The Different Origins of Bodies and Souls

The Different Origins of Bodies and Souls

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

The body and the soul—not only those of medaber, but of domem, tzomei’ach, and chai as well—stem from completely different levels in the supernal realms.

Chomer vs. tzurah

Some necessary background: Everything that exists possesses both chomer and tzurah. chomer, “matter,” is the raw substance of the entity, while tzurah, “form,” refers to the specific shape and properties that the chomer assumes.

In terms of the relationship between body and soul, chomer corresponds to the body, while tzurah corresponds to the soul.

Memalei vs. Sovev

Memalei Kol Almin:  This is the G–dliness that sustains Seder Hishtalshelus. The energy of Memalei descends in a gradual, systematic manner known as “ilah ve’alul”—“cause and effect.” The cause begets the effect, which in turn acts as the cause to a level further down, and so on.

The tzurah, the individual properties of each and every level within Seder Hishtalshelus, stems from the life-force of Memalei.

Sovev Kol Almin:  Also referred to as Ohr Ein Sof, Hashem’s infinite light. This kind of G–dliness completely transcends the vast, complex series of limited levels in Seder Hishtalshelus.

Sovev is endowed with the power to create “yesh mei’ayin”—ex nihilo. In Chassidus, creation ex nihilo does not mean that the created being came literally from nowhere, for Hashem is the source of everything. Rather, it stands in contradistinction to ilah ve’alul, where it is obvious how the effect evolves from the cause. In the case of yesh mei’ayin, however, one sees no comparison whatsoever between the level below and the level above it, and thus no way in which the lower level could have emerged from the higher one.

The reason that Sovev is the only force with the power to create something from nothing is that Hashem’s very Essence is vested in it. As the Alter Rebbe famously states, only Hashem’s very Essence, which has no previous cause, can create physicality, an entity that feels as if it has no previous cause.

The chomer, the raw matter of all the levels within Seder Hishtalshelus, was created yesh mei’ayin from Sovev.

Memalei: The source of souls

All souls stems from Memalei, and more specifically, from the four “faces” of the Divine Chariot,[1] located in the world of Beriyah. Each “face” is the origin of a different kind of soul in our world: [2]

• “The face of the ox, to the left”[3]: The origin of the souls of all domesticated animals. Like oxen, domesticated animals possess the quality of raw strength, and so “Much grain [can be produced] with the power of an ox.”[4] However, domesticated animals may lack the quality of agility and keenness that wild animals possess. This is also the source of the Jew’s Nefesh HaBehamis.
• “The face of the lion, to the right”[5]: The origin of the souls of all wild animals. Like lions, wild animals in general have the quality of zerizus—they are much more energetic. This is the reason that wild animals are called chayos, which is related to the word chayus, vitality and energy.[6] However, wild animals may lack the quality of raw strength that domesticated animals possess.
• “The face of the eagle”: The origin of the souls of all fowl.
• “The face of the man”: The origin of the souls of all humans, i.e., the Nefesh HaSichlis, the intellectual soul that both Jews and non-Jews possess.

Above them is the “man” who is “sitting” astride the “chariot”: “On the likeness of the throne was the form of the likeness of a man.”[7] This level is the origin of the Nefesh HoElokis. Thus it is written, “You are man,”[8] which is interpreted to mean “You [the Jewish people] are called man”[9]—“because you resemble the Supernal Man”[10]—the “Supernal Man” that sits astride the Divine Chariot.

The Jew’s 248 limbs correspond to the 248 “limbs” of the Supernal Man from whence his soul is derived. He connects his limbs to the G–dliness within the 248 “limbs” of the Supernal Man by observing the 248 Positive Mitzvos of the Torah, which are also compared to a man—“This is the Torah of man.”[11]

Sovev: The source of bodies

The above describes the origin of the souls within our world. However, bodies cannot stem from the higher spiritual realms in Seder Hishtalshelus.

To explain this, we must define the difference between the physical and the spiritual: In the higher spiritual realms, one naturally senses the presence of a Higher Force to which one must submit to some degree. In the physical world, however, one does not sense this reality naturally and automatically; only through inquiry and contemplation can one reach that awareness (as in the famous story of Avraham, who deduced logically at age three that a single Creator must exist).

