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chapterone
Five Levels of Soul
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Chazal1
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1 An acronym for: Chachamainu zichronum lvrochahour sages, their memory should be blessed.
2 Bereishis Rabbah 14:9.
3 That is, a single soul is comprised of five levels that have these names.
4 Translated, Yechidah means single, because on this level of soul everything in unified in one extremely sublime
reality. The next level down is called Chayah, which means living, because it provides life for all the levels below
it. This is followed by the level Neshamah, from the word neshimah, which means breath, because like a breath,
it is blown downward to create and maintain the next two levels of soul. Hence, the next level of soul is called
Ruach, which means spirit. The final level, which comes to rest in the body, is called Nefesh, from the word
nofesh, which means rest.
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5 This stands for: Atzilus, Beriyah, Yetzirah, and AsiyahEmanation, Creation, Formation, and, Done, the lower
four levels of existence. The highest level is called Adam Kadmon, literally, First Man. Since the light of God is too
sublime and intense for Creation, God filters it through the sefiros, which are the basis of all of existence as we
know it. Just as there are 10 general sefirosKeser, Chochmah, Binah, Chesed, Gevurah, Tifferes, Netzach, Hod,
Yesod, and Malchus, likewise does each sefirah have its own set of 10 sefiros, which transform it into a world, so-
to-speak. Keser as a group of 10 sefiros is called Adam Kadmon; Chochmah, Atzilus; Binah, Beriyah; Chesed
through Yesod, Yetzirah, and Malchus, Asiyah.
6 If this wasnt the case, then he would not be spiritually connected to these levels of reality, and could not unify
them.
7 Everyone has all five levels of soul from birth, without which the light of God could not sustain us. What we do
not have from birth is access to our higher levels of soul, something gained only over time based upon merits.
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8 Literally, Rabbinical Cloak, and a Kabbalistic reference to a garment of light rewarded to the righteous in the
World-to-Come. It is mentioned in the prayer just in advance of the blessing made when wearing on a Tallis.
9 See also Aitz Chaim, Chelek 1, Shaar 23, Ch. 1 and 2.
10 The plural of Nefesh.
11 Nowadays, the uppermost levels of Chayah and Yechidah are completely inaccessible and are therefore, usu-
ally ignored.
12 The general system of sefiros is 10: Keser, Chochmah, Binah, Chesed, Gevurah, Tifferes, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and
Malchus. However, each of these sefiros contain their own system of 10 sefiros as well, so that there is a Keser of
Keser, a Chochmah of Keser, etc., all the way down to the Malchus of Keser. The same is true for the rest of the
sefiros in the general system. As a system of 10 sefiros, it is called a partzuffaceor an olam, which means
world.
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13 That is, he must have already rectified his Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, and Yechidah of the level of Ne-
fesh, or Asiyah.
14 Not only does a persons Nefesh come from the level of Asiyah, it comes from one of the five levels within
Asiyah.
15 No matter which level within Asiyah ones Nefesh comes from, he must still rectify all the other levels, as well
as his own, within Asiyah before being able to receive higher levels of soul.
16 That is, he has rectified all the levels of Asiyah.
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17 One cannot receive the next level of soul from a particular world until he has already rectified the entire world
below it.
18 Every aspect of Torah learning and each mitzvah corresponds to a different sefirah or part of a sefirah.
19 The non-performance of a Positive Mitzvah does not damage the spiritual world in the same manner that the
performance of a sin does. In the case of the former, there is a lack of tikun in the spiritual realm, but in the case
of a sin, usually the result of doing something that is forbidden, usually the violation of a Negative Mitzvah, an
actual blemishes occurs to that which already exists in the sefiros, a more severe consequence.
20 This is because, as has just been said, a person must rectify the entire level of Asiyah, even those parts of it to
which his soul root is not attached.
21 All souls belong to one, overall structure of souls, which was originally included in the first man, Adam HaRis-
hon, before he sinned. Nevertheless, apparently, collective responsibility has its limitations.
22 However, though every soul has its own location in the overall structure of soul roots, each location is part of
a family of souls that, due to their proximity to each other, do share a common responsibility to one another .
Nevertheless, apparently, in such a case, collective responsibility is still limited somewhat.
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23 Rav Chaim Vital wrote Shaar HaGilgulim based upon the verbal teachings of his rebi, the Arizal. However, as
he mentions in some cases, he was not always clear about certain points that he heard, and in some cases,
even forgot what was revealed.
24 That is, to fulfillment of any missing Positive Mitzvah.
25 Plural of Malchus.
26 That is, the Malchus of Asiyah of Asiyah, as mentioned above and repeated just after. This is the root of the
soul of the person of the analogy.
27 The acronym of Zehr Anpin vNukvah, which are often spoken of as a single unit. This corresponds to the level
of Ruach.
28 That is, the level of Binah, or Neshamah.
29 Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah.
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30 In other words, by rectifying only the Malchus of Asiyah of Asiyah, he acquires the four levels above it as well,
before moving on to rectify the Malchus of the Ruach of Asiyah, after which he gains all the levels above it as
well, etc. This is the way it works for the person throughout the level of Asiyah.
