The Legend

- major new statement, point or idea

- key point of the chapter

- illustration; paranthetical remark; proving or explanatory comment on the antecedent

- reference

- logical following, continuation, explanation or reference

- justification or proof

- juxtaposition of complementary (mutual substitute) or co-existing satements

- contrasting of mutually exclusive or contradictory, opposite, incompatible alternatives

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A - connection, with connector A on the next page withinh the same chapter being the successor

A ch. 6 - connection, with connector A from chapter 6 being the antecedent

A - connection, with connector A in chapter 6 being the successor ch. 6 1 Chapter 1. Structure and Logic.

"Be righteous, and be not "And be not wicked; and even if the whole Niddah, wicked in Avot , world tells you that you are 30b your own ch.2.13 righteous, regard yourself as if estimation." you were wicked." A ch.13 If a man considers himself to be wicked he willbe grieved in heart and depressed, and will not be able to serve G-d joyfully and with a content heart; while if he is not perturbed by this, it may lead him to irreverence.

"Lord of the universe, Thou It is not preordained Bava hast created righteous men Niddah, A whether a man will be Batra , 16a and Thou hast created 16b ch.14 righteous or wicked. wicked men,..."

A There are five types of man: ch.27
righteous man who prospers
righteous man who suffers Berachot ,
wicked man who prospers 7a
wicked man who suffers
intermediate man

The "righteous man who prospers" is the perfect tzaddik ; the "righteous man who suffers" is the imperfect tzaddik .

while the The righteous ... and the intermediate are motivated wicked by Berachot , men are by their good their evil 61b "Righteous man who suffers" is Zohar II, motivated by nature, nature, one whose evil nature is 117b both. subservient to his good nature.

"And my Rabba declared, Psalms, heart is a "I, for example, At what stage a person can be considered a ch.9 void within am a Benoni." Benoni , if he is deemed completely wicked me." when he :
commits sins
violates a minor prohibition of the Rabbis A That is, it is void
has opportunity to forewarn another of an evil nature. against sinning and does not do so
neglects any positive law which he is able Whoever has not to fulfill attained this degree, has not ascended to the rank of tzaddik . One whose Benoni can deeds and Yevamot , ch.2 This is only not mean misdeeds are Niddah, ch.1 figurative "The Almighty saw that one whose equally balanced Shevuot , 39b use of term that the righteous were Yoma, deeds are is callled Benoni , Sanhedrin , 99a in regard to few, so He planted them 38b half virtuous while one whose Num. 15:31 reward and in every generation,..." and half virtues outweigh punishment. sinful. his sins is called a Tzaddik .

Benoni is not guilty even of the For "The tzaddik A A sin of neglecting to study the is the foundation ch. 25 ch. 2 Torah. of the world."

Bava Metzia , It is known that Rabbah never Prov. 86a 10:25 ceased stuying the Torah. 2 A

"The souls which I Every Jew, whether Etz Chaim, Isa. 57:16 have made," alluding righteous or wicked, has Portal 50, ch. 2 to two souls. two souls.

There is one soul B A that originates in ch. 2 ch.9 kelipah and sitra achra .

The souls of the It is clothed in the From it stem all the evil From this soul stem also nations of the world blood of a human characteristics deriving the good characteristics emanate from the being, giving live to from the four evil A which are to be found in other, unclean the body. elements (fire, water, ch. 6 the innate nature of all kelipot which air, and earth) which are Israel, such as mercy contain no good contained in it. and benevolence. whatever.

"For the life of These are: anger and pride, For in the case of Israel, the flesh is in which emanate from the A this soul of the kelipah is the blood." element of Fire, the nature of ch. 7 derived from kelipat which is to rise upwards; the nogah . appetite for pleasures - from the element of Water, for water makes to grow all kind All the good that Etz Chaim, of enjoyment; frivolity and the nations do, is Portal 49, done from selfish ch.3 Lev. 17:11 scoffing, boasting and idle motives. talk from the element of Air; Kelipat nogah also contains and sloth and melancholy - good, as it originates in the from the element of Earth. esoteric "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil".

"The kindness of Bava Batra the nations is 10b Zohar I, 12b sin."

3 Chapter 2. Structure and Logic B ch. 1

The second soul of a Jew is truly a part of G-d above.

