Rescuing Spirit from the Depths
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Seven, Section 8
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
For Third Level souls, meditation in the Tachanun
prayer enables the coming of the Ruach even while the Nefesh has
not been completely rectified.
Now we will explain the differences between Level Two and
Level Three [souls].
The Ruach of
Level Two, made up of sparks from Cain and Abel, cannot emerge from the depths
of the kelipot until the Nefesh is rectified.
Therefore, the tikun to the
Ruach cannot occur through another person, but only through
himself. He must either die, and his Nefesh
and Ruach will afterwards come back
in another body, as it was explained previously. Or, he can do it by himself
with the meditation on the verse "My Nefesh
has desired You at night..." (Isaiah 26:9, see Gate of Reincarnations 3:8). After the Nefesh is
rectified it will leave, and the Ruach
will come by itself to become rectified, as mentioned earlier. It is likewise
with the Neshama.
However, the sparks from Level Three have a different
ability. Although they cannot achieve all levels in one lifetime, they can achieve
tikun using the proper mediations
during the Tachanun prayer.
In other words, the souls of level three can grow
from Nefesh to Ruach in one lifetime using the proper kavana
during the Tachanun prayer. Tachanun is recited most weekdays
during the Morning and Afternoon prayers and is a request for forgiveness of
sins.
In some communities at this time it is customary to place
one's forehead on the arm for a portion of this prayer like one who is
distraught and looking for forgiveness.
The actual term the Rav uses in the text is "Nefilat Apayim",
which means "falling on the face", and this is a common nomenclature
of the prayer, as well. However, since tachanun is a more commonly known
terminology these days, that term is used in the
translation.  | | " He would meditate that he was entering into the lowest realms...to extract from there the remnants of holy sparks..." | | |
It was once customary that the person who was
praying would fall prostrate on his face during this prayer. At that time he
would meditate that he was entering into the lowest realms, the realms of the kelipot,
to extract from there the remnants of holy sparks on their way to
rectification. In our days this practice is considered too dangerous because
the soul of the one who is praying may get caught there. Therefore, at most, in
some communities people place their forehead upon their arm; in other
communities the prayer is merely recited in a sitting position.
During the "Falling on the Face" prayer, they
can meditate that they are extracting their Ruach
from the depths of the kelipot. This
works even if the Nefesh is not yet
fully rectified to ascend in the secret of Mayin
Nukvin. (The subject of Mayin Nukvin
is also explained in Chapter Three, Section 8.) This meditation is in the
verse, "To You, G-d, I lift up my soul...." (Psalms 25:1)
In the Prayer rite practiced by the Ari, and
consequently adopted by all Sephardic Jews and some of the Chasidim, this Psalm
is in place of Psalm 6 as the basic text of the Tachanun Prayer. | | " His Ruach is simultaneously being rectified in the body of another person... " | | |
His Ruach can
then come during his lifetime into the body of another person who is born in
combination with the Nefesh of a
convert. If he merits it, then it is possible to draw it into his own son born
to him.
Therefore, even while the person is rectifying his own
Nefesh in his own body, his Ruach is
simultaneously being rectified in the body of another person who
has the Nefesh of a convert, or, if
he merits it, within the body of his own son.
Through the meditation of the "Falling on the
Face" prayer, only the Ruach can
be withdrawn from the kelipa before the rectification
of the Nefesh is completed. This process of
drawing out a higher level of soul before the Nefesh has completed its tikun
only applies to the level of Ruach. Under
no circumstances can the Neshama be
drawn from the depths of the kelipot
until the Nefesh and the Ruach have been completely rectified,
and those people who had the Nefesh
and Ruach must die. Afterwards the Neshama
can come in a gilgul to achieve
tikun. To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series,
Level Three - Splinters, click here
To link to the next article in this reincarnation series,
Dangers of Nefilat Apayim, click here
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