Challenge to 2nd Level Souls
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Seven, Section 4
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
Another advantage of Level One over Level Two is the
facility by which the highest levels of soul can be rectified, whereas Level
Two souls can rectify the highest levels only with difficulty and effort, even
though they can achieve the highest levels.
There is another advantage of a new soul, which has been called
"Level One". When it comes into the world for the first time it can easily
attain within the same body the Nefesh
of Asiya until the Neshama of the
Neshama, as we have mentioned. The Nefesh will become the "dwelling place" and
"throne" of the Ruach, and
the Ruach to the Neshama, and so on.
The main point here is that new souls can easily achieve all
the highest levels. Furthermore, as new levels are attained,
each previous level becomes the "dwelling place" or
"throne" of the next level. This is none other than the concept of Hitlabshut,
or "enclothing", which was explained in a
special note at the end of Chapter Two.
However, this is not the case for (the souls of) Level Two, which
are the sparks that were included in Cain and Abel. Although they can achieve
as high as the Nefesh of Atzilut in one lifetime, it will not be
with the ease of Level One. This is what we spoke about regarding the secret of
Yibum at night, and the verse,"My Nefesh has desired You at night; even (with) my
Ruach that is within me will I seek for You..." (Isaiah 26:9).
In Chapter Three, Section 8 we learned that a person who
completes his Nefesh cannot normally receive
his Ruach in the same lifetime if his Ruach has already been
blemished in a previous gilgul. He will have to die and reincarnate,
unless "the need is great". By meditating upon the verse, "My Nefesh has desired
You at night; even (with) my Ruach that is within me
will I seek for You..." when he goes to sleep at night, he can
cause his Ruach to descend in place of his Nefesh. This will
allow him to rectify the Ruach in the same lifetime that the tikun
of the Nefesh was completed.  | | " After a Nefesh has become completely rectified, it leaves a person at night while he sleeps..." | | |
One of the points that the Rav will add here is that the Ruach
will descend in the morning in place of the Nefesh while it is clothed
within the Nefesh of the convert. It cannot descend into a body without
being ensconced within a Nefesh, and its own Nefesh has remained
above in the Supernal Well. Therefore, as we shall see, it clothes itself in
the Nefesh of the convert.
In addition, the Rav has added here a new nomenclature for
this phenomenon. He calls it "the secret of Yibum at night",
and has mentioned it here since it is possible, through meditation at night
upon the verse mentioned above, to attain all three levels of NR"N
in one gilgul.
After a Nefesh has
become completely rectified, it leaves a person at night while he sleeps, and
the Nefesh of a convert enters him in
its place in the morning together with the Ruach
of the man himself.
At night while a person sleeps he deposits his soul
Above. Normally the soul comes back the next morning to
continue on with its tikun, which in the case of a completed Nefesh
would not be necessary. Therefore, it remains Above,
and instead the Nefesh of a convert returns in its place to make
possible the tikun of the Ruach during a single lifetime. | | " The Nefesh will be the "throne" for its own Ruach..." | | |
[The Ruach] will be
clothed within this Nefesh until it
is completely rectified. At that point the first Nefesh will return to the body,
and they remain together. The Nefesh will be the "throne"
for its own Ruach.
If the person merits even more afterwards, then his Nefesh and Ruach
will leave him at night, and in the morning his Neshama will enter him and remain there
until completely rectified. After that time, his Nefesh and Ruach will
re-enter him, and the three levels will remain together.
However, all of this is only with great effort and difficulty,
and after focusing intently. This is the secret of the verse, "If He would take notice of him, then He would
gather into Himself his Ruach and Neshama". (Job 34:14) If he will be
wise, and if he knows the meditation "Yibum
at Night", of which we spoke, and if he will pay attention and focus his
heart, then he will be able to gather unto himself, in this body, his Ruach and Neshama
without the need for further gilgulim.
With the proper wisdom, understanding, and concentration, a
person who might normally have required many different gilgulim to
rectify his Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama can use the "Yibum
at Night meditation" as a way to complete all three of them during one
incarnation.
In addition, another advantage of Level One souls over Level
Two souls has been explained. Although Level Two souls can achieve very high
levels like Level One souls, they can only do so with great effort and
difficulty, when the need is great, and when they are proficient in the
meditation called "Yibum at Night." To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series,
Sparks Retained, click here
To link to the next article in this reincarnation series,
Early Death of Tzadikim, click here
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