Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah

10. Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Yehuda were studying the Torah one night. Rabbi Yitzchak said, We have learned that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the universe, He made the lower world after the pattern of the Supernal World, and MADE the one correspond to the other. EVERY DETAIL IN THE LOWER WORLD HAS A COUNTERPART IN THE UPPER WORLD. And He is its Glory, both above and below.

11. Rabbi Yehuda said, Assuredly it is so, and He created Adam above all, WHO INCLUDES AND COMPLETES ALL THE PARTS OF CREATION. This is the meaning of, "I have made the earth, and created man upon it" (Yeshayah 45:12). Surely HE DOES NOT NEED TO REMIND US that He made the earth - so why is it written, "I have made the earth?" Because I "created man upon it," who exists to complete its unification into one wholeness. THAT IS, THE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSE, AND ITS PERFECTION IS MAN.

12. He opened the discussion with the verse, "Thus says El, Hashem, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; He that gives breath (also: 'soul') to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein" (Yeshayah 42:5). This verse has already been explained. Nevertheless, "Thus says El, Hashem, He that created the heavens," refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, high above - NAMELY, BINAH - who "created the heavens," (ZEIR ANPIN), FOR BINAH continuously improves ZEIR ANPIN BY EMANATING AND GIVING HIM MOCHIN. "He that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it" - namely, the Holy Land, the Bundle of Life, THE NUKVA - "gives a soul to the people upon it," is the land, THE NUKVA, that confers souls.

13. Rabbi Yitzchak said, It is all above IN BINAH. HE DISAGREES WITH RABBI YEHUDA, WHO SAID THAT THE PHRASE, "GIVES A SOUL TO THE PEOPLE UPON IT," ALLUDES TO THE NUKVA. For from there, BINAH, the soul of life comes out into the land, THE NUKVA. The land receives the soul and issues it to all, as the river that flows (ZEIR ANPIN) RECEIVES FROM BINAH, holds all the souls and issues them to everyone in the land, THE NUKVA. She receives and distributes them to all MEN WHO ARE WORTHY OF HER.

14. Come and behold, when the Holy One, blessed be He, created Adam, he gathered his dust from the four directions of the world. He created him on the site of the Lower Temple, THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA, and then drew upon him the soul of life from the Upper Temple - THE SECRET OF BINAH.

15. The soul consists of three grades and therefore has three names, just like the Supernal Secret, Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah. The Nefesh, as has been explained, is the lowest of them all AND COMES FROM THE NUKVA, THE LOWEST OF THE TEN SFIROT. The Ruach is its sustenance. It rules over the Nefesh, being of a higher grade, AND IS DRAWN FROM ZEIR ANPIN to sustain it well in everything - BOTH IN CHOCHMAH AND CHASSADIM. The Neshamah is the supreme existence - NAMELY, THE LIGHT OF BINAH, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE LIGHT OF ZEIR ANPIN AND THE LIGHT OF THE NUKVA, THE RUACH, AND THE NEFESH. It reigns over all, being a holy grade superior to all - TO RUACH AND NEFESH.

16. The three grades, NEFESH, RUACH AND NESHAMAH, are included within men, who attain them by serving their Master. Thus first, man has a Nefesh, a holy vessel with which to be corrected. But when he is intent on purification through this grade, man is corrected and crowned with a Ruach, the holy grade that dwells on the Nefesh, with which the deserving man is adorned.

17. Once he is elevated by Nefesh and Ruach and attains correction through proper service to his Master, Neshamah, a supernal, holy grade that reigns over everything, dwells on him so that he may be adorned by the highest holy grade and be perfect in everything, on all sides, and thereby merit the World to Come. He is then beloved of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "That I may cause those who love Me to inherit substance" (Mishlei 8:21). "...Those who love Me" refers to those in whom the holy Neshamah abides.

18. Rabbi Yehuda asks, If this is true, why is it written, "all in whose nostrils was the breath (Lit. 'the Neshamah') of life..." (Beresheet 7:22)? IF THOSE WHO ATTAIN NESHAMAH ARE THE LOVERS OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHY DID THEY DIE DURING THE FLOOD? He replied, Surely THEY LOVED THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. From all those in whom there was a holy Neshamah, none - such as Enoch or Jered, or the other righteous Ones - remained to protect the earth so it would not be destroyed in their merit. This is the meaning of, "all in whose nostrils was the breath (lit. 'Neshamah') of life, of all that was on the dry land, died" - they all had already died and departed from the world, and no one remained then to protect the world.

19. Come and behold, There are grades upon grades, Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah, grade above grade; first Nefesh, being the lowest grade, as we said, then Ruach, which dwells on Nefesh and is above it. Neshamah is the highest grade, as has already been explained.

20. Nefesh is David's Nefesh, THE NUKVA, which receives the Nefesh from the river that flows, NAMELY, FROM ZEIR ANPIN. Ruach stands over the Nefesh, which cannot exist without the Ruach, which dwells between fire and water, NAMELY, TIFERET, THE CENTRAL COLUMN BETWEEN GVURAH, CALLED 'FIRE,' AND CHESED, CALLED 'WATER.' From here Nefesh is nourished.

21. Ruach depends for its existence on yet a higher grade called 'Neshamah,' which is the origin of both Ruach and Nefesh, NAMELY, THE LIGHT OF BINAH, FROM WHICH ORIGINATES THE LIGHT OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'RUACH,' AND THE LIGHT OF THE NUKVA CALLED 'NEFESH.' The Ruach is nourished from them. When Ruach travels, Nefesh also travels, and all is one. They approach each other, Nefesh to Ruach and Ruach to Neshamah, and are all one.

22. Come and behold, " ...Came near to him" refers to the one world approaching the other world, THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE LOWER WORLD, THE NUKVA, THE ASPECT OF NEFESH CALLED 'JUDAH,' TOWARD THE UPPER WORLD, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE ASPECT OF RUACH CALLED 'JOSEPH,' so that all becomes one. Because both Judah and Joseph were kings, they approached each other and joined together.