Intermediate Category -- Ibur from Birth
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Three, Section 4
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
Some reincarnate to become rectified, but they are not (entirely)
careful and sin. Such a spark will become immersed again in the kelipot,
with all the (minor) sparks that derive from it and depend upon it.
There are major sparks and minor sparks. The major sparks
are composed of many minor sparks. They may reincarnate all together in one gilgul,
or they may separate into many gilgulim.
What we are considering here is an intermediate case that
includes both gilgul and ibur.
The Arizal is now going to describe the intermediate case of
"ibur from birth," which is in some respects like ibur
and in some respects like gilgul. There are parts of soul that
reincarnate and come to a person when he is born, as is the case in gilgul.
However, they have already been rectified, as in ibur, and like ibur
they can reap reward from mitzvot that are done in this person's
lifetime but do not suffer guilt from sins that may be committed. Thus, they
are an intermediate category.
The reason for this phenomenon is that there are two types
of blemishes resulting from sin. As a consequence of serious sin (which will be
explained later on), the soul-sparks are severely blemished; they undergo gilgul.
However, the result of less serious sin is a less serious blemish and does not
necessitate gilgul.
A soul may reincarnate, achieve extensive rectification, but
nevertheless remain somewhat blemished because of some "light" sins
that were committed during the gilgul. These parts of the soul that are for
the most part - but not completely - rectified will reincarnate again at the
time of birth and remain with the person until the end of his lifetime, as in gilgul.
However, in this case, they will reap reward for mitzvot but will not
suffer guilt from sins that may be committed, as in ibur. It is these
parts of the soul, those which are less seriously blemished, that constitute
the intermediate category undergoing "ibur from birth."  | | " The sparks of the nefesh do not separate from one another until the day of death" | | |
All the sparks of the Nefesh, even those that are
already rectified, return in a complete gilgul at the time of birth with
the individual spark that was damaged. They do not separate from one another
until the day of death.
All the sparks of Nefesh -- both those that have been
almost completely rectified, retaining only a light blemish due to a
"light" sin, and those that have been only slightly rectified --
return at the time of birth with those soul-sparks that have been severely damaged
and will require extensive tikun in this lifetime. Since they arrive at
the time of birth, they are all similar to a "complete gilgul."
However, the rectified sparks reincarnate as an ibur.
In other words, the abovementioned
almost-completely-rectified sparks reincarnate as an "ibur from
birth." The reason it is called "ibur" is as follows:
They do not share in the sins of this body, only the merits. It is similar to the
souls of righteous tzadikim who have died and come as an ibur
during a person's lifetime and not at birth.
Even though the almost-completely-rectified sparks have to
return with the damaged ones, they only benefit from the reincarnation.
Thus, a spark that has not been rectified whatsoever by the
performance of those mitzvot to which it is related or [has not been
rectified] as a result of transgressing those sins from which there is no revival
must reincarnate into a second body, which will be named for that spark.
That spark's "name" is the essence of the gilgul
that is happening, like the name of any given thing describes the essence of
that thing. The gilgul reincarnates into a body for the sake of the tikun
of those soul-sparks that have been severely damaged or not rectified at all.
Therefore, that particular birth will be called by the name of those sparks
that must undergo extensive tikun.
However, sparks that have achieved rectification through the
performance of mitzvot, but have also been blemished through the
transgression of "light" sins, only reincarnate as an ibur of
the sort mentioned previously (i.e., ibur from birth), even though it is
also a gilgul.
They are an ibur that must come back at birth, but
they are not the main soul of the body in which they find themselves. It is because
they are not the main soul of the body that they are an ibur. They are a
gilgul because they come at the time of birth.
In contrast, there are sparks that have not been blemished
through sins after having been rectified by mitzvot.
These sparks have been fully rectified and are not blemished
whatsoever.
They do not return at all except as an ibur during
lifetime (i.e., after birth), and then only if he merits it, as explained. To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series, Additional Blemishes, click here
To continue on to the next article in this reincarnation series,
Summary and Completion, click here
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