31 Literally, Impregnation, Nursing, and Brains, terms that refer to three stages of sefirah development. See
Shaar HaPesukim, p. 42, Column 2.
32 Even though he actually only rectified the Malchiyos of each level.
33 Even though he actually only rectified the Malchiyos of each level.
34 This will, however, be discussed later.
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35 No one will be rooted in them anymore once everyone has ascended to higher levels.
36 Tikunei HaZohar.
37 This shows that souls that originate from a particular level remain attached to that level, even after ascending
to higher levels.
38 And, it will remain that way even when he ascends to higher levels.
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39 Even though he has ascended to the Malchus of the Keser of Asiyah, which is all he needs to do to be consid-
ered to have rectified the Keser of Asiyah, he only actually has the level that is his root in Asiyah, which in this
case is the level of Malchus. Therefore, he only gets the Malchus of the Keser of Asiyah.
40 For example, when he reaches the Yesod of Asiyah he will only have the level of the Malchus of the Yesod of
Asiyah, etc., which is all he needs to rectify that level of Asiyah.
41 Unlike in Asiyah in which he ascends with the root of his soul from level to level.
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Nefesh At Risk
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42 Literally, Peels, because they form a spiritual barrier between a person and God. They were created as the
source of spiritual impurity in Creation in order to make evil possible, so that man can have free will and be
rewarded for his moral victories, and held accountable for his immoral acts. The lower down a world is the
further away it is from the Source of light, and therefore, the more susceptible it is to the spiritual darkness of
the Klipos. Hence, the World of Asiyah and the corresponding level of soul, Nefesh, is the most vulnerable to
spiritual impurity of all the worlds.
43 On the level from which it has come.
44 There is only one Source of sustenance in Creation: the light of God, even for the Klipos (Zohar, Yisro 69a). To
maintain their existence God arranged for the Klipos daily to receive a specified amount of Divine light through
various means (Zohar, Tetzaveh 184b). However, it is their nature and role to seek out additional sources of such
light, such as the sins of men, in order to become stronger and control the world.
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45 That is, the Malchus of the Keser of Asiyah. This creates a safer distance between the root of his soul and the
Klipos.
46 Since they are increasingly more distant from the Klipos.
47 That is, the Kabbalistic basis of the verse.
48 The word Nefesh is used.
49 On the simple level, the banished one in the verse refers to Dovid HaMelechs son, Avshalom, who fled
after having his step-brother, Amnon, murdered in revenge for violating the formers sister, Tamar. The verse is
addressed to Dovid HaMelech, asking him to allow Avshalom to return home. On the level of Kabbalah, it
refers to the level of Nefesh, as explained.
50 The Klipos will latch on to the discarded level of Nefesh and it will become lost forever.
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53 When a person ascends in Yetzirah or Beriyah they replace his Ruach or Neshamah with a new one, as the case
may be, leaving the previous one free for an alternative use.
54 Zichronum livrochah, may they be remember for blessing.
55 Their Ruach or Neshamah can enter a living person and remain inside the person like a fetus in a woman, en-
hancing the persons spiritual capacity.
56 Literally Impregnation.
57 A more mystical part of the Zohar interspersed throughout.
58 It says in the Talmud (Shabbos 104a): If a person makes an effort to spiritually improve himself, then Heaven
will assist him to ensure his success.
59 Literally, elder. Rebi Hamnuna was a master in Kabbalah, and he returned, after he died, in this form to teach
Rebi Elazar and Rebi Abba secrets of Kabbalah.
60 Targum Yonason translates this as eternal life.
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61 The discarded levels can descend and enter people bsod ibur to help them with their service of God, while
the main levels, the highest ones achieved as a result of their actions, remain bound up in the bundle of life.
62 This is another reason why the same root can ascend from the bottom of Asiyah to the top of Asiyah.
63 Unlike the worlds above it, Asiyah starts off with only its Malchus (Aitz Chaim, Shaar 30, Ch. 7). Even after it
receives the rest of its sefiros, they are considered more to be additional lights rather than essential to Asiyah
itself.
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64 This is another name for the six sefiros of Yetzirah because of their formation.
65 Aramaic for female, which the Malchus is considered to be.
66 There is a special relationship between the worlds of Zehr Anpin and Nukvah, to such an extent that the Nuk-
vah is considered to act as the tenth sefirah of Zehr Anpin, in the role of its Malchus.
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Surrogate Levels of Soul
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67 Just about everything in Creation is made male and female, including the sefiros. However, on the level of
Yechidah there is only sublime unity, and therefore no separate female component exists on this level. Hence,
this verse means, He is alone, that is, without a female counterpart.
68 Zohar 1:22a.
69 From the sin during the previous incarnation.
70 It will come inside the soul of a convert, which is created by the zivug of souls in the lower Gan Aiden (Zohar,
Mishpatim 98b).
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hosting it.
73 Once the Neshamah is rectified, the Nefesh and Ruach will want to come from Gan Aiden and join together
with their original Neshamah in its present incarnation.
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