"And He breathed Gen. 2:7 into his nostrils the breath of life." The soul of each There are myriads of Israelite is derived different gradations of Berachot "Thou didst breathe from G-d's thought souls and likewise 60b the soul into me." and wisdom. nefashot . A ch. 1 He and His A "He who exhales, exhales from wisdom are ch. 4 within him", that is to say from his one. inwardness and his innermost. The souls of the In every Hilchot Yesodei "He is the Patriarchs and generation there ha-Torah 2:10 Knowledge of Moses our are the leaders and Knower" Teacher are of the Jews, Every soul above the souls whose souls are Zohar I, 206a, consists of of our own in the category And the sages of the Kabbalah etc. nefesh , generations who of "head" and Shaar Mehut have agreed with him that the ruach and live in the period "brain" in VeHanhagah , Light of the En Sof clothes neshamah . preceding the comparison with ch. 13 through numerous contractions coming of the those of the Zohar II, 204b within the vessels ChaBaD of Messiah... masses. Atzilut, but no higher than that. A ch. 3

The essential There is not a nefesh , The root of every factor is to conduct ruach and neshamah nefesh , ruach and oneself in a holy which has not a neshamah ... all derive A manner during garment of the nefesh from the Supreme ch. 41 sexual union. of its father's and Mind ( Chochmah mother's essence. Ila'ah ).

Through self- Nefesh , ruach and sanctification All commandments All of them remain neshamah of the one will cause to the neshamah bound and united with ignorant and unworthy descend for the fulfils are all essential unity with come into being ... neshamah of influenced by this their original essence through the descent one's child a garment. and unity, Chochmah of the worlds... holy garment. Ila'ah . degree by degree.

However great a soul it may be, it still needs the father's sanctification. As for the soul The nurture and life of the nefesh , ruach and itself, it sometimes neshamah of the ignorant are drawn from the This is not the happens that the nefesh , ruach and neshamah of the heads of case with the soul of an infinitely Israel in their generation. children of lofty person comes ignorant. to be the son of a A despised and lowly ch. 6 man. "He who cleaves unto a scholar is deemed by the For those who wilfully Through attachment to the Torah as if he had sin and rebel against the scholars, the nefesh , ruach become attached sages, the nurture of and neshamah of the to the very their nefesh , ruach and ignorant are bound up and Shechinah ." neshamah comes from united with their original behind the back. essence and their root in Ketuvot the Supernal Wisdom. 111b

4 Chapter 3. Structure and Logic A ch. 2

A Each distinction and grade of nefesh , ruach and neshamah consists of ten faculties, ch. 6 corresponding to the Supernal Ten Sefirot , from which they have descended.

They are subdivided into three "mothers" and seven "multiples".

Similarly, the human souls divided into sechel (intellect) and middot (emotional attributes).

The intellect includes chochmah , binah and da'at (ChaBaD), whilst the middot are love of G- d, dread and awe of Him, glorification of Him, and so forth.

ChaBaD are called "mothers" and source of middot , for the latter are "offspring" of the former.

A Da'at implies The intellect of the rational soul, which is the ch.18 faculty that conceives any thing, is given the Zohar III attachment and 28a, 34a union. appellation of chochmah , the "potentiality" of A "what is". ch.19

When one brings this power from the potential into actual... to understand thing "And Adam truly and profoundly as it evolves from the concept which he has conceived in his knew ( yada ) intellect, this is called binah . One binds his mind with Eve." a very firm and strong bond to, and firmly fixes his thought on, the Chochma and binah are the very "father" and "mother" which give birth to love of Gen. 4:1 greatness of the blessed G-d, and awe and dread of Him. En Sof.

When the intellect in the rational soul deeply contemplates and immerses itself exceedingly in the greatness of G-d, how He fills all Even one who is wise and worlds and encompasses all worlds, and in the presence of Whom A understanding of the everything is considered as nothing - there will be born and aroused ch. 41 greatness of the blessed En in his mind and thought the emotion of awe for the Divine Majesty... Sof, will not - unless he binds and ... the dread of G-d in his heart. his knowledge and fixes his thought with firmness and perseverance - produce in his soul true love and fear. Next, his heart will glow with an intense love,... with a passion, desire, and longing, and a yearning soul, towards the greatness of the blessed En Sof.

