Acharei Mot: Chapter 33

"With my soul have I desired You in the night"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon tells Rabbi Chiya that God is the spirit and soul of everyone, so that everyone desires to cling to Him. We hear different explanations of the title verse.

Soul, The

202. "And this shall be a statute forever to you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls..." (Vayikra 16:29). Rabbi Chiya said, "With my soul have I desired You in the night; with my spirit within me I seek You..." (Yeshayah 26:9). HE QUESTIONS, "With my soul have I desired You in the night:" It should simply read: 'My soul at night.' What does it mean, "With my soul have I desired You in the night?" ALSO, "with my spirit within me I seek You" should have said: 'It seeks You.' HE ANSWERS: We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the spirit and soul of all, so Yisrael are saying, "You are my soul and spirit." For this reason, I have desired You, to cling to You. "I seek You" to find Your goodwill.

202. וְהָיְתָה לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם בַּחֺדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֺדֶשׁ תְּעַנּוּ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם וְגוֹ.' רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַיְלָה אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ וְגוֹ.' נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה. נַפְשִׁי בַּלַּיְלָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ. אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, יְשַׁחֲרֶךָ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּאנָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא דְּכֺלָּא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אַמְרֵי נַפְשִׁי וְרוּחִי אַנְּתְּ. בְּגִין כַּךְ אִוִּיתִיךָ לְאַדְבְּקָא בָּךְ, וַאֲשַׁחֲרֶךָ לְאַשְׁכְּחָא רְעוּתָךְ.

Boaz Soul, The

203. Rabbi Yosi said: At the time one sleeps in his bed, his soul departs, ascends and testifies about him concerning that person's activities of that entire day. THEREFORE, the body says to the soul, "My soul, have I desired you in the night," WHEN YOU GO OUT OF ME, "my spirit within me, I seek you."

203. ר' יוֹסֵי אָמַר, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּב"נ נָאִים בְּעַרְסֵיהּ. נָפְקָא נַפְשֵׁיהּ, סַלְקָא וְאַסְהִידַת בֵּיהּ בב"נ, עַל כָּל מַה דַּעֲבַד בְּכָל יוֹמָא. גּוּפָא אָמַר לְנַפְשָׁא, נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה, אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ.

Congregation Evil Exile Soul, The

204. Another explanation for, "With my soul have I desired You in the night..." The Congregation of Yisrael said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "With my soul have I desired You in the night," MEANING so long as I find myself in exile among other nations and withhold my soul from all evil that is connected with the nations. "With my soul have I desired You" in order to return to my place. "With my spirit within me I seek You," meaning even though they subject my children to every kind of oppression, the Holy Spirit does not depart from them in order that they should seek You and perform Your commandments.

204. ד"א נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה, בְּעוֹד דַּאֲנָא בְּגָלוּתָא בֵּינֵי עֲמַמְיָא, וּמְנִיעָא נַפְשִׁי מִכָּל בִּישָׁתָא דְּקוּטְרָא בְּנֵי עֲמַמְיָא, נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ, בְּגִין לְאָתָבָא לְאַתְרִי. אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, כְּלוֹמַר, אע"ג דְּאִינּוּן מְשַׁעְבְּדִין לְבָנַי, בְּכָל שִׁעְבּוּדָא, רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא אִתְעָדֵי מִנַּאי, בְּגִין לְמִשְׁחַר לָךְ, וּלְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדֶיךָ.

Congregation Earth Fragrance Judgment Nefesh (Soul) Ruach (Soul) Soul (Nefesh) Soul (Ruach) Soul, The Zeir Anpin

205. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Yisrael said before the Holy One, blessed be He, so long as my soul is within me "have I desired You in the night." Wherefore "in the night?" It is because the Nefesh at that time needs to covet You. "With my spirit within me I seek You," MEANING when the Holy Spirit stirs within me, I seek You with excitement in order to do Your will. "For when Your sentences are on the earth," MEANS at the time when justice, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN, comes down to earth, MEANING to bring fragrance to the world, TO MALCHUT. Then "the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Ibid.), which means that they are capable of tolerating the Judgments of righteousness and mankind should not perish as a result of it. When will "the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness?" "When Your sentences are on the earth." Rabbi Chizkiyah said, "With my soul (Nefesh) have I desired You in the night" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT, while "with my spirit (Ruach) within me I seek You" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He. MALCHUT IS THE SECRET OF NEFESH AND THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, IS THE SECRET OF RUACH.

205. ר' יִצְחָק אָמַר, אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּעוֹד דְּנַפְשִׁי בִּי, אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה. מַאי טַעֲמָא בַּלַּיְלָה, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּהַאי נֶפֶשׁ בְּהַאי שַׁעֲתָא, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְחַמְדָּא לָךְ. אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, כַּד אִתְּעַר בִּי רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא, אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתָךְ. כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לָאָרֶץ בְּזִמְנָא דְּמִשְׁפָּט נָחִית בְּאַרְעָא, לְבַסְמָא עָלְמָא, כְּדֵין צֶדֶק לָמְדוּ יוֹשְבֵי תֵבֵל. כְּלוֹמַר יַכְלִין לְמִסְבַּל דִּינָא דְּצֶדֶק, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּצֵי עָלְמָא מִנֵּיהּ. אֵימָתַי צֶדֶק לָמְדוּ יוֹשְבֵי תֵבֵל, כַּאֲשֶׁר מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לָאָרֶץ רַבֵּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר, נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

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