New Souls
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Seven, Section 2
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
The first level is considered to be a completely new
soul. It is about such a soul that has descended into this world, born into a
body, that the sages alluded to when they said, "Come and see: When a
person is born they give him a Nefesh,
etc., and if he merits more, etc."
This is the statement appearing in the beginning of Saba
of Mishpatim ( Zohar, Mishpatim,
p.94b). The Rav has quoted it several times, and we already learned about it in
Chapter One, Section 2.  | | " Since it is a first lifetime he can achieve everything..." | | |
It appeared to be a statement that applies to all
first incarnations, but now it apparently applies only to first incarnations of
completely new souls, those that were not originally part of Adam's soul before
the sin.
Since it is a first lifetime, he is able to achieve the
Nefesh of Asiya until the Neshama
of the Neshama of Atzilut, level after level, as it says, "...if
he merits more, etc."
The Neshama of the Neshama is another
nomenclature for the fourth general level of Chaya. Since it is a first
lifetime he can achieve everything.
And this he can do without much effort. We have already
explained this first level before. However, if during that time he sins and
causes a blemish and dies, necessitating a return to this world, then he is
called an "old gilgul".
Before going on to discuss the next level the Rav
comes back to the subject of new souls to make one more point, which he also
taught previously in the beginning of Chapter One.
As we have already explained beforehand, the
Nefesh comes to him at birth, but the Ruach cannot come to him until he is
thirteen years old and one day; the Neshama,
cannot (come) until he is twenty years or more. In this way he advances and
gains according to his deeds until he achieves the NR"N of Atzilut,
according to the level of his years.
In effect, there are two requirements conditioning
the advance of soul from level to level: one is age, and the second is the
merit of his deeds. To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series,
Three Types of Soul, click here
To link to the next article in this reincarnation series,
Sparks Retained, click here
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