"Into Your hand I commit my spirit"

Synopsis

Moses goes on to say that the lights of the heart are angels that spread throughout the limbs like the branches of a tree. He tells us about the evil effect of shutting off the lights, and says that an ignorant man cannot be pious because, unless he has studied the Torah, he cannot join Zeir Anpin and Malchut.

Relevance

All forms of negativity and sin are purged from our body, purifying our souls as the Light of the Garden of Eden shines in our hearts and shoots out from our eyes. All evil spirits, such as Lilit, are liquidated as darkness is decimated by a flood of Light.

This lustrous Light heals ailments of the heart and cures sicknesses of the eyes.

Our dreams of the night are now of Eden only, as nightmares become extinct. David's name, invoked by the Zohar, imbues us with piety to preserve our soul and to annul all judgments. Malchut joins with Zeir Anpin, our world with the Upper World, completing and perfecting all existence, all by the redeeming hand of the Creator and upon the merit of a king named David.

Angels Ark Directions Doves Evil Eyes Gates Hands Heart Lights Lilit Noah Tree

168. וְתַרְעִין דְּלִבָּא, אִינּוּן עַיְינִין מִסְתַּתְמִין, בְּגִין דְּלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּאִלֵּין מַזִּיקִין, דְּאִינּוּן לִילִית. וְלָא שַׁלְטִין בִּנְהוֹרִין דְּלִבָּא, דְּאִינּוּן מַלְאָכִים דְּמִתְפַּשְּׁטִין בְּכָל אֵבָרִים, כְּעַנְפִין דְּאִילָנָא לְכָל סִטְרָא. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִינּוּן כֻּלְּהוּ נְהוֹרִין סְתִימִין בְּלִבָּא, וּמִתְכַּנְשִׁין לְגַבֵּיהּ, כְּיוֹנִים אֶל אֲרֻבּוֹתֵיהֶם. כְּנֹחַ וְאִתְּתֵיהּ, וְכָל מִין וּמִין, דְּעָאלוּ עִמֵּיהּ בַּתֵּיבָה.

Body Cubits Evil Flood Waters

169. And the evil spirits that overcome all the parts of the body are like the waters of the flood, which prevailed over them fifteen cubits. This is because he had sinned in the matter of Yah (= 15), and Yah had left the body. THAT IS TO SAY, YUD-HEI HAD LEFT ELOHIM (ALEPH LAMED HEI YUD MEM), and He remained a mute (Heb. ILEM, ALEPH LAMED MEM), without sight, hearing, smell or speech. And the secret of the matter is to be found in the verse: "I was dumb (Heb. ilem) with silence (Heb. dumiyah)" (Tehilim 39:3). Dumiyah IS SPELLED DALET VAV MEM YUD HEI, WHICH CAN BE READ AS TWO WORDS: Silence (Heb. dom) of Yud Hei. IN OTHER WORDS, at that time OF THE FLOOD, the evil spirits prevailed for fifteen cubits over the body, and they ENCOMPASSED THE BODY as a furrow SURROUNDS THE DITCH OF the flower-bed.

169. וּמַזִּיקִין דְּמִתְגַּבְּרִין עַל כָּל אֵבָרִים דְּגוּפָא, כְּמֵי טוֹפָנָא דְּגָבְרוּ עָלֵיהּ ט"ו אָמַר, בְּגִין דְּחָב בְּיָ"הּ, וְאִסְתַּלָּק יָ"הּ מִן גּוּפָא, וְאִשְׁתְּאַר אִלֵּם, בְּלָא רְאִיָה וּשְׁמִיעָה וְרֵיחָא וְדִבּוּר. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, נֶאֱלַמְתִּי דּוּמִיָּה, דּוּמִיָּ"ה: דּוֹ"ם יָ"הּ. כְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, גָּבְרוּ מַזִּיקִין עַל גּוּפָא. וְאִינּוּן כְּכִסְלָא לְעוּגְיָא.

Body Doves Evil Evil Inclination Hands Matron Noah Sin Soul, The

170. Just as Noah sent the dove out on his mission, so also does the soul of man send out HIS SPIRIT on its mission, and for this reason a man must commit his spirit with the Matron, WHO IS MALCHUT, as it says: "Into Your hand I commit my spirit" (Tehilim 31:6). But if it is imprisoned by the powers of the Evil Inclination because of sins of the body, what does Scripture have to say? "Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, Hashem, the El of truth" (Ibid.) FOR THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, REDEEMS HIM FROM THEIR HAND.

