Chapter Forty-Seven:

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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47.

1.


"As we’d already observed, the partzuf of Nephesh (i.e., the lowest partzuf of the five) that we achieve by (merely) observing Torah and Mitzvot without (any specific, lofty) intentions already has a point of Ruach-Light engarbed in it."
-- See 44:1.

"Thus, when we struggle to observe Torah and Mitzvot *with* proper intentions we purify the vegetable aspect of the ratzon l’kabel there, and build up the point of Ruach into a (full) partzuf to the extent that we do that."
-- That is, when elevate our intentions and serve G-d in love and awe, we correspondingly elevate our beings, step by step and measure for measure, and also begin to purge our ratzon l’kabel. What follows are the inner esoteric details.

2.

"When we fulfill the 248 imperative mitzvot with (the proper) intentions, the point (of the heart) expands outward to our 248 spiritual-organs; and when we avoid committing the 365 prohibitions the point expands outward to our 365 tendons."

"And when all 613 of our spiritual-organs are perfected, ..."
-- ... by our fulfilling all 248 imperative mitzvot and avoiding all 365 prohibitions en toto ...

" ... the point then ascends and becomes engarbed in the sephira of Tipheret in the world of Asiyah. The Infinite then issues it a more eminent light, termed Ruach-Light, in accordance with the degree you’d purified the vegetative aspect of your body."
-- That is, our beings continue to ascend higher and higher to the point where ...

"All the details of mineralness, vegetableness, and animalness in the world of Asiyah (in your being) which are relevant to the Tipheret-complex, then help your Ruach partzuf (which is higher than the Nephesh partzuf we’d been discussing) take in light from Tipheret in its entirety in ways we explained before in terms of the Nefesh-Light. And it’s then termed holy- vegetableness (as opposed to mere mineralness)."

"The light (of holy-vegetableness is indeed higher than mineralness, as can be determined by the fact that it) corresponds to material vegetableness in that one can differentiate actual movements in each detail, and the spiritual light of vegetableness then becomes powerful enough to emit light to each of the 613 organs in the partzuf of Ruach, which then exhibit the functions of that (spiritual) organ."

"And then, along with the appearance of the partzuf of Ruach, comes a point of the next highest level, which is to say, of Neshama-Light which becomes engarbed in it."

(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

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