[Part of the last paragraph of the previous section has been repeated and the paragraphs of this section numbered in order to facilitate explanation of this section.]

1) It is not sufficient to only rectify the particular spot to which his soul is connected. Rather, he must rectify (all aspects of each level as) we have mentioned, until he merits all of Asiya, at which time he can achieve his Ruach of Yetzira. It is this way with all the worlds.

2) This means that one must be involved with (the study of Torah) and (the doing of Her) mitzvot…. Likewise, if a person sins and blemishes a particular spot in Asiya, even though it is not the place to which his Nefesh is connected, he must rectify it.

If he commits a sin that affects a part of Asiya to which his soul is not particularly connected, he is responsible to rectify the blemish

Even though a person’s Nefesh comes from a specific place in the world of Asiya, he is still responsible to acquire every level of Asiya - the Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, and Yechida of Asiya - as we learned at the end of the previous section. Likewise, if he commits a sin that affects a part of Asiya to which his soul is not particularly connected, he is responsible to rectify the blemish, since he is expected to acquire that level as well on his way to attaining Ruach of Yetzira.

(3) However, if another Nefesh failed to perform a specific mitzva from the world of Asiya, or sinned and blemished [something in the world of Asiya], this does not obligate him to rectify the missing mitzva or the blemish caused by the sin of the other [Nefesh]. If they are both from the same place, [however], then this is not the case, as we will explain later on, with G‑d’s help.

Though this will be explained in a later chapter, it can be said here briefly that there are times when more than one soul occupies a single body. If the souls originate from the same root, then they share a common responsibility and need for tikun. However, if they do not come from the same root, then the deficiency or sin of one Nefesh does not necessitate the other to be part of the rectification process.

(4) Alternatively, it is possible that the concept of tikun-rectification applies only to blemishes resulting from sin, and not from the [lack of] performance of any of the 248 positive commandments.

Thus, rectification is only necessary in the case of a sin, and not for positive commands that were not performed, as first proposed.

(5) Or, the following is possible, and it is the correct [interpretation]. Let us say that a soul is from the Malchut of the Nukva of Asiya, called the Nefesh of Asiya….

He does not have to rectify the sections that are not connected to the root of his soul

If you take the tenth sefira called Malchut, and subdivide it into ten sefirot it becomes a partzuf called Asiya. The tenth sefira of this sub-set of ten sefirot is also called Malchut, and more specifically, the Malchut of Asiya. If this Malchut is, in turn, subdivided into its own set of ten sefirot, its tenth sefira will be the Malchut of the Malchut of the Asiya, or, the Malchut of the Nukvin of Asiya. Thus, the soul in question would be a level within the sub-set of the sub-set of the tenth sefira Malchut within the general structure of ten sefirot.

He will have to rectify all of the malchuyot (plural of malchut): of Ruach, and Neshama, and Chaya, and Yechida of Asiya.

A person has to rectify his five roots in the five partzufim of Asiya, but he does not have to rectify the sections that are not connected to the root of his soul. Since his root is specifically in Malchut, it is relevant to the Malchut on all levels in each partzuf.

Someone who only rectifies the Malchut of Asiya only acquires the Nefesh of the Nefesh that is within Asiya.

If the root of his soul is in Malchut, then he has to rectify the malchut of the Malchut of Asiya in order to acquire Nefesh of Nefesh.

A person who also rectifies the Zeir Anpin of Asiya acquires both the Nefesh and Ruach from Asiya.

Since his soul is from the Malchut, then he must rectify the Malchut of the Zeir Anpin of Asiya in order to acquire the Ruach of Asiya as well as the Nefesh.

If he also rectifies the Imma of Asiya then he attains the Nefesh, Ruach and Neshama from Asiya. It is the same until he rectifies all five partzufim of Asiya, in which case he will have acquired all the NRNChY .

This will be discussed again in Chapter 11.

[Commentary by Shabtai Teicher.]