Chapter Fifty-One:
Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"
-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
__________________________________________________
51.
1.
"Know that you’re only credited with having repented and purified yourself when your efforts are permanent and when (it’s clear that) you won’t ever lapse. As it’s said, 'What is (true) penitence? When He who knows all secrets would testify that (you) won’t ever lapse' (see Hilchot Teshuvah 2:2)."
-- Rambam indicates that true repentance -- true spiritual ascent and expiation after having sinned and lowered one’s stature -- comes down to “no longer committing the sin one once committed, not thinking of committing it anymore, and affixing to his heart the commitment to never do it again” (ibid.), and doing that so distinctly that even He who knows your heart would affirm your effort.
-- Rabbi Ashlag will now make the point that the source of our sinning -- our stark willingness to only take-in -- also calls for penitence.
"Hence it follows that what we'd said ... that if you purify the mineralness of your ratzon l’kabel that you’ll merit a partzuf of the Nephesh of Asiyah, and that you’ll ascend upward and be engarbed in the sephira of Malchut of Asiyah ... means that you’ll certainly be rewarded when you permanently purify your mineralness to the degree that you’ll never lapse. And that you’ll then be able to ascend to the spiritual world of Asiyah, since you’ll have realized purity and (will have achieved) an utter affinity of form with that world."
-- That means to say that if you repent for your willingness to only take-in on a mineral, a most basic level, then you’ll have achieved a degree of purity and penitence that would enable you to draw closer to G-d than you could have before. For you will have attained an “affinity of form with that world” at least, and thus begun the process of attaining an essential affinity with G-d Himself (see 11: 2), which is the greatest act of repentance and of drawing close to Him.
2.
"As to the (possibility of achieving the) other levels -- Ruach, Neshama, Chaya and Yechida of Asiyah -- you’d need to purify their ratzon l’kabel’s corresponding vegetableness, animalness, and verbalness in order for them to be engarbed in and receive those lights (and thus achieve those other levels). But that purification wouldn’t need to be permanent, (i.e., to the point where) 'He who knows all secrets will testify that (you) won’t fail again'."
-- ... as you had to do to achieve the above level.
"Because the whole world of Asiyah -- alone with its Keter, Chochma, Binah, Tipheret, and Malchut (cluster of) sephirot -- actually only encompasses the realm of Malchut, which is only germane to the purification of mineralness. And its five sephirot are only five subdivisions of Malchut."
"Thus, since you will have already merited purifying the mineral part of the ratzon l’kabel, you’d already (be experiencing an) affinity in form with the entire world of Asiyah."
-- That is, since “everything that exists on a comprehensive level exists on a particular level as well” (Ch. 50), you’re having achieved an affinity in form to the above degree insinuates that you’ll achieve it to succeeding degrees, too. But not permanently, as we’ll soon see.
3.
"It’s just that since each and every sephira from the world of Asiah receives (illumination) from its corresponding sephira in the higher worlds, thus when for example Tipheret of Asiyah receives (illumination) from the world of Yetzirah, which is all Tipheret and Ruach-Light; when Binah of Asiyah receives (illumination) from the world of Briah, which is all Neshama; or when Chochma of Asiyah receives (illumination) from Atzilut, which is all Chochma and Chaya-Light -- even though you’ll have only permanently purified your mineralness, still and all if you (eventually) purify the remaining three aspects of your ratzon l’kabel (i.e., their vegetable, animal, and verbal aspects), even though you will not permanently purified them, you can still receive the Ruach, Neshama, and Chaya (levels) from Tipheret, Binah, and Chochma of Asiyah, though only temporarily."
-- But why will you only receive the Ruach, Neshama, and Chaya (levels) from Tipheret, Binah, and Chochma of Asiyah *temporarily*?
"Because once one of those three parts of the ratzon l’kabel has been stirred, it’s immediately deprived of these lights."
-- That's to say that once your innate inclination to take-in rather than bestow kicks in, be it on a primitive or sophisticated level (for even the more erudite and learned lapse into selfishness to a degree from time to time), you'll have taken a step backward and wouldn't have truly repented of your ways as you would have to.
(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )
********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*!
You can order it right now from here
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). His new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled
"Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal"
Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"
-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
__________________________________________________
51.