Da'at is the basis of the middot and the source "My soul longeth, yea, even Ps. 84:3 of their vitality. fainteth,..." and "My soul thirstieth Ps. 42:3 for G-d..." and "My soul thirstieth Ps. 63:2 for Thee..."

It contains chesed and gevurah , that is to say, This thirst is derived from the element of Fire, love with its offshoots which is found in the Divine soul. and fear with its offshoots. The element of Fire is in the heart, whilst the source of the element of Water is in the brain.

A The rest of the middot are all offshoots ch. 4 of fear and love and their derivations. The faculty of chochmah is called "The Etz Chaim, water of the divine soul." Portal 50 5 Chapter 4. Structure and Logic

Every divine soul (nefesh elokit) posesses three garments: thought, speech and action, expressing themselves in the 613 commandments of the Torah.

When a person actively fulfils all the percepts that require physical action, and with his power of speech he occupies himself in expounding all the 613 commandments and their practical application, and with the power of thought he comprehends all that is comprehensible to him in the Pardes of the Torah - then the totality of the 613 "organs" of his soul are clothed in the 613 commandments of the Torah.

Faculties of ChaBaD are clothed in the comprehension of the Torah to the extent of his mental capacity and the supernal A root of his soul. ch. 5

A Middot , namely fear and love , are clothed in the fulfilment of the comandments in deed and in word, ch. 3 namely in the study of Torah which is "The equivalent of all the commandments."

Love is a root of all the 248 Fear is the root of the 365 These three garments, positive commands. prohibitive commands, A although called "garments" The soul is fearing to rebel against the ch. 41 of nefesh , ruach and altogether truly Supreme King of Kings. neshamah , are infinitely bound up in the He who fulfils them in higher and greater than Bundle of Life with truth truly loves the nefesh , ruach and G-d, and the very Still deeper fear is when he feels name of G-d and neshamah in their quality. light of G-d envelops ashamed in the presence of the Divine desires to cleave to Him and clothes it from greatness to rebel against His glory and in truth. head to foot. do what is evil in His eyes. A A One cannot truly cleave ch. 2 Torah, which is the to Him except through wisdom and will of the "G-d is my the fulfilment of the 248 Holy One, and His Rock, I will take Ps. 18:3 commandments. glorious Essence are one. refuge in Him." A ch. 22 "Where you find the greatness of the Holy Megillah He is called En One, blessed be He, C 31a. Sof ("Infinite"). there you also find His humility.

The Holy One, blessed be He, And so are also His has compressed His will and B A will and Wisdom. wisdom within the 613 ch.16 commandments of the Torah, B the books of the Prophets and ch.16 the Hagiographa, and in A "There is no exposition thereof which can be ch.23 Isa. found in the Agadot and 40:28. searching of His Midrashim . understanding."

All of this in order that each neshamah , or ruach and nefesh in the human body should be able to comprehend them through its faculty of understanding, and to fulfil them, as far as they can be Job "Canst though fulfilled, in act, speech and thought, thereby clothing itself with all of its ten faculties in these three 11:7. by searching find garments. G-d?

Torah has been compared to water, for just as water descends from higher to a lower level, so has the Torah descended from its place of glory, which is His blessed will and wisdom. "For My Isa. thoughts are 55:8. not your thoughts. The Torah has progressively descended through hidden stages, stage after stage, with the descend of the worlds, until it clothed itself in corporeal substances and in things of this world, comprising almost all of the A commandments of the Torah... in the combinations of material letters, written with ink in a book, namely the 24 ch. 37 volumes of the Torah, Prophets and Hagiographa.

All this in order that every thought should be able to apprehend them, and even the faculties of speech and A action, which are on a lower level than thought, should be able to apprehend them and be clothed in them. ch. 5

6 A

C "Better is one hour of Avot 4:17 repentance and good deeds in this world than the whole B life of the world to come." His greatness Ps. 145:3 can never be fathomed. The world to come is that state No created being -- even where one enjoys the effulgence of celestial -- can comprehend the Divine Presence, which is the more than some reflection of Introduction to No thought can pleasure of comprehension. the Divine Light. Tikunei Zohar comprehend 17a. Him at all.

As for the essence of the Holy One, blessed be He, no thought can apprehend Him B at all, except when it ch. 5 apprehends and is clothed in the Torah and its Mitzvot ..