This fundamental difference between the physical and the spiritual makes the gap between them so vast that no matter how far down spiritual levels evolve and descend in a manner of ilah ve’alul, they can never develop into a physical entity, even an exceedingly refined one. A spiritual entity can only ever beget another spiritual entity.

This gap between the physical world and the higher spiritual realms means that the former can only come forth from the latter by a process of yesh mei’ayin. As we explained, it is the G–dliness of Sovev that brings something forth yesh mei’ayin.

So since souls are spiritual entities, the souls in this world can descend in a systematic, gradual manner from higher spiritual levels. The bodies, however, since they are physical, cannot, and they must be formed yesh mei’ayin from the spiritual.

Since the neshamah stems from the divine energy of Memalei, while the body stems from that of Sovev, and Sovev is higher than Memalei, it emerges that although in our world, the soul is higher than the body, in the higher realms, it is the reverse.

The power of food

Since body and soul are so different, they need an external force to bring them to unite, to join the physical and the spiritual. This is known as “the power that performs wonders,”[12] and this is the power vested in food.

The main purpose of food in joining body and soul is not to give vitality to the soul per se, but to enable the soul to give vitality to the body. The soul has vitality independently, for before the soul becomes vested in the body, it exists in the higher spiritual realms in a constant state of love and fear of Hashem. This is alluded to in the verse, “By the life of Havayeh, the G–d of Yisrael in front of Whom I stood,”[13] and “standing indicates prayer.”[14] This alludes to the way that the neshamah prayed to Hashem Above, before it descended into a body. Likewise, when the soul departs from the body, it rises to Gan Eden and takes delight in the G–dliness that it evoked through its Torah study in this world.

Since the soul can exist without the body, while the body depends totally upon the soul, the main purpose of food in binding body and soul together is for the body’s sake.

The reason for this is that both the body and the food (i.e., the physical matter of the food) stem from Sovev.

But how then can the food help the body, if their source is identical? Because although they both stem from Sovev, there are numerous levels within Sovev, and food stems from an even more sublime level in Sovev than that from which the body stems.

This also explains the fact that food must lose its life before it may be eaten—an animal must be slaughtered and a plant must be severed from the soil. For it is the raw chomer of the food that holds the Sovev energy that combines the physical and the spiritual; in order to reveal this Sovev energy, the external Memalei energy of the animal soul in the animal, or the plant soul in the plant, must first be removed.

Toras Menachem, Vol. 33, p. 372 ff.

[1] Rav Chaim Vital, Ta’amei HaMitzvos, Vayikra s.v. Mitzvas korbanos.
[2] Sefer HaMa’amarim Admur HaZakein 5566, p. 395.
[3] Yechezkel 1:10.
[4] Mishlei 14:4.
[5] Yechezkel 1:10.
[6] Ohr HaTorah Devarim, Vol. 5, p. 2131.
[7] Yechezkel 1:26.
[8] Ibid. 34:31.
[9] Yevamos 61a, beg.
[10] Asarah Ma’amaros, sec. eim kol chai, 2:33.
[11] Bamidbar 19:14.
[12] In Hebrew, “ko’ach hamafli la’asos.” Based on the Asher Yatzar prayer. Cf. Ramo on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 6:1. Cf. Sefer HaMa’amarim 5649, p. 233.
[13] I Melachim 17:1.
[14] Berachos 6b.


Dedicated by Zvi Rona and family l'ilui nishmas Shlomo ben Pesach, whose yahrtzeit was on 8 Tammuz.

Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard) and Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin).

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Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

Night and Day—Body and Soul

Night and Day—Body and Soul

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

“In the beginning, Hashem created the heavens and the earth. ... And there was evening, and there was morning, one day.”[1]

There are many fundamental differences between the Torah and non-Torah approach to time, and this manifests itself on many levels. One of the most immediate is that although all agree that a period of a day consists of a period of daylight and nighttime, the non-Jewish world defines a period of a day by saying that night follows day, while Torah in general, and halachah in particular, rules that day follows night.[2] On a practical level, this is most apparent on Shabbos (and Yom Tov), which begins at sundown and ends after three stars have emerged the following night.

But it applies to every day as well, and we must keep this in mind so that we can approach life with a mindset drawn from Torah, instead of the secular model with which we are surrounded.

This is also evident in the prayers, which are alluded to in the verse, “Night, morning, and noon, I will tell.”[3] We relate Hashem’s praises starting in the evening, with the Ma’ariv prayer; then we continue in the morning, through Shacharis; and we conclude in the afternoon, through Minchah.

