Rather, he must rectify [all parts of each
level as] we have mentioned, until he is fit [to receive the Nefesh of]
all of Asiya, and then he can attain his Ruach
of Yetzira. It is this way with all the worlds. Gate of Reincarnations
“GATE OF REINCARNATIONS”
from the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria
translated by Yitzchak Bar Chaim
edited by Shabtai Teicher
CHAPTER ONE, Section Three: Path Of Rectification
Even though, as is known, there are people
whose Nefesh is from Malchut of Asiya, and others who are
from Yesod of Asiya, still, every person must rectify the entire
spectrum of Asiya. Only then can a person receive his Ruach from Yetzira,
since Yetzira is greater than all of Asiya.
Not all souls are rooted in the same level. However, in spite of the
level of the root of one’s soul, a person is still responsible to rectify all
strata within the level of world that to which he is attached. This includes
those levels within the same world but below his root as well as those above it.
No individual can begin to rectify the next level of soul applicable to the
next world until he has rectified all the lower levels of the world in which he
is rooted. Thus, he can initiate work on Ruach from Yetzira only
after his Nefesh from Asiya is completely rectified.
Similarly, in order to attain his Neshama
from Beria, a person needs to rectify every part of his Ruach in
all of Yetzira, after which he can then receive his Neshama from Beria.
It is insufficient for him to rectify only
the particular place in which his soul-root is grounded.
That is, the
level in which his Nefesh is rooted.
Rather, he must rectify [all parts of each
level as] we have mentioned, until he is fit [to receive the Nefesh of]
all of Asiya, and then he can attain his Ruach
of Yetzira. It is this way with all the worlds.
The import of this [above
mentioned rectification—tikun] is that one must be involved with [the
study of] Torah and [the performance of] mitzvot that correspond to all
of Asiya—not just those which correspond to the specific place to which
his Nefesh is attached.
The Talmud has already taught that
there are mitzvot that have special significance for specific people.
That is to say, one mitzvah is important for a particular person, and
another mitzva is significant for a second person. Nevertheless, in
order to advance spiritually each individual must perform all the mitzvot
that he can, and not content himself with the performance of only those mitzvot
that are significant to him.
This [above mentioned rectification] is [thus also applicable] in the
realm of “upholding Torah and mitzvot.”
Yitzchak Bar-Chaim is the pseudonym of an American-born Jerusalem scholar who has studied and taught Kabbala for many years. He may be contacted through: kabbala@KabbalaOnline.com.