Dangers of Nefilat Apayim
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Seven, Section 9
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
When the Ruach is drawn down during the Nefilat Apayim
meditation while the Nefesh is still completing its tikun, then
there are dangers for the one who has the Nefesh.  | | " During Resurrection of the Dead the Nefesh and the Ruach will both arise within him..." | | |
There is yet another thing to be clarified regarding this matter
of the Ruach and the Nefesh that was just discussed. Since
they can both come into the world in separate bodies, they are judged against
each other in terms of who finishes his tikun
first. If the person who received the Ruach
completes his tikun prior to the
person with the Nefesh, then he
becomes the "main one." Therefore, during Resurrection of the Dead
the Nefesh and the Ruach will both arise within him.
However, if the one who possessed the Nefesh finished his tikun
first, then I [Rabbi Chaim Vital] do not recall what was said. However, it
seems to me that I heard that during Resurrection of the Dead they arise into
the body that possessed the Nefesh,
since he became the main one.
There is another important distinction regarding the person who
took Ruach during Nefilat Apayim before the final
tikun of the Nefesh.
We have learned that if he completes the tikun of Ruach
before the one who has Nefesh completes its tikun, then it may be
that he will arise in the time of the Resurrection of the Dead with both the Ruach
and the Nefesh. In such a case there exists a very serious danger for
the one who had Nefesh.
In such a case, if the person merits through his actions, he can
draw all the good of the Ruach to
himself and leave the other evil. | | " The Nefesh will lose all his merits to the one who is completing Ruach..." | | |
In other words, the one who had the Nefesh will lose
all his merits to the one who is completing Ruach. The first will be
left with evil only. Therefore, he will not arise in the time of Resurrection,
and all his good and merits will go to the second one who has rectified Ruach.
This is the secret of the verse "Let the evil of the wicked
finish them, but You will establish the
righteous..." (Psalms 7:10) One whose deeds make him evil - he will finish
by taking all the evil to himself. This
is what it says, "Let the evil of the wicked finish them", while all
the good is taken by the righteous person whose actions have purified him.
Thus, he is finished and totally established, as it says, "...You will
establish the righteous."
It is known that a person is a combination of good and evil,
purity within kelipa. Sometimes the
evil is greater than the good, and the evil that is within him must be purified
until all that remains is complete good.
There are several mechanisms to accomplish this
purification. What the Rav is having us contemplate here, since the evil is
greater than the good, seems to be one of the more unpleasant possibilities.
Thus have I heard from my teacher, may his memory be blessed,
though I did not merit to understand this well. However, it seems to me that it
is possible for the evil of the Nefesh
and the Ruach to come together into
one person whose actions are evil, and for the good of the Nefesh and the Ruach to
come to someone who has purified his actions, as mentioned before.
Knowing this you will be able to understand in the next
section the danger faced by King David. To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series,
Spirit from the Depths, click here
To link to the next article in this reincarnation series,
The Danger Faced by David, click here
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