But on a deeper level, the Torah is telling us a lesson about our inner selves, of which the external world is a reflection: 

• Darkness and night correspond to the body, which conceals the Neshamah and the absolute reality of Hashem, and pulls one down toward the physical and coarse.

• Light and day correspond to the soul, which illuminates spiritually, for it inspires the Jew with the reality of Hashem and a yearning to connect to Him; likewise, it grants him the ability to illuminate the surrounding world with awareness of Hashem and the desire to submit to Him.

Here, too, we find that “day follows night”—Hashem created the body first: “Then G–d, the L–rd, formed the man of dust of the ground,” and only then did He instill the soul into it: “ ... and He breathed into his nostrils a soul of life.”[4]

The same goes for the way in which a Jew should approach self-refinement—refining the body must precede revealing the Neshamah:

Refining the body: This consists of rejecting coarseness and selfish materialism (“chumriyus”) from one’s life and refining the physicality of one’s body (“gashmiyus”—see here for explanation of the difference between chumriyus and gashmiyus) by humbling and subduing the body. This can be accomplished through Iskafya (see here) and through Teshuvah.

In particular, before prayer, one should contemplate the lowliness of the body for concealing the absolute reality of Hashem, which brings the person to humility and a broken heart.[5] This is also the meaning of “One should not approach [Hashem] to pray unless one has due seriousness.”[6]

Revealing the Neshamah: This is accomplished through prayer itself (see here), which consists of a series of stages in which the Jew reveals his Neshamah ever more in his body, until, with the help of Hashem, the Neshamah permeates the body completely. and then lights up the outside world as well through good deeds, devoted Torah study, and careful Mitzvah observance.

The main purpose of Tefillah is to grasp the greatness of Hashem and then become inspired with love for Hashem, thereby revealing the Neshamah. Here the focus is positive, and so Tefillah should be recited with joy. 

However, this joy is only possible because it was preceded by the bitterness at one’s lowliness that preceded prayer, for only after bitterness can one feel true joy.[7] (Note: This analogy parallels the analogy of ploughing being a necessary prerequisite to sowing discussed here.)

This is the meaning of “And there was evening, and there was morning, one day.” By serving Hashem through “evening”—subduing the body, and “morning”—revealing the Neshamah with joy, we reveal the reality of one—the unity of Hashem in the world. Thus, the Jewish people are called “one nation on earth,”[8] for they reveal Hashem’s absolute oneness even in this lowly physical world.[9]

This is also the meaning of the verse, “Days are formed, and if only [we could use to the fullest even] one of them.”[10] Each person is given a limited number of days to live, and the purpose of this time is that we reveal “one in them”—the unity of Hashem in every aspect of life. Moreover, the Hebrew word for one, echad, has the numerical value of thirteen because our task is to reveal Hashem’s oneness in the world through illuminating the ten faculties (which, generally speaking, comprise the intellect and emotions) and thought, speech, and action with this awareness.

Based on the Previous Rebbe’s Sefer HaMa’amarim 5700, pp. 142-143.

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[1] Bereishis 1:1,5.
[2] It should be noted that there are some exceptions to this rule; for instance, with regard to sacrifices the rule is that the night follows the day; hence, one who neglected to offer a sacrifice during the day may still do so until dawn of the following morning.
[3] Tehillim 55:18.
[4] Bereishis 2:7.
[5] Cf. Tanya ch. 29: 
"וגם ירעים עליה בקול רעש ורוגז להשפילה כמאמר רז"ל לעולם ירגיז אדם יצ"ט על יצה"ר שנאמר רגזו וגו' דהיינו לרגוז על נפש הבהמית שהיא יצרו הרע בקול רעש ורוגז במחשבתו לומר לו אתה רע ורשע ומשוקץ ומתועב ומנוול וכו' ככל השמות שקראו לו חכמינו ז"ל באמת עד מתי תסתיר לפני אור א"ס ב"ה הממלא כל עלמין היה הוה ויהיה בשוה גם במקום זה שאני עליו כמו שהיה אור א"ס ב"ה לבדו קודם שנברא העולם בלי שום שינוי כמ"ש אני ה' לא שניתי כי הוא למעלה מהזמן וכו' ואתה מנוול וכו' מכחיש האמת הנראה לעינים דכולא קמיה כלא ממש באמת בבחי' ראייה חושיית."
[6] Berachos 5a.
[7] Cf. ibid. ch. 26.
[8] II Shmuel 7:23.
[9] Cf. Tanya 114a.
[10] Tehillim 139:16. Cf. Likkutei Torah, Shelach end; Hayom Yom, 18 Nissan.