1.
"Know that you’re only credited with having repented and purified yourself when your efforts are permanent and when (it’s clear that) you won’t ever lapse. As it’s said, 'What is (true) penitence? When He who knows all secrets would testify that (you) won’t ever lapse' (see Hilchot Teshuvah 2:2)."
-- Rambam indicates that true repentance -- true spiritual ascent and expiation after having sinned and lowered one’s stature -- comes down to “no longer committing the sin one once committed, not thinking of committing it anymore, and affixing to his heart the commitment to never do it again” (ibid.), and doing that so distinctly that even He who knows your heart would affirm your effort.
-- Rabbi Ashlag will now make the point that the source of our sinning -- our stark willingness to only take-in -- also calls for penitence.
"Hence it follows that what we'd said ... that if you purify the mineralness of your ratzon l’kabel that you’ll merit a partzuf of the Nephesh of Asiyah, and that you’ll ascend upward and be engarbed in the sephira of Malchut of Asiyah ... means that you’ll certainly be rewarded when you permanently purify your mineralness to the degree that you’ll never lapse. And that you’ll then be able to ascend to the spiritual world of Asiyah, since you’ll have realized purity and (will have achieved) an utter affinity of form with that world."
-- That means to say that if you repent for your willingness to only take-in on a mineral, a most basic level, then you’ll have achieved a degree of purity and penitence that would enable you to draw closer to G-d than you could have before. For you will have attained an “affinity of form with that world” at least, and thus begun the process of attaining an essential affinity with G-d Himself (see 11: 2), which is the greatest act of repentance and of drawing close to Him.
2.
"As to the (possibility of achieving the) other levels -- Ruach, Neshama, Chaya and Yechida of Asiyah -- you’d need to purify their ratzon l’kabel’s corresponding vegetableness, animalness, and verbalness in order for them to be engarbed in and receive those lights (and thus achieve those other levels). But that purification wouldn’t need to be permanent, (i.e., to the point where) 'He who knows all secrets will testify that (you) won’t fail again'."
-- ... as you had to do to achieve the above level.
"Because the whole world of Asiyah -- alone with its Keter, Chochma, Binah, Tipheret, and Malchut (cluster of) sephirot -- actually only encompasses the realm of Malchut, which is only germane to the purification of mineralness. And its five sephirot are only five subdivisions of Malchut."
"Thus, since you will have already merited purifying the mineral part of the ratzon l’kabel, you’d already (be experiencing an) affinity in form with the entire world of Asiyah."
-- That is, since “everything that exists on a comprehensive level exists on a particular level as well” (Ch. 50), you’re having achieved an affinity in form to the above degree insinuates that you’ll achieve it to succeeding degrees, too. But not permanently, as we’ll soon see.
3.
"It’s just that since each and every sephira from the world of Asiah receives (illumination) from its corresponding sephira in the higher worlds, thus when for example Tipheret of Asiyah receives (illumination) from the world of Yetzirah, which is all Tipheret and Ruach-Light; when Binah of Asiyah receives (illumination) from the world of Briah, which is all Neshama; or when Chochma of Asiyah receives (illumination) from Atzilut, which is all Chochma and Chaya-Light -- even though you’ll have only permanently purified your mineralness, still and all if you (eventually) purify the remaining three aspects of your ratzon l’kabel (i.e., their vegetable, animal, and verbal aspects), even though you will not permanently purified them, you can still receive the Ruach, Neshama, and Chaya (levels) from Tipheret, Binah, and Chochma of Asiyah, though only temporarily."
-- But why will you only receive the Ruach, Neshama, and Chaya (levels) from Tipheret, Binah, and Chochma of Asiyah *temporarily*?
"Because once one of those three parts of the ratzon l’kabel has been stirred, it’s immediately deprived of these lights."
-- That's to say that once your innate inclination to take-in rather than bestow kicks in, be it on a primitive or sophisticated level (for even the more erudite and learned lapse into selfishness to a degree from time to time), you'll have taken a step backward and wouldn't have truly repented of your ways as you would have to.
(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )
********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*!
You can order it right now from here
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). His new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled
"Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal"
posted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman at 9:31 AM
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