Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah

430. Rabbi Shimon also said that we learned that some attain a Neshamah, some attain the awakening of the Ruach, and some attain the Nefesh only. He who merits the Nefesh alone and does not rise further TO ATTAIN RUACH AND NESHAMAH, cleaves to the defiled side. When he sleeps, the Evil Sides come and cleave to him and let him know in a dream about the affairs of the world, some of them true and some false. Sometimes they mock him and show him falsehoods and grieve him in his dream. In the heathen nations, therefore, some see in their dreams true things, because the side they cleave to LETS THEM KNOW. All of them are things that will happen in the near future.

431. Come and see: In these evil kinds, there are three grades, one on the other. The highest grade is of those who hang in the air, WHO HEAR THAT WHICH WAS DECREED ABOVE, BUT DO NOT COME INTO THIS WORLD. The lowest grade contains those that mock at people and grieve them in their dreams, because they are impudent as dogs. There is a higher grade, NAMELY THE MIDDLE ONE, where there are both of those above and those below. THEY HEAR THINGS FROM THE THE ONES ABOVE, NAMELY THOSE HANGING IN THE AIR, and announce things to men IN A DREAM, some lies and some truths. The words of truth concern that which WILL happen in the near future.

432. In relation to the grade of those who hang in the air, who are higher; he who attains but a Nefesh, when that Nefesh desires to be perfected and receive a Ruach, then before attaining A RUACH, AT NIGHT, WHILE SLEEPING, something comes out of the Nefesh, and expands in the world. THIS MEANS THAT NOT THE WHOLE NEFESH COMES OUT OF MAN, WHILE HE SLEEPS, BUT A PART THEREOF, FOR A MEASURE OF VITALITY REMAINS. It desires yet desires not to rise ABOVE AMONG THE ANGELS, until it meets those KLIPOT in the air that tell it things, some of them THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE near FUTURE and some THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE distant FUTURE. It is to this grade OF THOSE HANGING IN THE AIR to which he is attached in his dream, until he attains a Ruach.

433. Upon attaining a Ruach, that Ruach comes out and smashes mountains and rocks, THAT ARE THE EXTERNAL FORCES. It rises and expands, comes among the supernal holy angels, SINCE THE RUACH COMES FROM THE WORLD OF YETZIRAH WHERE THE ANGELS ARE. It knows there some things, and learns from them and then returns to its place. Then a man is attached to holiness, until he merits a Neshamah and attains it.

434. When he attains a Neshamah, it ascends high up, NAMELY INTO THE WORLD OF BRIYAH, FROM WHENCE THE NESHAMAH COMES. The guards by the gates do not detain it, so it expands FURTHER up among the righteous who are bound in the bundle of life, WHICH IS MALCHUT OF ATZILUT, where it beholds the delights of the King and enjoys the supernal splendor.

435. When the sacred doe, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is woken by the north wind, NAMELY AT MIDNIGHT, she descends, and the righteous who has attained a Neshamah awakes and strengthens himself as a mighty lion with the Torah until daylight. Then he goes with the sacred doe to be seen before the King, and receive from Him a thread of grace. What is it? It is the thread of Abraham, NAMELY THE LIGHT OF CHESED, which he attained, as written, "From a thread even to a shoe latchet" (Beresheet 14:23). He derives no enjoyment from anything else, but said "from a thread..." He thus merited that thread, THE LIGHT OF CHESED. This is called Abraham's thread.

436. When the righteous comes with the doe, MALCHUT, he is adorned with her before the King, and David says, "To the chief musician on the morning doe" (Tehilim 22:1), which is the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT. The morning doe is the hymn of the Congregation of Yisrael sung in exile: "My El, my El, why have You forsaken me..." (Ibid. 2)

437. Rabbi Shimon said, Fortunate are those who have a Neshamah, men of the Torah, those who serve the Holy King. Woe to the evil ones who neither merit to cleave to their Master nor merit the Torah, for he who does not merit the Torah does not attain Ruach or Neshamah, but cleaves to the side of the evil species. Such a one has no portion in the Holy King, nor in holiness. Woe to him when he departs from this world, for it is known that he is with the evil species, impudent like dogs, messengers of the fire of Gehenom, who do not pity him.

438. Come and see the difference between Yisrael and the heathen nations. As for Yisrael, even if a man of Yisrael attains but a Nefesh, there is a supernal grade on him, for if he wishes to attain a Ruach and if he wishes to attain a Neshamah, he attains and merits it. However, the heathen nations can never attain MORE THAN THEIR UNHOLY NEFESH; only if they are circumcised, thus attaining a Nefesh from another HOLY place.

439. Yisrael who stay in the lowest grade of Nefesh and do not wish to attain more, their punishment is severe. Woe to that evil man who forgets the precepts of the Torah, who is not occupied with the Torah and forgets his Master. Of him, it is written, "Let sinners cease out of the earth" (Tehilim 104:35).

440. Come and see: Some people cleave to that side OF DEFILEMENT, because they have attained no more than the Nefesh. When the spirit of defilement passes over them, it rests on them and they cleave to it. Then the sin that the man has committed is from the side of the spirit of defilement and his offering is one goat, since this is the animal that comes from that side to atone for his sin.

441. Rabbi Elazar, his son, said to him that it is written, "His body shall not remain all night on the tree...that your land be not defiled" (Devarim 21:23), because the land is holy, and so the spirit of defilement shall not find a place in the holy land on which to rest. If this be so, since the spirit of defilement rests on this animal, THE GOAT, and comes from her aspect, why is she brought as offering to the Holy Side? He said to him: You have asked well.

442. Yet come and see, my son, it is written, "For Hashem your Elohim is a consuming fire" (Devarim 4:24). There is a fire consuming fire, a fire of the Holy One, blessed be He, which consumes the other fire of the Other Side. Come and see: There are angels who sing before the Holy One, blessed be He. When they finish singing, they are extinguished by the spark of the consuming fire THAT BURNS THEM. Down below, the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared the fire on the altar, THE SECRET OF THE FIRE OF MALCHUT, OF HER JUDGMENTS. This fire eats and consumes that defiled side, which is brought to naught by the tongue of fire and nothing remains from it in the world. The man who brings his offerings stands by it and, by means of the rising smell of the sacrifice, the side of the spirit of defilement that rests on him is removed from him, and he is forgiven. Thus, everything is brought to naught and is consumed, and nothing withstands that fire OF THE ALTAR.