Only then does it truly apprehend, and is clothed in, the Holy One, blessed be He, inasmuch as the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are one and the same.

Although the Torah has been clothed in lower material things, it is like embracing the king. There is no difference with regard to the degree of closeness and attachment to the king, whether while embracing the king, the latter is then wearing one robe or several robes, so long as the royal person is in them.

Likewise, when the king, for his part, embraces one with his arm, even though it is dressed in his robes.

Song of Songs, 8:3 "And His right hand embraces me."

This refers to the Torah which was given by G-d's right hand, which is the quality of chesed and water.

7 Chapter 5. Structure and Logic

A ch. 4

When intellect conceives and comprehends a This concept is [in turn] grasped, enveloped and concept with its intellectual faculties, this intellect enclothed within that intellect which conceived and grasps the concept and encompasses it. comprehended it.

When a person understands and comprehends, fully and clearly, any halachah in the Mishna or Gemara , his intellect grasps and encompasses it and, at the same time, is clothed in it.

A ch.16

As a particular halachah is the wisdom and will of G-d, ... when a person knows and comprehends with his intellect such a verdict in accordance with the law as it is set out in the Mishna , Gemara or Posekim , he has comprehended, B grasped and encompassed with his intellect the will and wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, Whom no thought ch. 4 can grasp, nor His will or wisdom, except when they are clothed in the laws that have been set out for us.

This is a wonderful union, like which there is none other, and which has no parallel anywhere in the material world, A whereby complete oneness and unity, from every side and angle, could be attained. ch. 41

Hence the special superiority, infinitely great and wonderful, that is in the commandment of knowing the Torah and A comprehending it, over all the commandments involving action, even those relating to speech, and even the ch. 23 commandment to study the Torah, which is fulfilled through speech.

Through all the commandments involving With regard to knowledge of the Torah, apart from the speech or action, the Holy One, blessed be A fact that the intellect is clothed in Divine wisdom, this He, clothes the soul and envelops it from ch. 4 Divine wisdom is also contained in it. head to foot with Divine light.

Since, in the case of knowledge of the Torah, the Torah is clothed in the soul and intellect of a person, and is absorbed in them, it is called "bread" and "food" of the soul.

Ps. 40:9 This is the meaning of the verse, "Yea, Thy The "food" of The "garments" are Torah is within my inward parts." the soul is in in the nature of the nature of Encompassing Light. Inner Light. The "garments" of the soul in the Gan Eden are the commandments Etz Chaim, while the Torah is The Torah is both the food for the The commandments Portal 44, "food" as well as are but "garments". ch.3 souls which, during "garment" for the life on earth, had rational soul, in occupied which a person is themselves in the clothed during study of the Torah learning and for its own sake. concentration.

8 Chapter 6. Structure and Logic

A A ch. 3 ch. 4 The Almighty has created one Eccl. thing opposite the other. 7:14

So does the soul that is derived Divine soul consists of ten from the sitra achra of the kelipat holy Sefirot and is clothed in noga , which is clothed in man's three holy garments. blood, consists of ten crowns of impurity.

These are the seven evil middot which stem from the four A evil elements... and the intellect begetting them which is ch. 1 subdivided into three, viz., wisdom, understanding and knowledge, the source of the middot .

These ten unclean categories, when a person meditates in The middot are according to them or speaks them, or acts by them, his thought - which is the quality of the intellect. in his brain; and his speech - which is his mouth; and the power of action - which is in his hands, together with his other limbs - all these are called the "impure garments" of these ten unclean categories wherein the latter are clothed at the time of the action, speech or thought. A child desires and loves petty things of inferior worth, for his intellect is too immature and So, too, are all utterances and thoughts, which are not deficient to appreciate directed towards G-d and His will and service. things that are much more precious.

This is the meaning of sitra achra - "the other side", i.e. not the side of holiness.

That which does not surrender itself to G-d, but is a separate thing by itself does not A receive its vitality from the holiness of the The holy side is nothing but the indwelling and extension of ch. 19 Holy One, blessed be He, that is, from his the holiness of the Holy One, blessed be He. very inner essence and substance of the holiness itself, but from "behind its back".

