The Legs & the 10 Martyrs
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Five, Section 7
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
It is possible for the Nefesh, Ruach, or Neshama
of a person to elevate its sparks that were immersed in the depths of the kelipot.
They will be rectified through him, like what was explained concerning the
deaths of the Ten Political Martyrs. See there.
To comprehend what is being said here it is necessary
to understand the kabbalistic explanation of the Ten Political Martyrs.
Following is a brief summary of what was taught in Sections 5 - 6.
The Ten Political Martyrs are called, literally, the
Ten Martyrs of malchut. Their souls ascended to malchut of Atzilut,
which is called the Shechina. Because of their ascent it became
possible, even in these later generations when spiritual power is severely
diminished, to complete the rectification of the sparks that are supposed to be
raised from the kelipot to the malchut of Atzilut.
Historically, the time of the Ten Political Martyrs
was the time of the destruction of the Second Temple. The rule of the Romans
over the Land of Israel and the Jewish People was at its height. The oppression
was great, violence was ubiquitous, and sin was extremely prevalent. At that
time the Romans grabbed ten leaders of Israel and condemned them to death,
hoping in this way to forever eliminate Israel as an independent identity, G-d
forbid. The Ten Martyrs were cruelly tortured and murdered. Their martyrdom is
commemorated during the prayers of Yom Kippur, and it is praiseworthy to weep
over them at that time. Now, the words of the Ari ( Etz Chaim 39:1,
p.2:132b) will continue the description of those times from the kabbalistic point
of view.
The time of the Ten Political Martyrs was the time of the
destruction of the Second Temple. At that time sin was so prevalent that people
did not have the power to purify the sparks through prayer and to raise them up
in the secret of ma'n.
Whenever the sparks are rectified through our Torah,
mitzvot and prayer, they ascend to the malchut of Atzilut,
where they are refurbished into rectified partzufim that emanate
blessing and knowledge until our world is penetrated by those good things. The beginning
of this process is called the raising up of mayin nukvin (female
waters, abbreviated as ma'n), and it has already been discussed somewhat
in Chapter Three, Section 8.  | | " It was as if the world had no more purpose " | | |
At the time of the Ten Martyrs and the destruction
of the Temple, the people did not have the power to raise ma'n. It was
as if the world had no more purpose. It certainly could not continue to endure
if the purpose of Torah, mitzvot, and prayer could not be accomplished.
Moreover, even the ma'n of bina descended
downward and got mixed up once again among the kelipot, as it is
written, "For your sins your Mother was sent away" (Isaiah 50:1).
The ma'n of bina- Imma (Mother),
moreover, does not normally descend to the lower realms among the kelipot.
Therefore, we do not need to raise them from the kelipot back to the
world of Atzilut. That this ma'n began to descend into the realm
of the kelipot was another indication that the world was on the edge of
destruction. | | " The physical sufferings of the Ten Martyrs...made possible...the raising of ma'n..." | | |
The holy Zohar says, furthermore, that the souls of
these extraordinary tzadikim were totally pure, but their bodies were
given over to the Evil Side. The Ari explains that the physical sufferings
endured by the Ten Martyrs at the hands of the evil torturers made possible,
once again, the raising of ma'n through prayer, mitzvot and
Torah. In this way the world was saved.
In addition, in Chapter 36 the Ari will explain that
the physical sacrifice of the Ten Martyrs gives hope and inspiration to all the
later generations. Also, because of them it is possible for all the later
generations to raise ma'n. If they, through the sacrifice of their lives
and the physical suffering that they endured had not opened the way for our tikunim
to ascend to the Shechina, then we in these later generations would be
without hope because of the intense levels of impurity from which our souls
must ascend. Summary
1) Malchut
of Atzilut is called the Shechina. She is exiled from the
world of Atzilut to descend among the kelipot in the lower
realms.
2) In
the lower realms she is covered by the souls of the soul body of Adam
that have also been exiled into the realm of the kelipot.
3) Throughout
the lower realms are strewn sparks that belong to the souls of the soul body of
Adam who cover the Shechina exiled into the realm of the kelipot.
4) When
we pray, study Torah and perform mitzvot, then we release the sparks
from the kelipot and they ascend to malchut of Atzilut.
She receives them and returns with them to the world of Atzilut. This
ascent is called Female Waters (ma'n). When they reach the world of Atzilut
they become the germs to draw down illumination from above. At this point they
are comparable to the female zygote.
5) The
ability of the various levels of soul to rectify their corresponding sparks is
enhanced by the interconnectedness of souls who give and receive assistance
from each other.
6)
In these later generations, because of their diminished
spiritual power, rectification would be entirely impossible if it were not for
the assistance consequent upon the interconnectedness of the souls.
7)
When the spiritual level descends so low that the world
is on the verge of destruction, then physical sacrifice can restore spiritual
power. The classic expression of this phenomenon was the Ten Martyrs of malchut. To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series,
Switched Souls, click here
To link to the next article in this reincarnation series,
Lack of Procreation, click here.
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