Lech Lecha: Chapter 17

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

Synopsis

Ancient mysteries pertaining to the soul's activities during the night are unveiled by the Zohar. During sleep, people who have made a sincere attempt at spiritual growth and positive change during the day will see their souls elevate to the highest of heights in the spiritual atmosphere during the night. These souls are given a window through which they can perceive the future. Conversely, those who remain spiritually complacent, who have no regard or care for positive deeds and spiritual growth, their souls elevate, but are immediately engulfed by negative forces.

Relevance

When we awaken in the morning, if our soul ascended to great heights during the night, our sense of intuition and foresight is acutely enhanced. We make the right decisions as we are guided by our intuition. If, however, our souls are enveloped by negative forces, these entities whisper lies and speak falsehoods to our soul. These words of deception distort a person's reality during the day, so that life appears even more confusing, more chaotic. We find ourselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Our thoughts, ideas, and decisions lead us down the wrong path. The verses of the Zohar can help us apply our sleep as a powerful tool that can help our soul elevate to great heights during the night.

Body Face Form Grades Heart Nefesh (Soul) Ruach (Soul) Soul (Nefesh) Soul (Ruach) Soul, The Torah

146. Rabbi Shimon was walking along the way, accompanied by his son (Rabbi Elazar), Rabbi Aba, and Rabbi Yehuda. As they were walking, Rabbi Shimon said, I am amazed that the people of this world do not pay attention to the words of Torah or to understanding the reason for their own existence in the world! He opened the discussion by saying, With my soul (Heb. Nefesh) have I desired you in the night; with my spirit (Heb. Ruach) within me will I seek you early" (Yeshayah 26:9). This verse has already been explained. But come and behold, when a person goes to bed, his Nefesh leaves and mounts on high. And if you say that they all mount on high - REFERRING TO THE OTHER GRADES, RUACH AND NESHAMAH - it is not so! Because not every one sees the face of the King. Only the Nefesh rises up, leaving an impression, in the form of minimum life for the heart, with the body.

146. רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, וַהֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ ר' אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, וְרַבִּי אַבָּא וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אָמַר רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, תָּוַוהְנָא, הֵיךְ בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין, לְמִנְדַע מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעָל מָה קָיְימֵי. פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ. הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, וְאוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ, אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, נַפְשָׁא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, כָּד סָלֵיק לְעַרְסֵיהּ, נָפְקַת מִנֵּיהּ, וְסָלְקָא לְעֵילָא. וְאִי תֵימָא, דְּכָלְהוֹ סָלְקָאן. לָאו כָּל חַד וְחַד חָמֵי אַפֵּי מַלְכָּא, אֶלָּא נַפְשָׁא סָלְקָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתָּאַר בָּהּ בַּהֲדֵי גוּפָא, בַּר חַד רְשִׁימוּ דְּקֻסְטָא דְּחַיּוּתָא דְּלִבָּא.

Body Grades Klipot (Shells – Negativity) Lights Nefesh (Soul) Shells (Klipot) Soul (Nefesh)

147. As the Nefesh leaves THE BODY and wishes to ascend, there are many grades to climb. It wanders about and meets with Klipot of the lights of impurity. If the Nefesh is pure and has not been defiled WITH THE BODY during the day, then it rises upward. But if it is impure, then it is defiled among THE KLIPOT and cleaves onto them, and it climbs no further.

147. וְנַפְשָׁא אָזְלָא וּבָעְיָא לְסָלְקָא. וְכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין לְדַרְגִּין לְסָלְקָא, שָׁטָאת, וְהִיא אִתְעָרְעַת בְּהַנֵּי קוֹמְרִין טְהִירִין דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא, אִי הִיא דְּכִיאַת, דְּלָא אִסְתָּאָבַת בִּימָמָא, סָלְקָא לְעֵילָא. וְאִי לָאו דְּכִיאַת, אִסְתָּאֳבַת בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּהוֹ, וְלָא סָלְקָא יַתִּיר.