He dwells only on such a thing that abnegates itself A completely to Him, either actually, as in the case of the ch. 2 angels above, or potentially, as in the case of every Jew down below, having the capacity to abnegate himself completely to the Holy One, blessed be He, through It is descending degree by degree, through myriads of martyrdom for the sanctification of G-d. degrees with the lowering of the worlds, by the way of cause and effect, and innumerable contractions, until the Light and Life is so diminished through repeated diminutions, that it can be compressed and incorporated, in a state of exile as it were, within that separated thing, giving it vitality and "Even when a single individual sits existence ex nihilo , so that it does not revert to nothingness Avot 3:6 and engages in the Torah the and non-existence as it was before it was created. Shechina rests on him."

Sanhedrin "On each [gathering of] ten Jews the 39a Shechina rests always." A 9 A

Etz Chaim There are contained in this world the This world, with all its contents, is Portal 43 ten sefirot of Asiyah of the side of called the world of kelipot and sitra holiness. achra .

Within these ten sefirot of Asiyah are All mundane affairs are severe and Etz Chaim the ten sefirot of Yetzirah , and in them evil, and wicked men prevail.. Portal 42, ch. 4 the ten sefirot of Beriah , and in them the ten sefirot of Atzilut, in which abides the light of the blessed En Sof .

The kelipot are subdivided into two grades, one lower than the other.

The light of the blessed En Sof pervades this lower world through Etz Chaim being clothed in the ten sefirot of Portal 47, ch. 2 the Four Worlds, namely those of The lower grade consists of three A Atzilut, Beriah , Yetzirah and kelipot, which are altogether ch. 7 Asiyah . unclean and evil, containing no good whatever.

In the "chariot" of [the prophet] Ezekiel they are Ezek. 1:4 called "whirlwind", "great A cloud." ch. 19 B ch. 29 From them flow and derive the souls of all the nations of the world, and the existence of their bodies, and also the souls of all living creatures that are Etz Chaim B unclean and unfit for consumption, and Portal 49, ch. 7 the existence of their bodies, as well as ch. 6 the existence and vitality of all forbidden food in the vegetable kingdom, such as orlah and "Mixed seeds in the vineyard..."

A ch. 8

As also the existence and vitality of all Etz Chaim A actions, utterances, and thoughts Portal 49, ch. 29 pertaining to the 365 prohibitions and ch. 5 their offshoots.

10 Chapter 7. Structure and Logic

A B A ch. 6 ch. 6 ch. 1

The vitalizing animal soul of the Jew, that which is derived from the aspect of the kelipah , which is clothed in human blood, and the souls of the animals, beasts, birds and fishes that are clean and fit for Jewish consumption, as also the existence and vitality of the entire inanimate and entire vegetable world which are permissible for consumption, as well as the existence and vitality of every act, A utterance and thought in mundane matters that contain no forbidden aspect... yet are not performed for the sake of Heaven but ch. 37 only by the will, desire and lust of the body, or its very preservation and life... and everything in this totality of things flows and is drawn from the second gradation to be found in the kelipat , called kelipat nogah .

In this world almost all of kelipat noga is bad, and only a little good has been intermingled within it.

Kelipat nogah is an intermediate category between the three completely unclean kelipot and the category and order of Holiness.

Sometimes it is absorbed and elevated to the category and level of It is sometimes absorbed within the three Holiness, as when the good that is unclean kelipot. intermingled in it is extracted from the bad, and prevails and ascends until it is absorbed in Holiness.

He who belongs to those who gluttonously guzzle meat and quaff wine in order to satisfy their bodily appetites and animal nature... in such case the energy of the meat and wine Such is the case of he who eats B consumed by him is degraded and absorbed fat beef and drinks spiced wine in ch. 6 temporarily in the utter evil of the three order to broaden his mind for the unclean kelipot , and his body temporarily service of G-d and His Torah. becomes a garment and a vehicle for them.

Such is not the case with forbidden Rava said: "Wine food and coition, which derive from the three kelipot that are entirely unclean. Until the person repents and returns to the service and fragrance Yoma, of G-d and His Torah. [make man's 76b mind more receptive.]" In as much as the meat and wine were kasher , they have the power to revert and ascend with him when he returns to the In such a case the vitality service of G-d. of the meat and wine, originating in the kelipat noga , is distilled and Nevertheless, a trace of the evil remains in the ascends to G-d like a body. burnt offering and sacrifice.

