Chapter Forty-Four:
Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"
-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
__________________________________________________
44.
1.
"Now, this 'point in the heart' doesn’t become manifest before age 13, only afterwards, (and) when you begin to engage in Torah (study) and (the observance of) mitzvot."
-- That is, though we’re each born with this most basic albeit hindmost part of a soul, it still and all only hovers in the background until we become 13 and are responsible for mitzvah-observance. And it only truly comes into its own and becomes manifest when we do in fact engage in mitzvah-observance and Torah study. We’re taught however that *all* of us are mitzvah-observant to some degree or another (see Berachot 57A), so this last point shouldn’t be seen as discouragement so much as reassurance.
"It does though begin to develop and to display itself outright even if you do so (i.e., engage in mitzvah-observance) without (any specific, lofty) designs, which is to say, without the sort of love and fear (of G-d) that’s only warranted of one who serves a king; and even (if you engage in them) less than altruistically."
-- We’re said to serve G-d outright and to be near-at-hand to Him when we engage in His mitzvot and study His Torah. The realization of that should strike us deeply with either a sense of reverence or of love (or both) and should encourage us to do our best at it and to fulfill it in as high-minded a manner as we can. The point in our heart still and all manifests itself even if we engage in mitzvot in rather humdrum, even self-serving ways.
"For (in point of fact, we’re taught that) mitzvot needn’t (be fulfilled with) any designs, for even random (mitzvah-related) acts are qualified to purify your ratzon l’kabel -- but only to the lowest degree, i.e., (on the) mineral (level)."
-- That’s to say that if we do though engage in mitzvot perfunctorily or with an agenda of our own (either for reward, or for recognition and the like), our ratzon l’kabel will be purified indeed, but only to a minimum, mineral-level degree.
2.
"Now, the extent to which you purify the mineral part of your ratzon l’kabel is the very extent to which you build-up the 613 parts of the point in your heart, which is the mineral (aspect) of your holy soul."
-- We begin to purify the mineral, lowest, most demanding aspect of ourselves that only wants to take-in by first honestly taking note of it in our being, and by engaging in mitzvot, whose aim is to foster bestowance. (We'll explain the 613 parts of our soul shortly.)
"And when you fulfill all 613 mitzvot on a tangible level, ..."
-- As that can only actually be carried out by the entire Jewish Nation in the course of history in fact, seeing as some mitzvot can only be fulfilled by Cohanim or Leviim, for example, others can only be fulfilled while the Holy Temple is operational, etc., Rabbi Ashlag’s implying that once you play your part in the fulfillment of all 613 mitzvot, then ...
" ... you (begin to) perfect the 613 organs of the point in your heart, which is the mineral (aspect) of your holy soul."
"Since its 248 spiritual-organs are bolstered by fulfilling the 248 imperatives, and its 365 spiritual-tendons are bolstered by avoiding the 365 prohibitives, and it becomes a complete partsuf of a holy Nephesh. Then the soul ascends upward and engarbs the sephira of Malchut in the spiritual world of Asiyah."
-- There are 613 mitzvot in all (and 613 parts of our soul, as we indicated): 248 “imperatives” -- things we’re obliged to do, like be honest for example, observe the Shabbat, etc.; and 365 “prohibitives” -- things we’re obliged to *avoid* doing, like eating unkosher foods, stealing, etc.
-- When we do our part as members of the Jewish Nation to fulfill all 248 imperatives we bolster the 248 “spiritual-organs” of our mineral soul; and when we do what we can to avoid the 365 prohibitives we bolster the 365 “spiritual-tendons” of our mineral soul, and thus bolster all 613 of its parts.
-- We then cultivate a complete spiritual system known as a “partsuf” (literally, “face”, but perhaps best conceived of as an entire and integrated organism with a face or “presence” of its own). While it's indeed a partsuf and thus significant, it’s nonetheless a partsuf of the lowest order in that it’s attached to the lowest level of the soul (Nephesh), grade of being (mineral), sephirah (Malchut), and the lowest spiritual world (Asiyah), since it’s rooted in our only *beginning* to purify the lowest aspect of our ratzon l’kabel.
