesed.which is Hey of YHVH.
Day 13. This is Zeir Anpin of Chesed.which is Vav of YHVH.
DAY 14. This is Malhut of Chesed. which is Second Hey of YHVH.
DAY 15 (According the Zohar Above is the First Day Upon the fifteenth day OF THE MONTH, it is revealed. Everything reaches the renewal of the moon. THEREFORE, the moon is full and shines from supernal Ima, WHICH IS BINAH, and is ready to illuminate downwards from the lights above. Therefore, THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH is called BY THE NAME first, as is written: “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day” (Vayikra 23:40). is The First Day Holiday of Sukkot which is about generating the energy of Chesed for your whole year. It represents the right column in the Tree of Life. Included in Chesed is the energy of Certainty. When one builds a hut and moves to dwell in that hut for a period of 7 days one is demonstrating and increasing his level of certainty within the Creator.
The Sukkah itself is an antenna for the energy of Chesed. The 4 species are also antenna for a different level of Chesed. The Sukkah represents surrounding Light while the 4 species represent internal energy. The Hakaphot represent manifesting surrounding light for the whole year.
This is also the Holiday that creates the possibility to eliminate anti-semitism for the year. This is done through the Hearing of the daily Torah Reading dealing with the 70 bulls that are sacrificed during the week of Sukkot.
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