Vayechi: Chapter 73

Three souls

Synopsis

A discussion of the three souls reveals that there are actually four. The first is the supernal soul of all souls, which is hidden and never revealed. The second is the Nukva. The third and forth are the souls of the righteous below, which come from the soul of the female and the male, Zeir Anpin. Through the analogy of a king who sends his son away to be raised in a village until he is ready to learn the ways of the palace, we learn why the soul descends to this world only to leave at a later time. The soul never leaves this world until the Matron comes for it and delivers it to the King's palace, where it remains. The discourse then returns to the subject of the previous section, Yisrael's love of God. We are told that the souls of the righteous, who are male, incite the female love and desire for Zeir Anpin. The rabbis conclude by explaining that the verse, "The righteous are the foundation of the world," alludes to both Yesod of Zeir Anpin and the souls of the righteous.

Relevance

The wisdom woven throughout this passage awakens a deep desire within us to know our true purpose in this world. A love for the Light of The Creator and for spiritual truths is kindled in our heart and soul, which, in turn, help unite the Lower and Upper Worlds.

Spiritual work requires both an intellectual and emotional understanding in order to provide us with the impetus to continue onward. Here, an emotional awakening concerning our source and origin is born within us as we realize that spiritual growth brings us nearer to our supernal Father.

Grades Soul, The

740. Come and see, There are three souls which pertain to certain supernal grades. The three are really four. The first is a supernal soul, which cannot be perceived by the higher treasurer, much less by the lower one. It is the soul of all the souls, hidden and never revealed to be known. All stem from it.

740. תָּא חֲזֵי, תְּלַת נִשְׁמָתִין אִינוּן, וְאִינוּן סָלְקִין בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָאִין יְדִיעָן, וְעַל דְּאִינוּן תְּלָתָא אַרְבַּע אִינוּן. חַד נִשְׁמָתָא עִלָּאָה דְּלָא אִתְּפַס, וְלָא אִתְעַר בֵּיהּ גִּזְבְּרָא דְּקַרְטִיטָאָה עִלָּאָה, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן תַּתָּאָה. וְהַאי נִשְׁמָתָא לְכָל נִשְׁמָתִין, וְהוּא סָתֵים, וְלָא אִתְגַּלְּיָא לְעָלְמִין, וְלָא אִתְיְידַע, וְכֻלְּהוּ בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין.

Body Garments Pearls Soul, The Wrapping

741. It is wrapped in a garment made of the splendor of the Carmel, which drips pearls, all linked as one like the limbs of the body. The supernal soul enters them, and displays through them its works, AS THE BODY REVEALS THE WORKS OF THE SOUL. It and they are one with nothing to divide them. This is the supernal soul, the most hidden.

741. וְהַאי אִתְעַטַּף בְּעִטּוּפָא דְזָהֲרָא דְּכַרְמְלָא, בְּגוֹ זְהִירוּתָא וְנָטֵיף טִפִּין טִפִּין מַרְגְּלָאן. וְאִתְקַשְּׁרוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כְּחַד, כְּקִשְׁרִין דְּשַׁיְיפֵי דְגוּפָא חַד. וְהוּא אָעֵיל בְּגַוַּוְיְיהוּ, וְאַחֲזֵי בְּהוּ עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ. הוּא וְאִינוּן חַד הוּא, וְלֵית בְּהוּ פְּרִישׁוּ. הַאי נִשְׁמָתָא עִלָּאָה טְמִירוּ דְּכֹלָּא.

Body Nukva Soul, The Vessels

742. Another soul is the Nukva, which hides among Her armies; She is their soul and receives a body from them. SHE IS CLOTHED IN THEM AS A SOUL WITHIN A BODY, so as to display through them Her handiwork to all the world, just as the body is a vessel which executes Her works through it. They are ATTACHED AND UNITED TO EACH OTHER, like the hidden ones above are attached.

742. נִשְׁמָתָא אָחֳרָא, נוּקְבָא דְמִטַּמְּרָא בְּגוֹ חֵילָהָא, וְהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא לְהוֹ, וּמִנַּיְהוּ אֲחִידָא גוּפָא, לְאַחֲזָאָה בְּהוֹ עֲבִידְתָּא לְכָל עַלְמָא, כְּגוּפָא דְּאִיהוּ מָאנָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא, לְמֶעְבַּד בֵּיהּ עֲבִידְתָּא, וְאִלֵּין כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִינוּן קְשִׁירִין טְמִירִין דִּלְעֵילָא.

Angels Female Male Nukva Righteous Soul, The Zeir Anpin

743. Another soul is the souls of the righteous below. The souls of the righteous come from the supernal souls, the soul of the female and the soul of the male, ZEIR ANPIN. For this reason, the souls of the righteous are higher than all the armies and legions of angels above, SINCE ANGELS COME FROM THE OUTER PART OF THE NUKVA, BUT THE SOULS COME FROM THE INNER PART OF THE NUKVA AND ZEIR ANPIN, NAMELY FROM THEIR SOULS.