Dedicated in honor of the birthday of my dear wife, Atoroh Arielle bas Sarah on 22 Menachem-Av. May you have a shenas berachah vehatzlachah begashmiyus uveruchniyus!


Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for the captives Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard), Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin), Yaakov Yehuda ben Shaindel (Jacob Ostreicher), and Zeva Rochel bas Chaya (Wendy Weiner Runge).

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Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

The true purpose of thirst and hunger

Without intense Avodah (toil at self-refinement), most of us operate primarily on the basis of our natural desires, by the urgings of the Bestial Soul.[1] However, this level of motivation is superficial. On the conscious level, the Jew’s actions may be motivated by his Bestial Soul; however, in reality even these desires stem from the Neshamah.

E.g., on the external level, hunger and thirst for physical food and drink stem from the Bestial Soul’s desire to satisfy the body’s physical needs, or from the desire to indulge. For most of us in our default state of functioning, when we crave to sink our teeth into a succulent chop of steak, or lick a mouth-watering ice-cream with our tongue, or simply eat a tuna sandwich for lunch, we are following the lead of the body and the Bestial Soul. Fulfilling a divine mission is not at all on our minds.

However, the Baal Shem Tov teaches that deep down, our physical desires are motivated by pure, spiritual urges.[2] The Neshamah senses the sparks of holiness hidden in the physical (see here), knows that this is the entire purpose of its descent into the body, and yearns to accomplish this task.

Unfortunately, since regular people are not truly in touch with their Neshamos (only Tzaddikim are on this level—see Tanya, ch. 29, beg.), the Neshamah cannot communicate this directly to the conscious persona of the person. Instead, it must garb its message in the language of the Bestial Soul. So on the conscious level, the Neshamah’s craving for the spiritual manifests itself in an animalistic craving for the physical.

When it comes to food and drink, this urge manifests itself in pangs of physical thirst and hunger.

However, the same holds true for all aspects of life. The true reason that the Bestial Soul feels attracted toward anything is that the Neshamah is pushing the person to accomplish a certain spiritual task.

For example, the desire to enter into a particular line of work in order to earn a living stems from the sparks of holiness that this Jew has been charged with refining through doing such work.

Once, a Jew who was fit to become a rabbi chose for whatever reason to become a businessman instead. The Previous Rebbe wrote to him that the true reason that he chose as he did was that his Neshamah yearned for the sparks of holiness in the physical, and so he should not allow himself to become immersed in the desire for the physical and lose sight of the true purpose of his involvement there—refining the physical.[3]

Likewise, on a number of occasions, the Rebbe cited this teaching and used it to explain various phenomena:

· The desire to travel for a summer holiday to the mountains (“bungalow colony”), supposedly because of the clear air there, stems from the Neshamah’s desire for the opportunity to spread Torah and Mitzvos to an extent not ordinarily possible.[4]

· The desire to leave Eretz Yisroel and settle in the Diaspora stems from the inner desire to refine the sparks of holiness that those who leave are destined to refine in the Diaspora.[5]

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[1] Tanya ch. 29.
[2] Kesser Shem Tov §194.
[3] Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 1, p. 177.
[4] Toras Menachem 5712, Vol. 6.

[5] Toras Menachem 5712, Vol. 5, p. 155.

This post has been dedicated by the Sager family in prayer for a refuah sheleima for their son, Eliyahu David ben Rut Sara, and by Menachem Kovacs in honor of the Yahrzeit of his father, Eliezer ben Shalom ע"ה, on 17 Sivan.

Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

The Jew's mission: Refining the sparks

Our entire physical universe is nothing but the lowest level in a mind-blowingly awesome, complex system of higher spiritual realms. This multiverse is known as Seder Hishtalshelus (literally, “The Order of the Chain [of worlds]”; for more explanation, see here).

