Different Levels of Rectification
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Two, Section 2
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
If a person rectified his Nefesh,
and came back to receive and complete his Ruach, but during that gilgul
he sinned, then his Nefesh will not
be affected in such a way that it would be forced to come back by itself to
become rectified once again.
Once the Nefesh has been completely rectified and he
has returned to work on Ruach, the Nefesh is protected against
any further damage. Otherwise, the rectification process could conceivably go
on forever.
Rather, because he now has a Ruach,
the sin will only damage the Ruach,
and only this will need rectification.
Therefore, if an additional reincarnation is necessary to rectify
the Ruach, then both the (rectified) Nefesh and the (blemished) Ruach will come back again together.
This will continue until the Ruach is
rectified, after which he will have to die in order for the rectified Nefesh and Ruach to reincarnate with the Neshama.
If he has accomplished this and then sins, then it will only damage the Neshama, just as we explained with
respect to the tikun of Ruach.
However, there are different levels of rectification, and
the above-mentioned procedure would be altered accordingly:  | | " They will reincarnate together until the Ruach is rectified" | | |
It can also happen that the Nefesh
becomes rectified and purified to such a great extent that it need not come
back again with the Ruach for the
rectification of the Ruach. Rather,
the Nefesh remains Above in a place
fitting for it, "bound up with the
Bundle of Life."
One of the different levels of rectification is so complete
that the level of soul that has been rectified does not need to ever come back
again.
In such a case, the Ruach
would have to come back alone to rectify itself. However, this is not possible.
The Ruach cannot come down into a body without the
presence of a Nefesh. In this case, however, the Nefesh that has
undergone such a complete tikun will not return to reincarnate.
Therefore, it reincarnates with the Nefesh of a convert, as it says in ( Zohar) Sabba d'Mishpatim.
They will reincarnate together until the Ruach is rectified.
This Ruach, therefore, will come down to join the Nefesh
of a convert, and they will reincarnate together until the Ruach is
completely rectified.
Once that is achieved, then the person dies and the first Nefesh comes back to join with it (the Ruach) in order to receive and rectify
the Neshama.
Or, the Ruach may come
back by itself with the Neshama until
the Neshama is rectified, after which
time the three of them no longer need to return and are instead "bound up with the Bundle of Life,"
as is fitting for them. | | " Once all three levels of soul Nefesh,Ruach, Neshama are rectified, there is no longer any need for gilgul" | | |
It was said previously that the Ruach does not enter
a body without the presence of a Nefesh. In this case, however, where
the Ruach was completed when it was together with the Nefesh of
the convert, then the rectified Ruach may serve as the vehicle and base
for the entry of its Neshama, as if it were both Nefesh and Ruach.
In this case, therefore, the presence of a Nefesh is not absolutely
necessary.
In any case, once all three levels of soul -
Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama
- are rectified, there is
no longer any need for gilgul, and all three may remain "bound
up with the Bundle of Life," as is fitting for them.
The Arizal now returns to consider the fate of the Nefesh
of the convert that has been the vehicle for the Ruach that came into
the world without its Nefesh because the latter had undergone such a
complete tikun.
The Nefesh of the convert
that was joined to the Ruach has
helped it to perform good deeds in this world, and has been a vehicle for it in
this world; through their union the Ruach
was able to achieve its tikun. This Nefesh of the convert will also become
elevated with the original Nefesh of
this particular Ruach. The two of
them will be on the same level in the World to Come, like
"neighbors," and they will never part from one another. To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series, "Entry of Soul's Levels,"
click here.
To link to the next article in this reincarnation series, "Receiving and Ibur,"
click here.
Visitor Comments: 1
Anonymous, 1/31/2004
This entire article was very i
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