3.
"All the various spiritual aspects of mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness found in that world, which correspond to the sephira of Malchut of Asiyah, serve and aid the partsuf of the human-level Nephesh there."
-- Up to this point your having done your part to fulfill mitzvot with the full thrust of your mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness will have solidified your soul and enabled it to attain a portion of the *human* level of Asiyah (the lowest world). Your portion in it is dependant on something, though. For ...
"That's only to the extent that the soul has schooled them (i.e., the aspects of mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness in your being). For all insights (you'd have given them) nourish (the soul) spiritually and give it the wherewithal to grow and mature enough to draw down the light of the sephira of Malchut of Asiyah well enough to enlighten your body. And that full light then helps you in your Torah and mitzvot efforts and to reach (even) higher levels."
-- That's to say that your soul-advancement all depends on how much you'd wisened and enlightend your inner mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness as to what matters in this world and what doesn't. For if you'd struggled to concentrate on your relationship to G-d, and thus used your innate mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness to serve that end, then your observance and your very being will grow to greater and greater heights.
Now, as we indicated above, a point of the light of Nephesh comes upon and is engarbed in you as soon as you're born. The same is true in this instance as well, for as soon as a holy partzuf of Nephesh comes upon you, a point from a higher level is produced along with it, which is to say that the last degree of the light of a *Ruach* of Asiyah ...
-- ... which is a level up from the Nephesh of Asiyah ...
... then engarbs itself in the inner recesses of the partzuf of Nephesh.
-- And you ascend accordingly.
And so it is with each level. Each one that comes about is automatically accompanied by the lowest degree of the next higher one, since that’s (the import of) the connection between the higher and lower (worlds), all the way through to the highest levels. That's how this point itself is able to rise to the next level thanks to (the input of) the one above it.
-- The gist of the matter is that all worlds are inner-linked; you need only take hold of one from the bottom and you're then able to climb higher and higher, as in this instance.
(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
__________________________________________________
44.
1.
"Now, this 'point in the heart' doesn’t become manifest before age 13, only afterwards, (and) when you begin to engage in Torah (study) and (the observance of) mitzvot."
-- That is, though we’re each born with this most basic albeit hindmost part of a soul, it still and all only hovers in the background until we become 13 and are responsible for mitzvah-observance. And it only truly comes into its own and becomes manifest when we do in fact engage in mitzvah-observance and Torah study. We’re taught however that *all* of us are mitzvah-observant to some degree or another (see Berachot 57A), so this last point shouldn’t be seen as discouragement so much as reassurance.
"It does though begin to develop and to display itself outright even if you do so (i.e., engage in mitzvah-observance) without (any specific, lofty) designs, which is to say, without the sort of love and fear (of G-d) that’s only warranted of one who serves a king; and even (if you engage in them) less than altruistically."
-- We’re said to serve G-d outright and to be near-at-hand to Him when we engage in His mitzvot and study His Torah. The realization of that should strike us deeply with either a sense of reverence or of love (or both) and should encourage us to do our best at it and to fulfill it in as high-minded a manner as we can. The point in our heart still and all manifests itself even if we engage in mitzvot in rather humdrum, even self-serving ways.
"For (in point of fact, we’re taught that) mitzvot needn’t (be fulfilled with) any designs, for even random (mitzvah-related) acts are qualified to purify your ratzon l’kabel -- but only to the lowest degree, i.e., (on the) mineral (level)."
-- That’s to say that if we do though engage in mitzvot perfunctorily or with an agenda of our own (either for reward, or for recognition and the like), our ratzon l’kabel will be purified indeed, but only to a minimum, mineral-level degree.
2.
"Now, the extent to which you purify the mineral part of your ratzon l’kabel is the very extent to which you build-up the 613 parts of the point in your heart, which is the mineral (aspect) of your holy soul."