743. נִשְׁמָתָא אָחֳרָא, הִיא, נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָיא לְתַתָּא. נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָיא אַתְיָין מֵאִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין עִלָּאִין, מִנִּשְׁמָתָא דְנוּקְבָא, וּמִנִּשְׁמָתָא דִּדְכוּרָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, נִשְׁמָתִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָיא עִלָּאִין, עַל כָּל אִינוּן חֵילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין דִּלְעֵילָא.

Love Matron Nukva Soul, The Zeir Anpin

744. HE ASKS, You may say that if the souls are elevated on two sides, OF ZEIR ANPIN AND THE NUKVA, AND COME FROM THEIR INWARDNESS, why then do they descend into this world, and why leave it? HE ANSWERS, THIS IS LIKE a king who begot a son. He sent him to be raised in a village until it was time for him to be taught the ways of the palace. When the King heard his son is grown up, out of love for him, he sent the Matron his mother to fetch him. She brought him to the palace, where he rejoiced with HIS SON every day.

744. וְאִי תֵימָא, הָא עִלָּאִין אִינוּן מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין, אַמַּאי נַחֲתִין לְהַאי עַלְמָא, וְאַמַּאי אִסְתַּלְּקוּ מִנֵּיהּ. לְמַלְכָּא דְּאִתְיְילֵיד לֵיהּ בַּר, שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְחַד כְּפַר, לְמַרְבָּה לֵיהּ, וּלְגַדְּלָא לֵיהּ, עַד דְּיִתְרַבֵּי, וְיוֹלְפוּן לֵיהּ אָרְחֵי דְהֵיכָלָא דְמַלְכָּא. שָׁמַע מַלְכָּא, דְּהָא בְּרֵיהּ רַב וְאִתְרַבֵּי. מַה עָבַד בִּרְחִימוּ דִבְרֵיהּ, מְשַׁדַּר לָהּ לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִמֵּיהּ בְּגִינֵיהּ, וְאָעֵיל לְהֵיכְלֵיהּ, וְחָדֵי עִמֵּיהּ כָּל יוֹמָא.

Love Matron Nukva Soul, The Zeir Anpin

745. The Holy One, blessed be He, also begot a son by the Matron. Who is he? The supernal Holy Soul, THE DESCENDANTS OF ZEIR ANPIN AND NUKVA. He sent him to the village, NAMELY to this world, to be raised and be brought up in the ways of the King's palace. When the King saw that His son was grown up in this village, and that it was time to bring him to the palace, what did he do? Out of love for his son, he sent the Matron, who fetched him to His palace. The soul never leaves this world until the Matron comes for it, and brings it to the King's palace where it remains forever.

745. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אוֹלֵיד בַּר בְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּמַאי אִיהוּ נִשְׁמָתָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא, שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לִכְפַר, לְהַאי עַלְמָא, דְּיִתְרַבֵּי בֵּיהּ, וְיוֹלְפוּן לֵיהּ אוֹרְחֵי דְהֵיכָלָא דְמַלְכָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּיָדַע מַלְכָּא דְּהָא בְּרֵיהּ אִתְרַבֵּי בְּהַאי כְּפַר, וְעִידָן הוּא לְמַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ לְהֵיכָלֵיהּ. עֲבַד בִּרְחִימוּ דִּבְרֵיהּ, מְשַׁדַּר לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּגִינֵיהּ וְאָעֵיל לֵיהּ לְהֵיכָלֵיהּ. נִשְׁמָתָא לָא סַלְקָא מֵהַאי עַלְמָא, עַד דְּאָתַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּגִינָהּ, וְאָעֵילַת לָהּ בְּהֵיכָלָא דְמַלְכָּא, וִיתֵיבַת תַּמָּן לְעָלְמִין.

Moses

746. Yet it is the way of the world that the inhabitants of the village weep when the King's son parts from them. There was a wise man there, who said, Wherefore are you crying, is he not a king's son? It is not meet that he shall dwell among you any longer, but in his father's palace. Moses too, who was wise, saw the inhabitants of the village crying, and said to them, "You are the children of Hashem your Elohim: you shall not gash yourselves" (Devarim 14:1).

746. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, אוֹרְחָא דְעַלְמָא, דְּאִינוּן בְּנֵי כְּפַר, בָּכָאן עַל פְּרִישׁוּ דִּבְרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ. חַד פִּקֵּחַ הֲוָה תַּמָּן, אֲמַר לוֹן עַל מָה אַתּוּן בָּכָאן, וְכִי לָאו בְּרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא אִיהוּ, וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְמֵידַר יַתִּיר בֵּינַיְיכוּ, אֶלָּא בְּהֵיכָלָא דַּאֲבוֹי. כָּךְ מֹשֶׁה, דַּהֲוָה פִּקֵּחַ, חָמָא בְּנֵי כְפַר דַּהֲוָה בָּכָאן. עַל דָּא אֲמַר, בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיי' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לֹא תִתְגּוֹדְדוּ.