Therefore the body must undergo the A "Purgatory of the grave." ch. 8

These are tied and bound by the Or until the sinner repents to such an extent that his premeditated sins become Extraneous Forces for ever, and are C transmuted into veritable merits, which is achieved trough "repentance out of not released until the day comes when love", coming from the depth of his heart, with great love and fervor. death will be swallowed up for ever.

A Repentance that does not come from such love, even though it be true repentance, and G-d will pardon him, nevertheless his sins are not transformed into merits, and they are not completely released from the kelipah , until the end B of the time, when death will be swallowed up for ever. 11 C A

His soul now thirsts for G-d even "And I will cause the unclean Zechariah more than the souls of righteous. spirit to pass from the land." 13:2

"In the place where "The penitent's premeditated Rosh Hashanah Berachot penitents stand, not sins become, in his case, like 29a 34b even the perfectly virtues." righteous can stand."

B

Berachot "He who recites the Shema at bedtime is as 5a if he held a double-edged sword,..." The vitality which is in the drop of semen that issue wastefully, even though it has been degraded and incorporated in the three unclean kelipot , nevertheless it can ascend from there by means of true repentance and Wherewith to slay the bodies of the intense kavanah during the recital of the Extraneous Forces that have become Shema at bedtime. garments for the vitality which is in the drops of semen, so that this vitality may ascend.

Therefore the sin of wasteful emission of semen is not mentioned in the Torah among the list of forbidden coitions, although it is even more heinous than they.

In the case of forbidden coitions he contributes strength and This sin is greater because of the enormity and the abundance of the vitality to a most unclean kelipah , from which he is powerless uncleanness and of the kelipot that it begets and multiplies to an to bring up the vitality by means of repentance, unless he exceedingly greater extent through wasteful emission of semen, even repents with such great love, that his willful wrongs are more than through forbidden coitions. transformed into merits.

In this case there is obviously no "female" element of kelipah , and only its This vitality has been absorbed by the "female" element of powers and forces provide the garments for the vitality of the wasteful the kelipah , which receives and absorbs the vitality from the semen. holiness.

Chagigah "Which is 'a fault that cannot be rectified?' - Having 9a incestuous intercourse and giving birth to a bastard."

In such a case, even though the sinner undertakes such great repentance, he cannot cause the newly created vitality to ascend to Holiness, since it has already descended into this world and has been clothed in a body of flesh and blood.

12 Chapter 8. Structure and Logic

The reason forbidden foods are called issur ["chained"] is that even in the case of one who has unwittingly eaten a forbidden food intending it to give him strength to serve G-d by the energy of it, and he has, moreover, actually carried out his intention, having both studied and prayed with the energy of that food, nevertheless the vitality contained therein does not ascend and become clothed in the words of the Torah and prayer, as in the case with permitted foods, by reason of it being held captive in the power of the sitra achra of the three unclean kelipot .

This is so even if the Therefore , also the evil impulse ( yetzer prohibition is a hara ) and the force that strains after The evil impulse and craving force after Rabbinic enactment. A forbidden things is a demon of non- permissible things to satisfy an appetite A ch.6 Jewish demons, which is the evil impulse is a demon of the Jewish demons, for it ch.7 of the nations whose souls are derived can be reverted to holiness. from the three unclean kelipot .

Nevertheless, before it has reverted to holiness it is sitra achra and kelipah , and even afterwards a trace of it is attached to the body, since from each item of food and drink are immediately formed blood and flesh of his flesh.

Only one who had derived no That is why the body should undergo the "Purgatory of the enjoyment from this world all grave" in order to cleanse it and purify it ... from the his life ... is spared this. uncleanness of the kelipat noga and of the Jewish demons.

As for innocent idle chatter, such as in a With regard to forbidden speech, such as scoffing and slander and the like, case of ignoramus who cannot study, he which stem from completely unclean kelipot , the hollow of sling (alone) does Zohar II, must undergo a cleansing of his soul ... not suffice to cleanse and remove uncleanness of the soul, but it must descend p. 59a through it being rolled in "The hollow of into Gehinnom [Purgatory]. a sling."