-- We begin to purify the mineral, lowest, most demanding aspect of ourselves that only wants to take-in by first honestly taking note of it in our being, and by engaging in mitzvot, whose aim is to foster bestowance. (We'll explain the 613 parts of our soul shortly.)
"And when you fulfill all 613 mitzvot on a tangible level, ..."
-- As that can only actually be carried out by the entire Jewish Nation in the course of history in fact, seeing as some mitzvot can only be fulfilled by Cohanim or Leviim, for example, others can only be fulfilled while the Holy Temple is operational, etc., Rabbi Ashlag’s implying that once you play your part in the fulfillment of all 613 mitzvot, then ...
" ... you (begin to) perfect the 613 organs of the point in your heart, which is the mineral (aspect) of your holy soul."
"Since its 248 spiritual-organs are bolstered by fulfilling the 248 imperatives, and its 365 spiritual-tendons are bolstered by avoiding the 365 prohibitives, and it becomes a complete partsuf of a holy Nephesh. Then the soul ascends upward and engarbs the sephira of Malchut in the spiritual world of Asiyah."
-- There are 613 mitzvot in all (and 613 parts of our soul, as we indicated): 248 “imperatives” -- things we’re obliged to do, like be honest for example, observe the Shabbat, etc.; and 365 “prohibitives” -- things we’re obliged to *avoid* doing, like eating unkosher foods, stealing, etc.
-- When we do our part as members of the Jewish Nation to fulfill all 248 imperatives we bolster the 248 “spiritual-organs” of our mineral soul; and when we do what we can to avoid the 365 prohibitives we bolster the 365 “spiritual-tendons” of our mineral soul, and thus bolster all 613 of its parts.
-- We then cultivate a complete spiritual system known as a “partsuf” (literally, “face”, but perhaps best conceived of as an entire and integrated organism with a face or “presence” of its own). While it's indeed a partsuf and thus significant, it’s nonetheless a partsuf of the lowest order in that it’s attached to the lowest level of the soul (Nephesh), grade of being (mineral), sephirah (Malchut), and the lowest spiritual world (Asiyah), since it’s rooted in our only *beginning* to purify the lowest aspect of our ratzon l’kabel.
3.
"All the various spiritual aspects of mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness found in that world, which correspond to the sephira of Malchut of Asiyah, serve and aid the partsuf of the human-level Nephesh there."
-- Up to this point your having done your part to fulfill mitzvot with the full thrust of your mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness will have solidified your soul and enabled it to attain a portion of the *human* level of Asiyah (the lowest world). Your portion in it is dependant on something, though. For ...
"That's only to the extent that the soul has schooled them (i.e., the aspects of mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness in your being). For all insights (you'd have given them) nourish (the soul) spiritually and give it the wherewithal to grow and mature enough to draw down the light of the sephira of Malchut of Asiyah well enough to enlighten your body. And that full light then helps you in your Torah and mitzvot efforts and to reach (even) higher levels."
-- That's to say that your soul-advancement all depends on how much you'd wisened and enlightend your inner mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness as to what matters in this world and what doesn't. For if you'd struggled to concentrate on your relationship to G-d, and thus used your innate mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness to serve that end, then your observance and your very being will grow to greater and greater heights.
Now, as we indicated above, a point of the light of Nephesh comes upon and is engarbed in you as soon as you're born. The same is true in this instance as well, for as soon as a holy partzuf of Nephesh comes upon you, a point from a higher level is produced along with it, which is to say that the last degree of the light of a *Ruach* of Asiyah ...
-- ... which is a level up from the Nephesh of Asiyah ...
... then engarbs itself in the inner recesses of the partzuf of Nephesh.
-- And you ascend accordingly.
And so it is with each level. Each one that comes about is automatically accompanied by the lowest degree of the next higher one, since that’s (the import of) the connection between the higher and lower (worlds), all the way through to the highest levels. That's how this point itself is able to rise to the next level thanks to (the input of) the one above it.
-- The gist of the matter is that all worlds are inner-linked; you need only take hold of one from the bottom and you're then able to climb higher and higher, as in this instance.
(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 10:55 AM
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