170. וּכְגַוְונָא דְּנֹחַ, שָׁלַח אֶת הַיּוֹנָה בִּשְׁלִיחוּתֵיהּ. אוֹף הָכִי שָׁלַח נִשְׁמְתָא בָּאָדָם. רוּחֵיהּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתֵיהּ. וּבְגִין דָּא צָרִיךְ ב"נ לְפַקְדָּא לָהּ בְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. הה"ד בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי. וְאִם הִיא אֲסִירָא בְּחוֹבוֹי דְּגוּפָא, בִּידָא דְּחַיָּילִין דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע, מַה כְּתִיב, בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי פָּדִיתָ אוֹתִי יְיָ' אֵל אֱמֶת.

Beasts Camp Dreams Evil Evil Inclination Ezekiel Face Good Inclination Hands Prophecy Righteous Sin Soul, The Throne Wicked Wickedness

171. And during the time that THE SOUL is guilty, what is said about his spirit? "They who join hands for wicked ends shall not go unpunished..." (Mishlei 11:21), for it goes from hand to hand in the camps of the Evil Inclination, which rest upon it in its sins and cast him out from place to place. It is this that is happening when A MAN sees himself IN HIS DREAM in another country or another kingdom, and sometimes in the refuse, all depending on his sins. But if he is righteous, then all of the camps of the Good Inclination, ABOUT WHOM IT IS SAID "Thus were their faces; and their wings were divided upwards" (Yechezkel 1:11) in order to accept his spirit, raise it upward to the place of the living creatures, THE BEARERS of the throne, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and there he sees a number of visions, likenesses and prophetic revelations. And this is why the sages taught "The dream is one-sixtieth of prophecy."

171. וְעוֹד בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִיהִי חַיֶּיבֶת, מַה כְּתִיב בְּרוּחֵיהּ, יָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה רָע. דְּאָזִיל מִיָּד לְיָד, בְּמַשִׁרְיָין דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע, דְּשַׁרְיָין עָלֵיהּ בְּחוֹבִין דִּילֵיהּ, וְזַרְקִין לֵיהּ מֵאֲתָר לַאֲתָר. וְהַאי אִיהוּ דְּאַחְזֵי גַּרְמֵיהּ בִּמְדִינָה אַחֶרֶת, אוֹ בְּמַלְכוּ אַחֲרָא, וּלְזִמְנִין בָּאַשְׁפָּה, כְּפוּם חוֹבוֹי. וְאִי אִיהוּ זַכָּאָה, כָּל מַשִׁרְיָין דְּיֵצֶר טוֹב כֻּלְּהוּ, וּפְנֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם פְּרוּדוֹת, לְקַבְּלָהּ רוּחֵיהּ, וְסַלְּקִין לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא, לַאֲתָר דְּחֵיוָן דְּכֻרְסְיָיא, וְתַּמָּן חֲזֵי, כַּמָה חֶזְיוֹנוֹת, דִּמְיוֹנוֹת, וּמַרְאוֹת דִּנְבוּאָה. וּבְגִין דָּא אוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן, דַּחֲלוֹם אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִׁים בַּנְּבוּאָה.

David Deeds Shechinah Soul, The Torah Zeir Anpin

172. Furthermore: "Preserve my soul; for I am pious" (Tehilim 86:2). But so did the sages teach: 'An ignorant man cannot be pious.' For the Torah was given from the right side of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is Chesed. For this reason, one who engages in Torah is called 'pious,' and therefore I say to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Preserve my soul," and do not judge it according to the deeds of these ignorant ones, about whom it is said: 'An ignorant man cannot be pious.' And should you ask about the many ignorant people who act with piety, I would refer you to the teaching: 'Who is a pious man? He who behaves piously with his Maker,' like David, who is joining together, what did he join together? The heavenly Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, with the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS MALCHUT, AND THIS IS WHAT IS MEANT BY 'BEHAVING PIOUSLY WITH HIS MAKER:' THAT HE UNITED THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND HIS SHECHINAH. This is why, "Preserve my soul; for I am pious."

172. וְעוֹד שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּי חָסִיד אָנִי, אֶלָּא הָכִי אוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן. וְלֹא עָם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד. דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְיְהִיבַת מִימִינָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ חֶסֶד. וּבְגִין דָּא, מַאן דְּאִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִתְקְרֵי חָסִיד. בְּגִין דָּא, אֲמֵינָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, וְלָא תִּדוּן לָהּ כְּעוֹבָדֵי אִלֵּין עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד. וְאִי תֵּימָא, כַּמָּה עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת אִינּוּן דְּעָבְדוּ חֶסֶד. אֶלָּא הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ, אֵי זֶהוּ חָסִיד, זֶה הַמִּתְחַסֵּד עִם קוֹנוֹ. כְּגוֹן דָּוִד דַּהֲוָה מְחַבֵּר. וּמַאי הֲוָה מְחַבֵּר. אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, הֲוָה מְחַבֵּר עִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּבְגִין דָּא, שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּי חָסִיד אָנִי.