He who is able to engage in the Torah, Likewise, he who occupies himself with the sciences of the nations of but occupies himself instead with the world is included among those who waste their time in profane frivolous things, the hollow of sling matters, insofar as the sin of neglecting Torah is concerned. cannot itself effectively scour and cleanse his soul.

The uncleanness of the science of the nations is greater than that of Severe penalties are meted out for profane speech. neglect of the Torah in particular, apart from the general retribution for the neglect of a positive commandment through indolence, namely, in the Purgatory of Snow.

Profane speech defiles the middot Profane speech does not In the case of the nations' science which emanate from the element defile the faculties of ChaBaD whereby he clothes and defiles the of the holy ruach within the divine in his soul, for they are but intellectual faculties of ChaBaD in soul with the contamination of the words of foolishness and his divine soul with the kelipat noga that is contained in ignorance since even fools contamination of the kelipot noga profane speech which is derived and ignoramuses can speak contained in those sciences. from the element of the evil ruach that way. of this kelipah in his animal soul.

Unless he employs these sciences as a means of a more affluent livelihood to be able to serve G-d, or knows how to apply them in the service of G-d and His Torah.

This is the reason why Maimonides and Nachmanides, of blessed memory, and their adherents, engaged in them. 13 Chapter 9. Structure and Logic. A ch.1

The abode of the nefesh habahamit derived from The abode of the Divine soul is in the brains that the kelipat nogah in every Jew, is in the heart, in are in the head. the left ventricle that is filled with blood.

All lust and boasting and anger "For the blood Deut. Eccl. "The heart of From there it extends to all the limbs; and similar passion are in the is the nefesh." 12:23 5:2 the wise man and also in the heart, in the right heart, and from the heart they is on his right" ventricle wherein there is no blood. It is spread throughout the whole the source of man's fervent love body, rising also to the brain in towards G-d which, like flaming coals, the head, so as to think and flares up in the heart of discerning men meditate about them..., just as who understand and reflect, with the the blood has its source in the faculty of knowledge of their brain, on heart and from the heart it matters that arouse this love; ... also circulates into every limb, rising the other holy middot in the heart also to the brain in the head. originate from ChaBaD in the brains.

A The Divine and the vitalizing animal soul that comes from the kelipah wage war against each other over the body and all its limbs. ch.10

Gen. 25:23 "One nation shall prevail over another nation." The body is called a "small city." Eccl. 9:14

The desire of the animal soul It is the desire and will of the Divine soul that she alone rule over the person which is derived from the and direct him, and that all his limbs should obey her and surrender kelipah is the very opposite - themselves completely to her and become a vehicle for her, as well as a A and it is for the good of man, robe for her ten faculties and three garments, all of which should pervade ch.12 that he may prevail over her the organs of the body, and the entire body should be permeated with them and vanquish her. alone, to the exclusion of any alien influence.

The three brains that are in the head shall be permeated with ChaBaD of the Divine soul, namely, with wisdom of G-d and with understanding of Him, by pondering of His unfathomable and infinite greatness; and from them shall be born, through the daat , awe in his mind and dread of G-d in his heart, as well as love of G-d that shall flare up like a glowing fire in his heart ,... so that his soul shall yearn and long, with passion and desire, to cleave to the blessed En Sof , with his whole heart, soul and might, from the very depth of the right ventricle of the heart.

The heart will be so thoroughly permeated with love to overflowing, as to inundate the left "With all thine side as well, to the extent of subduing the sitra achra with its element of "evil waters", heart" - with both namely, the lust stemming from kelipat nogah , changing it and transforming it from seeking your natures." the pleasures of this world to the love of G-d.

Berachot The person shall steadily rise to attain to the degree of "abundant love", a supreme 54a affection surpassing that of "ardent love" that is comparable to burning coals.

This is what is called in Scripture "love of delights", which is the experience of delight in G-dliness, of the nature of the world to come. This delight is in the brain of wisdom, in the intellectual pleasure of comprehending and knowing G-d, to the extent that one's intellect and wisdom can grasp Him.

This is the element of "water", and "seed", i.e., light that is sown in the holiness of the divine soul that converts to good the element of "water" in the animal soul, from which the lust to mundane pleasures has been previously derived.

