People who do not know how to draw down Ruach and Neshama through the "yibum at night meditation" have to die, and if they are tzadikim who have rectified the Nefesh at an early age, then they will die young, and this applies to second level souls as well. This person must therefore die in order to rectify his Ruach in a second body…

A person may completely rectify his Nefesh, but not know how to draw his Ruach to him to rectify it, as has been previously explained: leaving his Nefesh at night (in the Supernal Well) through meditation upon the verse, "My Nefesh has desired You at night…." (Isaiah 26:9) This person must therefore die in order to rectify his Ruach in a second body. When it is rectified, then his Nefesh will join him.

If by this time he still does not know how to send his Ruach away at night in order to draw his Neshama to rectify it according to the previously mentioned meditation, then he will have to die a second time so that his Neshama can enter a third body to become rectified. After rectification, his Nefesh and Ruach will re-enter to join his Neshama, as discussed previously. They die at an early age since there is no reason to delay their time in this world…

Remarkably, this is why some completely righteous people die early in life. They have rectified their Nefesh entirely after only a few years, but they do not know how to draw down their Ruach by sending away their Nefesh using the meditation we mentioned earlier. They die at an early age since there is no reason to delay their time in this world.

There is no reason for them to remain in this world since they have completed the tikun of their Nefesh. If they would receive Ruach, then they could begin the tikun of Ruach while still in the same lifetime. However, since they do not know how to draw down their Ruach, and have no need for further rectification of the Nefesh, there isn't any reason for them to remain in this world.

They leave early [so] that their Ruach may enter a second body to become rectified. The same is true for righteous people who merited their Nefesh and Ruach and rectified them, and do not know how to send them away to draw down their Neshama.

This is the esoteric meaning of the verse "…They die, but not with wisdom" (Job 4:21). Sometimes people die due to a lack of wisdom, not knowing how to draw down their Ruach or their Neshama. However, this only applies for someone who has rectified his Nefesh, but whose Ruach and Neshama still remain blemished from the first time.

It should be recalled that the Rav reverted to the discussion of the "yibum at night meditation" by way of explaining the second advantage of first level over second level souls. Their ascent can go beyond Beriya to the level of Nefesh of Atzilut…

Second level souls are those that remained in Adam after his sin and were transmitted to his sons, Cain and Abel. Like first level souls, they can complete immense tikunim in one lifetime, from the Nefesh of Asiya to the Nefesh of Atzilut. However, unlike first level souls, they can only accomplish this with great difficulty and effort, and it was for this reason that the Rav reverted to the discussion of the "yibum at night meditation."

However, second level souls have been somewhat blemished by the sins of Adam, Cain and Abel. They can only advance from level to level with difficulty and with the assistance of the "yibum at night meditation".

We have now explained the advantages of the first level over the second level.

These second level souls were blemished to some extent by the sins of Adam, Cain, and Abel, although not like those souls of the third level who fell into the realm of the kelipot. Therefore, they need the "yibum at night meditation" in order to ascend from level to level, but their ascent can go beyond Beriya to the level of Nefesh of Atzilut.

In contrast, someone whose Ruach and Neshama were not previously blemished does not need the meditation in order to ascend from level to level.

Someone whose Ruach and Neshama are already rectified and now completes the rectification of his Nefesh, then his Ruach and Neshama can enter to be clothed within the Nefesh since they are already rectified like it.

Obviously, Ruach and Neshama do not need to enter a body if they have already been rectified. In contrast, if they are only unblemished, they will still need to come in order to complete their tikun. Thus, it is likely that the words "already rectified" written here should be understood as "not blemished". Ruach and Neshama that are unblemished, but their tikun has not yet been completed, will be able to enter and become ensconced within a rectified Nefesh. Since they are not blemished, the rectified Nefesh can become an exterior garment or throne for them.

[Commentary by Shabtai Teicher.]