Building the Soul - Part 2

This is a continuation of Part 1 (click here).

Now, there are three spellings-out of the Name Eh-yeh, whose numerical values are 130, 140, and 122. The sum of these three is the same as the numerical value of the word for "slave-girl" [in Hebrew, 'shifchah'] with the kolel.

The Name Eh-yeh is spelled alef-hei-yud-hei. The two hei's of this Name can be spelled-out either with yud's, hei's, or alef's. Thus, if we consider only the numerical values of the letters used to spell-out the Name (ignoring those of the letters of the Name themselves), we have three possible sums:

The sum of these three is 140 + 130 + 122 = 392.

Shifchah = shin-pei-chet-hei = 300 + 80 + 8 + 5 = 393. ...the partzuf in question becomes the dominant consciousness of the world in which it nests

The Name Eh-yeh means "I will be," an assertion of selfhood, and is usually associated with bina, the sefira of the intellect that must assume its own selfhood in order to fulfill its function of processing the insight of chochmah. But since malchut, in order to fulfill its function of transmitting the reduced consciousness of its home-world to the world below it, must also evince a certain selfhood, the Name Eh-yeh is sometimes associated with it as well.

[These] three Names Eh-yeh are present in malchut [of Atzilut]. Malchut [of Atzilut] "nests" in Asiya, and therefore its three expanded spellings descend into Asiya.

It is said in the Zohar that each of the four principle partzufim of Atzilut "nests" in one of the four worlds. Abba (chochmah) nests in Atzilut itself; Imma (bina) nests in Beriya; Zeir Anpin (the midot) nests in Yetzira; and Nukva (malchut) nests in Asiya. By "nests" is meant that the partzuf in question becomes the dominant consciousness of the world in which it nests. Thus, the dominant consciousness of the world of Asiya is that of the sefira of malchut, which, as we know, is principally that of actualizing the residual consciousness of the preceding levels. Like malchut, Asiya is the realm in which actualization and action are paramount.

The spelling-out of any Name of G‑d expresses how that Name is manifest. Since malchut of Atzilut is manifest chiefly in the world of Asiya, its three expanded spellings descend into this world. This explains why in the above calculation we considered only the letters used to spell out the Name and did not consider the letters of the Name themselves.

Ruach is associated with the world of Yetzira, no matter what level thereof. [A ruach of] Yetzira is called a [Jewish] bondsman.

One who attains the Divine consciousness ("soul") of ruach lives in the experience of the world of Yetzira, i.e., in an emotional relationship with G‑d. His service is no longer that of the Canaanite, but of the Jewish bondsman, who although a servant, is at least emotionally tied to and involved with his master (since they are both Jews). This type of Jew serves G‑d out of genuine concern, love, and awe of Him.

The mystical allusion to this is that the word for "bondsman" [in Hebrew, 'eved'] may be read ayin-beit [= 72] dalet [= 4]. To explain: The Name Havayah alludes to Zeir Anpin; Zeir Anpin "nests" in Yetzira. Therefore the posterior of the Name Havayah, whose numerical value is 72, descends into this world. The 4 represents the four letters of the Name itself. One who attains the divine consciousness ("soul") of ruach lives in an emotional relationship with G‑d...

All of G‑d's Names are associated with specific sefirot. The Name Havayah is associated with tiferet, the "heart," the central sefira of Zeir Anpin. As we have explained previously, the "posterior" of any Name is formed by considering its first letter, then its first two, then its first three, etc., until all the letters have been considered. These iterations are then summed. Similar to the "spelling-out," the posterior iteration of a Name indicates how that Name descends to be enclothed in the level below it. The posterior of the Name Havayah is derived as follows:

Neshama is associated with the world of Beriya. [Such a soul] is called a [Jewish] maidservant.

Beriya is the world of the intellect, since Imma (bina) "nests" in it. Someone who has risen to this level serves G‑d with the full commitment of his intellect. …the soul is no longer termed a "servant" of G‑d but has so merged with Divinity that it is termed a "son" of G‑d…a tzadik

The mystical allusion to this is as follows: The numerical value of the first two letters of the word for "maidservant" [in Hebrew, 'amah', alef-mem, 41] is the number of letters required to iterate the Name Eh-yeh, its spelling-out, its second spelling-out:

This is the Name Eh-yeh in Imma, which "nests" in [Beriya, the world of] the Throne. The hei [i.e., the third letter of the word amah] signifies the hei of Imma itself.

This Name Eh-yeh is that associated with Imma, as opposed to the one associated with malchut, discussed above. The world of Beriya is the location of the "heavenly throne of glory," as explained in the Zohar. In the correspondence between the four letters of the Name Havayah and the four principle partzufim of Atzilut, Imma is associated with the first hei.

Besides these levels of soul, one may attain [a soul] from the world of Atzilut [itself, and not just from a manifestation of Atzilut in the lower three worlds]. [He may attain] a Nefesh from malchut [of Atzilut], a Ruach from tiferet [of Atzilut], a Neshama from bina [of Atzilut], or a Chaya from chochma [of Atzilut]. [We see that Chaya is related to chochma, for] about which it is written, "and wisdom enlivens those who possess it." (Ecclesiastes 7:12) This was the level of the soul of Moses. When it first repents...it must begin at the bottom, first assuming the role of the simple slave...