The physical world in which we live is the lowest level of all.[1] Yet despite its lowliness, in our world there lie hidden, intensely lofty spiritual energies. How did they enter this world? During the preliminary stages to the process of the creation of Seder Hishtalshelus, sparks of intense divine light fell from the spiritual world of Tohu (lit., “chaos”), which is a level of intense divine revelation higher than all of Seder Hishtalshelus (further explanation of the concept of Tohu is beyond the scope of this essay), all the way down into the lowest level of Seder Hishtalshelus—our physical world.

What makes our world so low? The spiritual energy within it stems from the forces of Kelipah (lit., “shell”)—spiritual forces that conceal the true reality of ubiquitous G–dliness (for more explanation, see here). Moreover, ours is a world in which G–dliness is hidden to the utmost—to a degree more intense than in any of the higher realms. In fact, our physical world is filled with the forces of Kelipah.[1]

The forces of Kelipah in the physical world encompass the myriad sparks of holiness that fell from the world of Tohu, and hold them in a state of captivity.

How is this situation to be mended? The Jewish people have been charged with the mission of releasing these sparks of holiness from their captivity. And we have been endowed with the power to accomplish this through our having been given Torah and Mitzvos. By using physical objects either to perform Mitzvos or to serve Hashem “for the sake of Heaven”[2] in mundane matters (such as eating, drinking, pursuing a livelihood, etc.) according to the dictates of Shulchan Aruch (the Code of Jewish Law), the Jew extracts the divine sparks from within these objects, refines them, and elevates them back to their source in the world of Tohu.

This is the mission of the Jew in the world, the purpose of the descent of his or her soul into a body, and the collective mission of the Jewish people as a whole. When this task has been accomplished, Moshiach will come.[3]

(For more posts explaining this topic, see here, here, and here.)

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[1] Tanya ch. 36. Cf. ibid. ch. 24: "הרע שבעוה"ז החומרי הוא שמרי הקליפות הגסות כו' והוא תכלית הבירור וכו' ולכן כל מעשה עוה"ז קשים ורעים והרשעים גוברים בו"

[2] Avos 2:12.
[2] Tanya ch. 37.

This post has been dedicated in memory of Shaina Hinda bas Tzvi ע"ה, by Dr. Jeffrey Kaufman, and by Menachem Kovacs in honor of the Yahrzeit of his father Eliezer ben Shalom ע"ה on 17 Sivan.

Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

How the Avos Prepared Us to Receive the Torah

How the Avos Prepared
Us to Receive the Torah

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

Every child who learns Chumash knows the story of the beginnings of the Jewish people. The first Jew was Avraham, followed by Yitzchak and Yaakov, who altogether comprise the Avos, the forefathers, of the Jewish people. And yet despite their lofty status as our Avos, and despite their observance of the Torah even before it was commanded,[1] they did not receive the Torah at Mount Sinai. Why wasn’t the Torah commanded to them?


Now, our Sages state that “The Avos were a chariot [for Hashem].”[2] This is explained to mean that the light of Atzilus (the highest spiritual world) shone into our world through their souls, for their souls were souls of Atzilus. In particular, each of their souls acted as a conduit for a different Sefirah (divine attribute) of Atzilus, to the extent that in a sense (because of course, the Sefiros themselves are utterly spiritual entities), they personified these Sefiros:[3]

• Avraham personified Chessed, kindness of Atzilus
• Yitzchak personified Gevurah, severity of Atzilus
• Yaakov personified Tiferes, beauty of Atzilus

uAlthough this sounds wondrous, what did it accomplish? Our sages compare the Torah and Mitzvos that the Avos observed to an insubstantial fragrance.[4] Although the Avos studied Torah before it was given and kept the entire Torah, all this was done of their own initiative, as an optional undertaking. Only later, when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, did Torah observance (beyond the Seven Noahide Laws) become a strict obligation for every single Jew.


To explain further, let us digress to discuss a general concept in Chasidic philosophy. There are two directions of influence: When the initiative comes from below, and rises upward; and the opposite, when it comes from above, and descends downward.


Each of these modes of influence has both an advantage and a disadvantage.


When the one below strives to ascend, this refines him in a much deeper and more lasting manner. However, he is only able to rise as high as his limited strength can reach.


Conversely, when the higher one reveals himself to the lower one, since this revelation occurs on the terms of the higher one, the quality and intensity of the revelation is far more powerful. Yet for the very same reason, since the recipient has not truly earned the revelation, it does not last.


Likewise, the ultimate goal of all that came before the revelation at Sinai was for the Jewish people to serve Hashem “from below to above.” However, in order for this to succeed, it had to be preceded by a divine revelation “from above to below.”