Body Dreams Judgment Klipot (Shells – Negativity) Nefesh (Soul) Righteous Shells (Klipot) Soul (Nefesh) Wicked Wickedness

148. And there, AMONG THE KLIPOT, they inform the Nefesh about future events, and THE NEFESH cleaves onto them. Sometimes, they scoff with the Nefesh and tell it lies. Thus, in such a manner, it wanders all night until the person wakes up. Then the Nefesh returns to its place IN THE BODY. Happy are the righteous that the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals His secrets to them in their dreams, so that they may protect themselves from judgment. Woe to those wicked people who defile themselves and their Nefesh.

148. וְתַמָּן מוֹדָעֵי לָהּ מִלִּין, וְאִיהוּ אִתְדַּבְּקַת מֵאִינוּן מִלִּין, דִּזְמַן קָרִיב. וּלְזִמְנִין דְּחַיְיכִין בָּהּ, וּמוֹדָעִין לָהּ מִלִּין כְּדִיבִין. וּכְדֵין אָזְלָא כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא כָּל לֵילְיָא, עַד דְּיִתְעַר בַּר נָשׁ, וְתָאבַת לְאַתְרָהּ. זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָיא, דְּגָלֵי לוֹן קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, רָזִין דִּילֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּמְּרוּן מִן דִּינָא. וַוי לְאִינוּן חַיָיבֵי עָלְמָא, דִּמְסָאֲבִין גַּרְמַיְיהוּ וְנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ.

Grades Klipot (Shells – Negativity) Nefesh (Soul) Shells (Klipot) Soul (Nefesh)

149. Come and behold, as for those who have not defiled themselves DURING THE DAY, when they go to bed to sleep the Nefesh rises. At first, it enters among all the grades OF THE KLIPOT, BUT then it rises above them and does not cleave to them. It continues to wander and climb, until it reaches its proper grade.

149. תָּא חֲזֵי, אִינוּן דְּלָא אִסְתָּאֲבוּ, כַּד סָלְקֵי בְּעַרְסַיְיהוּ, נַפְשָׁא סָלְקָא וְעָאלַת בֵּין כָּל הַנֵּי דַרְגִּין בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְסָלְקָא וְלָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּהוֹ. וּלְבָתַר אָזְלָא וְשָׁטָאת, וְסָלְקָא כְּפוּם אוֹרְחָהּ.

Nefesh (Soul) Soul (Nefesh) World to Come, The

150. The Nefesh that deserves to climb high appears before the King and clings passionately to the desire to be seen and to see the pleasantness of the King and visit His palace. Such a person shall always have a share in the World to Come.

150. הַהִיא נַפְשָׁא דְזָכָת לְסָלְקָא, אִתְחֲזִיאַת קַמֵּיהּ דִּסְבַר אַפֵּי יוֹמִין, וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בִּרְעוּתָא לְאִתְחַזָּאָה בְּתֵיאוּבְתָּא עִלָּאָה, לְמֶחֱמֵי בְּנוֹעַם מַלְכָּא, וּלְבַקְּרָא בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ. וְדָא הוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא תָּדִיר בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

Idolatry Light Nefesh (Soul) Nukva Soul (Nefesh) Soul, The

151. This is the Nefesh, who yearns to reach the Holy One, blessed be He, and does not cleave to other kinds of Lights. It follows its own holy kind and seeks the place from which it came - THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA, FROM WHERE IT IS DRAWN OUT AND COMES FORTH. Therefore it is written, "With my soul (Nefesh) have I desired you in the night," so that I may pursue You, CLEAVE TO YOU, and not be tempted by the other idolatrous kinds.

151. וְדָא הִיא נַפְשָׁא, דִּכְסִיפָא דִילָהּ, כַּד סָלְקָא, בְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא אִתְדַבְּקַת בְּהַנֵּי זִינִין טְהִירִין אַחֲרָנִין, וְהִיא אָזְלַת בָּתַר זִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּאַתְרָא דְּנָפְקַת מִתַּמָּן. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלָּיְלָה. בְּגִין לְמִרְדַּף בַּתְרָךְ וְלָא לְאִתְפַּתָּאָה בָּתַר זִינָא אָחֳרָא נוּכְרָאָה.

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