Matron Righteous Soul, The

747. Come and see, if all the righteous knew that, they would be glad when the day comes for them to depart from this world. For is it not a high honor that the Matron comes for them to escort them into the King's palace, and that the King will daily rejoice in them? For the Holy One, blessed be He, amuses Himself only with the souls of the righteous.

747. תָּא חֲזֵי , אִילּוּ הֲווֹ יָדְעִין כֻּלְּהוּ צַדִּיקַיָּיא הַאי, הֲווֹ חָדָאן הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּמָטֵי לוֹן לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מֵהַאי עַלְמָא, וְכִי לָאו יְקָרָא עִלָּאָה הוּא, דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אָתַת בְּגִינַיְיהוּ, וּלְאוֹבָלָא לוֹן לְהֵיכָלָא לְמַלְכָּא, לְמֶחֱדֵי בְּהוֹ מַלְכָּא כָּל יוֹמָא, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אִשְׁתַּעְשַׁע אֶלָּא בְּנִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא.

Congregation Court Female Love Male Nukva Righteous Soul, The Zeir Anpin

748. Come and see, the love of the Congregation of Yisrael, THE NUKVA, for the Holy One, blessed be He, ZEIR ANPIN, is stirred by the souls of the righteous below. Since they come from the side of the King, ZEIR ANPIN, the side of the male, the female is aroused from the side of the male, and love is stirred. Thus the male incites affection and love within the female and she is united in love with the male. THIS SETTLES THE QUESTION, THAT IT IS NOT PROPER FOR THE FEMALE TO COURT THE MALE. NOW IT IS EXPLAINED, THAT THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS, WHO ARE MALE, INCITE IN HER THIS LOVE TO ZEIR ANPIN.

748. תָּא חֲזֵי, אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּרְחִימוּ דִּכנ"י, לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא לְתַתָּא, מִתְעָרִין לָהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן אַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְמַלְכָּא, מִסִּטְרָא דִּדְכוּרָא, וְאִתְעֲרוּתָא דָא מָטֵי לְנוּקְבָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּדְכוּרָא, וְאִתְעַר רְחִימוּתָא. אִשְׁתַּכַּח, דִּדְכוּרָא אִתְעַר חֲבִיבוּ וּרְחִימוּתָא לְנוּקְבָא, וּכְדֵין נוּקְבָא אִתְקַשְּׁרַת בִּרְחִימוּתָא, לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא.

Female Righteous Soul, The Waters World to Come, The Zeir Anpin

749. In the same manner, the desire of the female to pour forth lower waters towards the upper waters is aroused solely by the souls of the righteous. Happy are the righteous in this world and in the World to Come, for they support the upper and lower. Therefore it just says, "The righteous is the foundation of the world" (Mishlei 10:25), WHICH MAY MEAN EITHER THE SUPERNAL RIGHTEOUS, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, OR THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. BOTH MEANINGS ARE TRUE.

749. כְּהַאי גַוְונָא, תֵּיאוֹבְתָּא דְנוּקְבָא, לְמִשְׁדֵי מַיִין תַּתָּאִין לָקֳבֵל מַיִין עִלָּאִין, לָאו אִיהוּ, אֶלָּא בְּנִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא. זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, דַּעֲלַיְיהוּ קָיְימִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין. וְעַל דָּא וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם כְּתִיב סְתָם.

Blessing Congregation Earth Nukva Righteous Soul, The Zeir Anpin

750. The secret thereof is that the Righteous is Yesod above, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and Yesod below OF THE NUKVA AND THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. The Congregation of Yisrael, THE NUKVA, comprises the upper and lower Righteous. The Righteous on this side, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and the righteous on that side, THE SOUL OF THE RIGHTEOUS BELOW, inherit THE NUKVA. Hence it says, "The righteous shall inherit the earth" (Tehilim 38:29), and assuredly they will inherit THE NUKVA CALLED earth. Come and see, The Righteous, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, inherits the earth, THE NUKVA, pours blessings upon it every day and furnishes it with delights and delicacies which he draws FROM BINAH upon it. We have already explained this.

750. וְרָזָא דְּכֹלָּא, צַדִּיק, אִיהוּ יְסוֹדָא דִלְעֵילָא, וְאִיהוּ יְסוֹדָא לְתַתָּא, וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְכְּלִילַת מִצַּדִּיק, מִלְּעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא, צַדִּיק מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, וְצַדִּיק מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, יַרְתִין לָהּ, הה"ד צַדִּיקִים יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ. יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וַדַּאי. תָּא חֲזֵי, צַדִּיק אַחְסֵין לָהּ לְהַאי אֶרֶץ, וְאָרֵיק עֲלָהּ בִּרְכָאן בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וְיָהֵיב לָהּ תַּפְנוּקִין וְעִדּוּנִין, בִּנְגִידוּ עִלָּאָה דְּנָגֵיד עֲלָהּ, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה.

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