This is comparable to the reaction of an average student when a world-class genius attempts to impart to him a phenomenally profound lesson. The student finds the concept so mind-blowing that he enters into a state of shock and speechlessness. Although at this time he is completely unfit to assimilate the concept, this experience does accomplish something. When the teacher repeats the lesson on another occasion, this time the student is no longer flabbergasted. With the novelty gone, the teacher can now go about the lengthy process of explaining the concept to the student.


The Avos represented the first stage in the process. They revealed G–dliness “from above to below,” and this began from the relationship of their souls to their bodies. They never needed to engage in the arduous task of refining their bodies, for their bodies were innately refined to the point that they were fit vessels for the intense divine light of Atzilus that shone in their souls.

In light of the above, we can understand the Alter Rebbe’s words concerning the above statement of our sages, “The Avos were a chariot [to Hashem].” On this he comments that “All their limbs were holy and distant from worldly matters, and they acted as a vehicle for Hashem’s will alone throughout their lives.”[5] This means that the souls of the Avos were so lofty that they illuminated their bodies from above.

The impact of the Avos on the outside world was of the same kind. The entire task of the Avos in the world was to shower G–dliness upon it from above, not to refine its gross physicality from below. Thus, they were not endowed with the capacity to infuse holiness into the physical, and so the G–dliness that the Avos brought into the world did not remain in it. This is the reason that they were not commanded to observe the Mitzvos.


However, their spiritual accomplishments paved the way for their descendants to receive the Torah. Through the Torah, the Jewish people were granted the ability to refine the world “from below to above” by their souls refining their bodies, and their performance of Mitzvos refining and infusing holiness into the world.

For further explanation of the topic of “paving the way,” see Our Rebbeim Paved the Way.


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[1] Genesis 32:5
[2] Bereshis Rabba 47:6.
[3] Pardes 22:4. Sefer HaMa’amarim 5689, p. 97.
[4] Shir Hashirim Rabah 1:3.
[5] Tanya ch. 34.

Based on Sefer HaSichos 5688, pp. 18-21. Sefer HaMa’amarim 5678, pp. 168-169.

Levels of the Neshamah

Every morning, Hashem wants us to remind ourselves about the special Neshamah that we have—about its origin, composite levels, and current state.

In the beginning of the Morning Liturgy we recite: “My G–d, the soul that You implanted within me—it is pure. You created it, You formed it, You blew it into me.” Chassidus explains that this prayer alludes to the various levels of the Neshamah.



The Neshamah may be divided into two general parts (for a somewhat more detailed explanation of these levels of the soul, see here).


The lower part of the soul descends into the body and becomes vested in it; this comprises the levels of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah (referred to henceforth by the acronym naran). This level is alluded to in the above phrase, “You created it”—referring to Neshamah; “You formed it”—referring to Ruach; “You blew it into me”—referring to Nefesh.


Then there is the higher part of the soul that does not enter the body, but remains in the sublime spiritual realms. This comprises the levels of Chayah and Yechidah (referred to henceforth by the acronym chai). This level is alluded to in the phrase, “My G–d, the soul that You implanted within me—it is pure.”


This is related the distinction between the spiritual world of Atzilus and the three spiritual worlds below it—Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (referred to henceforth as B’ya).


Atzilus is a world of pure and untainted G–dliness, of which it is written, “Evil does not reside with You” (Tehillim 5:5). This is a world that submits totally to Hashem’s infinite light. This complete nullification of self is referred to as bittul bimetzius, “[total] nullification of selfhood.”


In contrast, the worlds of B’ya contain a spiritual energy that is fundamentally different from that found in the world of Atzilus, for these worlds have an independent sense of self, called yesh. Although they submit to Hashem, their submission is partial. Even as they submit, they maintain their sense of selfhood. This type of self-nullification is referred to as bittul ha’yesh, “nullification of ego [that maintains its ego nonetheless].”


As mentioned, “It is pure” refers to the level of chai. The reason for this is that the levels of chai remain in the world of Atzilus, and, as mentioned, Atzilus is a world of pure G–dliness.


Naran, however, descends into the lower worlds of B’ya, and ultimately into the physical world and the body, and thereby undergoes a tremendous spiritual descent. Thus, Chassidus explains that “You created it” refers to the soul’s descent into the world of Beriah; “You formed it” refers to the soul’s descent into the world of Yetzirah; and “You blew it into me” refers to the soul’s descent into the world of Asiyah.