B The evil is converted into, and becomes, completely good, like the good nature itself, through the shedding of the soiled Etz Chaim, ch.10 garments, the pleasures of the world, in which it had been clothed. Portal 50, ch.3

So, too, shall the other middot in the heart, the offshoots of awe and love, be dedicated to G-d alone; and the faculty of speech that is in his mouth, and the thought that is in his mind, shall be entirely and solely the instruments of the "garments" of thought and speech of the divine soul alone, namely, meditation on G-d and His Torah, which shall be the theme of his speech throughout the day, his mouth ceaselessly studying it; and the faculty of action centered in his hands, as also in the rest of the 248 organs, shall function exclusively in the performance of the commandments, which is the third garment of the divine soul. 14 Chapter 10. Structure and Logic. A ch.9

When a person fortifies his divine soul and wages war against his animal soul to such an extent that he expels and A eradicates its evil from the left part... yet the evil is not ch.11 actually converted to goodness, he is called "Incompletely righteous", or "A righteous man who suffers."

There still lingers in him a fragment of He imagines that he wickedness in the left part, except that it has driven evil out is subjugated and nullified by the good, and it disappeared. because of the former minuteness.

Had the evil in him entirely departed and disappeared., it would have been converted into actual goodness.

"A completely righteous man," in whom the evil has been B converted to goodness, and who is consequently called "A ch.9 righteous man who prospers," has completely divested himself of the filthy garments of evil. The "Incompletely righteous" is he Whatever is of sitra achra is hated by the perfectly righteous who does not hate man with an absolute hatred, by reason of his great love of the sitra achra with G-d and of His holiness with profuse affection and delight an absolute hatred, and superlative devotion. therefore he does not also absolutely abhor evil.

"I hate them with absolute According to the abundance of the love hatred: I count them my toward G-d, so is the extent of the hatred enemies. Search me [O G-d,] towards the sitra achra, and the utter and know my heart." contempt of evil, for contempt is as much the opposite of real love as is hatred.

Ps. 139:22

As a the hatred and scorn of evil are not absolute, there must remain some vestige of love and pleasure in it, and the fouled garments have not entirely and absolutely been shed; therefore the evil has not actually been converted to goodness, since it still has hold in the filthy garments, except that it is nullified because of the minute quantity and is accounted as nothing.

Such a person is called a righteous man, in whom the evil is subjugated and surrendered to him.

His love of G-d is also not perfect, with the result that he is called "incompletely righteous".

This grade is subdivided into myriads of degrees in respect of the quality of the minute evil remaining [in him] from any of the four evil elements, as well as in relation to its proportionate abnegation by reason of its minuteness, such as, by way of example, one in sixty, or in a thousand, or in ten thousand, and the like.

With regard to the superior quality of the "completely righteous" Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: " I have Such are the gradations of the numerous righteous men who are to be found in seen superior men ( benei aliyah ), and their numbers every generation. are few..."

"Eighteen thousand righteous Sukkah 45b A men stand before the Holy One, Sanhedrin 97b blessed be He." 15 When Rabbi Chiyya wished to ascend to A hechal (heavenly shrine) of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, A further explanation is that their service is in the The reason for their he heard a voice category of "do good", in the fulfilment of the Torah and title of "superior men" come out and say, its commandments is for the sake of the Above, the is that they convert "Which of you, before ultimate of the highest degrees, and not merely in order evil and make it coming here, has to attach themselves to G-d so as to quench the first of ascend to holiness. converted darkness their [own] soul, which thirsts for G-d. into light and bitter taste into sweetness? [Otherwise] do not approach here."

Zohar I, 4a Both interpretations are complementary, for through act of refinement of good out of the nogah , one elevates the "feminine waters" causing "supernal unions" to bring down the "Ho, everyone "Who is kind? - He "In the manner of a "masculine waters" which that firtsteth, who conducts himself son who ingratiates are the flow of divine come ye to with benevolence himself with his father kindness contained in each the waters." towards his Creator - and mother, whom he of the 248 positive towards His nest, loves more than his precepts, all of which are uniting the Holy One, own body and soul... in the nature of kindness blessed be He, and and is prepared to and "masculine waters." his Shechinah within sacrifice his own life those who dwell in the for them, to redeem Isaiah 55:1 nethermost worlds." them, ..."

Introduction to Zohar III, Tikunei Zohar 281a 1b

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