The process of ascending the ladder of Divine consciousness and service leads through the four worlds of Asiya (behaviorism, action), Yetzira (emotional involvement), Beriya (intellectual involvement), and Atzilut (subsumission of the self into the reality of G‑d). Once in the world of Atzilut, the soul is no longer termed a "servant" of G‑d but has so merged with Divinity that it is termed a "son" of G‑d. This is the level of Divine consciousness that defines a tzadik. [See Torah Ohr, beginning of Mishpatim]

Within this level of Divine consciousness, there are again levels of ascent, as one identifies with G‑d as Ruler of the universe (malchut, nefesh), G‑d's emotional attributes (midot, ruach), G‑d's intellect (bina, neshama), or G‑d's super-intellect, His original insight that gave rise to creation (chochma, chaya). This is the source of the Torah, and the level of Divine consciousness attained the Moses, who served as the conduit or channel through which the Torah was given.

[Higher yet, one may attain] a Yechida from Arich [Anpin of Atzilut]. This is the soul-level of Mashiach, of whom it is written, "He will ascend and be exalted and uplifted exceedingly." (Isaiah 52:13) Our sages said this verse means that "he will ascend - higher than Abraham, be exalted - higher than Isaac, be uplifted - higher than Jacob, exceedingly - higher than Moses." (Midrash Tanchuma, Toldot 14)

Mashiach's soul is the collective Yechida of the Jewish people, their total identification with their Divine dimension. This consciousness transcends the limitations of the Torah as it was revealed through Moses, and is that of the Torah's inner dimension.

Returning to the previous discussion,

This is why the Jewish maidservant, the Neshama that descends from the Throne of Glory, serves neither the [master's] son nor his daughter. She is subservient neither to Zeir Anpin nor to Nukva, they being the "son" and "daughter," but only to Abba [their "father"]. She therefore only serves the master.

The ruach, however, being from Zeir Anpin, which was blemished and descended as the Jewish bondsman, does serve [his master's] son, for he is subservient to Zeir Anpin [the "son"]. Still, he does not serve [his master's] daughter, for he is not subservient to malchut.

The Canaanite slave, which is a soul that left the realm of holiness and was blemished and then ascended back to enter the world of Asiya, serves all [members of the master's household], for it is at the level of malchut, which is subservient to all [the levels above it].

The Canaanite slave is a mentality that has opted out of Divine consciousness altogether in favor of worldy, mundane consciousness. When it first repents and submits once again to the order of holiness, it must begin at the bottom, first assuming the role of the simple slave.

This is why [the slave] is only obligated to perform those mitzvot that women are obligated in - he/she has so far progressed only so far as the level of malchut, the feminine principle.

Of course, the orientation of the Canaanite slave and the Jewish woman are the exact opposite. The woman is exempt from many mitzvot because she is "busy" manifesting feminine consciousness, which, as we have explained previously, is the drive to actualize Divinity in the concrete reality of this world. The Canaanite slave is moving in the opposite direction; he is ascending out of his former absolute identification with the concrete reality of this world into the more abstract world of holiness. Thus, for different reasons, they both are obligated only minimally in mitzvot.

As to why the master is allowed to give [the Jewish bondsman] a Canaanite slave-girl, this is because yesod copulates on three levels. The first is above, in the world of Atzilut, as it is written, "These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph."

"Jacob" is an appellation of tiferet of Atzilut; "Joseph" of yesod of Atzilut. This verse thus describes the coupling of yesod at the level of Atzilut.

The second is [alluded to in the continuation of the above citation]: "and he was a youth," referring to when [yesod of Atzilut] becomes vested in the "youth," i.e., the world of Yetzira, and copulates with its feminine counterpart [i.e., malchut] of Yetzira, or when it descends and copulates at the level of Asiya, at which the forces of evil are able to exist.

Yetzira is emotion-consciousness, i.e., that of an immature youth. Since in Asiya the dominant consciousness is that of behavior and action devoid of inspiration, evil can gain a foothold.

Since the Jewish bondsman was blemished and descended into Yetzira, then, just as [yesod at the level of] Yetzira [sometimes] copulates below, at the level of Asiya, so may his master give him a Canaanite slave-girl.

The Jewish bondsman having intercourse with the Canaanite slave-girl is thus enacting how yesod of Yetzira sometimes descends to copulate at the level of Asiya.

From all the above it becomes clear that the different types of servants and bondsmen the Torah describes are different states of Divine consciousness. The natural home of the Jew's soul is in the world of Atzilut, completely submerged in Divinity. The fact that he is not consciously at this level is due either to the simple circumstance of his soul being born into a physical body or because of some failing in a previous lifetime that he has now to overcome. Life, in this context, is thus a progression through the varied states of Divine consciousness embodied in these levels of servants and bondsmen, and finally through the various levels of Atzilut itself, until the individual is able to reveal, on his level, his own "spark of Mashiach" every Jew possesses.

Click here to continue on to Part 3.

Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Sefer HaLikutim; subsequently published in "Apples From the Orchard."

Reprinted with permission from Chabad of California. Copyright 2004 by Chabad of California, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, without permission, in writing, from Chabad of California, Inc.