There are two stages to this descent.


1. Naran’s very descent into the body changes its perspective radically.


When naran resided in Heaven, it basked in an intense divine light, and thus sensed G–dliness as an immediate, tangible reality, while it regarded the physical world as an abstract, novel concept.


However, once naran descended and became vested in a physical body, its attitude was reversed: Once in a body, naran naturally regards the world around it as the obvious and undeniable reality, and G–dliness as a distant, abstract concept. This also means that there is a certain sensitivity to and awareness of G–dliness that no matter how hard one tries, as long as naran remains in a body, it can never attain.


2. Then naran undergoes an even further descent through becoming vested in the Bestial Soul, which creates obstacles to the expression of naran, seeking to prevent it from grasping even the limited level of G–dliness that it can grasp in a physical world.

Torah: A Body and a Soul

Torah: A Body and a Soul

Rabbi Y. Oliver

The holy Zohar (3:152b) states that the Torah consists of a body and a soul.


The Torah’s body is Nigleh (or Galya) de’Oiraysa, the “revealed” dimension of the Torah (also known as chitzoniyus HaTorah, the “external” dimension of the Torah). This is the field that discusses earthly realities and technical Mitzvah obligations, whether in the form of definitive rulings or abstract debate. It also includes more down-to-earth explanations of Tanach and related ethical teachings.

The Torah’s soul is Pnimiyus HaTorah, the “inner” dimension of the Torah (also known as Nistar de’Oiraysa—see here)—Kabbalah and Chassidus. It describes the mystical meanings that lie within the Mitzvah obligations, and more generally it describes Hashem’s greatness and absolute unity.

So if we are to learn Torah, we need to understand that both the Torah’s body and soul are vital, and though very different, complementary.


Likewise, our Mitzvah observance ought to consist of a body and a soul. The body consists of rigorous adherence to the halachic requirements of the Mitzvah, as outlined in Nigleh de’Oiraysa. Likewise, the soul consists of the inspiration of love and fear of Hashem that drives the person to perform the Mitzvah (see Tanya ch. 4) and profound grasp of the meaning of the Mitzvah (the Mitzvah’s “kavanah”) that accompanies one’s performance of it; these are developed through studying Pnimiyus HaTorah.


Pnimiyus HaTorah is widely regarded as an optional, peripheral adjunct of one’s Torah study. However, based on the Zohar’s statement that Pnimiyus HaTorah is to Nigleh de’Oiraysa as a soul is to a body, it becomes clear that the study of Pnimiyus HaTorah is indispensible. Just as a body cannot function as it should without a soul to animate it, so will Torah study restricted to Nigleh be dry and lifeless.

The same also holds for Mitzvah performance, as the Arizal famously puts it, “A Mitzvah performed without the proper intention is akin to a body without a soul” (Likutei Torah LeArizal, beg. Ekev; Shaloh, 1:249b; Tanya, ch. 38).

Conversely, one should not restrict oneself to study of Pnimiyus HaTorah and neglect the study of Nigleh, for a soul without a body, as lofty as it may be, cannot function in this world. We live in a world of souls in bodies and not disembodied souls. Torah study confined to Pnimiyus HaTorah alone is liable to make a person unstable and out of touch with his own physical needs and those of others. Likewise, since this realm of Torah stems from a level that transcends earthly limitations, exclusive study of Pnimiyus HaTorah will bring the person lose a sense of the boundaries of time and space, quite possible leading to a very unfortunate outcome.

Likewise, Mitzvah observance will be adversely affected by neglecting the study of Nigleh. Just as Hashem placed the soul in the body in order to enable us to perform physical Mitzvos, so will the person who neglects the study of Nigleh be lacking in his Mitzvah observance, for the requirements of Shulchan Aruch are very complex, and in order to fulfill the Mitzvos properly one must study “to know the Mitzvos that one should do and that one should not do.” One who neglects the study of Nigleh can certainly not go beyond the letter of the law in his observance, for “A boor is not sin-fearing, neither is an ignorant person pious” (Avos 2:5).


However, this is only to say that one should study both the inner and revealed dimensions of Torah regularly. The exact proportion to which they ought to be studied is not set in stone. It depends upon the individual and his intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs.